Moosehill Militia (Book 1): INFECTED (6 page)

“Well Oddie, I did my research and am quite satisfied with the product. I told you this would be the largest order you ever processed and we need it done in a year, so I’m willing to pay a bonus on completion of the project. Mac hand over our requirements to the gentlemen and let them have a look.”

Mac pulled out a large binder and passed it over to Oddie Gussdorf, the CEO of Opus Shelters Corporation, one of the biggest builders of underground shelters in the world and probably not an easy man to impress.

Oddie took the binder and started leafing through the pages. You could tell how excited he was by his eyebrows raising and his frequent looks up at Mike. The list of products broke down to:

• 20 Opus survival factories 225’x50’ Gun range and store for half.
  

• 80 Opus Bunk shelters 50’x10’ 25 persons max
  

• 300 Family shelters 50’x10’ 10 persons max
  

• Large Dome concrete 250’ Diameter
  

• All connecting hallways
  

• Material for 15 more survival factories and the shells for 100 more 50 X 10 shelters.
  

• $ 55,000,000 delivered and or built on site.
  

Oddie looked up at Mike stunned. “I know you said this would be our biggest order, it’s more like twenty times our biggest order. Where going to have to work three shifts and find more space even. Why, all this, do you know something the rest of us should know about?” Oddie asked Mike, who sat across the table calmly staring back at him.

“I’ll tell you shortly Oddie, first can you do it, I have a large work force of my own who will do the site prep and installation. They would just need to be shown one install first to make sure there doing it right.”

“Yes Mike, I believe we can do it, it will be close, but we can meet you deadline.”

“Excellent Oddie.” They shook hands and paperwork was pulled out and signed to legalize this contract. After the lawyers left it was just Oddie and Mike remaining. Mac and Jack also went outside.

Mike told Oddie his story with Mary and all that went along with it, the Lottery, all the other small predictions and what he was doing. He had an instant trust of Oddie Gussdorf.

After telling Oddie. Mr Gussdorf was silent for a bit, then asked. “Mike do you think I could add on ten family units and a few bunk units of my own to your complex at my cost. I have a large family, most of them work for Opus or a few other company's I own. Let’s just call it hedging my bets.”

“Sure Oddie, My boys will even install them, just send them along with the rest.” They got up and shook hands. Leaving on friendly terms.

***

Mac walked into the Last Chance Gun store that he owned thirty percent in and managed for Mike or more specifically the Mohan Group. On advice from his Lawyers with all that Mike had going on, the airport, gun sales, non-profit museum, solar electric company, construction company, security company, flight instructor school and others, they needed a parent corporation sheltering those company's and more.

Today Mike was off on one of his unending tours or inspections and Mac was minding the store at the Last Chance Gun store. By this time the Last Chance was the largest gun store in the state and handled most of central Massachusetts police department’s needs along with personnel sales and surplus guns for the museum. “Hey Sergeant Mac, there’s an armored delivery truck out back with a special delivery that only you or Mike can sign for.” Bellissa or Bell for short yelled out across the storage room in the back.

Mac was holding a clipboard and doing some inventory on new 5.56 ammo that was delivered yesterday, One hundred thousand rounds to be exact. He sighed, “Okay, be there in a minute.” He yelled back. Bell what a sweet little number he thought, she would never go for a guy his age he suppose, what is she? Twenty eight or twenty nine. He was fifty three! He thought he looked younger than his age and stayed in shape. Mac marked the last box he checked and put the clip board down on top of a pallet of ammo. Everyone working in the store went armed, instinctively he touched his right side feeling the Smith & Wesson Shield 40 Caliber semi-auto he carried under his shirt. Mac carried that gun everywhere now. That wasn’t unusual for police these days. It was his and Mike’s policy at the store that all employees were to go armed while working.

Mac walked into the receiving room to the back where the loading dock was and came up behind Bell. He couldn’t keep from admiring her jeans that were molded to her rear end and looked fantastic, Bell was short around five foot three inches or so, and her body was curvy and muscular with shoulder length straight black hair just below her shoulder. Bell had an olive complexion with delicate features and pouting lips. OK Mac get control! He thought.

“OK Bell what do we have.”

“Don’t know Mac, he won’t show me.” She said with a smile for the driver who smiled back.

“Sorry sir.” The driver said. “Confidential delivery for Mike Mohan or Mark McDermott only sir.”

“OK, let me see the packing slip and I’ll sign for it.” Mac stated. The driver gave Mac some paperwork to look over and sign. The driver once the slip was signed cut the seal off the rear door and opened it. Inside was four pallets with numerous long wooden boxes. The pallets were removed by a forklift and placed against the interior wall the receiving doors were closed and locked and Mac and Bell took crowbars to open one of the boxes.

“Look at that beauty.” Mac stated.

“What is it Sergeant?” Bell mistakenly said.

“What is it she says, this is a vintage M60 machine gun, bought from unnamed South American countries for a pretty penny. We should also be getting conversion kits to upgrade them to the M60E4. They fire the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge or a .308 which is commonly used in large bolt action rifles. Of course these beauties are for the Museum, there will be a whole section about the Vietnam War featuring the M113, M60 machine guns the C-130 and several other vintage pieces. I hope you plan to be there opening day Bell.” Mac looked at Bell with a smile.

“Ah sure Sergeant, I wouldn’t miss it for the world I know lots of people who plan on attending.” She said, Bell didn’t know how to take Mac, she found herself oddly attracted to him even those he was twenty years older than her. “Bell fire up the fork lift and move those pallets over next to the ammo.” They continued working quietly together in amicable silence until around six pm when the store was closed up.

