I originally started writing this book 4 yrs ago, (November 22nd, 2007) but never really kept writing, I had to change ALLOT of the wording and names and well, basically the books details, thanks to a stupid, but I have to admit cool book called home front coming out. I originally called it, The Home Front: Days Of Pain. But now I changed it to a crazy weird word, that won't be used ever. So, hope you enjoy these small first 5 chapters, (25 pages on paper, about 20.3 on MSWord)
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Xephill: The aftermath
In the years following World war III, many believed that survival was key above all, to do, If survival is what is to be done first, well then what will happen to all of the technology the world has worked to perfect? It is my teams an my own goal to keep the worlds best technology in tip top shape, so that we may be able to use it all when the time comes.
Oops, I never introduced my self, I am Mikeal Coffe', former marine and one of the unfortunate survivors of the day that the earth burned alive.
That day was February 3rd, 2039.
My Lieutenant was telling the squad that the insurgents were getting better at fighting and it was rumored that the North Koreans were helping them train. We hoped that that's just what they were…. rumors.
We were wrong.
Three weeks later:
[Nuclear bombs and missiles destroyed the majority of the world's population. The United States military was ordered to do whatever they wanted except that they must defend peace justice, and liberty, for as long as they lived. Majority of the troops built shelters of bases for people and defense; others like mine were made for rebuilding America and the world around it.]
Everyone in the cafeteria paused to hear the intercoms' announcement,
"Will Mik go to block 14D, Mik to block 14D?"
I stood up sighing, no lunch today. 14D is the bottom of the hospital, our warehouse, so to speak, full of emergency supplies, guns, and cars, basically anything needed to pick up survivors or evacuate in the worst case scenario. Sometimes I wished we didn't use a hospital for a base, but it did have advantages, such as a generator and plenty of backups, also it was one of the last tall buildings for 50 miles. Everything else under 4 stories had been destroyed, yet somehow this building survived, and isn't damaged at all. I hear some army cargo trucks pulling into the garage that are Refuge 1 and 2; they bring in survivors and supplies when they are found. I walk down the halls into the garage to see both trucks packed to the gills with troops and a dozen men in suits, tattered, but fairly good clothing for what has happened in the past few weeks.
A young woman in a Plaid shirt and jeans runs over to me, its Helen, she tells me they would like to know if they could join us here, their previous location was destroyed, they cant go back. The driver of refuge one, Brian Zakaeirs, a Russian from the old days, says that he found a warehouse of seeds and grain, and we can start growing food again. I tell him to get the vans and go find some people to gather the seeds and find a place to grow them, As he is running off, I go over to the second truck and look in, this one holds less people, but more ammo, guns, and food plus a little water. I wave to the guards to get this stuff out.
Helen announces that they can stay, it will be tough, but it will work.
I tell all the soldiers to follow me to where they will be sleeping. While I walked them to their new barracks, I learned they were former Marines also, but had to use army clothing because their marine BDUs and Dress blues were burned when NAS Miramar was nuked. This is a relief, fellow marines, safe and together.
I showed them to an old E.R., one marine stopped me as I was walking out and introduced himself as the leader. I told him my name, and welcomed him to Holocaust Hospital, home of the survivors.
He laughed and thanked me.
What a good way to end the day.
THE NEXT DAY…
I awoke to a sound I haven't heard for 2 years, machine gun and rifle fire. I was almost dressed when someone pounded on my door, I hear Helen shouting that she wants like my help; we are being attacked by a heavy machinegun and some riflemen. I open the door and see my old team in their war clothes and weapons loaded, ready to kill. The only one out of place was Helen and I, more so Helen, she was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, with a pistol on her hip, I on the other hand was wearing camouflaged trousers and jacket, but no weapon, Helen held up a oar like object, it was black, then I realized it was a Dragonov, a Soviet Sniper Rifle, I smiled as I took it.
She said "have fun, don't get hurt."
"I thought you knew me?" I replied.
She fakes a confused look and sarcastically says, "What's your name?"
As I head to the top of the hospital, I reload my rifle and the shooting increases, to the point I started doubting it was just a few rifle man, then, I heard sounds like someone was throwing boulders off the top of the roof, but there aren't boulders up there to drop…
++++++++++++++++++++++++CHAPTER 1+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I opened the hatch to get to the top and saw 3 CH-46 Chinooks flying directly for the hospital, 3 roof guards were shooting at them, 2 alternating between the rifle men and the helicopters. I ordered the guards to cease fire, the curtly replied a yes sir, I pulled off my undershirt and waved the choppers towards me, the lead chopper hovered above me and the rear door opened, a corporal stood there cradling a machine gun. I explained to him why the guards fired upon him were because a truck with a heavy machine gun and a few dozen riflemen are attacking us.
