Refugees

By Jeff Brown

When a deadly plague threatens the world, a group of friends head for a remote location protected from the plague. The leader, a man having connections to certain military and governmental intelligence, learns of an impending nuclear disaster as well. They reach the location and find that they aren't alone. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeff Brown
• Release date: May 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393026105

Jeff Brown

Jeff Brown created the beloved character of Flat Stanley as a bedtime story for his sons. He has written other outrageous books about the Lambchop family, including Flat Stanley, Stanley and the Magic Lamp, Invisible Stanley, Stanley’s Christmas Adventure, Stanley in Space, and Stanley, Flat Again! You can learn more about Jeff Brown and Flat Stanley at www.flatstanleybooks.com.

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A Novel

By

Jeff Brown

©2020 Jeff Brown. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce in any format.  For more information, contact:

Jeff Brown

My Lair Workshop

106 North St.

Enterprise, MS 39330

This is a work of fiction. All characters are fictional and any likeness thereof to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental or used in a fictional context.

ISBN: 978-1-71698-923-0

First Edition

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the memory of Scott L. Thompson, the inspiration for one of the characters and a good friend. He will be sorely missed by many.

ADDITIONAL WORKS BY JEFF BROWN

Vampire War: Nemesis

Vampire War: Corruptor

Vampire War: Dark Nation

Dead Time Book I

Dead Time Book II

Campus Crusade

The Revolt

Reunion

Vessels

The New Kid

The Last Mage

Finding Suraya

Second Chances

Retaliation

Seven Wishes

Storm Warning

Thirst

The Princess Agenda:

Book I: Revelations

Book II: Rescue

Book III: Exposition

Book IV: Development

Book V: Recapitulation

For more information or to purchase, visit:

www.lulu.com/spotlight/vampirewar

SPECIAL THANKS

As always, I give special thanks to those that helped inspire and motivate me to begin and complete this work. I could not have done this without these people:

Polly Varnado

Sheli Godbold

Jacob Rosenthal

Donna Stockton

Sydney Woodson

Summer Tierno

DeAnna Allen

Eldon Blalock

Shane Adams

Scott Thompson

Jason Marsalis

Jay Allen (Kentwood)

Jodi Albritton

Michael D. Graves

Taylor Cooper

Dorothy Howell

Amy Baxter

Angela Jones

Catherine Farrell-Kelly

Edgar

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following people were instrumental in the writing of this novel thanks to their interest and support.

Jennifer Miller, Rachel D. Fagan, Braxton Rushing, Roxanne Mitchell, Faith Cooper, Jimmy Turner, Samantha Cummings, Paul Dancsisin, Kristy Greenlee, Steve Mercier, Wanda Faircloth, Sharon Laird, Ben Boyd, Cleve Langston, Chris Waller, Suraya Birkhoff, Karen Huey, Melissa Summersell, Ramona Burrow, Penny Slemaker, Kim Chancelor, Lynn D. Sattesahn

REFUGEES

CHAPTER ONE

The throaty honk of the truck’s horn startled Valerie Dolan as she struggled to get her bra in place after hooking the heavy clasp together. She almost let go of the elastic material, but her long fingers maintained their grip and she grunted as she struggled to twist the garment around her body to position it properly. She shook her head, breathing a little hard, and briefly wondered, as she had every time she put on a bra, why her boobs had grown so large. She had accepted the fact long ago, but still wondered why. They were a nuisance at times, but she’d learned to deal with it.

Finally, with both breasts snugly in place, she pulled the straps over her shoulders and added the scrub top lying smooth on the bed in front of her. The dark blue cloth fell into place naturally and she felt better, less vulnerable, and grabbed her purse and keys as she headed for the door.

The sound of the horn meant that her roommate, Joey Richland, had returned and wanted something. He was supposed to be at work, but that didn’t matter much to him. He always found ways of getting out of things like that, just as he’d found a way out of their relationship several years earlier. She shook her head, her long, almost perfectly straight, golden blond hair cascading around her shoulders as her long legs took her quickly through the small house.

At the front door, she paused long enough to take a deep breath then pulled it open and stepped out onto the tiny concrete porch that was barely six inches off the ground and not quite wide enough for the rocking chair she would’ve liked there to relax in for a while after returning from one of her twelve-hour shifts.

As she stepped through the doorway, pulling the door closed behind her, she saw Joey’s massive pickup, a black Chevy, parked at the curb and not in the driveway. He rarely did that except when he wanted something, usually something he’d left at home and wanted her to get for him. But she was running late for work and didn’t have time for his laziness.

As she turned toward the driveway to her right, toward the small Toyota she’d been driving for almost three years, he leaned out of the truck’s window and called out, Get your ass in this fucking truck, Val.

She stopped and looked at him, frowning, then shook her head, No way. I’m late for work.

