The Shelter: Book 1, The Beginning (43 page)

None of us spoke. We sat in the security shelter staring at the display. Tony and I are sitting in front of John in shock. After a very long and silent three minutes, I break the silence, “John, isn’t there some way we can take more of them down? If we hit them hard enough won’t they retreat?”

“Jay, you’d be correct if we were an army fighting another army. Usually when an army unit reaches a 30% casualty rate, they lose unit cohesion. A regular army would withdraw and regroup. A mob has nothing to lose. Worse, they’re families, hitting a member of a family will push the other members onward wanting revenge.”

“John, we have to find some way to stop them, or at least slow them down enough so we can force them back.”

“Jay, I’ll put my thinking cap on. Let me review our armory. Can we get together tonight at 7?”

Tony and I nod in agreement. Tony says, “I’ll volunteer Jay’s house for the meeting.”

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Captain Black was shocked when he and his team landed at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The runway was littered with trash, large areas of the terminals were closed due to disrepair. Empty airplanes sat in a parking area of the airport. Captain Black stopped counting when he passed twenty-six parked airplanes. The inside of the terminal reminded the Captain and his First Sergeant of a third world country. Most of the restrooms were out of order, the terminal smelled of urine, feces, vomit and rotting meat. Sergeant Gray looked around, he whispered, “Cap, there must be thousands of homeless living in the terminal. What the hell happened here? We were only gone three months.”

“Sarge, it’s pretty clear the economy took a dump and took millions down with it. I worry what we’re going to see on our mission.”

“Sir, that still bothers the men. None are happy about peacekeeping inside America.”

“Sarge, look around if we don’t do it, who will, Notice the only people flying today are wearing a uniform? Usually, we’re in the minority, today we’re all that can afford to fly because our uncle is paying.”

“Sir, there has to be a better way than sending SOF to police America.”

“Sarge, you signed up to be all you can be, now let’s collect our bags and locate our transportation.”

“Yes, sir.”

The troops found a bus painted in Army green outside waiting for them. The bus took the team to Soldiers Field, which has been taken over by the US Military. Captain Black checked in. He was given food vouchers and directed to the armory to pick up more ammo. Afterward, they were directed to their vehicles, eight LAV (light armored vehicles) and a map of their AO (Area of Operations). Their area was a vertical slice of the country, from Chicago to Mobile. Sergeant Gray said, “Sir, that’s a huge AO, are they crazy?”

“Sergeant, we’re short of people, heavy on criminals so we’ll do the best we can with what we have.”

“Yes, sir. Sir, I have a list of known HAM operators in our AO, plus a list of known radio intercepts. I guess this means people are alive in these areas.”

“Sarge, we don’t have enough people to spread out while moving south in a line. I think we’ll split the team into two squads, half will head south on Interstate 55, the other half will head south on Interstate 65, we’ll meet back up In New Orleans.”

“Sir, split the team? We only have a few LAVs.”

“We’re getting reinforced with two hundred National Guard troops. You command the west group down Interstate 55, I’ll take the other half south on Interstate 65. I’ll meet you in the ‘Big Easy.’”

“Yes, sir.”

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At 7:00, John joins Tony and me in my kitchen over a cold beer. “John, did you come up with any new ideas?”

“Does pray count?”

Tony smiles, shaking his head no. I laugh saying, “I really hope you have a better backup plan than pray. Mind you, I do believe in God, but pray?”

“Happen to know where we can find another few hundred heavily armed people?”

Both Tony and I shake our heads no.

“Either we need bodies or we need to mine the hell out of the entrances. The problem with mines is they are one-time use. I think it’s time for Todd to show you some of the toys he’s been playing with.”

“Huh?”

“Jay, your son-in-law, designed and built a catapult.”

“I plan on firing large Molotov Cocktails at our uninvited guests.”

Tony is surprised, asking, “Will it really work?”

“Oh yes, it will toss cocktails from behind the trench across the road.”

“How come I didn’t know about this? He’s my son-in-law.”

