Taken anw-4 Page 3

  Completing our surveillance, I circumvent the camp to the west wanting to get an overview of the entire surrounding region. I’m pretty familiar with the area but I want to get a better picture and leave the recorder on as we pass by on our way back towards Lynn. I feel very reluctant to leave and I have a knot in the pit of my stomach but I know it’s for the best. Still leap-frogging along, I set the camera on thermal looking for any outriders from the camp remembering the movements I saw previously. Nothing shows up but in the event they do have people watching the roads, I know back ways in to avoid them. I let Lynn know we’re on our way back and eventually spot the heated outlines of the Humvees in the distance parked on a side road.

  “Lynn, let’s regroup back at base, look at the footage, and go from there,” I say coming to a hover close by.

  “Copy that,” she responds. I see soldiers gather in the vehicles and turn back towards Olympia.

  Greg and I are mostly silent on the quick flight back to Cabela’s. My mind is racing through ideas and scenarios, keeping some and discarding others. What I really want to do is sneak into the encampment and bring Gonzalez and the kids out. I store that away. I am eager to get back and get a plan underway. My landing on the hard surface is indicative of my anxiousness as I compress both Greg’s and my spine with the firm landing. Team members left behind to guard our sanctuary are gathered outside waiting to hear any news. I’m sure they have been monitoring the radio but we didn’t really say much over it.

  The rotor winds down slowly, far too slowly for my liking but they eventually come to a stop and I hop out. I pull the tape from the Kiowa and walk to the crowd gathered. Giving a quick synopsis of what we found, I stroll inside and gather several camp tables together in the middle of the first level. I ask Bannerman for a laptop from the several he has acquired during team outings for supplies along with a VHS player we acquired from Fort Lewis. Hooking up the player to the laptop, I plug the tape in and test it. The imagery isn’t exactly like the high definition we had become used to in the last years before the change in the world but it is clear enough for what we need.

  Greg and I, along with others looking in over our shoulders, begin to go through the recorded footage, waiting for Lynn and the other teams to arrive. We begin mapping the encampment to the best of our ability on a large sheet of wrapping paper Bannerman procured. Frank begins taking notes as we discuss the layout.

  A surge of engine noises drift in through the open doors signaling the arrival of the other vehicles. The faint sound of doors banging closed follows shortly thereafter. Lynn and the other team leaders crowd around the small screen as the images are replayed numerous times. The camp layout is eventually put down on the paper and plotted along with the outlying farm. The farm, while looking through the images, has a similar chain link fence surrounding it. There doesn’t appear to be any of the tower structures nor do any of the structures appear to be living quarters. From the buses parked at the only entrance, it’s apparent they drive over to tend to the fields from the nearby high school.

  “Well, thoughts?” I ask after watching the video replays for about an hour.

  “Looks like they have about thirty armed guards between the camp and the fields. There may be more depending on whether they have shifts and a night watch,” Lynn says starting off our conversation and planning process.

  “And those lights along the perimeter indicate that the camp is lit at night, assuming of course they are functional and have power,” Drescoll chimes in.

  “I noticed the guards at the field weren’t paying too much attention to the perimeter but more focused on the people working. But that is only from a moment’s observation,” Greg says.

  “And all that is working with some basic assumptions, that they are treating the people as prisoners and using them like slave labor. If our assumptions are incorrect, and I’m not saying they aren’t, then we could be making a big mistake,” Horace adds to the conversation.

  “I think we’ll have to work with the assumption that they aren’t up to any good with the way they ran Gonzalez, Robert, Michelle, and Bri off the road. But I could also be biased here,” I say in response. My gut clenches with the thought of the kids still being held captive and being taken like that.

  “I agree,” both Drescoll and Lynn say.

  “Until we know otherwise, we’ll have to operate with what we know,” Lynn adds.

  “Agreed. I see very few options. One, assault both places at once. Two, assault the main compound and wait for the buses to arrive and take them as they come in. Three, conduct a night assault on the compound. Four, take the farm, then the compound and hope they don’t radio in advance. We could use a jammer if we find their freqs and if they are using radios. Five, infiltrate at night and either bring Gonzalez and the kids out or take everyone out. Assuming they need rescuing that is. Six, pull up and negotiate. Or, we could do any combination of these. It basically comes down to an assault, infiltrating, or talking to them,” I say.

  “With the assault, we could consider the use of Bradleys or Strykers but that would up the risk to others around,” Lynn adds.

  “I would love to go swooping in there and have it over and done with quickly but we don’t know what their reaction will be with the people they have. I hesitate to use the word “captured” but that’s the only way I can think of it considering what happened on the road. It would seem they capture others to use them for their slave labor,” I say.

  “We can’t forget about the night runners. That pretty much leaves night operations out of the question,” Franks adds rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

  “True. We don’t know what they’re doing about those. Those fences won’t keep any night runners out for long, especially with the gaps between the towers,” I respond.

  “How about using the M-110’s? We could sneak up pretty close to the field, have teams take out those they can from a distance using the silenced 110’s, and then assault with frequency jammers in place,” Greg mentions.

