Future History

They have also sent units north to inform the militias of any finished base in their states. Susan is getting better each day. Soon she is chomping at the bit to get out and help people.

A couple of weeks later, John and the doctors find ourselves walking through the eastern half of Kentucky. Ed now had them going east to tell all the states there about the complexes under their feet. They had to walk and hunt for their food when not near a rebel base. They didn't know where all of them were, just a few scattered places east of them. Their first stop was a rebel base not too far from their complex in this half of the state. And from what Susan said, her sister was among the rebels. She was very happy about being able to see her sister and her sister's family.

They were crouching behind some bushes as three Chicom soldiers came up from behind them. They could have caught John and the doctors flatfooted if it weren't for their incessant chatter. John and the doctors quickly ducked into the bushes along the path they were following, which they shouldn't have done in the first place, and waited for them to pass. Once they went by John, his men, and the doctors waited until they could barely hear the Chi-Coms and stepped out to follow them. As they came over a rise, they spotted them turning left down a ravine. John's group silently waited until they could no longer hear the Chi-Coms before they started forward.

As they passed the ravine, they heard a cough from in front of them. Two men were standing there, watching them, John was surprised. All five of them brought guns to bear. The two men raised their hands and came toward them.

"And who might you be?" John asked.

"I am Captain John Denim of the Eastern Kentucky Free Militia," the man with his rifle slung on his shoulder said.

"I see, we are looking for you and your group," John said.

"Well, you found us, can you lower your weapons, we mean you no harm."

John and his party relaxed. The two men relaxed and came forward. Introductions were made all around, and they all headed off toward their camp.

Chapter 14

Eastern Kentucky Free Militia

Running. They were running through the snow. In the dark. The terrain, lit by only moonlight. The stark contrast of dark against white made for a beautiful landscape, but the bullets flying through the air held the four runners' attention. They made it to the tree line. The large trunks hid them as they stopped and turned toward their pursuers.

"Three of them coming from the east, two more from the north," Kelly said, her voice hoarse with exertion.

"I got the two from the north," Allen replied raising his rifle to his shoulder.

"Kelly, you and me will take the other three," Bobby said sighting down the barrel of his rifle.

"Right," Kelly said. "Becky, you stay behind that tree."

"Oh, I will," said Becky, as wood splinters spit past her as bullets hit the tree bole she was behind. "Crap!"

The three with rifles held their fire as long as they could. All of them fired at the same time. All three of the first targets dropped to the ground, blood spurting from their wounds. The second volley of shots hit home. The valley was quiet except for the harsh breathing of the four kids as they watched the valley floor for any more movement.

"All right, let's move," ordered Kelly.

She was fourteen, the oldest of the group. They had been out hunting when they ran into the Chicom patrol. The five-man patrol had tried to stop them, but the kids had run. The Chicom patrol followed. That was their last mistake. Their first was assuming the children were scared of them. They were not. They were scared of getting caught. They were somewhat scared of dying. But they were not afraid of Chicom soldiers.

The four kids quickly disappeared farther back into the woods and headed for their camp. A shadow of a figure rose out of the snow in the valley. Dressed in white the figure was almost invisible against the snowy background. It moved silently, the crunch of the snow underfoot the only sound it made. The figure followed the four children as best as it could, trying to keep at least one of them in sight as it went.

Kelly halted the group just outside the ravine entrance in which the freedom fighters had a cave where they lived. She held up her hand for the other three to be quiet. Looking around, Kelly searched for the first lookout. Spotting him, she waved, moving her hand in such a way as to signal that lookout they were friendlies. The lookout waved back, then waved them forward. At the same time, he moved to a new position. The lookout watched the path to the cave intently as the four kids disappeared around a bend in the ravine that led to the cave. Movement caught his eye. He watched intently as the white figure move swiftly up the ravine trying to catch up with the four kids.

John Denim was also watching intently as the lookout waved a hand in the air. John had also seen the white figure move up the ravine. John was waiting for him at the bend around which the children had disappeared. When the head of the figure came into view, John smashed his rifle butt against the man's head. The man dropped to the ground like a felled tree. The three kids were back with their rifles pointed at the man on the ground. John grunted.

"I knew there had to be someone behind us. Does anyone know who he is?" asked Kelly.