“I suggest you ask him.”

“I will, when will you test it?”

“Already have. It works like a charm. I wish we had more of them.”

“Can we make more of them in the time we have left?”

“Jay, since we don’t know how much time we have, I’d say we should try.”

“I’ll get a hold of Todd right now, maybe he can get a team together to start building another tonight.”

“If he can, it will help.”

“I suggest we keep every adult and teen who can fire an assault rifle on the front line. I’d like to arm everyone with either an M4 or M16.”

“John, I thought you didn’t like full auto rifles.”

“Usually I don’t, right now we can and will use every force multiplier we have.”

Tony and I nod to each other. “We agree.”

Todd walks by, I yell, “Todd, please join us.”

“Hey, Dad, Tony, John, what’s up?”

“We heard you built a catapult.”

“Yes, it’s kind of cool. Tosses a rock across the road from the back yard.”

“Can you make another or two?”

“Sure, since we have the plans, they’re not too hard. I can have the parts ready to assemble by midday. The CNC machine is already programmed, all I have to do is feed it wood.”

Tony says, “Don’t let us delay you. Great job, grab your construction team and get it going. We may need to use them in combat sooner than later.”

Todd leaves to start the CNC machine making another catapult.

Tony, John and I continue discussing plans until 11:00 PM when we call it a night.

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The People's Liberation Army, Navy (PLAN or PLA Navy) had never been in a real battle. Fleet Admiral Zin wanted to drill his various ships before he faced the mighty US Navy in battle. He issued orders for China’s three fleets to meet in the South China Sea off the coast of the port at Haikou. The Liaoning, China’s only carrier which can carry 33 fixed-wing warplanes was the queen of the Chinese fleet. Admiral Zin ordered his submarines and cruisers to mock attack the Liaoning and in four battles, the Liaoning lost two mock attacks and won two of them. Admiral Zin informed the Premier he needed three additional months to prepare China’s three fleets to enter battle against the US Seventh Fleet, which is being reinforced with the US Navy’s Third and Fourth Fleets. Admiral Zin told the Chairman, “Sir, we’re going to be facing six of America’s Nimitz-class nuclear carriers, each capable of carrying more than twice the number of planes as the Liaoning.”

“Admiral, the Americans have been asking for a delay in paying us back, I’ll agree to give them a short delay so you can have a little more time to prepare.”

“Thank you sir.”

Three months of practicing mock attacks have given Admiral Zin more confidence. He called his captains together for a meeting. Admiral Zin had an ace up his sleeve, one he doubted the US Navy knew about. He addressed the captains of his ships, “Captains, we have been practicing for three months. In that time, 75% of the time we have failed to take out the Liaoning. If you can’t sink the Liaoning, how are you going to handle one of the American CVNs? Each is 100,000 tons, each carries 75 warplanes. Submarine commanders, you are supposed to be able to sneak up on the carrier, penetrate her screen and hit her with a full broadside of torpedoes. In the previous six encounters, only three out of thirty of you have made it inside the Liaoning’s screen. Two of you ran into each other at 100 meters, you caused enough damage that your two boats will miss the encounter.” Admiral Zin asks the two commanding officers to join him on the stage when they join him he draws his sidearm shooting both captains dead. “Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. Don’t let the people down. Learn how to command your ships in battle, our time is running short. The Premier has given us only three more weeks before we are to head towards Hawaii. The next commanding officer who fails will join these two as shark bait.”

The rest of the commanding officers snap to attention. They salute the fleet admiral, who orders them back to their ships.

The American Navy surged every warship it could to the Pacific. Ships that were in dry dock for repairs are quickly refloated so they can join the upcoming battle. The US Navy has twelve experimental F35C stealth fighters. The CNO orders the training squadron to join the USS Ronald Regan. Every F/A18E and F are sent to the Pacific Fleet while their F/A18C and Ds are sent to the Atlantic carriers. The Navy’s plan is to use the airfield at Pearl Harbor to operate P3 and P8 anti-submarine planes. They also plan to base F/A 18s providing CAP (combat air patrol) over Hawaii, plus replacement fighters for the any the carriers lose in the upcoming battle.

