They say luck favors the prepared in most circumstances.
The circumstances included a world-wide pandemic illness known as Crazy-Flu. It wasn’t really flu but it certainly drove people bat-**** crazy when it hit them full on. Mortality appeared to be 100% of those infected. There was no known cure.
Infection was through respiratory fluids - saliva, spit and snot being the known contagion methods. The onset occurred within 24 hours of infection from contact, almost always a bite but possible from a kiss or getting sneezed on. No one had explored “other body fluid” exchange possibilities. Course, maybe someone had and it was a contagion. Anyway, nowadays you waited at least a day before hopping on someone to "do the dirty" as they used to say. Social customs often change to reflect environmental conditions.
Circumstances also included a rapid and total breakdown in the rule of law. Societal constraints also changed when your children were starving or you were facing species extinction....or if you thought you had a chance to get away with something.
In seven weeks the world would completely change for everyone. While remnants of cities, organizations, units and institutions struggled to remain uninfected and viable for survival, within 72 hours mankind was sliding backwards rapidly on most any known measuring scale. The Luddites would have rejoiced to see this day.
The world was what it was.
That was David Lee’s motto growing up. He’d always taken things one day at a time and it had always worked out well enough. A few years ago though, things had changed. For that he was now truly thankful.
He had been at work in the call center when the infection had first struck their city. The previous three days had seen reports emerging from around the world of a strange new illness which made people enter into fits of destructive rage, homicidally crazy in most cases. Comments were being made about the numbers of people calling in sick but that had let many people start picking up some OT so that wasn’t viewed with the alarm the reader may feel. By lunchtime there were reports of strange police calls on the air involving domestic violence, assaulting of officers and groups of people tearing things (and others) apart.
By the time he got off of work, word had spread.
• Go straight home and lock all doors. Do NOT pick up hitchhikers.
• Report any sign of fever or nausea IMMEDIATELY.
• Barricade windows and any form of access to your home.
• Call police at the first sign of an emergency.
Having rehearsed this several times in his mind the last couple of years, he knew exactly what to do. Fortunately, he lived less than six blocks from the call center and could be home in 5 minutes.
On the way, it was clear what was happening. At a gas station he saw two men and a woman fighting over the body of a young teenager. The woman was swinging a torn-off leg. For a minute he wondered if the child was her own. A block from his home someone had rammed a car through the Walgreen’s front door. A man’s body was lying under the car’s right rear wheel and he could make out movement inside the building.
At his apartment, he went at once to his bedroom closet and removed a large gun case from the upper shelf.
Inside lay his pride and joy.
He didn’t make all that much money but when determining his strategy for prepping he had been pretty generous with his weapons budget. Inside was a top of the line DPMS AR. He had added a forward grip, bi-pod, light and an Aimpoint sat atop the rail. He attached the sling, inserted the single full mag from the case and set the rifle aside for a moment.
From the floor he took two ammo containers and the 8 empty magazines lying next to them. Thirty minutes later he had loaded all eight magazines.
Hanging in the closet was a Level II vest which went on over his t-shirt followed by a long-sleeve, light khaki shirt. He then donned a pair of khaki slacks followed by a pair of steel-toed security boots.
He considered himself in the mirror. Reasonable tones, he should blend in as much as he could hope for.
Also in the gun case was a Beretta 92FS. A box in the corner held his tactical leg holster which he now looped through his belt and strapped securely to his leg. A suppressor slid into what had been the mag holder. Quickly he carried the ammo boxes out to his car and placed them on the floorboards in front of the passenger seat.
Time to go, no time to dally!
He went to the hall closet and removed a load-carrying harness from atop his gear bag and quickly loaded the ammo pouches with mags before shrugging into it.
Then he picked up the main bag. It had the basics: three days of food, first aid kit, fire starter kit, 2-man tent, mummy bag, ground cloth, Life Straw, small cooking pot, hobo tool, the whole works. Not too heavy, only about 18 kilos. Thank GOD for that website he had stumbled across four years ago!
He took one quick, last look around the apartment, picked up the AR, opened the door and started for his car.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So many ways this could go now…..
What do you think?
Raider? Mall Ninja? Low-training? Well-planned? Opportunist?
Of course, I could go with this one…..
Opening the door he surprised his neighbor, Mrs. Brinkler, as she slowly walked past.
Turning towards the door knob with the keys in his hand he missed her head snapping around at the sound of the door and the glint in her eye as she grabbed his hair, pulling him backwards to bite off his left ear.