"Nope, no one I know and he's not Chinese either," replied John.

The rest of the kids shook their heads at Kelly's question. John reached down and pulled the man onto his back. His eyes started to flutter as he came to. Opening his eyes, he gasped as he looked up at four rifles pointed at his head.

"Who are you and who do you work for?" John growled.

"Ah..."

"Wrong answer," said Kelly pressing the barrel to his head.

"Wait. Wait, I can explain..."

"Hold up Kel. Okay explain," said John harshly.

"Um..."

The crack of John's rifle echoed through the ravine.

"Wrong answer," he said softly.

Leaning down, John grabbed the collar of the man's coat and dragged him up the ravine to a small nook in the side. He pulled the man in there and dropped him. The kids didn't follow him. Instead, they went to the cave entrance. Becky the youngest of the group ran to the side of the ravine and vomited. It wasn't the first dead man she had ever seen, but it was the first up-close dead man she had seen. The rest of the kids stopped and waited for her. They had all been through this before. This was only the second time Becky had joined them on a patrol and hunting expedition.

"Sorry," Becky said softly.

"No, need, Bek," replied Kelly.

Becky nodded and the kids turned toward the cave entrance up the ravine. Inside, Kelly broke off and walked over to a man, sitting at a desk to the side of the entrance. She stood there until he looked up at her.

"Well, Kelly, empty-handed I see," he said without malice.

"We ran into a Chicom patrol."

"Where?" the man asked pulling a map over in front of him.

Bending down Kelly looked at the map. When she found where they had the shoot-out with the Chicom, she pointed, placing her finger on the map.

"There. There were five we could see and one collaborator we couldn't."

"John took care of him I assume?"

"Yes, sir."

"Kelly, just because I'm your father you don't have to 'sir' me, okay, dear?"

"Yes, dad," replied Kelly.

"Go. Go get something to eat and warm up. Your mother is over by the fire," the man behind the desk said.

"I will," said Kelly turning and walking away slowly.

At the fire, Kelly was gathered into a slender woman's arms. She wrapped her arms around the woman.

"I love you, Kelly," the woman said.

"I love you, too, mom," replied Kelly.

"Here, let me get you something to eat. The rest of the children are over there," Kelly's mom said pointing as she grabbed a bowl from the stack by the fire.

Chapter 15

The next morning Kelly was up early, ready to go back out hunting game. Her father stopped her.

"Kelly, no one is going out of the cave system until we know if that guy was working with the Chicoms, okay?"

"Okay, dad," she said sitting down next to him. She looked at what he was doing. "What are you doing dad?"

"I'm trying to find the other entrance out of here. So far we haven't needed it, but with the Chicoms in the valley to the North, we might."

"Oh. Do we even know if there is another entrance?" asked Kelly.

"Well, the map that was given to us by those who explored this cave system for us said there is and even had it indicated on their map," Kelly's dad said moving a hand-drawn map on top of the map of the area.

Kelly took it from him and searched the map. She was surprised the cave system was so big. She could see the entrance they use to get in and out. She followed the inside wall of the cave to the first branch, which she had been down. It ended in a large gallery. Coming back she followed the wall until she was back in the main part of the cavern. She continued until she found a side tunnel she hadn't yet explored.

"Dad, this tunnel, isn't really there," she said.

"What?"

"This tunnel here," Kelly said pointing to the place on the map. "I have never been down this tunnel, there is a flat wall from this tunnel to this one down here," she said.

"Are you sure?" her dad asked.

"Yep. I have been down every tunnel in this place, except this one, because it isn't there."

"Baker One, we have intruders coming to the ravine. Chicom." The radio in front of her dad blared.

"Shit!" her dad said. "Close the entrance!" he shouted.

Kelly looked surprised. She didn't know they could do that. There was a soft rumbling over at the entrance. It stopped quickly.

"Baker One, Echo Two, Chicom have found their man's body. It looks like he was wired somehow."

"I knew it," her dad shouted. "Son of a bitch."

Kelly didn't even flinch at his outburst. She did pick up her rifle and make sure it was loaded. He looked at her as he answered the radio.

"Echo Two, are they headed our way?"

"No. They searched him and are now headed out of the ravine."

"Thank god," Kelly's dad said softly. "Baker One, roger. Keep an eye on them."

