Chapter 2

Unexpected Guests

Dad told us if there was ever a national emergency specifically a freaking invasion to head to Greg’s, his friend’s place in Kentucky. On one of mom and dad’s visits here, he sat me and Mark down with all seriousness about the strong possibility of a full-blown invasion from China. That it would likely be preceded by internal acts against us by, I think he called them insurgents. Bad people that abused the open border policy. They would have hid themselves within those that crossed the border in the last several years.

I listened half-heartedly. Not really believing him. Me thinking he was being a bit paranoid. I was just too busy with life, especially with a two-year-old to keep up with while working sixty plus hours a week. Why should I care what one country thought about another? At the time it wasn’t important cause it didn’t affect me directly.

When the sporadic terror attacks started happening in the Southern states, we believed everything he said. We began preparing what we could and planned an escape route for the right time to act.

I, we feel bad that we doubted him but no further doubts from us! We became believers, fast!

Where we live in West Virginia, the driveway to the house is naturally hidden and our house is easily missed. We keep to ourselves and stay quiet, living our life on our 50 acres of land.

From what we gathered from chatter on Mark’s ham radio, a couple of months back, this NESSA group, that includes Virginia to Maine, began a push into West Virginia hoping to take the state quickly. Their actions came to a stop as hunters and gun owners took a stand against them. I think they found it more difficult to get a foot hold than they expected, causing them to reevaluate their plan. We stayed put for as long as we felt it was safe to do so. The fighting crept closer. We decided we had to leave our home.

***

A couple of days before they left, “Babe! A military truck just came down our drive.” Lexi yelled at Mark while discretely looking out their family room windows.

“Mum, up.” Little Jennie asked, arms reaching up to her mother.

“Not now peanut.” She had to raise her voice over their three dogs’ barking. She ushered them into a room to keep them contained. Then back at the window she went.

People began to come out of the truck, but Lexi heard Mark’s voice boom from their back porch, “Stop. Don’t move!” She saw their arms shoot up.

If this wasn’t such a serious situation, it would be comical.

But it’s tragic. What’s unfolding and what’s becoming the norm.

One of the passengers exclaimed, “Whoa! We’re friendlies! Friendlies! We’re here to get you out.”

Lexi picked up Jennie and made her way through the kitchen, then outside to stand behind Mark.

“Friendlies?” Mark asks, confused. “Who sent you?” He yelled back.

Lexi noticed the rifle Mark had was the pellet rifle he keeps near the back door to scare off ground hogs and the like.

He’s pulling a large bluff.

“Greg McDonnel sent us! To bring you to the militia in Kentucky!” The man said.

“Greg who?” Mark asked then Lexi spoke up.

“Babe, that’s my dad’s friend. The one he told us to go to if anything disastrous happened.”

Mark glances back at her, “You sure?”

“Da, da, da.” Jennie repeats to infinity wanting her father.

“Yes!” She told Mark then yelled, “Who’s Greg’s best friend and my dad?”

“Bret Gordon!” The Man says.

“Ok, Mark, we should be good.” She assures her fiancé.

Before Mark lowered his rifle, “Should be?” he asked out of the corner of his mouth, never taking the rifle off his targets.

“Yeah. How else would he know my dad’s name?” added Lexi.

Still not 100% sold on the idea, he gives Lexi a sideways look, “I hope you’re right.” He tells her quietly then lowers the rifle and addresses their guests, “Okay you can come inside! Just you and one other.” He yelled to the visibly relaxing men, lowering their arms. Two walked towards the house as the others got about performing their assigned tasks.

***

 “So, who are you and why isn’t my mom or dad with you?” Lexi started in on their guests, her arms folded in front of her. She had her .45 caliber XD pistol prominently displayed in her jean’s waistband,

“Ma’am, I’m Bernard team lead and this is Stephen my driver. There’s six of us.” He glances over briefly at Mark who’s standing in their living room, which is several steps up from the entrance. Jennie is standing against his legs looking the two men over, finger in her mouth.

