Preppers: The Event (The Falling Book 1) Read online

I straightened up, looked her right in the eye, and said, “The world is coming to an end.” With that, I smiled and gave a bit of a laugh. She looked back at me and started laughing.

  She said, “Okay, you can keep your secrets as long as I get a new car!”

  At that point, she must have thought I’d won a large contract or something. I just smiled and said, “Deal.”

  I looked past my mom to my wife whose expression was somewhere between shock and humor. As laughter was trying to bubble out and escape, Dee looked at me and said playfully, “You are an evil man. I sure hope you don’t play me like that.”

  I looked at her with a blank expression and said, “I would never dream of such a thing.” Then I smiled. Before she could say anything, I yelled out “KIDS! GRAMMY IS HERE FOR MOVIE AND TREAT NIGHT!”

  A moment later, our three little idiots (as I call them) came barreling down the stairs and crashed into my mother giving hugs and kisses. It was interesting to see the person, who just moments before was berating me and simultaneously trying to guilt sympathy out of me, turn into a grandmother that could be found in a Norman Rockwell painting. It always amazed me. Alas, now that the kids were handled, we headed to the back door.

  Before we were able to leave my mom, called out, “When is bedtime? Don’t they have school tomorrow?”

  I replied, hollering back, “No school tomorrow. They can stay up as late as they want. They can have whatever junk food they want.” With that announcement the kids cheered, and Dee and I stepped outside.

  Once outside, I surveyed our driveway. I lovingly refer to it as a parking lot due to the number of vehicles we keep. As always, Dee’s company vehicle was in the back, actively blocking in one of our two Ford Expeditions. We have two – both 4x4 and extra-long (better known as EL). I asked her to get her key and pull her company vehicle around the front on the street where my mother parked. It would seem less out of place there. As she was doing that, I removed our children’s car seats from each Expedition so I could lay down the second and third rows. This would give us much more open space in the vehicles to haul stuff.

  I piled the six car seats under the back stairs that lead to the widow’s walk at the back of our house. Our house was a large, three-story Queen Ann Victorian built in 1890. The home also had a full basement. The location of our home was as good as we could ask for, given our restraints when looking to buy. Our neighborhood is on the National Registry of Historic Places. It was also the soundest option tactically, as the neighborhood is on a peninsula surrounded by a river. The neighborhood is actually built on a large hill, with our home among those at the very top. The entire neighborhood is mostly Victorian houses, all built before air conditioning was a thing.

  We were fortunate to get the home when we did. The home had been through two major renovations by previous homeowners. That allowed us to buy an amazing Victorian home that had been fully renovated and updated, while only paying a quarter of what it would be worth in a larger city. Among the many updates were spray foam insulation on all exterior walls, new electrical wiring, prewired security, new plumbing, new custom windows and a new roof. We were very pleased. The only things we added once we moved in were security cameras, security film on the windows, and a natural gas generator. Thunderstorms in Appalachia tend to be extremely violent and the rugged and forested terrain can make it difficult for the linemen to restore power quickly, so the generator was a very big deal.

  By the time I was done, Dee had already walked back up to the driveway. The only way to access our driveway was through an ally behind our house. When I noticed she had returned, I asked her to please get the emergency cup, it was time to get going. More importantly, it was time to ruin everything we had striven to work for financially speaking; a successful business and a premium credit rating anyone chasing the proverbial Jones’ would envy – a debt free life. In a few hours, all of that would be gone. And if Big Mike is wrong, we will be financially ruined. But if he’s right (like I believe he is), the actions we take in the next few hours could ensure our survival by supplementing and fortifying our current preps. Once she returned with the emergency cup, we grabbed our personal and business credit cards, got into our SUVs and pulled out. My first stop would be The Rock Shooting Range and Training Center.

  19hrs 10min until the event.

  Chapter 2

  Tuesday 6:45 p.m.

  Dee and I loaded into our Ford Expeditions. Before we pulled out, I made sure our individual Go-Bags were sitting in the floorboards of our vehicles. After I started the SUV, I watched the touch screen for confirmation that my phone was connected to the SUV via Ford SYNC. Once I had confirmation, I pressed the voice button and said, “Call Dee.” The phone didn’t ring but once before she answered, “Okay Henry, where to first?”

