I took that moment and left the group, making my way out to the landing area and watched as more helicopters came in. How do they find this much supplies and get them out over here so quickly? I thought. Suddenly the sun was snuffed out and a large arm plummeted down on my shoulders, almost buckling me to my knees. I moved my head to the side and had to look as Brian leaned a little on me and laughed at my discomfort.

  “Hey Brian, what do you think, about all this?” I asked.

  “It would’ve been nice to have these resources when we were in the tower. A lot would be different right now.” He sighed.

  We trotted over to the side of the hill and stood out of the way, watching as Doc ran to each box and pointed to items within. The Guards followed him, reached in and removed the items he had indicated, then took them over to an empty pallet with a box on it.

  Kuppers caught my eye, and trotted over. “Ok, it’s getting late; I suggest we bring everyone to the barge except Senshi. We’ll keep him on his high station as over watch. Doc has most of his supplies figured out and they are going to use the next chopper to transfer them to the barge.” He started down the hill and we followed as he expected we would.

  He called over the radio informing everyone to get off the barge except Cupcake, so the NG could deliver our supply pallet. We arrived to find Apache, Angel, and Vic standing on the dock waiting for us. I wondered when Doc would show up to help.

  I heard and felt the thumping from the helicopter blades as it approached. I scanned the sky looking for the helicopter and was taken back by the site. Doc was standing on the pallet, waving, and shaking his hips dancing while holding on to the straps securing the pallet. He was laughing like a child, enjoying his ride.

  “Damn idiot.” Kuppers grumbled.

  I watched as Cupcake climbed onto the top of his loving beast, he used hand signals to direct the pilots to land the pallet on the barge as close to the beast as he could. Once down Doc reached up, hit a lever and signaled to the pilot he was clear and to move on. The pilot waved back and gained altitude then banked to the south and flew off. I was awed at the site and feat of the pilot, that man had to have nerves of steels to do what he did.

  Kuppers jumped on the barge and pointed at Doc. “What kind of toys did you bring us?”

  Doc sat on a big box and beamed with pride, a giant grin that stretched from ear to ear was plastered on his face. “Well, we have 20 cans of 5.56 ammo, each can, carries about 800 rounds, so about 16,000 rounds. We also have 50 preloaded M4 magazines, so that is another 1,500, twenty boxes with 12 MREs in them, so we have about 240, and twenty, 15 gallon tanks of diesel. We also got in the deal five, 2 man tents along with sleeping bags and toilet paper. They also provided us with 25 gallons of water. I found some other toys that the Army didn’t know they were carrying.” Doc reached back opened a box and took out 2 round items and tossed them to Kuppers.

  “Why are they carrying frag and white phosphorous grenades on a rescue mission?” Kuppers asked.

  “I have no idea, but somehow I became an owner of 30 each. Did I do a good job sir?”

  “Very good son, now get everything packed up and onto the Beast. We leave tomorrow at first light. We can take shifts sleeping inside the Beast tonight. Senshi will stay on over watch till we leave. Vic, figure it all out and get everyone fed and then it’s bed. I got some shit to take care of with the Guard.” With that Kuppers headed back up the hill toward the supply helicopters.

  “All right everyone, grab an MRE, and eat up. Doc, I want you and Cupcake to pack up this gear and get it on top of the beast and secured. Brian, Dan, Angel and Apache you will take first shift of sleep. Doc, Cupcake, Kuppers and I will take second shift for sleep. I’ll run an MRE up to Senshi. I expect you four to have eaten and prepared to sack out when I come back.” He looked around one last time, grabbed an MRE and headed up the hill.

  Doc threw some big plastic packages at us. Apache opened one for Angel, using her knife. I watched her close then pulled my Kabar and mimicked her ways of opening the MRE. Apache sat down with her back to the Beast and patted the ground next to hear motioning Angel to sit down next to her. Brian winked at me and padded the area near him. I threw him the bird and sat down Indian style in front of them. I dug out the contents of my MRE, and removed the contents, putting them in order in front of me. I had never eaten one of these and had no idea what to expect. I stared at the bigger pouch took out my Kabar and cut off the top. I stared at the contents and took a sniff. It smelled bland, so I dip a finger in, scooping some of the sauce out. I sucked my finger and even though not impressed, I give into my stomach and look around for a way to eat it.