He leaned farther out the window, his shaggy brown hair flopping in the light breeze, We ain’t got time for this, Valerie. Ron called. It’s a bug out.

She froze and her jaw dropped. Her head shook slowly, not knowing what to do. Ron Talon was one of their small circle of friends, the owner of sporting goods and military surplus stores downtown, and he was a survivalist. She’d never put too much stock in his predictions that the world would soon come to an end and his insistence that they be prepared, but she went along with it because he was a good friend and did everything he could to help when she needed it. Thankfully, that hadn’t been very often. She was fairly confident and capable of taking care of herself, most of the time.

What do you mean? she asked, taking a step toward the truck. What’s going on?

Hell if I know, he replied, his jaw working and the thick goatee covering his lower face bobbed with each syllable. Ron just called and said it’s finally gone to hell and the bug out plan is in action. Now, leave your damn car and get in this fucking truck.

She stood there a second longer, feeling just a bit uncomfortable and scared. She wanted to just go into work, knowing that her services as an ER nurse were vital at the time. The beginning of what the doctors were calling a potential pandemic had been flowing across the nation, and a large portion of Asia and Europe for a few weeks. It was getting worse and she knew there was little that could be done. People would need medical attention and it was her job, her calling, to provide that for them. She couldn’t just leave that all behind because a rather fanatical friend had decided it was time to get out of town despite there being little she could offer other than comfort. There was no cure for this plague.

Hang on, she said and began digging in her purse.

There ain’t time, he said, his southern drawl almost too much for her when he became excited. We got to haul ass before the shit really does hit the fan.

Her fingers finally closed around her cell phone and she pulled it free of the clutter inside the purse. She tapped the screen and it came to life. Tapping again brought up her contact list and a quick scroll brought her to Ron’s number. She tapped it and held the phone to her ear.

He answered on the second ring and she said, Ron, tell me what’s going on.

No time, he replied quickly, sounding short of breath. I sent Joey to pick you up. Believe me. It’s hit the fan. I’ll explain later, but get here as fast as you can. We have a lot of work to do.

Before she could reply, he disconnected the call. The tone of his voice was more serious than she’d heard from him in quite a while, telling her that something major was going on and she didn’t need to worry about going to work.

She glanced back at the house longingly, knowing there were several things she needed, different clothing, but she didn’t think Joey was going to give her the time to go in and change.

Let’s go, he called out and slapped the door of the truck with the palm of his left hand. We gotta move.

Shaking her head, she walked quickly toward the truck, around the back, and hoisted herself into the passenger’s seat. Joey had installed a lift kit on the truck and raised it a few feet, but she was taller than he was and climbing up wasn’t quite as difficult for her.

Once she had the door closed, before she could fasten her seatbelt, Joey shifted into gear and pulled quickly away from the curb.

Gasping, she held onto the belt and forced it around her waist and across her chest quickly. It was too tight and had crossed her right breast the wrong way, pressing it back against her ribcage.  She took a few seconds to adjust it, making it more comfortable, then looked at Joey.

Now tell me what’s going on.

He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road, and said, Ron wouldn’t tell me, just said we need to get the hell out of Dodge pronto. He’s got his sources and knows what the hell is really going on, so I believe it when he says it’s time to bug out.

I don’t know, she heaved a sigh through her nose. If this is bull and I lose my job, he’ll have to pay my bills for a while.

He smirked, I don’t think Ron would flip out like this if it wasn’t serious.

Flip out? she asked, frowning again. I’ve never seen him flip out.

You haven’t been around him enough, he said and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. He’s a laid-back guy, but he don’t take no shit. When it goes down, he’s gonna be on top of it. Don’t worry about your job. If he’s as right as I think he is, that job won’t be there in the next day or two.

She didn’t know what to think about that. She could only think that the virus, plague, or whatever was getting out of hand, but there had to be a better solution than just running away. She gripped the hard-plastic handle over the door, the oh shit handle as she’d heard it called, and watched the road as a few others seemed to have a similar idea. People were backing randomly out of their driveways, neighbors Valerie had known for quite some time, having visited a few from time to time. Now, they were oblivious to anything around them and she began to feel a bit of the panic that seemed to be overwhelming everyone around her.

Once they were clear of the two-block section of that narrow street, Joey turned right onto a wider street, heading toward downtown and Ron’s shop. Traffic was somewhat better there. Very few houses lined that street and those people were either not panicking, had already left, or just hadn’t started yet. Still, Valerie breathed a sigh of relief, but the panic remained. She knew then that something serious was happening and all thoughts of losing her job had fled her mind.

What is this? she asked almost absently as she looked around, seeing a few people loading things into their cars and trucks. It’s crazy.

Yeah, Joey said, still keeping his eyes on the road. I guess word got out pretty damn quick. Nobody’s prepared, though. They’re just running and don’t have anywhere to go. It’s gonna be a damn mess somewhere, but it ain’t gonna be where we are.