The circumstances included a world-wide pandemic illness known as Crazy-Flu. It wasn’t really flu but it certainly drove people bat-**** crazy when it hit them full on. Mortality appeared to be 100% of those infected. There was no known cure.
Infection was through respiratory fluids - saliva, spit and snot being the known contagion methods. The onset occurred within 24 hours of infection from contact, almost always a bite but possible from a kiss or getting sneezed on. No one had explored “other body fluid” exchange possibilities. Course, maybe someone had and it was a contagion. Anyway, nowadays you waited at least a day before hopping on someone to "do the dirty" as they used to say. Social customs often change to reflect environmental conditions.
Circumstances also included a rapid and total breakdown in the rule of law. Societal constraints also changed when your children were starving or you were facing species extinction....or if you thought you had a chance to get away with something.
In seven weeks the world would completely change for everyone. While remnants of cities, organizations, units and institutions struggled to remain uninfected and viable for survival, within 72 hours mankind was sliding backwards rapidly on most any known measuring scale. The Luddites would have rejoiced to see this day.
The world was what it was.
That was David Lee’s motto growing up. He’d always taken things one day at a time and it had always worked out well enough. A few years ago though, things had changed. For that he was now truly thankful.
He had been at work in the call center when the infection had first struck their city. The previous three days had seen reports emerging from around the world of a strange new illness which made people enter into fits of destructive rage, homicidally crazy in most cases. Comments were being made about the numbers of people calling in sick but that had let many people start picking up some OT so that wasn’t viewed with the alarm the reader may feel. By lunchtime there were reports of strange police calls on the air involving domestic violence, assaulting of officers and groups of people tearing things (and others) apart.
By the time he got off of work, word had spread.
• Go straight home and lock all doors. Do NOT pick up hitchhikers.
• Report any sign of fever or nausea IMMEDIATELY.
• Barricade windows and any form of access to your home.
• Call police at the first sign of an emergency.
Having rehearsed this several times in his mind the last couple of years, he knew exactly what to do. Fortunately, he lived less than six blocks from the call center and could be home in 5 minutes.
On the way, it was clear what was happening. At a gas station he saw two men and a woman fighting over the body of a young teenager. The woman was swinging a torn-off leg. For a minute he wondered if the child was her own. A block from his home someone had rammed a car through the Walgreen’s front door. A man’s body was lying under the car’s right rear wheel and he could make out movement inside the building.
At his apartment, he went at once to his bedroom closet and removed a large gun case from the upper shelf.
Inside lay his pride and joy.
He didn’t make all that much money but when determining his strategy for prepping he had been pretty generous with his weapons budget. Inside was a top of the line DPMS AR. He had added a forward grip, bi-pod, light and an Aimpoint sat atop the rail. He attached the sling, inserted the single full mag from the case and set the rifle aside for a moment.
From the floor he took two ammo containers and the 8 empty magazines lying next to them. Thirty minutes later he had loaded all eight magazines.
Hanging in the closet was a Level II vest which went on over his t-shirt followed by a long-sleeve, light khaki shirt. He then donned a pair of khaki slacks followed by a pair of steel-toed security boots.
He considered himself in the mirror. Reasonable tones, he should blend in as much as he could hope for.
Also in the gun case was a Beretta 92FS. A box in the corner held his tactical leg holster which he now looped through his belt and strapped securely to his leg. A suppressor slid into what had been the mag holder. Quickly he carried the ammo boxes out to his car and placed them on the floorboards in front of the passenger seat.
Time to go, no time to dally!
He went to the hall closet and removed a load-carrying harness from atop his gear bag and quickly loaded the ammo pouches with mags before shrugging into it.
Then he picked up the main bag. It had the basics: three days of food, first aid kit, fire starter kit, 2-man tent, mummy bag, ground cloth, Life Straw, small cooking pot, hobo tool, the whole works. Not too heavy, only about 18 kilos. Thank GOD for that website he had stumbled across four years ago!
He took one quick, last look around the apartment, picked up the AR, opened the door and started for his car.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So many ways this could go now…..
What do you think?
Raider? Mall Ninja? Low-training? Well-planned? Opportunist?
Of course, I could go with this one…..
Opening the door he surprised his neighbor, Mrs. Brinkler, as she slowly walked past.
Turning towards the door knob with the keys in his hand he missed her head snapping around at the sound of the door and the glint in her eye as she grabbed his hair, pulling him backwards to bite off his left ear.
