Ian sighed and was visibly relieved he wasn’t the only one terrified. “I haven’t shit in two days and peed my pants.”
Doug laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Shit, if you don’t think I’m scared, then you’re crazy.”
They both looked up, stunned. Uncle Doug was larger than life and didn’t back down from anything. They knew he was in the Navy, but he didn’t talk about it. He had a large security company and lots of guns. To them, Uncle Doug could beat up Superman.
“It’s okay to be scared, but face it; don’t run from it. You may not understand, but you two have been prepped for this mostly by your own hands, but your fathers and myself helped. Why do you think we wanted you to run all over the area around the cabin? Why did your dads let me teach you how to shoot military grade weapons? If you think like you always have, you will do fine,” Doug said, turning around and balling his fist up then hit his stomach.
He fell into the shelf on the wall, grunting in pain. “Put those vests on,” he panted, blinking the lights that filled his vision away.
The boys looked where Doug was vaguely gesturing and each picked something up. “Bulletproof vest!” they cried out.
“Hurry, boys,” Doug said, pushing off the shelf and walking around the room. The boys ripped the Velcro straps open and slid the vests over their heads then tightened the straps.
“I didn’t think they made stuff like this in our size,” Ian said, grinning.
“It’s a men’s small,” Doug said, walking around the middle shelf. “You two may be boys, but I’ve seen men smaller than you and nowhere near as good in shape as you two are,” he said, walking over and adjusting the vests. Then, he slung a harness around them and buckled it. “But your best asset is you’re smart, and you think.”
They looked at the suspenders over their shoulders going to a large belt that held magazine pouches just above their waists. Pulling stuff off the shelf, Doug turned Lance to the left and buckled something to the belt and clipped something around his right leg. Then, Doug turned him the other way and did the same thing to Lance’s left leg.
As Doug did the same for Ian, Lance looked down on his right leg and saw a black plastic holster strapped to his thigh. On his left leg were more magazine pouches. He looked over and saw Ian had the same things strapped to his thighs.
Struggling to stand, Doug panted, “Office, downstairs.” He was sweating profusely. “Do you two trust Jennifer?”
“Yes sir,” they said together.
“I just thought since she didn’t hang around you two anymore you didn’t trust her.”
Ian stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Doug holding the wall as he followed them. “She’s like in high school, even made the cheerleading team. An older sexy woman like that can’t be seen with junior high boys. We only talked to her lately at her house so others wouldn’t be mean to her.”
Fighting not to laugh at the life of kids because the pain was close to making him pass out, Doug chuckled. “Older women do that to you,” he said, smiling, and followed the boys downstairs.
When they were in the office, Doug handed them his key to the cabin. “As you look at the cabin from the front, on the right side or east wall, there is a plastic electrical box about three feet off the ground.”
“Yeah, it’s almost in the middle of the wall. Dad said it controlled the air conditioner even though I’ve never found the part of the air conditioner that sits outside,” Ian said, taking the key, and Lance nodded.
“Because it’s buried and vented up,” Doug said, pulling out guns from the safes. “There is no electrical box outside. Everything is locked up. That box does have a switch, and it is flipped up. Flip it down and pull, and the switch comes out. Behind it, you will see a key slot.”
“Whoa, more Bond stuff,” Lance said, grinning.
Doug smiled as he pulled stuff from the safes. “Below that fake electrical box, if you brush off the rocks, you will find a metal lid. Open it, and you will see thick, rubber gloves inside. Put one on, and put the cabin key in the slot, turn it to the right, then back up. That will shut off the lethal counter measures. A computer voice will confirm it.”
“What the hell does the cabin do?” Ian shouted.
“Lethal shock,” Doug said, turning around and looking Ian in the eyes. “Your dad, Bill, assures me I don’t need the rubber glove to turn it off, but with a hundred amps coursing through the house, I wasn’t going to risk it.”
“How do we, like,
really
know it’s off, or if it’s on?” Lance asked.
