The SHTF, Fallout and Time to Leave
The sound of the soft
swish-swish-swish
of the propellers on the dirigible could be heard over the morning birds and insects waking in Vern's Dale.
I thought they'd take longer than this,
Alyssa thought as she sat in the tree overlooking her home, dressed in her Ghillie suit.
At least the guys have better than an eight hour head start.
The soft sounds of the propellers faded away as the engines were stopped and the big grey balloon drifted over the house in complete silence. Then suddenly ropes appeared, flung from the gondola, four on a side and reaching the ground. Figures in SWAT gear began rappelling down the lines -- Alyssa counted sixteen in all -- a full squad and some extra brass, from what she could see.
They're really serious about this,
she thought.
I don't see a K-9 unit, yet, but we'll wait this one out and see what happens.
She watched as the squad fanned out around the house, a couple on each side, the majority at the front and back doors. She smiled a little when the point man out front brought the sign from the front door to the woman who was obviously the Commanding Officer. She simply looked at it in disgust and said something quietly... quiet enough that Alyssa couldn't catch it.
Two point men each, front and back, snuck a look in through the windows, obviously not seeing anyone. The team breached the front and back doors simultaneously, spreading out into the house. Alyssa couldn't see what was going on, but she could hear occasional excited yelling, the sporadic crackle of someone getting zapped with electricity and one very loud explosion, which must have been some inept soldier setting off a grenade trap.
Based on watching the lights, they were thorough, checking all three floors plus the basement. What they came out with was three limping soldiers, plus two on stretchers and one in a body bag. That, and a bunch of very confused looks. Not to mention a very unhappy CO.
While they were trying to evacuate their dead and wounded to the dirigible, they adopted a hostile posture, trying to look threatening enough to keep the now curious citizens of Vern's Dale in their homes -- the grenade was probably heard all the way out to Deanne's evergreen. The pissed off CO began stalking around the outside of the house, apparently looking for inspiration, because there wasn't much else out there.
She had two soldiers with her as she systematically looked at the old outhouse, the tool shed, the garage, the stable and finally the root cellar. When the CO had the two soldiers remove the bar holding the doors closed, open them and then enter, Alyssa figured this was going to be her only chance.
She nocked a stun arrow and as soon as the second soldier disappeared inside, she shot it at the CO, catching her right at the base of the skull and dropping her silently where she stood. Alyssa dropped out of the tree and quickly ran to the root cellar doors, rapidly closing them and sliding the wooden bar into place, locking them. Then she grabbed the CO and dragged her off into the woods behind the house.
Once out of sight, Alyssa bound the CO's wrists and ankles, put a gag on her, hoisted the CO over her shoulder and moved deeper into the woods as quickly as possible. She knew any dogs pursuing her would have no problem following her scent, so she had come prepared. She shed her Ghillie suit and doused it with urine from a bitch in heat. Then she moved into a small stream that ran between her house and Steven's smithy. She pulled out another couple of bottles and splashed wolf urine all over her and the CO. It smelled horrible, but it would confuse the dogs. She needed to get to Steven's and her horse.
He had her horse waiting for her when she arrived.
"I thought you were escaping alone, Missy," he told her.
"Change of plans," Alyssa answered. "This one's going to Morena's. Got any sedative that'll keep her quiet?"
"Yes, but one injection will only last eighteen hours at best. You'd have to give her a second and maybe a third injection, on the road."
"Then do it, man," Alyssa told him fervently. "I'm on the clock."
"Yeah, an' you don't smell so good, either," Steven told her. "You're scaring your horse."
"Can't help it," Alyssa apologized. "Inject her, wash us down so it ain't horrible, then we're outta here. They'll be confused for a while, but pursuit will come. And can you keep an eye on the escape route? Fuck 'em up if they figure it out?"
"Can do, Missy. Be right back."