  “I got chili and beans, what did you guys get?”

  “Looks like spaghetti I think.” I said while looking for a fork.

  “Raviolis, yummy, but do I need to eat it cold?” This came from Angel.

  “Give it to me sweetie.” Brian took her pouch and used the cardboard sleeve and some other thing and gave it back to her. “Give it a couple of seconds, but be careful it will be hot.” Angel sat down and stared at the cardboard waiting for it to heat up.

  I find a spork in one of the little packets from the main pack, I stare at it and the main food packet and try to figure out how to eat it with this little spork cleanly. Finally, after getting pissed off and frustrated, I dropped the spork and slowly started squeezing out the contents directly into my mouth, I chewed the food and tried to enjoy the blandness.

  Brian bent over laughing. “Wow took me a month to start eating these things like that. Every meal, I ended up using half my water ration for the day to clean my arms.” He also turned his food package upside down and squeezed the food into his mouth.

  I watched as Apache magically pulled a plate out and dumped her warm food onto it. She then produced another one and dumped Angel’s food onto it and handed it to her. She smiled at us, and they started eating like civilized people. “Sure if I had known we had plates I would’ve done that too.” I stuck my tongue out at Apache.

  The two girls ignored my childish humor, they sat there and ate their food in silence, while Sasquatch and I worked on ours like the Neanderthals we are. When done we volunteered to help Doc with the packing and securing. He was happy to put us to work. We took the boxes he handed us and tied them onto the roof of the Beast. Something came to me so I vocalized it to my companions. “If we tie everything to the roof and we come under fire or something happens, wont we lose most of our supplies?”

  Doc stuffed more gum into his mouth and twisted the ends of his mustache as he stared at me. “Good thinking Dan, but I already thought about that.” He reached down and picked up one of the big black backpacks at his feet and pointed at it. “Meet your new best friend. I loaded yours with 10 MRE packs, and since you are rucking around that shotgun I added some ammo for it and just in case five magazines for that M4 you got from your new NG buddy. You also have some toilet paper, some other little things I thought you might need, along with a sleeping bag, a small med kit, and even though I don’t want you to touch them, I added a couple of the frag grenades in there. I call these our Zomgo bags. If everything goes tits up, you grab your pack and go, go, go.” He threw my bag at me and I found out very quickly that it must’ve weighed close to 50 pounds, as it almost pushed me back onto my ass.

  He pointed to the boxes we were tying up. “Those boxes have some supplies it would be nice to have but not essential, like the rest of the food and stuff. The important things like ammo and some of the fuel are going into the beast. Some of us like Sasquatch there, will be carrying double if not triple the ammo load out everyone else is carrying in their packs.”

  I climbed up on the beast next to Cupcake and we made sure to tie down the boxes, then using the cradle net the pallet was flown in on, we draped it over the supplies and secured it down. Afterwards Doc ordered Brian and I to go to bed, or sack out, as he called it.

  Brian and I climbed into the beast took our seats closed our eyes and were out in seconds. This time I didn’t dream, instead, I slept the sleep of gods. I felt someone shaking me and calling my name out. I opened my eyes to see Apache staring down at me. “Time to get up buddy, we need you to pilot the barge.”

  “What, don’t you mean it’s time for me to take my turn on watch?” I undid my seat belt and followed her out of the Beast, knuckling my eyes trying to clear my blurry vision.

  “Nope, we let you and Angel sleep. It didn’t look like we needed you last night on watch so you got some beauty sleep. Now come on, let’s go.” She took my hand and walked me to the pilot house.