“Greg thought it, uh, prudent to not involve them. Them being emotionally involved they may not be 100% mission focused.” Bernard said then shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Ma’am with respect, we should get moving soonest. Minimal belongings. Emergency life and death stuff: food, water, set of extra clothes preferably moisture wicking, weapons, hiking type of stuff and medications.”

“Okay, we do have a couple bags ready, from my dad’s suggestion. We have some things to grab and tell Mark’s mom to get over here so we can leave. Quiet!” She yelled at her barking dogs.

“Ma’am we were told to bring you, Mark and your child to EAFA.” Bernard points out.

“Where?” Lexi asks.

He rolls his eyes, “Sorry, EAFA is our militia group in Kentucky.”

“Well, good for you but we’re not leaving til Joanne gets here. Quiet! Down!” She yelled at the dogs again.

“Fine, is there anything you need help with? Anything to carry to your vehicle?”

“No, I think we can manage.”

“If it’s okay with y’all I recommend one of my men drive your vehicle. Just in case we run into trouble. He’s trained for evasive driving.”

“I don’t see that as a problem. We’ll get moving.”

“Oh, ma’am. One more thing. If in case we, my team buys it and you survive, here’s the radio freaks for our HQ. You can contact them for help if the worst-case scenario happens.”

“Great! Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” She takes the radio frequencies with a smirk.

“Mom will be here in about 45 minutes.” Mark announces.

“She actually answered you the first time you tried her on the ham radio.”

“Yup, said she was sitting near it, so… “

“Ma’am we’ll meet you outside.” Stephen leaves first and Bernard gives her a nod and steps out her front door.

Lexi closed the door and hissed at Mark, “WTF?” throwing her hands up in the air.

Chapter 3

Back Road Hell

Now – back roads, West Virginia, late winter night.

It’s only been a few hours since they left their home to make the trek to Kentucky. It’s Lexi, Mark, Jennie, their 2-year-old daughter, and Mark’s mother JoAnne. Their three dogs are in the back of their SUV.

Thus far, they’ve been lucky, sticking to the back roads. Until they see NESSA troops blocking their route. Two enemy Humvees against the one militia Humvee.

“Dammit Steve. How the hell did they…never mind. We have to act first and I’m not getting captured. Flintstone, Bernside come in.”

Fred AKA ‘Flintstone’ is at the wheel of Lexi’s SUV, “Flinstone, Bernside I read lima charlie.”

“Looks like an enemy roadblock. So be ready to get the principals outta here. Roger?”

“So much for using the back roads of West Virginia for safety. I rodge, Bernside. Standing by for the fireworks.”

They were running dark and using night vision goggles to drive. The hostiles manning the roadblock addressed their party over a loudspeaker.

“Citizens of West Virginia, in the name of NESSA, stop, and exit your vehicles with your hands up. Lay down your weapons. I say again, lay down your weapons and exit your vehicles with your hands up. You are being momentarily detained. You have five seconds to comply. Don’t make this simple stop turn tragic.”

Lexi’s three dogs are barking uncontrollably.

“Shut those dogs up, Lexi!” Growls their driver, “this is stressful enough!”

“I’m trying,” Lexi cries, shushing her dogs. The ruckus that the dogs are making starts to upset Jennie, causing her to cry.

The militia members team lead, pipes up, “NESSA forces we extend a hand of friendship and a home within our militia if you’re uncomfortable with the orders you’ve been given to go against your fellow American citizens. We’re all brothers and sisters. We don’t want to fight you but help you.” He then gives his driver a look that says, we’ll see.

Quiet fills the space between the two opposing factions staring through the night, wondering who’ll blink first.

Time silently ticks by and seems to drag on through the wet West Virginia winter night.

The dogs and Jennie have quieted down, and the crickets are back playing their nighttime tune.

“I won’t give you another chance, militia! Step out…”

His words are cut short.

A single word from Bernside, “firestorm” a growl that betrays his lack of confidence in this diabolical standoff is issued.

The space between the two parties is filled with strobe like bursts of lethal light.

It’s come down to this.

The militia tries to seize the initiative, outnumbered two to one.

“Hit ‘em! Keep shooting!” Bernside commands his smaller force.

Brother against brother…again.