The Gathering Storm (Surviving the Fall 2)

Chapter 1

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Las Vegas

Rick Waters had slept in a car exactly twice before in his life. The first time was in the back of a camper van during an ill-advised trip to the beach that was cut short as three people caught a stomach bug. The second time was when he was so sleepy on a road trip that his body shut itself down for a few hours while his wife, Dianne, was driving them up north to visit her parents near D.C. In both cases the vehicles were relatively clean (at least at first, in the camper van scenario) and comfortable.

Sleeping in a car that smelled like a cross between body odor, cheap body spray and various pharmaceuticals was not, however, a pleasant experience. Nevertheless, though, Rick had been forced to crawl into the back seat of the SUV and sleep for a few hours after driving for the entire day. Although he was more alert when he woke up, he wondered if he would ever get the impossible combination of smells out of his clothing.

After leaving Los Angeles, Rick had taken a jaunt to the north until he reached interstate fifteen. From I-15 he planned to drive straight into Las Vegas where he hoped he could find more reliable and solid transportation back to Virginia. Despite what he had seen and heard so far, Rick wasn’t convinced that there was no way to get back home without walking or driving.

There’s got to be some planes left in the sky. Maybe military flights are still going in and out. I could go to Nellis, see if I can talk someone into letting me on board. Rick knew in the back of his mind that the idea was foolhardy, but he also figured that between Phoenix and Las Vegas, the latter would be more likely to have transportation available. Big money still means something. Now all I need to do is figure out how to get myself included in whatever that something is.

While he was driving along Rick was also playing with the radio constantly as he tried to get some sort of update on what was going on. Information was still hard to come by, though, and all he could pick up was static for most of the trip between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. With the gear he scavenged from the sporting goods store he avoided straying from the highway except when absolutely necessary due to blockages from destroyed vehicles. With enough food to last for a few days but no water, he knew he would need to find a source before continuing much farther—especially when the SUV started running low on fuel.

Salvation came in the form of a vending machine that he tipped over at a rest area along the highway. The reinforced plastic front didn’t break from the impact but the lock at the back did, and he quickly stuffed as many bottles of water as he could into his backpack while throwing the rest into the back of the car.

With immediate food and water needs taken care of, Rick was feeling upbeat about his progress when the speakers in the car crackled to life and a long series of tones blared over the radio. After the tones finished, a mechanical-sounding voice came next with an announcement that was far too calm for the information it contained.

Attention. Attention. This is the Emergency Broadcast System. We have been informed that a massive cyber attack has taken place against civilian and military assets both in the United States and abroad. Details about the attack are not yet known. Civilians should shelter in place until further instructions are given by federal, state or local authorities. Under no circumstances should any vehicles attempt to be driven, nor should electronic devices be operated. Local law enforcement personnel should remain at their posts. State police and military assets have been directed to areas that are most impacted. More information to follow.

The same tones that came before the message repeated before the message played again. Rick turned down the volume on the radio and shook his head. “Well I guess it’s real, huh?”

He drove along contemplating the possible sources of what had happened when he noticed that the wreckage of cars on the highway was starting to thin out. Vehicles that had formerly been in his way were pushed off to the side of the road leaving black scars across the road. They were piled up on both the shoulder to the right and in the leftmost lane, leaving two lanes open and clear for driving.

“What the…” Rick was confused by the sudden change when he realized that he had just crossed the California/Nevada border and was closing in on Las Vegas. “Did the state clear the vehicles off the road? May

be for emergency services to get through… but still that would take some mammoth equipment working exceptionally quickly.” Rick frowned. “It has to be the military doing it. But why?”

Rick’s answer came twenty minutes after hitting the border, when he was halfway between Primm and Las Vegas. Large columns of red smoke soared into the sky on the road ahead of him. As he approached, he saw that there were several school buses lined up on the side of the road just on the outskirts of the town. Multiple military Humvees were arranged in front of the buses and there were a few dozen soldiers milling around along with several dozen people clothed in plain clothes.

As Rick approached, the soldiers nearest him on the road held up their hands and he saw a few others readying their weapons. He slowed the SUV and rolled down the windows, then stopped a few dozen feet from the blockade. Four soldiers approached him, two on each side of the car, and one on the driver’s side shouted at him.

“Turn off your vehicle and step out of the car!”

Rick felt his heart racing in his chest as he turned off the ignition. There were no guns pointed directly at him that he could see, but he felt extremely nervous about the situation nonetheless.