From Canada With Love: A Tale of the Second Ice Age

see the large SUV from a distance. A corporal handed Jon the keys, “Sir, the Colonel said to tell you this Suburban has been checked, it’s four-wheel drive and has chains on each tire. The radio under the dash is one of ours. It’s the same as those in our vehicles so you’ll be able to talk to us. He asks that you stay off the radio unless it’s an emergency. There are extra fuel cans in the rear, a case of water, and a case of MREs plus a box of protein bars. We know they’re not great, but this is better than nothing. Under the passenger seat is a first aid kit and in the rear are two M4s and a shotgun. Since you have a 1911 in .45 caliber there’s 200 rounds in the back too. We’ve also placed uniforms in the rear, we didn’t have anything in the girl’s sizes, so we gave you the smallest ones we had. They should fit, but they will most likely have to roll up the pants and jacket sleeves but the uniforms are clean and new.”

Erin smiled and thanked the corporal. “Did the Colonel say when we’ll be leaving?”

“We’re loading the trucks with the remaining supplies, he doesn’t want to leave anything behind in case there are more gangs out there. He thinks it will be another couple of hours. You’ll hear the honking of a loud horn three times which means it’s time for us to get the convoy in line to leave.”

“Thank you so much.” Erin hugged the corporal who blushed from the attention.

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Jon was surprised to see the convoy forming, he’d never seen so many military vehicles at one time. There were armored vehicles, LAVs and Bradleys armed with 20 and 30mm auto-cannons, machine guns and the Bradley’s had advanced TOW anti-armor missiles. Some of the LAVs were configured in the anti-air role, they had a mounted box launcher that held six surface to air missiles and a .50 caliber three barrel mini-gun which was radar controlled.

Then there were six M1A2 Abrams tanks and the queens of the convoy, three M1A3 Abrams tanks which differed from the A2 version with the addition of the Israeli Trophy anti-RPG self-defense system. Both versions of the tanks were armed with the smooth bore 120mm cannon and three machine guns.

Tucked in between the armored vehicles were rows of 7000-MV cargo trucks which were 6X6, all of the tires held chains to help them drive through any ice or snowbanks. Mixed in were twenty-five MRAP trucks which were designed to survive IED explosions. Jon was able to count over 61 vehicles before he got tired of walking through the deep snow that was piled up along the main road which the MPs told him to stay off so the vehicles could use the plowed road to position all of the trucks and tanks. Jon asked one of the soldiers why the tanks turned their engines off as soon as they were in position. “Sir, those engines are gas turbines they burn the same amount of fuel idling as driving so to save fuel they shut down their main engines. They have a small generator which provides them enough power to operate their heater and move the turret if they have to. They’re warm inside there and I don’t think we’ll run into anything which can bother those monsters.”

“Heavy armor?” Asked Jon.

“Ha! Nope, they use a secret mix of armor, ceramics and depleted uranium.”

Jon was shocked, “They're nuclear tanks?”

The soldier laughed, “No, sir. The uranium is depleted, it not very radioactive. It’s very dense so it’s the best armor available. RPGs can’t penetrate it.”

“Oh, I see, I think.” Jon walked by a couple of the MRAPs, not having seen one before he was surprised it was a truck covered in armor and even the windows were thick, bullet proof. He walked back towards his new Suburban. He hoped his family had taken care of everything they wanted to since it looked like the military was getting ready to leave.

Jon and his family were told to get into their vehicle and stay in their position. Even though the Suburban was much larger than their old SUV, it was filled with boxes and of course the weapons. While they waited Jon went over how the M4s operated so Erin and Trinity knew how to work them. Ariden asked, “What about me? What gun do I get?”

Erin pulled a small Glock 44 out of her bag, “One of the nice soldiers gave me this. It’s sized just for you and won’t kick a lot. You have to aim very true and hit the center of the chest or the face because it has a small bullet, but it will stop someone. If you have to use it, it’s okay to shoot someone more than once.”

“For me? My own gun?”

“Yes, remember, never aim the gun at anything or anyone unless you plan to shoot them.”

“My first gun, I love it.”

Erin smiled, “Here’s two extra magazines, let me show you how to replace them and then you practice changing them. The soldier gave me what he called a brick of ammo which is 500 rounds.”

“500 WOW! I’m going to have fun…”

Jon spun around in his seat, “A gun is never fun, it’s a weapon! Respect it and never think of it as anything other than a weapon which can kill.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

They heard the horn blow three times, Jon said, “Here we go.”

Erin smiled and said, “We’re going over the rainbow…”

There was a large MRAP behind them which flashed its lights to tell Jon to move and stay in line. Jon looked in the outside review mirror and then out his windshield all he saw was a line of dull white and gray painted vehicles that stretched as far as he could see.

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