Chapter 4

Day 4 Monday April 16 2007

The day of impact

"We have about eight hours until impact, so we have to be quick with this," I said.

"We have to be very quick," Mike replied.

"So what we are going to do is load the trailers with as much food as we can and be out of here by no later than 10:00 am, which will put us back at the house by noon," I stated.

We started busting ass on getting the trailers loaded with food, concentrating on bulk dry goods and canned products for the most part, but we decided to add a couple of trailers with meat. I just hope we can keep it good till we can do something with it.

We were making good progress getting the trailers loaded, by 8 am we already had six trailers packed full of food.

I got off the fork lift I was running and flagged everyone over to me. "Look this might be the last time we get over this way for quite a while, so I am going to grab four of the loaded trailers and an empty trailer then Betsy and I will take off and see if we can scrounge a few more items for the house on the way home."

"I don't think that is a very good idea, we should all stick together," Dad stated.

"Yeah what if you break down or something and don't make it back to the house in time," Cathy added

"Like I said, it might be the last time we can get some things that we might need in the future, I am willing to take the risk."

"Look we don't have time to argue just let him go. But if you don't make it home I am going to hunt you down and kill you," Lisa said.

"I know, I love you too,"

"You don't get into any trouble now and get home as fast as you can," Dad said.

I gave him a hug. "We'll be there in no time," I said reassuringly.

Betsy and I headed outside to get the trailers hooked up and ready to go. By 8:30 am we were ready to roll. I had four of the loaded trailers and one empty one to store the stuff we where going to scrounge.

I decided to head to a gun store that I knew near Harrisonburg and then take the back way home through Franklin, West Virginia, and stopping by Sugar Grove navel station to see what was going on there.

The store looked like someone had tried to break in but couldn't get through the heavily bared door. I grabbed some chain and the crowbar to see what I could do with it. I took the logging chain wrapped it through the bars of the door and hooked the other end to the truck. The truck made short work of the door by ripping it off its hinges.

The store turned out to be a survivalist dream; weapons, ammo, body armor, and lots of military type rations. We just started loading as much stuff as we could and by 10:30 am we where ready to head back to the house. I knew we were running late but I still thought we had plenty of time before the asteroid hit. So I decided to take a chance and took the back way down route 33 to Brandywine and then to the Navy base in Sugar Grove.

When we got to the base, it didn't look like anyone was home. The gates were locked up tight but there wasn't a guard there standing watch. We looked around a little to see if we could see anyone and when we didn't I eased the Pete through the locked gate. I started to look for their armory where they kept the weapons.

"It looks like even the military guy's thought it was a lost cause because the base is deserted," I stated.

"It's eerie how the place is so quite, it should be alive with activity," Betsy replied.

"I just think they wanted to be with their families when the time came, duty be dammed."

"I know that's where I want to be, with friends and family when it happens," she said as she reached and grasped my hand.

"I know what you mean," squeezing her hand in return.

We found the armory and saw it was locked up tight, but a set of bolt cutters, the crowbar, and a chain hooked to the truck did the trick. Inside we found pretty much what I was expecting, but with several blank places along the racks. It looked like when the military guys left they took some protection with them.

We were in luck. We found a forklift and got it running, then started loading things into the trailer. We just cleared out the place and would sort through it all later. I knew now we were well enough armed to fend for ourselves for a while, and if we were to run up against anyone trying to steal our stuff they would be in for a rude awakening. There where also a whole bunch of MRE and other rations, so we grabbed all of them as well. What I was really excited about was the military Interceptor body armor I found, it is very nice to have in a fire fight because it gives you good protection from enemy fire.

It was almost noon when we finished loading and I knew we where running very late. I made sure that the electrical part of the fuel pump was turned off on the Pete and headed for the house. At least we only had one more mountain to go over in this direction and it was not all that bad of a drive so I hoped to be able to make good time on the way home.

We were almost to Monterey when the radio went dead; I guess I was right about the EMP. I was just glad that older diesel engines don't have electronic fuel injection; you keep them fed with fuel, they keep on running.

Fifteen minutes later we were pulling up at the house, I was glad to see the other trucks already there and parked. I then looked over at the house and everyone was coming out to meet us as we pulled in.

"Well it's about time you got back, I was starting to get worried about you," Mom stated.

"The power is off too," piped KC.

"Well I am sorry for making you worry," I said.

"No your not, you pull this kind of shit all the time," Lisa said jumping into the mix.

"Well I didn't mean to this time, but we stopped off at the base in Sugar Grove and did some shopping on the way back, and that took up some extra time. The power is off due to the electromagnetic pulse I told you about. I knew when it happened because the radio in the truck was fried," I said.

They finally decided that I might know what I was talking about. I had only read everything I could find on the subject; I was always interested in it and used it a few times in some roll playing games I use to play and research papers for school.

We worked to get the trailers situated where we wanted them then we all headed for the house. I knew I was cutting it very close when I saw the grandfather clock and it showed 2 pm. Betsy and I grabbed a sandwich and headed to the living room where everyone else had gathered.