Bug Out! Part 4: Mortars and Motorhomes (14 page)

“You’re a good man, old friend,” he said.

“Let’s go,” Frank said.

The group got up, and walked out of the conference room.

“Bye, Doc,” Charlie said. “Thanks for everything.”

“See you soon,” he said. “I want to take a look at Hilda before you guys fly the coop.”

Charlie nodded.

The caravan back to the RV Park was uneventful. They got to the gate, with the squad car in front. Charlie tooted the horn, and Hilda came out. She opened the gate, and the squad car rolled in, followed by the SUV. They pulled both vehicles back behind the clubhouse, and the dispersed.

“Let’s go to the clubhouse before we go back to the rig,” Jane said. “I want to be there if Hilda needs us. This is going to be hard for her.”

Frank nodded, and they walked over in that direction. They came in through the door just as Charlie and Hilda got together. Hilda threw her arms around Charlie. She was happy to see him, but then got a concerned look on her face when Charlie started to cry.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, pulling back and looking him in the face.

“We lost Chester, Hilda,” he said.

“Oh, no,” Hilda said. She started crying too, and the held each other for a few moments.

Frank and Jane watched silently, fighting back their tears.

“How about the Sheriff and the Deputy?” she asked.

“They’re both going to make it,” Charlie said. He smiled through his tears. “Doc said that the Sheriff was already flirting with the nurses.”

“Oh, thank God,” Hilda said. “What else happened? How did Chester die?”

“I’ll go over all of that with you, but I want to get you thinking about something.”

“What?” she asked. There was a concerned look on her face.

“The General sat us down and talked to us when we were over at the hospital. He wants to move us somewhere else.”

“Everybody?” Hilda asked.

“No, just the core group of people,” Charley said. “Jeb, Earl, Frank, Jane, Jerry, Jasmine, Jackson, and me.”

“You’re leaving?” Hilda said. She started crying again.

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” he said. “I want you to leave with me.”

“What about the park?” she asked.

“The Army would like to stay here,” Charlie said. “Make this their base of operations. You would be able to come back after this is over.”

“So what are they going to do? Protect a caravan of RVs?”

“No, their proposal is to fly us out with as much stuff as we can carry, and we’ll be provided with new RVs courtesy of Uncle Sam at our destination.”

“Are you alright with that?” asked Hilda.

“I don’t want to give up my rig,” Charlie said. “It’s only a couple of years old, but we can have them back if they survive the war.”

Hilda thought for a few minutes. Then she looked back at Charlie.

“So you want me to tear off into the sunset with you,” she asked. “I’ll do it, but I have one condition.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Marry me,” she said. She had a scared look on her face as she watched for his reaction.

Charlie started laughing.

“Sweetie, I was going to ask you anyway,” Charlie said. “Couldn’t you tell?” He pulled her over to him and kissed her. When they broke the kiss, she looked up at him.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Well, we’d better make this official,” Charlie said. He got down on one knee and took her hand.

“Will you marry me, Hilda?” he asked.

“Yes, Charlie,” she said. “Now get up here before you get stuck down there.”

They got up and hugged again. Frank and Jane clapped, and they turned around, embarrassed.

“I forgot you two were in here,” Charlie said.

“There a preacher around here?” asked Frank, grinning.

“I know one, and we need him here anyway,” Charlie said. “For Chester’s memorial.”

Frank nodded. He looked down at Jane.

“Should we go back to our rig and leave these two love birds alone?”

“Yes,” Jane said. They walked out the door and headed to their space.

“We have a lot to do,” Frank said as they walked.

“Packing up?” she asked.

“Well, yes, and winterizing the coach. It freezes here.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said. “You know how?”

“Yes, I’ve read about it. Doesn’t sound too hard.”

“Wonder how Mr. Wonderful is going to enjoy the flight?” Jane asked, smirking.

“We might want to put in earplugs, because he’s going to yowl. I’m sure Lucy will be alright with it, though.”

As they approached the rig, Lucy started to bark. Frank unlocked the door and opened it. She bounded out, jumping up at both of them and wagging her tail furiously. Frank and Jane climbed up into the rig, and Lucy followed them.

“I’d better take her out for a quick walk,” Frank said.