He was. Together, they got the CO injected, most of the urine washed off and Alyssa on her horse with the CO draped across in front of her. She had provisions for several days and her usual hunting gear, plus the rest of the sedative from Steven. She also borrowed the carbine and revolver. With a quick kiss for luck and a heartfelt "thank you" to Steven for all of his help, she headed off towards Morena's, staying in the woods and undercover as much as possible, and avoiding the Mossy Hill area.
She traveled as far into the night as she safely could, then had to stop. Besides, the CO was starting to come around.
Alyssa picked a tree for a base camp. She threw a length of chain up and over a stout branch. She hooked it to a steel collar and put the collar around the CO's neck. Holding the revolver on her, she released the CO's wrists and ankles, then told her to stand and strip.
With great reluctance and an eye on the gun, the CO did.
"Here's the deal," Alyssa told her. "You've got enough chain to go over into those bushes and piss or shit or whatever. I've actually got some bun-wad for you, so you don't have to be careful about what leaves you wipe with. Then I've got some food and water here for you. We're way the fuck out in the middle of Nowhere, so I'm going to leave the gag off. You try yelling for help and it'll be nighty-night and I won't make the offer again."
"Your uniform hasn't got any insignia on it at all, so I haven't a clue what to call you, other than Bitch In Charge. You want to give me a name or a rank, I'll use it. Until then, you're Bitch. I'll give you your clothes back before we sack out, after I've gone through them for anything that might help you be located or escape."
"As far as I'm concerned, you're engaged in treason. Lucky for you, I have my reasons to keep you alive. Make it difficult for me and I'll change my mind. Are we clear?"
The CO looked at Alyssa for several moments, deciding that this young woman was indeed dangerous and meant what she said.
"Yes," she finally told her. "And the name is Major Kirsch, Matriarch's Special Services."
"Oh, great... a Spec-ops spook. Just what I needed," Alyssa commented. "Look, Major, you would do best to believe me when I tell you that your best chance to stay alive is to cooperate. This is not a joke. My life is on the line. Consequently, so is yours."
"I believe you," the Major said.
"Good. So here's your wad. We're eating cold, but I'll have something for you when you get back."
The Major nodded and walked off into the bushes, dragging her chain behind her.
Alyssa got out sausage, bread, cheese, trail mix, a couple of apples and water. She had the Major's portion ready when she got back. She set it out and backed away.
"I'm fairly suspicious by nature," she told the Major. "So just in case you were thinking of jumping me and strangling me with that chain, I'll be sitting over here, out of range. Do something stupid and I'll kill you. Out here, no one will hear the shot. Play along and you get to spend a comfortable night strapped to a tree. With your clothes."
She then sat down well out of range of the Major and began eating. The Major also began to eat, eyeing this Procurer with a much more appraising eye. They hadn't been warned that this woman had firearms. Nor the explosives she'd booby-trapped her house with. They weren't expecting the house to be empty. Someone had tipped her off. It was unlikely to be the other Procurer who had turned her in. So she had to have had outside help.
Her orders had been straightforward, straight from the Matriarch. This woman and her sister were guilty of treason. The Major was to capture her, her sister and the stock she was hoarding, alive, and return them to the Matriarch. If the woman fought back, kill her, but keep her stock alive at all costs. Now the Major was her captive instead and she had some kind of plan that included keeping the Major alive. Right now, that sounded like a great plan.
With all the precautions she had taken, the Major mused, it was unlikely the dogs would be able to find them. Aerial surveillance might do it, but the aircrews would have to know where to look. And this Procurer was keeping to the trees as much as possible, foiling air recon as much as possible. Since this woman didn't intend to kill her, yet, maybe it would be a good idea to play along.
When Alyssa finished eating and began going through the Major's clothes, the Major spoke up.
"There a locator beacon sewn into the collar," she told Alyssa. "I didn't have the opportunity to turn it on. There is a wire garrote hidden in the belt and the belt buckle conceals a knife. I think you've already stripped all the other weapons. There is also a plastic bag with solid gold coin and two cyanide pills in my pussy."
Alyssa eyed her with suspicion. "And you're telling me this why?" she asked.