  “All great ideas. Everything depends on what their reaction would be towards the assumed prisoners. Will they turn their guns on them? And there is also the variable of collateral casualties with a direct assault. I think we should take a small team and observe to find patterns. I think we’ll come up with a better plan if we take a closer look for a short time,” I say.

  “So, what are you thinking then? Take the helicopter and observe daily?” Lynn asks.

  “No, I was thinking more of taking a small team and observing. I know a hill that overlooks that area with plenty of cover. Plus, there’s a back way in so we can get into position without being observed. I also want to know what the night runner activity is like at night and how they’re dealing with it,” I answer.

  “And that small team wouldn’t happen to include you would it?” Lynn asks knowing fully well that I intend to be a part but voicing her concern in a roundabout way.

  “Um, yeah, I was thinking I would take Red Team to scout it out for however long and come up with a plan based on what we find,” I reply. “Oh, and I’ll be taking Greg along. I’d take you but we still need to get a lot done here before winter sets in.”

  “Now why is that such a surprise?” Lynn says with a grin. And with that, our gathering breaks up.

  I notify the rest of Red Team, giving them a synopsis of what happened and what our plan is. We begin loading supplies in the back of the two Humvees we plan to take. We would fit in one but two is better in case of a breakdown — two is one, one is none. Plus, we’ll need room to stretch out as I don’t know how long our little excursion will take. I am terribly anxious to get going and be there as if my proximity to the kids will help.

  Finished with loading gear, Lynn, Bannerman, Frank, the team leaders and I gather. The goal is to talk about our next phase hoping to secure long-term survival needs and prepare for the winter months. We have plenty of MRE’s and food we’ve scavenged but we will still have to scavenge more from the darkened building
s if we are to make it through. Water shouldn’t be a problem as long as we have power. The sun won’t be as prevalent and with the days getting shorter, we’ll be relying more on the generator if the sunlight won’t keep the batteries charged through the solar panels. We also need to begin building fencing for cattle and horses along with stables, barns, a greenhouse, chicken coops, and farming areas.

  “Bannerman, were you able to get spare parts for the water pump?” I ask opening our meeting. I want to hurry this up so I can get a move on but I know this is important to our ultimate survival as well.

  “I did. I also have spare solar panel replacements in case we lose some,” he replies.

  “Good. I figure if we lose a generator, then we can pick one up and just replace it rather than tinker with it,” I say.

  “I already have a couple unbolted and ready to go,” Bannerman says to which I nod.

  “Frank?” I ask wanting to hear what he has from his end.

  “Well, we’ve picked up a lot of night runner bands and they seem to have settled down to a specific area but there are still roving bands. I haven’t been able to isolate anything down as yet. There isn’t a particular pattern emerging from any of the bands although it does seem that the major streets are utilized to a great extent. The band sizes seem to change from time to time with no pattern there either. I think the roving bands we see are moving because of food. My guess is that their food is becoming even scarcer within the city, especially with us picking up other survivors in the area. We’ll probably start seeing them move out into the country. We’re continuing to set traps but finding they’re being tripped with less frequency. Our cameras have picked up a couple of packs trying to scale the walls at night but their visits are infrequent. As far as we can tell, they’re pretty much leaving this area alone for the time being,” he reports.

  We seem to have reached a status quo with regards to the night runners. They have the night and we have the day. We still have to tread into their dangerous domain for supplies and will still need to do that, regardless of our food stores. Hopefully the trips will be less frequent once we get our long-term food needs in order. Thoughts of clearing the area of night runners still runs through my mind but the enormity and anxiety over the kids is my most prevalent thought right now. At least I know where they’re at and that gives some relief; not much, but some.

  “Okay. So, what’s our priority then?” I ask. I know my thoughts but I want to hear their concerns as well.

  “Well, I’d like to get the wind turbines and water tower in place so we don’t have to rely on the generator so much. The diesel, even with treatments, isn’t going to last much longer. We basically have until next summer and then our mobility will be decreased substantially. That is unless we want to explore Bio-diesel options. That will require more trips into buildings for supplies and growing crops specifically for that purpose,” Bannerman answers.

  “Okay, we’ll need to research how to create that as I have no idea, well, next to no idea, what that process entails. Bannerman, will you see if someone knows about that. I suppose we could raid a bookstore or library and see if we can come up with something there as well,” I say.

  “Personally, I think we need to get the food supplies and greenhouse going. The sooner we can get that established, the sooner we can stay out of the buildings. At least to a greater extent,” Drescoll offers.

  “I agree. I think that should be our priority. I believe we are in a good position now to start building for the long-term. I’m not in disagreement with our need to create alternate water and power supplies but we have that now. We need to keep in mind that the night runners may be adapting to this new world as well and we don’t know what that means. We’ve seen their ability to adapt quickly to situations in fights and don’t know how that will translate to other things. The timing is right for getting our food supplies in order before something else comes up. That’s what I think anyway,” Frank says in support of Drescoll.