“Alright, go ahead. I’ll make us something to eat.”

“Walk?” Frank said to Lucy, as he picked up her leash. She jumped up and down with excitement. Frank hooked her up and grabbed the poop bags. They went out.

Lucy went from place to place, sniffing and doing her business. Frank looked out over the park. What would happen to the folks who weren’t part of the core group?” Would they stay? Would General Walker agree to relocate them too if they wanted to leave? There were about another twenty rigs there, over and above the core group. Frank saw Jerry get out of his rig. He walked over.

“What do you think?” Jerry asked, as he joined them walking down the road.

“We haven’t finished discussing it yet, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be going.”

“Us too,” Jerry said. “Hate to leave the rig behind. I still owe a lot of money on it.”

“How did Rosie take the news about Chester?”

“Hard,” Jerry said. “That’s why I left the rig. When that old girl starts crying it makes me cry too, and I’ve done enough of that lately.”

“Wonder if Charlie is going to convince Hilda to go? She’s pretty strong willed.”

“She already agreed,” Frank said. He laughed.

“What?”

“She told Charlie she would go with him if he married her.”

Jerry stopped in his tracks and started cracking up.

“I should have seen that one coming,” he said. “How did he react?”

“He said he was going to ask her anyway, and then he got down on one knee and did a formal proposal. It was quite touching, actually.”

“Great,” Jerry said. “What about all these folks who weren’t part of the core group?”

“That’s what I was thinking about when you walked over. I don’t know. I wonder if the heat will really be off if word gets around that we are gone.”

“Some of the cretins may assume that their supplies are still here.”

“Maybe the Army will make as big a deal about using this as a base as they do about us leaving,” Frank said.

Jerry nodded. “There is one thing that worries me, though,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“You know damn well that we’ve had a lot of leakage of enemy personnel into areas that we consider ‘safe’ now.”

“Yes, you are probably right about that.”

“So if they are in contact with the militia here, they may still try to hunt us down, and we will be in a strange place without the support system we have built up here.”

“That has crossed my mind,” Frank said. “I think we’ll need to keep moving, and hide our whereabouts as best we can.”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’d better get back. Jane is making us something to eat, and I’m really hungry.”

“Okay. I assume we’ll see you two in the clubhouse later?” Jerry asked.

“Yes, the General is coming over, and I’d like to chat some more with him and Major Hobbs too. We also have a wedding and a funeral to plan.”

Jerry nodded, and walked back to his rig.

Frank opened the door of the rig and got in, with Lucy bounding ahead of him. Jane already had food down in their bowls, and Mr. Wonderful was attacking his. Lucy ran over to hers and started eating too. Jane was in the bedroom. Frank could hear her talking to somebody.

“That’s great honey,” she said. “I’ll worry about you, but I think you’re doing the right thing.” Jane looked up and saw Frank walking into the bedroom. “Here’s your father. Want to say hello?”

Frank nodded and sat down on the bed next to Jane.

“Alright, Robbie, love you too. Here’s your father.” She handed the phone to Frank.

“Hi, son, how are you doing?” Frank asked.

“Good, dad. We’re getting ready to leave…..a couple of days. I’ll lock everything down in the condo before we take off.”

“Thanks, son. You’re mother told you that we are leaving Utah, correct?”

“Yes, she did. I think that’s good. You aren’t in a good place.”

“We were hoping we could come back to California, but they are sending us east.”

“You don’t want to come back here, dad.”

“Really? Why not.”

“This isn’t free anymore,” Robbie said. “We’re still under martial law. There is some scary stuff going on.”

“Scary?”

“Yes. Won’t say any more on the phone.”

“Why did you enlist?”

“To get into the fight against the bad guys.”

“You aren’t making sense.”

“I’ll fill you in later, dad.”

“Alright. Heard from Sarah?”

“She hasn’t called you yet?” Robbie asked. He snickered. “Chicken.”

“What?”

“Just call her dad. She’s good, don’t worry. She has something to tell you.”

“Hmmm,” Frank said. “Alright, we’ll call her. Love you son, take care.”

“You take care too, dad. Love you.”

Frank put down the phone and looked at Jane.

“That was a strange phone call,” he said. “Did he say anything to you about California?”

“No, why?”