He laughed and said,"I'm looking for a place to set down refuel and get some rest."
I let him know that he could set down on the roof's helicopter pads and the one on the bank next door. He relayed the offering to the other choppers and they accepted, I then turned around and headed to the corner of the building.
Scope was zeroed to 200yrds, and ammo was full, I guess it is time to go hunting, I peer over the wall and see a Toyota Tacoma with a mounted machine gun shooting at the front of the hospital, the gunner and driver had on tank helmets and the passengers and rifle men are wearing Urban camouflage pants and jackets, almost all riflemen had weird helmets on, like star wars or something. Aiming at the gunner, I shoot a 5.57 modified sniper round into his head; a rifleman with a construction helmet immediately replaces him.
I decide to play with this man, I shoot the rim of his helmet causing it to spin around and off his head, and he falls down. I start to feel a burning feeling in my shoulder as I reload. It takes but a second for me to realize ive been shot, I finish reloading and call for a medic. The medic puts a triangular bandage on, he tells me to not get shot again. I switch my rifle to the other shoulder as the roof door opens and two soldiers arrive with a bullhorn and a bazooka. I take the bullhorn and tell the bazooka man to aim at the truck. Now for a once in a lifetime shot.
"What do you want here, what would you like to do, do you wish to die or wish to live think quickly, I have several rockets aimed at you and your men, you have 3 minutes until we attack," I say.
Two minutes later I hear the response,
"We are the last of the 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion for the Great land of Russia, and we only want some fuel and food, we have plenty of water".
I call over two of the guards and ask them if we have any crackers and jelly or peanut butter. He says he will look for some and send it down to them.
" We are willing to trade water for food," the man said.
I tell him to go to follow the two corporals to the parking garage nearby to rest there while we get the supplies.
FIVE HOURS LATER
At the nearby parking garage for some long gone business…
The Russians have fixed allot of the damages to the garage here that it is even close to habitable for living in, minus the open space cause by no walls. By now we have located close to 10 tankers of fuel and 30 cars, trucks vans and even a few motorcycles. The Russians are now our mechanics and have added some armor to the buses and vans.
Time for dinner, the former Refuge 2 is now a food truck until we find a utility truck to convert. The Russians literally run to the truck and have top be held back while the food is set up and cooked, two of the soldiers get some semi hoods and make tables while buckets, tires and seats are used for chairs.
If it weren't that the world was close to dieing out, it would be a time of celebration.
Refuge 2 is entirely unloaded and is going on a food run, but is short on manpower, I grab some chatting troops and we climb into the bed. Earlier, Helen messaged me that a supply of food had been found and some items needed to be eaten before they spoiled. After the 3 stories decent, we drive on to the desolated main street and start the long drive to the old mall.
15 MINUTES LATER
The mall's movie center has collapsed a bit but the food machines and storages are ok. Some golf carts are overturned in the security shop, but we flip them and create a shuttle for transporting the food to the truck. We find bisquick pancake mix, allot of dried fruit, canned beans, chili, hotdogs, week old steaks, hams, and other deli items, I send a golf cart back to the HQ to get some more transports for the food and supplies.
5 minutes later a convoy of vans, trucks and a beaten up semi pull up in the parking lot. The people grab some carts from the HomeDepot a few blocks down and head to Sears, JCpenny, Big5 and other stores.
I grab the shopping carts and create makeshift train using the golf cart as an engine. In 3 hours the mall is emptied of all useful items and food, and is now in either the Big Garage or the hospitals garage.
The door gunner from the helicopter, I learned was named James Matthews and became a Cpl. from the shortage of rank in the Marines due to the nuke wiping out 3/4ths of all training and base sites. Matthews and I started talking about what we wanted to do before everything was destroyed…
" I always wanted to visit Berlin, don't know why I did, but ive always wanted to," Matthews said.
"For some reason, when I was a kid, I wanted to go to Russia and Ireland, I wanted to go to Germany earlier, but, complications made it so I couldn't."
" Its funny that now, there is probably nothing left of those places,'' he said,'' well, maybe Ireland, they didn't get nuked at all, but England was hit hard, lets try and find some planes that have the range an take a trip to there some time."