"Roger, Baker One," came from the radio.

"I really wish we had a bug detector," Kelly's dad said.

"A what?" asked Kelly.

"Here," her dad said rummaging around on his desk. "Ah, here it is. One of these," he finished pulling a piece of paper with a picture on it.

Kelly looked at it as her dad when back to the map of the cave system.

"I have seen some of these," said Kelly softly. "Now if I could only remember where."

"You have? Think girl, think."

"I am, dad. Ah, yes, up in the gallery by the exit to the top of the hill we are in."

"Go, go bring me one. No, make that two," Kelly's dad said loudly as she quickly walked away.

Jacob Samson leaned back in his chair as he watched his daughter hurry away. Smiling, he got up, holding the hand-drawn map. It was now time to find that back entrance.

Chapter 16

When Kelly got to the upper grotto, she found Bobby there. Smiling she came up behind him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders. Bobby jumped spinning around in his chair.

"What the hell?" he shouted. "Oh, Kelly. God, you scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry. What are you doing up here?" asked Kelly.

"My dad works up here. I thought, seeing as how we are in lockdown that I'd spend the day with him."

"Cool. I just came from spending time with my dad. He sent me up here for a couple of detectors I saw last time I was up here. Which was a long time ago," said Kelly looking around the large place they were in.

"What do they look like? Some things have been moved around because nobody knew what they were."

"They looked like this," said Kelly pulling the picture her dad gave her.

"Oh, yeah. Those were moved way in the back, over there," said Bobby pointing to a deep dark part of the grotto with many, many, shelves.

"Oh. Okay, I'll have a look around."

"What do they do?" asked Bobby.

"Supposedly, if you wave it over someone, it can detect if they have a tracker on or in them."

"Yikes! That guy yesterday?"

"Yep. The Chicom followed him right to where his body was. They left him there. I guess he wasn't any good to them dead. Wanna help me?" Kelly asked winking at Bobby.

Bobby chuckled as he stood and walked with Kelly back into the shelving area. They looked and looked and looked. It was on the last of the shelves in the back of all the others that they found what they were looking for. Kelly looked at Bobby and kissed him on the cheek. Bobby chuckled as she did. She grabbed two of the devices off the shelf and headed out of the dimly lit place. As they stepped out into the light, a buzzer sounded. Feet pounded from the other side of the grotto as five men came running to the ladder that went up through the hole in the ceiling.

"What?" asked Kelly.

"Oh! Yeah. Chopper coming in. My dad was expecting one this morning."

"Oh, okay. I have to go. I think my dad will need help finding the second exit."

"We have one right here," said Bobby, waving his arm to the ceiling.

"No, this one is down a hidden tunnel."

"Oh! Can I come with?" asked Bobby.

"Sure, why not."

Kelly turned heading for the way out of the grotto, Bobby fell in step with her.

When Kelly and Bobby got back to the desk upfront, they found Old Man Jenkins sitting there.

"Where's my dad Mister Jenkins," asked Kelly.

"Oh, he went off exploring," Jenkins replied, not even lifting his eyes from the magazine he was looking at.

"Thank you," said Kelly.

"No problem, dear."

Kelly set the two devices down on the table.

"What are those?" Jenkins asked.

"Something my dad wants to look at."

"Right. Okay, see you, kids, later," he said looking back at his magazine.

"Well, let's go looking for my dad, I want to see if he found the way out yet," said Kelly walking toward the far wall of the cavern.

"Okay," said Bobby walking beside her.

When they reached the wall, Kelly looked down the surface with her cheek against the cool surface. Pulling her cheek from the wall, she proceeded to walk along, her hand brushing the hard stone. She could see her dad up ahead doing the same thing. Kelly nodded as she just walked. Her dad stopped up ahead looking at his map and shaking his head. Kelly and Bobby caught up with him quickly.

"Hey, dad," said Kelly.

"Hey, Kelly," her dad replied without looking up.

"What's going on?" asked Kelly.

"Nothing. That's the problem I can see the tunnel is right here on the map, yet it's not here at all."

Chapter 17

Kelly looked at the wall before them. She reached out and gave the stone a knock with her fist. It was solid. Looking up, she saw darkness. Pulling her flashlight from her pocket, she shined it up at the ceiling. It was higher here than everywhere else. She spun around and the ceiling dropped to its standard eight feet from the floor. Yet the ceiling by the wall was a good fifteen feet higher.