“He said not to come back there. He said it’s bad.”

“Oh,” she said. “That’s strange. He told me he enlisted. I think he was afraid to talk to me about it.”

“Did he say anything to you about Sarah?”

“No, he didn’t,” she said. “But I heard you asking him. What’s up?”

“I think we’d better call her right now,” Frank said. He dialed the number. It rang several times, and then there was a click.

“Mom?” Sarah asked.

“No, it’s dad,” Frank said. “I’m on mom’s phone. Everything alright, honey?”

“Is mom there with you,” she asked.

“Yes, she’s right next to me.” Frank said.

“Good. Would you put the phone on speaker? I have something to tell both of you.”

Frank looked over at Jane, and then put the phone on speaker.

“Mom, Dad, can you both hear me now?”
asked Sarah. She sounded nervous.

“Yes, sweetheart, we’ve got you on speaker,” Frank said. “What’s up?”

“I’m married,” she said. Frank and Jane looked at each other.

“Who did you marry?” Jane asked.

“Steve. He’s my roommate’s cousin. You know, the one that I was staying with in Boise.”

“Is he a good man?” Frank asked. “Does he have a career?”

“Yes, Daddy,” she said. “He’s an EMT, and is working towards getting a job as a fireman in Boise.”

“You’re still in Boise?” Jane said.

“Yes, I won’t be going back to Portland. I found a job here already.”

Frank and Jane looked at each other and smiled.

“Well, congratulations, sweetheart,” Frank said. “I wish we could come right over and see you, but there isn’t a way to get there right now. In fact, they are moving us further east soon.”

“Who’s they?” asked Sarah.

“The Army. Long story……I can’t tell you everything now. We’re really glad you stayed in Boise. This General that we met yesterday told us it is safer than Portland. That’s why we were calling you….we were hoping you were still there, and were going to suggest that you stay.”

“Oh,” Sarah said. “That sounds kinda scary, you being moved by the Army.”

“Don’t worry, honey,” Jane said. “We’ll be fine. Maybe you could sent pictures of the wedding, if you have any.”

“It was just at the court house, but I do have some pictures of the two of us. I’ll e-mail them to you.”

“Perfect,” Frank said. “You didn’t have to be afraid to tell us this, you know. We just want you to be happy, and we know you’re a good judge of character.”

“Yes,” Jane said. “As long as you two love each other, you’ll be fine.”

“I love him so much, mom,” Sarah said. She started to choke up.

“Good,” Frank said. “We’re so happy for you, sweetie.”

There was a tap on their door. Frank got up and walked over. He saw Jerry standing outside. He opened the door.

“The General is in the clubhouse,” Jerry said. “We’re going over in a few minutes.”

“Great, we’ll be there soon.” Frank shut the door and went back into the bedroom.

“That was Jerry. The General is in the clubhouse.”

“Great,” Jane said. “Sarah, we have to go now. There’s a meeting starting up. Thanks so much for telling us. I love you, sweetie. Stay safe.”

“I love you too, Sarah,” Frank said. “Take good care of your husband. We’ll talk to you soon.”

“Love you guys,” Sarah said. “Bye.”

She hung up. Jane picked up her phone and looked up at Frank.

“You okay with this?” she asked.

“Yes, as long as he treats her right. Firemen usually want to take care of people, so that’s a good thing. I’m so relieved that she’s staying in Boise.”

“Me too. Ready to go?” she asked.

“Sure,” Frank said. They both got up and walked into the salon. Lucy was jumping up and down.

“Should we take her?” asked Jane.

“Sure, why not,” Frank said. “She’ll be good. Come here girl, let’s get your leash on.”

Lucy scampered over and stood still as Frank attached the leash. He grabbed the poop bags on the way to the door.

“See you later, Mr. Wonderful,” Frank said, looking at the cat. He was sitting on the dashboard looking out the window, but he casually shot a glance to Frank and Jane as they opened the door and stepped out. Frank locked it up, and they started towards the Clubhouse.

“Before the world went crazy, I would have been upset that Sarah up and got married without saying anything to us. I’m glad now,” Jane said. “I’m going to miss being involved in a wedding for her, though.” Her eyes were glassy. Frank pulled her close as they walked.