World War III – Day One
The Sierra Nevada Mountains
A few miles northwest of town, Ian and the Clearview Militia scurried down the mountainside, as fast as their legs could carry them. The dark storm clouds in the distance drew closer and closer, as the men hurried along the trail headed home.
“Come on move it!” shouted Ian over his shoulder. “We don’t have much time!”
The group was only a few miles from Clearview when Ian signaled them to stop and take cover. Trusting in their fearless leader, the men quickly dove for cover. Ian alone remained out in the open as he sniffed the wind. He could smell the hint of smoke from a campfire lingering in the air. And where there was a campfire, there was sure to be people.
Ian slowly looked around searching for any sign of movement or sound but there was none to be found. As a young boy, he used to hunt in these same mountains with his father and he knew them like the back of his hand. He suddenly remembered how he and his father had once taken shelter in a cave after being surprised by an unexpected blizzard. He’d been very young at the time and many years had since passed, but Ian felt certain the cave was somewhere close by.
“Smoke,” he whispered over his shoulder. “Spread out and see if you can find them. There should be a cave somewhere around here, so keep your eyes peeled.”
“Why are we wasting time?” asked one of the younger men named Matthew. “Those rain clouds are only getting closer and we don’t even know who’s out here. I say let whoever is here fend for themselves.”
“We leave no one behind,” replied Ian patiently. “What if it was your wife and children Matt?” Ian paused for a moment while that sunk in. “We don’t know who’s out here, it could be folks from town or even members of our own families. So let’s find them as quick as possible and then get to shelter.”
Without further discussion the men began to spread out, searching for the fire from which the smoke originated. Each man thought of his loved ones, as they picked their way through the trees and bushes. Time was an issue, if they could only see the smoke, the fire would be much easier to find. Unfortunately, all they had to guide them was their sense of smell.
“Over here!” Cole shouted, after a few minutes of searching. “I think I found ‘em!”
Ian and the other men quickly made their way towards Cole. When Ian reached Cole’s side he saw the very same cave that he’d remembered from his youth. A thin tendril of smoke was slowly escaping from the dark, narrow opening. He silently signaled for the militia to spread out and take cover. When everyone was in position, Ian slowly crept towards the opening. A few yards from the entrance he stopped, squatted and peered inside. Although he still couldn’t see the blaze from the fire, he could hear the crackling of logs burning. He remembered that the cave was very large and deep. There was no telling how many people were concealed within.
“Alright,” whispered Ian, after taking a deep breathe, “Cole, you’re with me. The rest of you stay here and keep your eyes open.”
Ian slowly stood up and stepped out into the open, his arms held out. He wanted to let whoever was hiding in the cave know that he meant them no harm. Cole followed closely behind Ian with his rifle cradled in his arms.
“Hello?” Ian called into the darkness of the cave once he and Cole were standing at its opening. Both men listened intently for a response but none came.
“Hello?” he called out again, a little louder this time. Again his voice echoed against the walls of the cave and again no response was given.
“Dude, maybe we should just leave,” suggested Cole.
“Not yet,” replied Ian. “Unless grizzly bears have learned to build fires, someone is hiding in there and I intend to find out who it is.” Ian slowly climbed up into the cave’s entrance and had taken only one step when he finally received a response from the darkness within. Only it wasn’t the response he’d been hoping for. The ominous click of a cocked gun hammer, made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Cole also heard the click of the gun hammer and instinctively began to raise his rifle. But Ian shook his head and signaled the younger man to lower the weapon.
“Who are you,” called out a woman’s voice from the back of the cave, “and what do you want?”
“My name is Ian, and this here is Cole. We are from the town of Clearview and mean you no harm,” he answered cautiously. “How many people are in your group?”
“There are eleven of us,” answered the same feminine voice, as she slowly emerged from the darkness. In her hand, the woman held a small sub-compact handgun. It was the type of gun that a person might use as a hideaway and would easily fit in any sized purse or pocket.
“Well ma’am,” said Ian, “there’s a really bad storm headed this way and we need to find shelter immediately.”
“You and your friend are welcome to stay here with us,” offered the woman. “It’s not much but at least it’s dry.”
“Thank you,” smiled Ian, “but that’s not really what I meant. This cave isn’t going to be safe for you either.”
“What do you mean?” asked the woman, stepping into the light. She was very tall and had long blonde hair and light blue eyes.
“The Unites States has been attacked,” explained Ian. “There’ve been several nuclear explosions to the west and the radioactive fallout is headed this way. You and your friends need to quickly gather your belongings and come with us. The town of Clearview is nearby and we’ll find shelter there.”
“How do we know we can trust them? What if this is some kind of trick?” asked a man’s voice from the darkness.
“The opening to this cave is much too large,” continued Ian. “The radiation will have no difficulty getting into the cave. Not only will it come right through the opening but it will also be carried in through the water. It’s simply not safe to stay here.”
“We’ll just have to chance it,” answered the blonde woman, as she pocketed the small handgun. “My name is Kati Schneider,” she added, offering her hand to Ian.
“Nice to meet you Kati,” greeted Ian, shaking her hand. “I don’t mean to be rude but we really must hurry. The storm clouds are getting closer and we still have a little ways to go.”
“Yes of course,” agreed Kati. “Come on out everyone and gather your belongings,” she called out over her shoulder, “we’re leaving this damn cave.”
Ian and Cole stood there watching as one by one the refugees emerged from the darkness of the cave. In total, the group was comprised of three men and eight women. Surprisingly, Kati was telling the truth.
“Is that everyone?” asked Ian, when the last person appeared.
“Yes,” answered Kati and turned to introduce her companions. “This is…”
“Don’t ya think we should save the introductions until we’re safe?” urged Cole, watching the clouds in the distance.