  Chapter 27

  “Great but do you mind if I relieve myself first?” She pointed to the edge of the barge and gave me the go for it motion. I stepped up, unzipped and really enjoyed that release. I zipped back up and reached into my pocket removing the hand sanitizer I picked up from the locker room back at the SFPD. I cleansed my hands and walked over to the pilot house with a big smile on my face. I reached into my pocket and took out the keys I removed the day before from the control panel. I slid it into the ignition and waited a second looking over the board. I had no idea what to do next. I then saw a light come on and then pushed the start button. The engines rumbled to a start. Engines must be diesel so maybe, I had to wait for the glow plugs to warm? I was just guessing.

  I stepped out of the pilot house and caught Brian’s attention. “Cast us off when you’re ready.” I popped my head back in and looked over the myriad of gauges, the engines seemed to have heated up, and our fuel gauge showed close to full. I then noticed a small screen on top of the control panel and reached up and hit the power button. The screen came on with a message welcoming me to the Furuno FCV30BB 4 Kw Commercial Sounder. It came up and showed a graph of the depth of water beneath us. I had no idea what the particulars were but I figured we had enough water under us.

  “Dan, all aboard and we have been set free of our tie down. Do your stuff.” Brian called out.

  I got on my radio and requested Kuppers come over to the pilot house for a pow wow. He came over and had something in his hands. “First give me your radio while you are pulling us out into the clear waters.” I undid my radio and handed it over. He shut it off and connected a new one to my headset, turned it on and secured it back to my vest.

  I engaged the throttles a quarter and moved us out away from the island. I could see more ships anchored in close to Alcatraz waiting for their turn to dock. “Kuppers we never really discussed the details of our trip. I have an idea and want to run it by you.”

  “I know you said something about Stinson beach. That’s good enough for me for now. Once we get there we can flesh out the details and figure out how to get the beast off. I replaced your radio with a recharged one. Sasquatch is making some coffee and I’ll have him bring some over to you. Need anything else?” he asked.

  “Yeah waffles, boysenberry syrup and some bacon would be nice.” I chuckled. Kuppers growled something and stuffed a cookie into my mouth and walked away.

  I think I am growing on him I thought. “All right team just like yesterday, everyone take a position and call out traffic, debris, and obstacles. Apache can you get on top of the Beast so we have a slightly higher eye out on the bay?”

  “Roger on my way,” called out Apache as I looked over and saw her appear on top of the Beast and stood tall craning her head in different directions. She looks over at me and gives me a thumbs up.

  “We need to head to the Golden Gate and pass under it, once there we need to stick to the northern shore but not close enough to break up on the rocks. Once free of the bay we need to head north to Stinson Beach. Just want to give you guys the full run down of my intentions.” I increased the throttles to half. I got a gaggle of rogers on the radio.

  “Clear to the immediate bow, port and starboard. Although I don’t remember which is which.” Doc radioed over.

  “Port is left and starboard is right facing toward the bow you dork.” answered Cupcake.

  “Wait whoa, how the fuck did you know that? I’m still amazed you know your right from you left.” commented Apache making fun of him.

  “I grew up in Maine, my dad was a fisherman, that’s just something I remember. Also I know how to bait lobster and crab pots.” answered Cupcake.

  “Wow, interesting stuff, now shut the fuck up and direct Dan so we can get back on shore.” Kuppers growled over the radio.

  “Apache how are we looking with the bridge and traffic.” I ask on the radio.

  “We are doing good. Free of flotsam and traffic. If you want, we could advance our speed and be ok.” She answered back.

  “Roger that, keep your eyes open boys and girls. I can’t stop this thing on a dime.” I alert everyone. I reach over and advance the throttles to three quarters and relatively soon I got the bridge filling up my windshield. Having the pilot house at deck level, in the middle of the barge, and to the right of the Beast makes it very hard to see anything.

  “This is Brian, cut to starboard slightly, flotsam in the way about 50 yards.”

  I turn my wheel to starboard bringing us slightly over to that direction. “How’s that Brian.”

  “Good, it will be going down our port side very soon.” He answers back. “All looks clear, stay on this heading.”