  I replied, “First stop is the range. Then I will go to the storage yard and hook up the camper. I would like you to hit Five Eleven and Duluth Trading Co. Then swing by Costco if there is time…but no more than that. We really don’t need anything, but it just seems silly not to try, ya know?”

  “How accurate do you think Big Mike’s time frame is?”

  “I don’t know. We have a buffer of plus or minus two hours, or at least we should have. That was supposed to be a fixed part of the warning when we originally came up with the warning system and code phrases.”

  “I cannot believe this is happening. I do not want to believe it. I am afraid for us Henry.”

  “I know Dee, I know... So am I. But we can do this, and we will make it to the other side,” I said.

  “I’m sorry. I know we will… Now that we are moving and we have a few moments, should we call our families?”

  I couldn’t help but let out a long exhale. I knew this question was coming, and I had been dreading it. I honestly did not know how to answer. We both had siblings, nieces, and nephews. The problem is they were all extremely left leaning and everything that came with it. Given what was coming, the last thing we needed was to be carrying a bunch of entitled people through this disaster – people who despised our success. I felt like this was too big a threat to have in our home, especially in the midst of unknown chaos.

  “I have no intentions of calling my sister or her family,” I said and just let that hang there.

  About 2 minutes went by before Dee responded. “I have to Henry. I have to at least try to warn them.”

  “I know you do Babe.” What more could I say? Despite her cool and calm executive poker face, Dee was deeply emotional. Granted she can make that ice queen from those kids’ movies look warm and fuzzy when she wanted or if a hard thing had to be done. At the end of the day, she was a Southern girl and Southerners didn’t just give up on family, not without trying everything at their disposal. It was just one of the many things I loved about her.

  “Welp, I need to call and continue to try and contact the others and validate. We still have a few minutes before we hit the dead spot, before the range. Remember to stay alert and try not to crash into me.” I said that last part with a smile. Years ago, after we had just started dating, Dee had crashed into my car when she had been following me to a park. I had taken every possible opportunity to bring it up since.

  “Oh God Henry, NOW? You bring that up now? Of all the times, I swear! I will do my best O’ Master Driver, sir!”

  “Thank you, for acknowledging my superior driving ability,” I said, unable to keep the smile out of my voice as she disconnected the call. One thing my wife loves more than listening to neighborhood drama was hanging up the phone on me. I think it gave her some kind of strange satisfaction. I never really understood it, but assumed it was probably some kind of woman thing.

  After the fun of the verbal sparring, I quickly got my mind back on track and hit the voice button on the steering wheel. “Call Max.”

  The phone began to ring and then went to voice mail. “Hello, you’ve reached Max. You know what to do,” followed by a “Beeeep!”

  “Hey Killer, check your texts. A
uthenticate – ‘There is no such thing as a secret.’ Be safe.”

  I quickly made similar calls to Mike, Josh and Jamie with similar results. But they would check them soon enough…at least I hoped they would.

  After a little time and a few turns later, we were almost to the range. I knew Dee had lost cell service, as had I. I just hoped her calls went well enough to appease her conscience. I knew full well none of her people would show or listen. It’s just who they are.

  At last, we were at the gate to the range. Thank God Magnus had those security flood lights put in. It was darker than a politician’s soul out here. I put the SUV into park and grabbed the range keys I kept in my console. Luckily, Magnus gave everyone in the group a set of keys to come and train as we please, but I was the only one with keys to the Pro-shop. The Pro-shop and its contents were the main reason for this stop. The range trailer was also a plus, but it didn’t hold a candle to what was inside the Pro-shop.

