JAA Ch. 01: Aftermath

"Cease fire...cease-fire," Waylon yelled. "Unload your weapons and lay them on the ground in front of you, barrel toward the targets."

Waylon waited until they had all complied. Then he checked each weapon himself. All were empty and safe.

"All right, go check your targets."

The small group walked calmly down to their targets. They each pulled the target from the holder and hung another in its place. They had been through this routine five previous times. They walked just as calmly back to the firing line. Michelle and Susan were beaming. As Michelle held her target up Waylon could see she had reason to beam. She had a nice tight group in the center of the chest, just high enough to pierce the heart. When he could see Susan's he was equally impressed. Hers was also a tight group in the chest but she also had three rounds in the head right between the eyes.

"Okay, everyone listen up! You have all passed your stationary target qualifications practice. We now move on to you motion quals practice. Pick up your rifles, make sure they are pointing down range. Insert a full magazine."

He waited until they had all accomplished the task.

"Lock and load people."

The sound of seven bolts slamming home resounded along the firing line.

"Start target motion, shooters, ready on the right, ready on the left, ready on the firing line...commence fire," Waylon yelled.

The targets were now moving back and forth at random speeds. They also randomly moved up and down. The firing was sporadic. He spotted trouble two down from where he was standing. Jenny was having trouble anticipating the target movement. He stepped up behind her and touched her shoulder. She brought her rifle to the port arms position.

"Jenny, lead the target but don't move your barrel so much. Here watch how I do it," He told her unslinging his rifle.

He took aim at the center of where the target crossed and waited. He pulled the trigger and a hole appeared in the center of the target. He did it repeatedly.

"See just wait for the target to swing into the proper position, then pull the trigger. Okay?"

"I'll try," Jenny responded.

"Okay go ahead," Waylon, told her.

He watched as she tried what Waylon had done. She surprised herself with a hit on the target. Not a center hit but a hit that would have disabled her enemy. Waylon watched her through several more rounds. With each, she came closer and closer to the center of the target.

Waylon stepped back slinging his rifle and watched the others. Michelle and Sue had already caught on, as had Linda. Dave and Mary were starting to catch on when their guns went empty. Jenny was still shooting slowly but surely as she put every remaining bullet in the center of the swinging target.

"All right, Weapons clear and on the ground."

They all cleared their weapons and lay them on the ground like so many times before. Waylon went through the exercise of checking the weapons again.

"There is no such thing as too much safety when dealing with guns, no matter their size. Safety is number one with guns. Is that clear?"

All six answered at the same time. "Clear."

"Go," Waylon started as he checked the last weapon, "check your targets."

It looked as if they would all need one more round with the swinging, bobbing targets. They hustled back to the firing line with their targets, Jenny had bested them all on the swinging target.

"Okay, listen up. One more time, pick up your weapons and insert a full clip. Start target motion, shooters, ready on the right, ready on the left, ready on the firing line...commence fire," Waylon yelled once again.

This time they all got it down pat.

"Now, you are going to have to understand that the real thing will be shooting back at you and that their motions won't be as predictable as these. So with that in mind pick up your weapons and insert a full clip. As you run out of ammo eject and reload until you are out of ammo. Then lay your weapons on the ground and step back four paces. Clear?"

"Clear."

"Start target motion, shooters, ready on the right, ready on the left, ready on the firing line...commence fire," Waylon yelled.

As the first rounds went down range, Waylon signaled the marine on the control board and the hidden guns behind the targets started firing blanks toward the group on the firing line. Michelle and Susan each took a knee firing while moving then went to the prone position while reloading.

Jenny followed suit at reload time. Linda stood her ground firing precisely at her target. Dave dropped to the ground and rolled once to his right then continued firing. Mary stopped firing and took cover behind the sandbags on the firing line. Waylon walked over to her and looked down.

"What are you going to do, hide and let your fellow doctors fight while you're all safe and sound behind these sandbags?" he yelled at her.

She poked her head up and started to fire randomly down range.

"Get your ass up and fire on your target. Now!" Waylon screamed.