  I keep staring at the bridge, as it becomes all I see in my windshield. Damn that thing is big is all I can think. Suddenly something falls down and hits the suicide net underneath it. Oh shit I then see more people jumping and landing in the net. The net starts to become fuller of bodies.

  “Oh shit! Everyone eyes up! Watch out for falling zombies. Call out if you see any get free of the net.” I yell through the radio. I don’t wait for the inevitable to happen so I push the throttles to their max. Again the barge slowly picks up speed and heads toward the bridge.

  “Off our starboard, two bodies falling, should miss us.” Doc radios out.

  “Off to the port six bodies falling, steer to starboard slightly.” radios in Cupcake.

  I stare up and see two bodies make it over the net and start falling down at us on a direct line. There is nothing I can do to maneuver. “Heads up center of deck off bow. We are going to get hit Watch out!” I yell over the radio.

  I watch the two collide with the deck. I don’t have time to look at them as I have my head up watching the net. Five more bodies fall. I glance to starboard and port and crank the wheel to port. “Five more, heads up! steering port.”

  That part of the net seems less crowded than middle of the net. I try and push the throttles higher but they are already maxed out. I guess all I can do is grin and bare it. “More falling too many to count, on our last position starboard, but not too far off.” Someone radios out.

  I look further to port and see the bridge legs coming up. I don’t have much more room to maneuver but I should be under the bridge and protected by the deck above. I can hear bodies colliding with the bay like a waterfall, to starboard and slightly to the stern. “Are we clear and under the deck completely?” I ask over the radio.

  “Yes, we are clear, I think we only got hit four times, we rolled the bodies into the bay.” Vic’s voice came over the radio.

  “Everyone, we will be heading out from the other side soon. I’m hoping we can get clear fast, but keep your eyes open and eyes to heaven.” Just for the hell of it I cut the barge to starboard for a minute then back to port straightening out.

  We burst out on the other side. Bodies start falling into the ocean where we could’ve come out if I didn’t make the course correction. I wipe the sweat off my forehead and head. I really need to shave soon I think. I cut back to the right and keep an eye on the depth sounder, I don’t want to slam into a hidden rock or sand bar, we’d never be able to get the Beast off then.

  “I can see ships, at about 20 miles, look like they are anchored or free floating. Hey Vic can you contact that Air Force Captain and tell him to send out copters to tell these people where it’s safe?” Doc answered.

  “On it.”

  Twenty minutes later we come up to the south of the Point Bonita Lighthouse. I swing out further south knowing that the light house is there to warn ships of rocks and obstacles. We come out into open ocean and the barge starts to rock more. I come around the Lighthouse and try to skirt back toward the shore but far enough to not be grounded.

  The radio crackles. “If you look to the east we are gathering a pretty good group of people watching us from shore. These people are alive, I think we need to go west a little more so these people don’t get the idea to come out to us and flood the barge.” This came from Brian.

  I cut west and we take on the bigger waves. After about 15 minutes I cut back north. The waves are coming at us from the west and rock the barge back and forth. “We should be ok but any bigger waves and we may flip. This thing is not made to be used in the open ocean.” I broadcast over the radio.

  “What we need is a sea anchor, how much longer do you think we will be out here?” This came from Cupcake our only person even close to being a sailor.

  “I’m not sure, maybe about two and a half hours. I don’t have a GPS in the place it should be, so I am fully guessing.” I answer honestly.

  “If the tide starts coming in we may be screwed. I suggest we figure a way to create a sea anchor or find another place to run this thing up on a beach.” Cupcake answers back.

  “Muir Beach is coming up soon, it has a pretty big beach and we can drive through the rich houses, and onto Highway 1 from there.” Senshi replied. Wow that is the most I have ever heard him say.

  “How the fuck do you know that Senshi?” Kuppers asks over the radio.

  “I was dating a girl out there, last year. Nice house.” He answers back.

  “Ok let’s go ahead and go for Muir Beach. But I have no idea where that is if we don’t move closer to the shore.” I radio out.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24