  Once I got the gate unlocked, I swung it open and signaled for Dee to drive in. After she pulled through, she headed towards the range trailer. I ran back and jumped in my Expedition and drove in. The range had a few interesting security precautions. When you pulled into the Facility, you would have to drive up a narrow curving driveway. On either side of the driveway were giant boulders Magnus had positioned to deter anyone who would try and do a smash and grab to steal the ranges full-auto rentals. Even if someone could get through the hardened steel gates, they would still need to bring in heavy equipment to try and get to the safe, which was in the pro-shop and literally concreted into the floor. It was done so by laying it on its back and to add an extra level of difficulty. Magnus had it custom made with long bars of steel welded to the exterior of the safe. In the event that some would-be thief tried to jack hammer the safe out of the concrete, they would also have to bring a cutting torch to get through the welded steel bars that branched out into the concrete pad.

  Good ole Magnus was a paranoid old coot. I asked what professional team of robbers would drive all the way out to his range to even attempt such a thing? I mean, he needed a crane just to set the thing in there. Now, at this moment in time, I was more than grateful for the paranoia of a retired narcotics detective and SWAT team commander.

  As I finished pulling through the driveway, I turned right to park next to the Pro-shop. I put it in park, jumped out and jogged off to Dee, who was already backing up to the large 30ft covered trailer. I ran to the back of the SUV to help guide her back to line up perfectly with the trailer. Once everything was lined up, I began hooking up the trailer and connections. After getting everything set up, I jogged a couple steps up to Dee’s driver side window, she already had it down.

  “You’re all hooked up, go ahead and pull up next to the stairs at the shop.”

  Without hesitation she pulled forward and came to stop exactly were requested.

  “Alright boss,” I said once I jogged to the front door of the shop. “I will start loading, you keep an eye out. No one should be around and even if they were Magnus will back our story if someone calls him, so we are in the green on this, but I still don’t want anyone sneaking up on us.”

  Dee asked, “OH? What is our story then Mr. Secret Spy?”

  I laughed as I opened the door, “Magnus received information someone was going to rob the range and he wanted us to come out and move the valuable stuff.”

  Dee said, “Well, anyone who knows him would actually believe that… Are you sure you don’t want me to help? I’m just pregnant, not crippled ya know.”

  “I know boss, but I really would rather you keep an eye out for the moment, I would like you to do a finale sweep when I’m done to make sure we’re not leaving anything behind that we could use though.”

  Dee replied, “Will do Mr. Sexy Pants!”

  “HAHAHA, do you think this is really the time for that? I mean, I got plenty of adrenalin going, I’m sure we could..”

  “Let me stop you there, Hero. You have a bunch of heavy stuff to move, best get to it and use those big strong muscles of yours.”

  “You are such a tease!” I said. But she was right. I had at least 45 guns to move and at a minimum 250K rounds of mixed ammunition, although the lions share will be .223, .308, 9mm, 40sw and 45acp.

  The guns would be a real boon. There were five full auto Glock 17’s that were converted for range use, as well as five full auto M4 clones that were really just custom built AR15’s converted for range use. In addition, I found five full auto AK47’s that were also converted, along with various other converted pistols and rifles. These were all legal, and were major earners for the range as so many people enjoyed shooting full auto but did not have the funds to purchase one or the desire to wade through the legal paperwork required to obtain them. Two of the biggest prizes were Barrett 50caliber semi auto rifles with mags and ammo to match. They are unbelievably powerful tools.

  Next, I collected two CZ Evo Scorpion minis and two Grand Power Stribogs (all fully functioning Sub Machine Guns). These were dealer samples that the old man had acquired after getting his dealer license for law enforcement. While law enforcement almost never bought such things, they were tremendous earners for the range. That’s why he had two of each with plenty of mags for those two SMG’s. The more mags a customer had, the more rounds they could shoot between having to reload…and the SMG’s could go through a full mag in a hurry. Still, my favorite and the one that would be by my side for this evening’s festivities was a PSA AKV. Which was an AK pistol chambered in 9mm and made by Palmetto State Armory, which Magnus had converted to full-auto as well. I only wished was it was 45acp instead of 9mm.