Mary jumped up and started to fire at her target, some rounds hitting some not.

"You keep missing like that and you and your fellows are going to die a horrible death at the hands of those attacking you. Now follow your training as the others are. And keep firing until you are out of ammo."

Everyone was now firing and hitting their targets. After about ten minutes, the firing was sporadic and dwindled down to nothing. One person was now four paces back from the firing line, the one that Waylon had to berate. Then, new fire started coming from the other end of the firing line. Jenny, Michelle, Sue, Linda, and Dave all stood there firing their pistols, one clip after another.

Mary standing back looked at Waylon and rushed to the line, drew her pistol and started firing anew. Waylon just shook his head in wonder. He had not seen who it was that had started the pistol shooting but he would put his money on Sue. She, even though she was a doctor, had a fire in her belly when it came to defense and protecting herself and her friends.

Soon all participants were four paces back from the firing line with both weapons on the ground. Waylon smiled and signaled the marine on the board to shut down the machine guns. Waylon went down the line and checked each weapon.

"Very good, you, yes you, stick around. The rest of you pick up your weapons. Holster the piston and sling the rifle. You're free to go once you turn them into the armory. Mary stick here we need to talk about your final performance evaluation."

Michelle, Jenny, Susan, Linda, and Dave all headed out toward the armory. Tomorrow would be their final test. They were sure that Waylon had something else up his sleeve for tomorrow and they could not wait.

The final evaluation was not as exciting as they had hoped. It had been hard but not exciting like yesterday. The pistol qualification was easy. They were less than ten meters from the target. The rifle qual was a little tougher at one hundred meters. They had to qualify in the standing, kneeling and prone position. Nothing special, nothing surprising like yesterday. Except at the end, they each had five clips for their rifles and two for their pistols. Waylon was leading them back to the armory but they had yet to clear their weapons. In addition, he was taking them a different way back.

As they were walking along, just in front of Waylon, a life-like dummy popped up out of the grass. Susan was right behind Waylon, pushed him out of the way, and fired two rounds into the dummy. It slowly dropped to the ground. Everyone was on their toes now.

"Okay Doc that was really good but, next time just fire past me, I promise I won't leap in your way. For the rest of you...we have now entered the final stage of your evaluation. Targets can pop up at any time, from anywhere. Watch your firing zones for god sakes.

"We will now proceed in a four by four formation with me, the only non-combatant, in the middle. Sue, Dave on point. Michelle right flank, Linda left flank, Jenny, Mary rear guard. Move out."

Susan and Dave led off and within three steps, another dummy popped up to Sue's right. Both she and Michelle fired at the same time. Four rounds impacted the dummy, two in the chest and two in the head.

The slow walk went on for two more hours. Some of the dummies had paint guns that fired when they popped up. At first, no one was hit, but as the march progressed, more and more of the dummies had paint guns. You now had to move so as not be in the line of fire before you took out the dummies that popped up.

In the end, the only four not hit were Susan, Michelle, Linda, and Waylon. In addition, Waylon was not hit because Dave took a hit for him. Susan had asked Waylon if they were protecting him or just escorting him. Waylon had told them he was to be protected at all costs, as he had valuable intel and they needed to get him back to camp alive and able to talk. The two things that impressed him were Susan's question and Dave jumping in front of the bullet.

Emerging from the woods, they were back at the firing range, having circled the range and winding back where they had started. Waylon had them fire any unused ammo at some targets down range. Then they headed back to the armory. Once they were there, Waylon took them aside.

"Now, the moment you have all been waiting for. Susan, Michelle, Dave, Linda and Jenny you pass with flying colors. Mary, I think you have the skills and the intelligence to become a fine field doctor, yet you lack the motivation to use those skills."

"I don't believe in killing...I'm a doctor."

"Who is going to protect you?" Susan raised her eyebrows at her.

"Mary, I understand where you are coming from. I don't believe in killing either. However, a long time ago I realized that there are people out there that will not hesitate to kill you for something you have that they want or worse. The two most common crimes today besides killing or murder if you will, are rape and theft. In both cases, the victims are dead. So if you were out alone wouldn't you want to know how to defend yourself? It will be you or them and I would much rather it be you alive than them. I would hate to lose another friend."