  “I’m not saying we don’t need that. We just need those other things as well and I’ll be more comfortable knowing we have a more long-term solution to getting our water supply. That could be the turbines or Bio-diesel. Food, we can hunt for if necessary but if we lose our water supply, then we may find most of our day spent around gathering enough of it,” Bannerman replies.

  “How long would it take to get the turbines and water tower in place?” Lynn asks.

  “Good question. Both Frank and I have discussed it to a degree and we think maybe three months all told. That’s disassembling one, hauling it back, and setting it up. That’s a conservative estimate but it’s better to plan that way. Another factor is that, as of now, we only have a little time left with usable fuel. After that, hauling anything is out of the question,” Bannerman answers.

  “How many people do you think you’ll need?” I ask.

  “Well, the nearest wind turbines we know of are down in the Columbia Gorge so travel there daily isn’t an option. So, we’ll need security, equipment; meaning cranes and transport vehicles, and teams to operate the equipment. The same teams could do the dismantling. The security is because they’ll have to stay down there until it’s finished. How long is anyone’s guess. I would say three teams minimum depending on how much security you want them to have. The security would have to include night shifts so my thinking is, one team dismantling and loading, one team for day security and one team for night security,” he answers.

  “That would leave us with five operational teams here. I think we could get along with that. What do you think Lynn?” I ask.

  “I think we can manage but, if we do this now, remember you’re taking one team with you. That leaves us precious little for any other operations. The people we picked up will be able to help with building and such but they won’t be ready for any combat-oriented aspects for some time,” she replies. “I also have to say I’m not all that keen on leaving those teams out for an extended stay. I mean, if I’m hearing this right, they’ll be gone for three months?”

  “No, I don’t think they’ll have to be gone for that long. Most of the time mentioned will be setting the turbine up on this end and attaching it directly to the pump,” Bannerman answers.

  “Then how long do you see them being out on their own? We won’t be able to respond quickly if they need help,” Lynn says.

  “Honestly, I don’t really know what it will take to dismantle one. I can’t see more than a week. If it takes longer than that, then we’ll have a different set of problems and the project may be more complex than we’re capable of doing. We can always put a time limit in place and if they aren’t finished by that time, then they come home,” Bannerman answers.

  “I’m a little more comfortable with that. If they do go, then we should head north and pick up some Stryker vehicles for them to hole up in during the night and for added protection,” Lynn says.

  “I agree. I’m not terribly comfortable with them being so far away from help, especially considering what we just had happen. And the radios might be spotty if functional at all. We need to think about getting longer range, more effective communications set up prior to sending them down. Maybe set up UHF with remote antennas on a hilltop. The gorge itself will make it hard to get radio signals in and out of,” I add.

  “That might work. I’ll talk to Corporal Taylor and see if he has other ideas as well,” Lynn says.

  “Okay. So, is everyone in agreement about doing both then; looking into a wind turbine and finish setting up shop here?” I ask. Everyone nods in agreement.

  “Lynn, I’ll leave you to it,” I say giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Greg, you’re with me. I’ll go find Red and we’re off.”

  “Jack, can I talk to you for a sec?” Lynn asks.

  “Sure, babe,” I answer. “Greg, find Red and I’ll meet you out there.”

  “Sure thing,” Greg responds.

  “What’s up?” I ask with Greg’s boots clicking across the floor on his way out.


  “I’ll come right to it. You’ve been a little distant since Nic. I know that was hard and you’re still hurting inside, but you’ve shut me out, or at least starting to. I want to be a part of the solution, not someone to keep at arm’s length. I just miss being close like we were,” she says.

  I sigh heavily thinking she’s right. It’s just the way I am to a degree. When something hurts like that, I tend to keep everything at a distance until the pain subsides. A defense mechanism I guess. And now with the kids, well, the walls are wrapped pretty tight. Lynn continues looking into my eyes knowing that I’m thinking. She knows I like to take my time answering questions like that.

  “You know, you’re right and I’m sorry. I just don’t want to feel that kind of pain again and I’ve been insulating myself against it. And now, well, it’s doubly so. I’m sorry, hon, it wasn’t right and I’ll try,” I say wrapping my arms around her and bringing her close.

  “I’m not so sure I really like this new world,” I whisper into her ear. “I’ve done nothing but make mistakes and it’s eating a hole in my gut.”

  Lynn pushes away but not out of my arms. “Jack, you know very well that’s not true. We’ve all made mistakes but that’s expected with all of the unknown we’ve had to deal with. I think we, and that includes you, have done a fine job getting us to this point. We’re alive and that’s what counts.”

  “Nic isn’t,” I say softly.

  A tear forms in her eye. “I know, Jack, and I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean, well, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I meant to say that we’ve come through a lot and I don’t think we’ve made mistakes doing it. We’ve just had to deal with some pretty majorly fucked-up shit and made the best decisions with what we knew. Ask anyone here and they’ll agree that you’ve made great choices. Now get the fuck out of here before you make me cry,” she says pushing away.