“I activated it from my computer,” Doug said, pointing at his laptop. “It can only be activated once from the outside. That one turn of the key breaks the fuse, and it has to be replaced from inside. From inside, you can turn it back on, but you have to turn it off before leaving. Again, Bill assures me you wouldn’t be grounded from the inside if you touch the door, but if you’re holding the door and step outside, you’re dead. So just turn the damn thing off before going outside.”
They both looked at him with horror and awe on their faces. “We have a Terminator cabin,” Ian droned.
“It’s like a Transformer,” Lance mumbled.
Doug stepped around the desk. “Boys, use these pistols, and put those suppressors on your Rugers,” he said, waving at the XDM Lipsey’s pistols he had laid out. The pistols had threaded barrels and were 9mm. “With the holsters you have for your Rugers, you can put the suppressors on them. Mount them under your left arm just above your waist. That way, you can draw them and shoot quietly.”
Stepping over, they pulled off the pistols and holsters they were wearing and did what he instructed as Doug continued. “The list of what to take is on the kitchen counter. You will have a lot of extra room, so take what you need, but under no circumstance are you to come back here until this is over or your parents return.”
“You think they can make it?” Lance asked in a trembling voice.
“Yes, they survived the initial outbreak and know the enemy now. They just have to be smart, and they have intelligence in abundance,” Doug said, opening his desk. “Here is my sat phone. The box beside the computer is a sat link for a computer. Take both with you.”
“Can I call Dad?” Ian asked, looking up with hope.
“It’s still dependent on cell service on their end, Ian. I tried after Lance left. You will probably have better luck with it, but you have stuff to do first. Then tonight, you can try,” Doug said and started pulling out empty magazines from his vest and putting full ones in. “I know both of you are tired, but you have to load in case for some reason you have to leave sooner. Remember: No one is your friend. There are rules on the main computer in the secret bunker room for allowing others to join. Read and follow the rules we set up on the computer. There’s another secret room in the shop out back, and the computer and your dads’ instructions will tell you how to get in. There is too much for me to tell you, but trust me, you will have a much better chance of survival when you are at the cabin.”
“Better chance?” Lance asked, shoving magazines in the pouches across his chest.
“There are no guarantees in life, Lance. You do the best you can with what you’ve got,” Doug said, walking around to the back of the office. He opened the door of a steel cage that held racks of weapons. He pulled out a plain AR with a reflex scope and no suppressor.
Doug seated a magazine and chambered a round. “You can take your dad’s weapons, but use the ARs I gave you or one of the ones that can mount a suppressor. The only ammo you really worry about taking is what I have marked; it’s subsonic and is much quieter. Ian, you navigate while Lance drives. I have boxes of night vision gear in the den laid out that you have to take. If you take more, that’s okay. Both of you have worn it and know it’s not like on TV. Wear it around the house tonight to get used to it.”
“Why can’t Ian drive?” Lance whined.
“You’ve driven the Hummer before,” Ian snapped.
“To the end of the road and back, and I drove into Ms. Ida’s yard, tearing it up,” Lance said, throwing up his hands.
“You’ve driven more than I have,” Ian said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Lance,” Doug said, grinning. “Don’t go over forty-five. Hell, the Hummer won’t be able to do over sixty with that trailer full. Remember; a Hummer is strong, not fast. It will go through a brick wall but won’t get there fast. Unless you find a mud hole six foot deep or high center, it won’t stop. If for some reason the trailer gets stuck or hung up and you can’t free it fast, unhook it and drive away. Nothing is worth dying over.”
“Okay,” Lance mumbled, picking up his AR, putting the tactical sling over his head, and letting the AR hang down at his side. Opening the center desk drawer, Doug pulled some stuff out and put it in his pocket.
“At the cabin, if you even think someone is a threat, shoot to kill. Kill all of them so they can’t bring back friends,” Doug said, pulling out his 1911 and press checking it. Seeing brass, he holstered it. He moved over and picked up the black duffle bag Lance saw in the living room. “If you get tired, take one of these but no more than one in twenty-four hours. Understand? The same goes for any of the bottles in here,” he said, throwing a few pills in his mouth and handing over a giant bottle.
