Betty laughed. “I cornered all the TP I could find on the plane. The other passengers apparently think they’ll be rescued before they have to …”
“Take a dump.” Granny B cackled at her crude humor.
Tom saw a guitar carry bag with a damaged guitar and removed the strings. Betty saw him and had a puzzled look. Tom saw her and grinned. “The wire will make good snares. We might have to catch some rabbits if we run out of food.”
Betty’s head bobbed, and she touched Tom on the shoulder. “I’m glad you and your family are with us. You know so much more about survival than any of the others.”
“Thanks. Just pay attention to Granny B, and you’ll be okay.”
“You and your sister are very close to your grandmother, aren’t you?”
Tom paused and then looked up at the friendly woman. “Yes, we are. Granny B and Grandpa raised us after our parents died in a car wreck. Grampa died a while back but taught us about ranching and life in general.”
“He taught you a lot about survival, too.”
*
Chapter 5
California - Northwest of Sacramento
Tom continued searching the luggage for anything useful when he heard a faint noise coming from the plane. He couldn’t tell what the person was trying to say, but he knew they were in trouble. He climbed over the jagged edge and pulled himself up onto the floor of the cabin. The sound was louder, but he couldn’t make out any words. Tom moved toward the sound and stopped when he heard the sound coming from under a pile of luggage that had fallen from the overhead bin.
Tom tossed the luggage off to the side and saw a hand. He continued moving the bags and found a little girl who smiled at him. “Darling, I’ll dig you out and find your parents.”
The girl cried and then yelled, “Mommy! Mommy! Where’s my Mommy?”
Tom lifted the girl and walked to the back of the section. He yelled, “Come, help me! This girl needs her mother!”
Bill saw Tom and ran to him quickly, followed by a woman. The woman had a head injury and staggered along behind Bill. Tom saw her. “Are you this girl’s mother?”
“Yes, I was knocked unconscious and just came to a few minutes ago. Can I have my daughter?”
Tom lowered her to Bill, who handed the child to the mother. The woman thanked both of them and walked back to where she’d come from.
Bill watched her leave, then looked at Tom. “You’ve saved several people today. On any other day, we’d be planning a celebration to honor you.”
Tom said, “Stuff happens. Let’s just focus on getting out of here.”
Granny B got tired of listening to the grumbling and bitching. “You can do what you want, but you need to leave and go to your homes or somewhere safe. No one is coming to rescue you!”
One of the men stepped forward. “Mrs. Clark, you’re wasting your time with these entitled idiots. My group is from Crescent City, and we’re leaving now. Good luck on your way to Ashland.”
Tom’s eyes opened, and his jaw fell. “How did you know we’re heading up to Oregon?”
“That guy over there sitting on the ground sulking. Paul, I believe. He wanted to join our group, but I didn’t have a good feeling about him. He badmouthed you and your people. Before I forget, I’m Harold.”
“I’m Tom, and I agree on Paul. He’s lazy and bitches a lot. I don’t trust him. Thanks for the heads up. I don’t want a bunch of people following us.”
“OPSEC?”
“Yep. OPSEC!”
“Stay safe and keep your head down. Operational security will make or break your team.”
Tom patted the man on the back. “Too bad, you live so far away. We could form a MAG.”
“Yup, mutual assistance groups are the way to go. Does your group belong to one?”
“No. My grandpa was our leader for a long time and believed in going it alone. The older I get, the worse that idea appeals to me.”
“I’ve got a few years on you, and I learn something new every day. Thanks again for the heads up on Paul.”
Another man walked up to them. “Harold, is this the group heading to Ashland?”
Harold turned to Tom. “Tom, this is Jim Roberts, who’s a good friend of mine. He’s from Medford and owns Roberts Auto Sales.”
Tom shook his hand. “I just bought a new Jeep Rubicon from your dealership.”
Jim looked a bit closer at Tom. “If I remember correctly, you bought two Dodge Ram 2500s, three Jeeps, and some old vehicles a couple of weeks ago.” He lowered his voice. “You’re the lucky SOB who won the Powerball Lottery.”
Tom shrugged. “A lot of good it’ll do me now. The vehicles won’t run, and the money’s in the bank. All worthless now.”
Harold said, “FUBAR!”
Tom replied, “FUBAR!”
Jim frowned. “Will it be that bad?”
Tom said, “Worse.”
Jim squared off, facing Tom. “I’d like for my little band to tag along with your group until Ashland and then go on to Medford.”
Harold said, “Not that it means much, but I can vouch for Jim and his family.”
“I already know Jim from his reputation in Medford. Tough but fair is what his employees say about him. I’ll check with my team, but I’m sure it’ll be okay. My one question is – do you have any food or survival equipment for the trip.”
“Yes, we immediately began scavenging and have about four days’ of food for my wife, daughter, and son. We have a couple of day’s supply of water. I retrieved my
