Bug Out! Part 11: Motorhomes on the Dark Road Read Online Free PDF

size.”
    Jane got a worried look on her face. “Could we handle that many enemy fighters?”
    “If we see them far enough out, yes,” George said. “One thing to remember. There’s no reason for a vehicle like that to be on any of the roads we can see from the roof of the barn. It will make the attack decision easy. We see it coming, we take it out. I suggest we have mortars ready too, just in case. It’ll be harder to shoot into the back of a truck that’s shielded with lead.”
    “What if we spiked all the incoming roads?” Jake asked. “I know how.”
    “Too much flat dirt on either side,” the Sheriff said. “That would’ve worked well at Gabe’s place though.”
    “How many different routes are there to the park?” General Hogan asked.
    “On that,” Jane said, bringing up Google Earth on her laptop.
    “You’re thinking we should follow them out to the source road and put a sentry or two there for early warning?” asked Kurt.
    “Yeah,” General Hogan said. “If there’s ten ways to come in here, we can’t do it, though.”
    “Forget it, guys,” Jane said. “We could have enemy fighters coming in from too many directions unless some of the roads are still bottled up. They could come in via I-70, route 40, route 50, or route 96. Even way south on route 160 is a possibility. All they have to do is get to that north-south road, route 27, which they all run into.”
    “They have to come through Sharon Springs to get here,” Kurt said.
    “Yeah, but there’s a lot traffic around there,” the Sheriff said.
    “There’s still only one way to get on the roads to us, though,” Kurt said. “It’s the same road we came on, back behind Howard’s truck stop. It’s a pinch point.”
    “You know the roads pretty well, don’t you, Kurt?” Malcolm asked.
    “Yeah, I used to visit Chet every so often,” he said, brow furrowing. “Why?”
    “Perhaps you and I ought to take cruise over there and watch the pinch point,” Malcolm said.
    “That would take two of our best snipers off line,” General Hogan said.
    “You’ll still have enough, and we could come up from behind if anything happens here,” Malcolm said. “We’ll hear it. Nothing like a little cross-fire.”
    “If Kurt goes, I’m going too,” Mary said.
    “Can you shoot?” Malcolm asked.
    “No,” she said.
    “Honey, think about this for a minute,” Kurt said. “We’re liable to have wounded people coming in. What are we gonna do if we lose you?”
    “Why does it have to be you?” she asked.
    “Because I know the town, and the roads,” Kurt said. “If Charlie was here, he could probably get by, too. Maybe even Hilda. They’re both gone.”
    “Alright, alright,” Mary said. “Don’t you dare get killed.”
    “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” he said.
    “What else?” Jerry said.
    “What do we already have set up?” General Hogan asked.
    “Well, the M107 is already on the roof of the barn,” George said. “With ammo, ready to go. We need somebody not afraid of heights to be up there with me, and a couple good hunting rifles.”
    “I can join you up there,” Terry said. He glanced down at Trish. She nodded slowly back at him, worried but resigned.
    “So can I,” Heidi said. “I even know how to fire the beast, remember?” George looked at her, and pulled her close, smiling.
    “We set up the lower roofs already,” Kurt said. “Did it when the Capitol Reef attack was happening. All we have to do is send men up there with rifles. We could be ready in less than two minutes.”
    “The mortars are set up too,” Jake said. “I helped with that, and got training on them from Jackson.”
    “Okay, then I suggest that we have somebody on the roof of the barn starting now,” General Hogan said.
    “Everybody agree?” Frank asked.
    Nobody objected.
    “All right, let’s go,” Jerry said.

    ***

    Hilda was still driving, the road getting darker, switchbacks just starting up. They were off the wider part of