“He’s right,” Ian agreed. “Is everyone ready?”
“Yes,” replied Kati, speaking for her entire group. “Let’s go!”
As the group of refugees climbed out of the cave, the militia slowly emerged from the bushes where they’d been lying in wait. “It’s okay!” Shouted Ian, signaling for his men to lower their weapons. “We found eleven survivors. Now let’s get all of us to safety!”
The group hurried down the mountain even faster than before, as the dark grey clouds closed in around them. “Where are you from?” Ian asked Kati, as they hurried along.
“I’m from San Francisco,” she replied. “I don’t really know where the rest of them are from. We all met along the road while heading east. There were twelve of us, but one of the men left in search of food yesterday and never returned. I hope he’s alright.”
“I hope so too,” replied Ian, knowing full well that if the man was caught out in the radioactive rain he was as good as dead. “Is that little .22 caliber in your pocket the only gun that you guys have?”
“It is,” smiled Kati, “and to be honest, I don’t even know if it works. My grandfather gave it to me as a gift, but I’ve never even fired it.”
“You should never go into battle with an untested weapon,” advised Ian.
“Battle?” Kati’s voice was incredulous. “What battle are you referring too?”
“There are always battles to be fought,” answered Ian. “No doubt that’s why you thought to bring the gun in the first place, in case there was trouble, right? You should have at least tested it first, to make sure that it works properly. Is it even loaded?”
“Yeah, I think so,” replied Kati, not really sure if the gun was in fact loaded.
The town had just come into sight, when Ian felt the first raindrop land on the back of his neck. “Run!” he shouted, as black droplets began to hit the ground around them. The small group began to run as fast as they could towards Clearview, and the shelter that it provided. When they arrived in town, Ian quickly led the refugees down Main Street.
The door to the Kit Carson Library swung open and Shiloh stepped out, waving the group towards him. “Quick, in here!” he shouted.
Ian immediately led the group towards the library and watched while everyone quickly piled into the small building. Once everyone was safely inside, Shiloh closed the door and locked it. With Cleo’s help, he quickly began to apply duct tape to the cracks around the door.
“This is my good buddy Shiloh,” said Ian, introducing Kati to his childhood friend. “And Shiloh, this is Kati.”
“Nice to meet ya,” said Shiloh, when he was finished taping the cracks.
“On behalf of my group I’d like to thank you both for your help,” said Kati, extending her hand to Shiloh.
“No problem,” replied Shiloh. “Now strip.”
“I beg your pardon?” Kati was shocked and her expression showed it. For a moment Ian thought she might reach for her gun, but she didn’t.
“All of you need to strip off your wet clothes and put them in these bags,” continued Shiloh.
“He’s right,” agreed Lex. “The rain out there is radioactive and you’re all drenched in it. We need to get ya out of those clothes as fast as possible and clean you off.”
“You heard him,” said Ian, as he peeled off his rain soaked t-shirt. The rest of the militia began to do the same, piling their clothes into the provided trash bags.
Kati and her companions were a little more hesitant to comply. But after watching Ian and his men strip, she and the others reluctantly followed their lead.
Wearing gloves for protection, Jessie quickly tied the bags and piled them in the corner. They would have to properly dispose of the clothes after the storm passed. She tossed the gloves that she was wearing onto the pile and then headed back inside to tend to Lex’s shoulder. He’d been shot earlier that day during the battle with the Enlightened Ones and, although it was only a flesh wound, it still need to be cleaned and sewn shut.
Ian led the group to a bathroom, where they took turns with the shower, using iodine to wash every inch of their skin. Everyone was sharing what little clothing they had with the freshly washed newcomers, and introductions were now happening very quickly. Jessie walked around the library with a bottle of iodine, giving everyone the proper dose for radiation exposure. There wasn’t much food or water in the library so most of the people settled down on what blankets they could find and fell asleep. Some of them selected books from the shelves and passed the time reading.
Several hours passed, when suddenly, there was a loud and violent hammering on the door. The rain outside was pouring down from the dark, polluted clouds, even harder than before. As the pounding continued, Shiloh and Ian approached the door with caution, each with a gun gripped in the palm of his hand. They had no way of knowing who was out there and after having just fought a battle with a group of raiders known as the Enlightened Ones, they weren’t in a trusting mood.
Shiloh peeled the duct tape from around the door and grabbed hold of the doorknob. “Ready?” he asked Ian, who nodded and cocked the hammer of his gun in anticipation.
“I’m ready too!” said Lex, nursing his shoulder as he approached the men with a gun drawn and ready. Although his arm was in a sling, he appeared as strong as ever.
Shiloh turned the knob and swung the door open. Standing in the rain was a middle-aged man, soaking wet from head-to-toe. The skin on his face and hands was pale white and he looked like he was about to pass out or vomit, or both. Before anyone could say a word, the man pitched forward and began vomiting profusely.
Shiloh and Ian immediately reached out to help him, each of them grabbing one of the stranger’s arms and not a moment too soon. As soon as their hands were on him the man’s strength gave out and he collapsed unconscious. They quickly pulled him inside and began removing his clothes, while Lex, using his good arm, sealed the door with duct tape.
“Doc!” yelled Shiloh, as he gathered up the stranger’s clothes for disposal.
“Yes, what is it?” asked Dr. July, shoving his way through the crowd, his niece Jessie at his side. “Oh dear me,” he added, when he saw the unconscious man lying naked on the floor. “Carry him into the other room and put him on the cot,” he instructed.
Shiloh and Ian gently lifted the man and carried him into the other room with Lex following behind, fresh clothes in hand. The stranger moaned as they laid his body on the cot but he remained unconscious.