Post Grid: An Arizona EMP Adventure Read Online Free PDF Page B

dust obscuring brown brush and small desert trees in their wake.
    “We are crossing over the old, single-lane, Beeline Highway now and will take this dirt road an hour or so into the mountains and then drop into that valley over there,” Jose gestured toward the mountains in front of the truck.
    “So what exactly are we doing, again?” asked Jess.
    Lynn rolled her eyes. “Weren't you listening? Our assignment is to place a practice ELT (emergency locator transmitter) and have it transmitting by noon. One of the mission aircraft has orders to return to Deer Valley Airport and stop answering the CAP radio, simulating a missing search plane. Our ELT is supposed to be that plane. That should shake up the mundane weekend training.”
    “Mission Base radio will know that something is wrong when the aircraft doesn't report Ops Normal on schedule,” said Dennis, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. “The radio operators will let the command staff know right away.”
    “How long will it take to send the planes from the practice search to look for what they think could be a real missing CAP aircraft?”
    “That is what the SAREX evaluators want to know,” Jose answered. “The Incident Commander has to be flexible and adapt to problems, sometimes very serious problems, during a mission. The 'real' missing aircraft has priority, of course. We will hear on the radio when our practice ELT is heard by search teams. We are supposed to be sitting here waiting for the ground team to locate u s.”
    The SUV lumbered along the dirt road, skirting the hills following a dry wash. The truck left the wash and worked its way up the side of a mountain on a road that wasn't much more than a bighorn sheep trail.
    “What's that?” asked Jess, pointing to a collection of dilapidated buildings in the distance.
    “Well, what does the map tell you, Jess?” asked Dennis.
    “There's a mine symbol,” said Jess.
    “Yes, that's the old Sunflower Mercury Mine and processing buildings, or what's left of them after the brush fire a few years ago,” Dennis answered.
    The Expedition crested the hill and began descending into one of the countless valleys.
    “This is the area where we're supposed to set up,” said Jose. “Jess, check the GPS coordinates, but this valley looks like the one on our mission map.”
    “Yep, it's a match. Pull over under those trees, and we'll pitch the sun shade,” said Jess.
    They found a spot with patches of shade among some low, scruffy junipers and parked. It was September; temperatures were still in the nineties. Lynn reported to Mission Base that Red Rock Three Seven had arrived at their assigned coordinates. The group quickly erected a shade fly next to the SUV, and placed a folding table and chairs under the fly. They positioned the practice ELT in the middle of a small clearing nearby.
    “Ahhh, this is the life,” said Dennis, stretching out his arms as he sat in the low-slung folding chair. “Some of the other ground team leaders are leading their cadets over rough terrain for a hot, all-day hike and we're sitting here, in the shade . We start the ELT transmitting in about a half hour. Then, I think lunch is in order.”
    “Dad, can I start a campfire?” Jess asked.
    “That would be awesome,” Lynn exclaimed.
    “Let's see, it's ninety-five degrees and we don't need to cook lunch,” said Jose. “City kids and campfires—they just have to have them. Normally I would say yes, but I don't want to give any extra help to the searchers by sending up smoke signals.” Jose paused, then asked, “Anyone up for a game of cards?”
    As the group settled into the card game, Dennis said to Jose, “That is quite the SUV you've got.”
    “Thanks. Jess and I spent hours and hours working on it. We lifted it, beefed up the suspension, fabricated the brush guard, added undercarriage armor, installed the CAP radio, mounted the winch and even added a snorkel. It may be overkill for our needs, but I'm a