"Dad," Kelly said shining her light up at the ceiling.

"Uh," Jacob replied.

"Look. Up."

Jacob looked up and grunted.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said softly.

"Now what?" asked Kelly.

"Now, we see what is on the other side of this wall. We'll need ropes, grappling hooks, maybe some ladders," Jacob said walking away.

Bobby looked up and to the side.

"Hey, there are some handholds over here," he said walking to his left.

"I'll be damned," said Kelly. She giggled as she did.

"That first step is up there, give me a boost," said Bobby.

"Hey, I'm lighter than you, you give me a boost," replied Kelly.

"Right. Girls," said Bobby shaking his head as he cupped his hands.

Kelly slapped the back of his head as she put her foot in his cupped hands. At the same time, they both grunted and pushed up. Kelly caught the first notch in the wall. It was smooth and covered in dust but she could keep her grip on the rounded edge. She pulled herself up, hand over hand until her feet could gain purchase in what turned into a set of stairs. Once at the top, Kelly was surprised to see an actual staircase down the other side. She stood at the top looking down at Bobby.

"What's up there?" Bobby shouted.

"More stairs, but down off the wall."

Kelly stood there wondering why there were no stairs on their side of the wall. Then her father was there with a ladder and he and two other men were climbing up.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asked.

"I just wanted to see what was on the other side. Unfortunately, it's too dark down there," replied Kelly.

Jacob nodded, pulling a flashlight from his pocket. The other two men did too. The flashlights were bright enough to make the darkness vanish, replacing it with almost daylight brilliance.

"What the..." Jacob croaked.

Kelly was shocked at what she saw.

"Well, it looks like we need to explore this cavern. But, I think we will need some men with arms," Jacob said softly.

Kelly raised her rifle so he could see she was armed.

"Okay, okay, you can go, but only after John Denim and a few of his guys get here. Bobby, go get John for me. Tell him to bring six of his guys with him."

Bobby waved as he turned and ran toward the entrance of the cave system.

Chapter 18

Bobby, rifle in hand, was back in minutes. John Denim and six of his guys were right behind him. Bobby pointed up the cave wall, where Jacob waited. Nodding, John climbed the ladder followed by his six guys and Bobby bringing up the rear. John, looking back over his shoulder, just chuckled. At the top of the small flight of stairs at the top, John saw that Jacob and Kelly had proceeded down another set of stairs on the other side of the wall. He was surprised, to say the least.

"What do we have here, Jacob?" John asked at the bottom of the stairs.

"Another way out of the cave system and much, much more." Jacob turned his flashlight toward the cavern in which they now stood.

"Holy shit," whispered John. "Ouch!"

"Kelly. Stop that."

"He swore in front of me!" said Kelly.

"Sorry, dear," said John still looking into the cavern. "How?"

"Don't know. We do have to see where that other entrance is now that the Chicom know about the ravine. They may have people watching."

"They don't. At least not, close. The chopper made a pass around the entire valley. Only heat signatures were those of game animals and smaller. No, humans."

Jacob moved his flashlight so it shone on the wall that separated the two caverns from each other. Other flashlights started to come on lighting up the entire cavern in which they found themselves.

"Kelly, look for a seam, they might not hide it so good on this side," said Jacob as Kelly turned her flashlight on.

Kelly and her dad scoured the inside wall and found nothing. Bobby on the other hand was looking at the floor and wondered what the two foot pedals on a metal plate did.

"Mr. Sampson?" he asked.

Jacob and Kelly were next to him so quickly he felt the breeze they pushed in front of them.

"Interesting," said Jacob. "One marked 'O' the other 'C'. Could it be that simple?"

John was suddenly beside them.

"Wait! Let me have a look at this," he almost ordered.

Jacob backed away, as did Kelly and Bobby. All things military were John's domain. He examined the switch plate. He examined around the switch plate. He found the wires leading away from the switch plate to the wall where they disappeared. He shook his head.

"Why don't we leave this until we have a look around in here first," said John.

"Okay, John. Kelly, Bobby, go look around but don't touch anything. Clear," ordered Jacob.

"Clear, dad," replied Kelly for both her and Bobby.