Mary stood quietly as she thought about what Waylon had said. After awhile, Sue approached her and whispered in her ear. Mary nodded her head then turned to Waylon.

"I will be here on Saturday if you'll have me?"

"It will be my pleasure to teach you how to stay alive in today's world. Go turn in your weapons please and I'll see you this Saturday.

"You five, I don't know what I did to deserve you five. Go to the armory and draw a basic daily load of ammo. Five clips for the rifle, five clips for the pistols and five grenades. The grenades go in the pockets on the vest that you have been keeping you oranges and apples in." Waylon smiled at the group.

"These weapons are now yours. You are responsible for them. Keep them clean and they will serve you well. Let them get dirty and they will fail in their job, with devastating results. Keep them near you at all times. For you women, get used to carrying them as if you carry your purse. These are now part of your everyday wear, a second skin if you will, always in reach and never out of your sight, wherever you may be.

"Is that clear?"

"Clear." The five shouted at the same time.

"Good, weapons on safe, you're free to go. Be careful out there."

Chapter 6

Soon hospitals and medical clinics were overwhelmed with casualties. Triage centers were set up in the emergency room parking lots, under tents to keep the ash off the patients. Some hospitals were lucky enough to have parking structures for patients to wait while doctors worked twenty-four hours a day to help them.

Michelle and Susan soon came to John as they felt useless and wanted to help those who needed help. John finally relented and allowed them to set up a clinic in the hotel lobby. Nevertheless, any patients they thought needed more care than they could provide would be transported to the nearest operating hospital.

This caused a slight problem when John and Waylon started to bring in patients that had already seen a doctor. John had to explain that they were just a small contingent of doctors and nurses with limited supplies and no space for long-term care. The hospital administrator said that she understood and they had to do the same thing. It was not easy to have to transport patients to another facility because you could no longer care for them.

John asked where to take them and said he would try to take any more patients they had there.

In the sixth month, most people had fled south, the eruption stopped just as Cappy had claimed. The southern states, especially the southwestern states welcomed the population warmly. Such was the compassion of the American people. In most of the southwestern states the land was plentiful and the population scarce. However, not everyone migrated, just yet, for there was far worse to come.

"Michelle, try to keep up, we have a long way to go yet," Susan said as they walked through the thickening snow.

"I know, I know, it's just hard to walk through this crap. I hate snow."

Susan laughed at her friend as she followed Cappy through the driving snow. Their SUV had finally broken down and they now had to walk back to the hotel. They had been out to help some people hold up in a church nearby.

"Here let me help you, little missy," Waylon said as he picked up Michelle with ease.

"You don't have to do this Waylon I can walk you know?"

"I know, it'll just be for a little while," Waylon told her as he easily walked behind Susan.

"I'm next then," Susan jokingly called out behind her.

Susan almost knocked Cappy down as he had stopped without warning. As Sue's vision cleared, she could see two men with guns standing in front of Cappy.

"And what can we do for you, gentlemen?" Cappy asked politely.

"Hand over your weapons and any food you might have," the one on the right said.

"I'm sorry but we have no food and I cannot hand over my weapon," Cappy answered calmly.

"You'll give me your weapons or you'll be dead."

"Not as dead as you," Waylon said from behind them.

They both wheeled around to face him but he was too close and smashed their heads together like two melons. They both went down in heaps.

"What did they want?" Susan asked.

"Probably you if they had known you were a woman," Cappy joked.

Susan hit him in the arm and moved past to check on the two lying at Waylon's feet. Michelle stepped forward and knelt by the other one.

"This one is dead," Michelle said.

"This one too," said Susan.

"Waylon you don't know your own strength," Cappy told him.

"Yes, I do."

"You meant to kill them?"

"Not really, they rushed me a little. It was an accident. Honest."

"What do we do with them?" Susan asked Cappy.