  After I began to load case after case of ammunition into the back of the trailer, I could feel my arms, legs and lower back start to burn with effort. I could never figure out all those wanna-be survivalists/preppers who used to talk about taking off into the woods with 10,000 rounds. I always wondered, 10,000 rounds of what exactly, .22 long rifle? I could see that, but 308 or anything with substance? Hell no! They would drop of a heart attack 50 yards into the woods. I am in good shape, and I am sweating hard moving all these cases into the trailer. I was just thankful the old man didn’t keep the ammo in some underground vault like he did the guns.

  I was too busy trying to move at a swift pace to count exactly how many cases of ammo there was, but I was confident it was more than any police or Sheriff’s department would keep on hand. Once I got it all stacked in the back of the trailer, I went to my Expedition and located my ibuprofen. I then took several. Now was not the time to have my muscles go sideways on me; an ounce of prevention and anticipation goes a long way. Also, there was much that still needed doing. I hustled back inside the shop, with a bit less pep in my step than I started with. I unlocked the vault in the floor of the main office and there they were, the range rentals.

  The first one I grabbed was the modified PSA AKV, as well as the few mags that were on hand. Unfortunately, because these were newer rentals there were only two or three mags on hand for the SMG’s, which was far less than I would have liked to have available. However, it would be fine once I got it all home. I had plenty of mags for most of these guns, including the AKV. In fact, I can’t believe I didn’t grab some already loaded mags for this very reason. Oh well, this is now, and I have on hand what I have on hand. Three mags will do.

  I quickly put the AKV in my ride and few boxes of 9mm 124 grain hollow point. While Magnus didn’t sell guns at the range, he did sell a bunch of ammo, all kinds, self-defense to plinking, you name it he had it. He also stocked common magazines for the most common firearms; AK, AR 15, 1911, Glock 17, 22, 21.

  I started grabbing rifles and laying them in the back of Dee’s expedition, then mine. It was a sight to behold, rifle after rifle, packed tight and high. It was like a photo from a gun buy-back program, in some semi-communist city up north or on the West coast. It was surreal, especially after I started putting the pistols in the back with the rifles. I knew everything would
start to slide around once Dee and I hit the road, but there was nothing that could be done about that, after all they were tools not porcelain dolls, they would be fine. I did however take the time to remove the glass from the Barrett’s, as those scopes were extremely valuable on their own and the Barrett’s would be practically useless without them.

  Once the valuables were loaded into the SUVs’ and the ammo was placed in the trailer, I asked Dee to do a walk through and see what else we could use. She didn’t even get out of the Expedition, she simply looked at me out of the driver side window and said, “Everything, we need everything we can get our hands on.”

  With a sigh, I said, “You’re right, damnit… you are right. Would you mind giving me a hand? Everything other than the tools, should be light.”

  “No problem Big Boy. We are in this together,” she replied.

  “I just didn’t want you to strain yourself more than needed, if I had been thinking clearly, I would have already had you grabbing the light stuff while I grabbed the guns and ammo. Fuck…. I need to be better; this will cost us more time that we do not have.”

  Before I could ramble on, Dee cut me off, “Henry, it’s okay, we will make it. I didn’t say anything because I know how tight your focus can get. I figured I’d just wait till you were done loading and then bring up that we should probably grab everything not bolted to the floor. After all, it’s not like they will be making and shipping a fresh supply of k-cups or hoodies anytime soon. We just need to slow down and make the best decisions we can with the time we have.”

  “You’re right as usual boss… We got this.” I then hurried back inside the pro-shop and grabbed everything I could. Starting with tool/gunsmith room, I rounded up everything I could to load in the trailer. Dee started grabbing all the K-cups and other various forms of coffee the old man had laying around. He and Dee shared the addiction of fancy coffee. Personally, I never touched the stuff, I was more of a cold Mexican Coke-A-Cola kind of guy. I preferred the glass bottles with real cane sugar. I wonder how long it will be before something like that will be made again, years, maybe decades? The thought made me shiver, so I turned my attention back to ransacking the shop. By the time I was done loading the trailer with the contents of the tool/gunsmith room, Dee had finished grabbing most everything else. She pointed out that in my rush I had completely missed an entire shelf of optics. Thank God she came with me, I would have left a lot of valuable gear.