Lance took the bottle and saw dextroamphetamine 20mg. “What the hell is it?”
“Go pills I used in the Navy,” Doug said, swallowing the pills dry. “There’s also some ADD drugs in the bag.”
“Like our Adderall?” Ian asked.
Closing his eyes, he sighed, “Forgot you two took that. Try one now because when you two take your Adderall, you almost fall asleep.”
“Almost my ass,” Ian said. “I’ve spent more time in detention for falling asleep after taking my medicine than getting in real trouble.”
“If it makes you sleepy, don’t take it, and only use it when you need it,” Doug said, walking out and dropping the bag.
“That bottle looks like one of the bottles Jason gets his protein powder in,” Ian said, looking over at Lance and sniffing the air. “Did you light a match?”
“Why would I light a match?” Lance asked, pointing at the bottom of the bottle. “It says five thousand pills and ‘Only for Pharmaceutical Distribution.’”
“It just smells like someone lit a match in here. You think Uncle Doug took this?” Ian asked, looking in the bag. “Holy shit, all the bottles are that big.”
“It doesn’t matter. He thinks we need this, so we take it,” Lance said.
“Boys!” Doug called from inside the house.
They found him in the kitchen, writing on the list. “I mean it, boys. If you think someone is a risk, shoot. I tried to help a young mother with a toddler last night. They led me into an ambush; that’s where I got shot.”
“What happened to the toddler?” Ian asked.
Never looking up or stopping his writing, he said with no emotion, “Don’t know and don’t care. I shot the bitch and killed the others. I’m sure they turned and ripped the kid apart.”
They both heard a gasp behind them and knew it was Jennifer, but they were staring at Doug with their mouths wide open. “I tried to help. I broke the first rule. When shit starts going bad, take care of your team and yourself. No one outside the team is friendly. Rule four: When the peak of the crisis passes, help only those that are trying and intelligent,” he said as he continued writing.
Lance felt his pocket vibrate and quickly pulled out his phone and saw a text from his dad. “Dad texted me,” he said, thumbing the screen. “Got your message. Do that. Msg us if Doug shows. B careful. Keep msg short or they take 4ever. Luv u.”
After Lance read the message, he looked up at Doug, who was still writing. “Tell him I’m here and you’re heading to cabin,” Doug said, and Lance typed then pressed send. “Do you boys understand what I’m talking about now?” he asked, finally looking up.
“I don’t know if I can shoot a toddler,” Ian said.
“I didn’t; it posed no threat. But if that kid would’ve had a gun, I’d shoot his ass. You’re going to have to kill infected kids, so look at them as targets and nothing more. Your team is all that matters. Your team is with you now and no one else,” Doug said and looked up at Jennifer standing behind the boys. “Every member of your team has to help defend it and fight, or all of you die. None can be along for the ride.”
“Yes sir,” they said, and he continued writing.
“The ice chests are out in the garage. You need to get that frozen meat in them before it thaws.”
Lance turned around. “Jennifer, will you do it? You’ve already proven you can do it better than us.”
“Shit, I think she put lead in those damn chests,” Ian grumbled.
Putting his pen down, Doug shook his head and stood up. “Take what’s on the list and whatever you think you’ll need. Fill that trailer and the Hummer up. Remember to keep as much skin covered as possible. It only takes a small break in the skin from a bite to kill you,” he said, handing over a set of keys. “Those are my keys to everything here and the cabin. There’s a key box at the cabin, but here’s extras. Will you boys do what I asked?”
“We will, Uncle Doug.” Lance nodded and grinned.
“You’ll be proud of us,” Ian said with a firm expression.
“I’ve always been proud of you two,” Doug said, pulling something out of his pocket. As Doug extended his hand, Lance saw a gold, shiny object. “I got this driven in my chest after I graduated BUDs. You take this one, Lance,” Doug said then held out another gold, shiny object to Ian. “I got this one driven in my chest when my team thought I earned it.”