All of the ship’s weapon systems are checked while each ship’s armories and vertical launch cells are fully loaded with war shots. In Hawaii commercial and navy technicians are working 24 hours a day to bring the USS Missouri back to life. Cranes move equipment while others remove museum displays. 16-inch shells and powder are trucked to the ship. Fuel oil is pumped into the ship’s tanks. Nine weeks after the China crisis began Captain Jefferson orders the ship’s boilers lit for the first time in twenty years. Thirty minutes after the boiler ignition the USS Missouri is generating its own power. Captain Jefferson informs the crew he wants to leave port in three days so they can join the Seventh Fleet. No weapon in China’s arsenal, except for a nuclear weapon can penetrate the Missouri’s 16” thick armor. The CNO plans to use the Missouri to lead the American battle fleet. She’ll be escorted by five Virginia-class fast attack submarines. The CNO plans to have the Missouri launch 32 Tomahawk anti-ship missiles while her 16” guns fire. Her 2,800-pound shells have a range of 30 miles. Battleship sailors volunteer to take the Missouri into battle since it will be the first battleship to fight a fleet battle in the largest sea battle since the Second World War. It’s also most likely the last time a Battleship goes in harms way.

Chapter 23

An hour before dawn finds every able-bodied adult in the front yard digging new trenches and placing as many mines as we can build. We placed our entire inventory of mines, including our reserves hoping they will be able to slow down the mob who will sooner or later come across the road to investigate our farms. Looking at the lawn, I don’t think anyone is going to be able to set foot on our property without setting off a mine. The problem is once a mine goes off, it’s gone. People coming in behind the first wave won’t be slowed down by the mines. While we’re planting the mines, the older teens are helping make pipe bombs which we’ll use as hand grenades. John is turning two backpack water sprayers into flame throwers. We also plan to dig a trench in front of our fighting trench which we line with straw and jellied gasoline. We plan to light it if we’re getting overrun. Our defense plans are starting to resemble the dark ages, we’re only missing the castle and boiling pitch to pour on the attackers.

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The mob across the street is happy. They are well rested and for the first time in months they are resting with full bellies. 180 miles away in Knoxville eight motorcycle gangs merged to form a new club they call the Son’s of the Devil MC. 375 hardened men and women had finished raiding the outskirts of Knoxville before 1,200 armed citizens drove them off in a battle that went back and forth for five days. The citizens greater numbers won out over the gang’s mobility, the gang was forced out of Knoxville. The leader of the combined gang, Big Dutch, decided they should move towards Nashville. The 375 survivors ride west on Interstate 40 towards Nashville. They stop at every town along Interstate 40, where they rob to take what they want. Houses are robbed of their food and water, women are raped, hospitals and doctors’ offices are broken into for drugs. In normal times the trip between Knoxville and Nashville takes less than three hours, the gang is taking their time to stop at every town, and rest stop. Big Dutch decides to spend the night on the outskirts of Cookeville, the largest micropolitan area in Tennessee with a population of 106,000. Big Dutch figures Cookeville is large enough to have food, fuel and water and also spread out enough, it will be hard for the people to come together to put up a fight. The gang picked up 20 additional people as they rode on Interstate 40 West. There were almost 400 heavily armed gang members who entered the southern subdivisions of Cookeville. The gang took the town by surprise. They rode into small subdivisions, right up to people’s front doors or rear sliding doors which they kicked in, taking what they want. They left subdivisions in ruins, many burning out of control with many families trapped inside after the gang stripped the homes bare. They captured twenty young women aged between 16 and 30. The gang plans on using the women before they sell them to other gangs for drugs and gasoline. Big Dutch looks at a map before retiring for the evening. He decides their next stop will be a rural area about 40 miles north of Nashville, an area of small farms that should be able to supply his gang with food and water until their next stop. His goal is to reach the coast at Mobile, Alabama.