***

Mary and Mike arrived at the middle school at 6 p.m. sharp, there appointment with Mr. Harry Maggert was at 6:10 p.m. Mary’s grades were in the 90th percentile so Mike was wondering why he received a letter for this appointment. He always thought the kids who were struggling or disciplinary problems were called to Parent teacher conferences. At 6:10 p.m. Mike entered classroom number 11, Mary’s history class.

“Good evening Mr. Mohan, I’m Harry Maggert, Mary’s History Teacher.” He announced and stepped forward shaking Mike’s hand.

“Good evening Mr. Maggert, can you tell me why I’m here tonight, I know it can’t be Mary’s grades and she’s not a bully.” Mike said.

“Yes, well you see Mary has been telling other children that the world ends as we know it in 593 days and these kids are going home and telling their parents who call our principle who called me in since several of these incidents happened in my classroom and I witnessed one such episode.”

“I see.” Mike replied and looked over at Mary sitting in her chair.” I’ll talk to you later young lady.” Mike turned back to at Mr. Maggert, Mr. Maggert looked to be in his late fifty’s or early sixty’s average build thinning hair with a pleasant disposition. Mike could tell he was very uncomfortable with this discussion.

“Well Mr. Maggert, I don’t know if the world will end in 593 days or not, but I’ll talk to Mary about saying such things to other students.” Mike said. “In the mean time you must be near retirement age soon?” he continued.

“Why yes I am, the new school superintendent is really pushing for younger teachers and she is making it quite hard to stay for us older teachers. Let’s just say the senior teachers or most of the teachers for that matter are not fond of the superintendent. There I go probably saying too much. You will keep that between ourselves Mr. Mohan won’t you.” He said with a worried look.

“Of course Mr. Maggert, I heard the same from other sources already. If things get too much for you or the other teachers and are forced out of the system come see me I can always use experienced help, I value that quality.” Mike shook Mr. Maggert’s hand firmly and wished him a good day. When Mike and Mary were in his truck driving away from the school, Mike told Mary. “Sweetie, you can’t keep telling people those type of things you’ll draw attention to yourself and cause problems and we don’t know what’s going to or if anything will happen in 593 days. Promise me you will stop doing that at school, we will try and work something out with your friends at that time, Okay?”

“Sure Dad, I’ll behave.” Mary told Mike.

“Hey, how about we head over to the Museum, we have some new vehicles that are in?” Mike said.

“Cool Dad! Let’s do it.” She replied.

CHAPTER FOUR

Marauders

Day -423

The girl ran through the woods with no perception of which way she was going or what she was doing, all she knew was she had to get away or she would kill herself at the first opportunity. Seana was running blindly through the woods at night with just enough visibility to avoid smashing into a tree trunk, she couldn’t see the smaller branches that wiped her face, arms and legs. They all stung from the abuse the Forest was dishing out on her body, but it was nothing compared to the abuse she has been taking to her body and soul. Seventeen years old and Seana felt she was fifty. She had one opportunity tonight to run and she took it.

In the distance she could hear men trampling through the woods yelling back and forth to each other. Seana wasn’t sure how long she was at the farm as they all called it. She ran away from an abusive home she thought. Her parents were too strict and wouldn’t let her do anything, when her friends were going out all the time partying and having fun. Seana suddenly missed a step and tumbled down an embankment landing in shallow water on the edge of a large lake. “Shit, she whispered.” Afraid to speak to loudly. All she was wearing was dirty jeans and a loose blouse that use to be nice, now it was stained and smelled. They only let her or the other girl’s bath before they were brought up for entertainment.

The water was too far across to attempt swimming she realized, Seana started to head right, seeing just enough buy starlight to follow the shore in that direction.

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

She whispered to herself from what she remembered from Church, from her Irish Catholic upbringing, one of those things you never forget.

“There’s no forgiveness for you girl.” She heard from her right above her on the banking, just as a flash light caught her in its beam. Seana screamed and started to run through the shallow water, it was no use as a large bearded man in a leather vest caught her within twenty feet. Laughing he slapped her with his open hand across the face with some force, knocking her off her feet into the water.

The man grabbed her by the hair and pulled up till she was screaming and on her feet. “Stop you screaming bitch.” Accompanied by a lighter slap. “Or you’ll be passed around to everyone tonight instead of just me.” Got it the large man told her. Petrified she nodded and was dragged back to the farm.

***

Revenge as the saying goes is a dish best served cold. Mike was seething, it’s been two weeks since his Last Chance Gun store was robbed and one of his employees was shot and still in critical condition barley holding on to life. The Police had his store closed for a week going over it with forensic teams from the Local Police and State Police, with hardly any evidence to speak off. The employee who was shot, the evening manager was forced to open the safe in the back officer where seventy thousand dollars was taken and a large selection of rifles and mostly semi-auto pistols were taken over the course of two hours that they were in the store. What concerned Mike the most was some items taken from the back room boxed up that had just come in that wasn’t quite legal. The recording system was trashed and tapes from the recorders was also missing. The Manager was shot in the chest after opening the safe. Before that he must have resisted because his little finger on his left hand was cut off. Mike, Mac and several other visited the hospital every day to see if Phillip Gordon would wake up.

Mike was furious and the anger was building inside him. He could care less about the money. The crooks made one mistake No make that two mistakes, Mike thought. Robbing his store and hurting his employee was the first. The second was not knowing that his cameras footage was also backed up to a hard drive continuously off the premises. He turned those tapes over to the D.A.’s office the next day, keeping a copy for himself. He was in his truck with Mac driving to the D.A.’s office in Worcester Massachusetts for a meeting with an Assistant D.A. about the case.