"Leave them the snow will cover them in short order. Get their weapons and ammo and we'll be on our way."

"John!" Michelle exclaimed.

"What?"

"We just can leave them like this."

"Sure we can."

"Michelle, it's for the best," Waylon told her.

"Fine," Michelle said and just stood there.

Cappy and Waylon searched the bodies and came up with just the two pistols they had been pointing at Cappy. Neither had extra ammo and each gun only had two rounds in the cylinders. Cappy handed the pistol he had found to Waylon who pocketed it with the one he had found.

The two doctors were standing a little ways way whispering to each other. When they saw that Cappy and Waylon were finished they both turned to face them.

"Is this going to happen every time we encounter someone?" Susan asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you two going to leave a trail of death wherever you go?" Michelle almost shouted.

"Of course not, Waylon said it was an accident."

"But to just leave the bodies out in the open like this?"

"The ground is frozen solid. There are not enough rocks around to pile over them. The snow is drifting very fast and will encase them in the next half hour after which they will freeze. What would you have me do with them?"

"I don't know it just doesn't seem decent to leave them there."

"A lot has changed my dear Michelle, a lot. The decent thing for them to have done is ask for help, not demand my weapons from me. If Waylon hadn't done what he did they would have been dead anyway as maybe would I."

Michelle's eyes widened in shock at Cappy's statement, her face drained of all color. Susan too looked a little shocked. Waylon just smiled as he turned to lead the way. Cappy hugged Michelle and then Susan as he pushed them in the direction they should go.

Meetings like that were frequent when out on foot. Several times others had shot at them in their vehicle, out trying to get for themselves what others had, to survive.

The months dragged on and the temperature dropped. The snow, a combination of real snow and ash, fell frequently. It was beginning to be cold inside the hotel.

During this time Waylon and two other men had been out gathering vehicles, buses, trucks and SUV's that ran and brought them back to the hotel. One day the three returned with Army humvees loaded with supplies.

"Where did you find these my friend?" Cappy asked.

"The Guard Amory about a mile down the road was untouched. When we got the main door open, we had to choose, the humvees or deuce 'n a half's. I choose the humvee's."

"Good choice, any weapons?"

"Yep stowed some in the hummers, the rest are under lock and key in the back of two deuce 'n half's."

"How much more is there?"

"Enough for the four trucks just give me eight men and we'll be back before morning."

"I'll give you ten and a hummer."

"Be back before dark then."

"That's what I thought."

Waylon turned and headed back inside to collect the men he would need. He came back out with nine men and Michelle.

"She wanted to go."

"Fine, she stays in the hummer. Michelle, you stay in the hummer," Cappy yelled at her.

Waylon started to dig in the back of the hummer, pulled out an MA2, and mounted it in the turret. Michelle popped up and started to load the weapon. Cappy just shook his head, turned and went inside.

The drive to the armory only took ten minutes. Waylon pulled the hummer up in front of the big metal doors and stopped. Michelle stayed in the turret scanning the surrounding area. The rest of the men jumped out of the vehicle and followed Waylon to the door. It opened with a clatter and whoosh. The two trucks in front they parked to the left of the building behind the humvee.

Then everyone started to load the other two trucks with supplies and more weapons. Michelle kept her attention on the road out front and the buildings across the road. It was starting to get dark and sometimes it looked like the bushes were moving.

Then she spotted a dark shape move along the wall of a building across the street. Then another and another, until there were four dark shapes huddled together across the road.

"Waylon, we have movement across the street," Michelle whispered into the radio mic.

"I see them. Just hold still until I tell you to move."

"If you say so... " Michelle did not even move her hand from the radio.

The shapes started to move slowly towards Michelle. She froze as she watched them scurry across the road. When they stepped up on the curb Michelle's radio clicked.

"Just aim at them," Waylon whispered.

Michelle immediately swung the machine gun toward the figures now outlined by bright lights from within the armory. They all froze in position as a separate light played over each of them. From what Michelle could see there was a man, a woman, and two teenage girls. Almost an instant after Waylon radioed her he was standing behind the four.