Right, she nodded. Ron’s retreat.

Joey nodded and Valerie thought about their plan, what she could remember of it.

Ron’s family owned some property near the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia. It was remote and isolated, difficult to get to or find. They would need the four-wheel drive vehicles to get to it. Joey had put enough money into his to get them there without any trouble, but the open bed presented a problem in transporting whatever they brought with them. There was the possibility that something would fall out along the way or, if it was something others saw as necessary, someone might try and take it. Hopefully, the group would all be together soon and they would have what they needed to make it safely, even though it would be a two-day drive from that little town of Pine Ridge, Mississippi.

The others in the group were friends, had mostly become friends because of the group. There was one, however, that Valerie had known since high school and saw as possibly their greatest asset. Michelle Golden was a local cop, but she was also an incredible marksman. She’d won several awards for it over the years and had even been considered for SWAT training, but a medical diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes had put an end to that possibility. So, Michelle remained a patrol cop when she wanted to be so much more.

Her fiancée would be beneficial as well, at least during the first part of the plan. Keith Rogers was a delivery driver, mostly working for a service in town transporting things to a few remote locations. He was good at his job and had been a long-haul driver for a few years before he’d met and fallen for Michelle. She made him want to stay close to home and the little down time he had, he spent working on his own truck. He had trained as a mechanic first and started driving because of the money. He knew he could make more as a mechanic, but he liked the more sedate lifestyle of a driver.

Then there was Dori Comstock. She seemed almost a strange addition to the group, but Valerie had learned that Dori had quite a few talents that would prove useful. She worked as an account executive at a local bank, but she’d also worked as both a cook and bartender before that, while she’d gone through school to earn her degree. She also had a proclivity for the outdoors, hunting and fishing mostly, but she was great with a bow and arrow and could fish with the best of them. That made her valuable to the team.

Joey, of course, was an electrician, but he had a bit of background in engineering. He’d gone to school for a couple of years as a mechanical engineering major, but he’d quickly had enough of school and dropped out. He trained as an electrician at a nearby community college and had been doing that since completing that program. Despite his attitude and his redneck nature, he would be an asset to the team as well.

The one that didn’t really seem to fit was actually one of Ron’s best friends, Jake Harris. Valerie hadn’t talked with Jake much, though he’d been around quite frequently when various members of the team were together. He just never said much. All she really knew about him was that he was a teacher, an English teacher, and was an aspiring writer. She didn’t know what that had to do with survival, but Ron had included him as part of the team and Valerie could only accept what Ron had to say about Jake. He seemed like a good guy, from what she’d been able to determine, but she didn’t know any details about him. If they were actually going to Ron’s mountain retreat, she was sure they would all get to know each other rather well.

The traffic picked up as they neared the downtown area. It wasn’t a huge area, just a few square blocks, but there was plenty of traffic. Ron’s store was at the end of the first block of Main Street with the surplus store at the back of the building down the steep slope of a fairly narrow side street. Cars parked along the one-way section of the street, the first block, were backing out randomly and Joey had to swerve to avoid a collision, spitting a bit of profanity under his breath as he twisted the wheel to the right then quickly back to the left to avoid hitting a parked car. Valerie let out a gasp as she saw the smaller truck backing out of the parking space, but she didn’t complain once Joey swerved past it.

As Ron’s shop, Talon Sporting Goods, came into view, Valerie expected Joey to pull into one of the vacant parking spaces, but he continued on and turned right at the corner, easing down the steep hill and finally pulling over in front of the Pine Ridge Surplus Store.

As he shut off the engine, he grasped the door handle and said, Let’s move.

Valerie just nodded and followed him out of the truck.

CHAPTER TWO

Ron Talon rushed around the surplus store, gathering everything he had on the long list of supplies he knew they would need for an extended stay in his family’s retreat. His soft-featured face was set in a scowl, dark eyes narrowed as he focused on the task at hand despite the anxiety and fear that coursed through him. He’d already made sure that the sporting goods store was locked up and he’d brought down what he felt they would need from there.

He'd taken into consideration the skills of the team he’d chosen when preparing the list of gear. Joey would need all the tools they could gather and, though the sporting goods store didn’t traditionally carry a big line of tools, there were a few and Ron had gathered them all into a large plastic tool chest he’d purchased just for the plan. There was room in it for many more tools that they would pick up along the way.

For Valerie, he’d purchased seven first aid kits and kept them stored away just for the plan. They were the best he could find, but he was sure they would be inadequate in the long run. Part of the plan included gathering more medical supplies and Valerie’s knowledge would ensure that they got the right things.

Keith was their designated driver though there wouldn’t be too much driving to be done once they reached the retreat, but there were other things for him to do. He would be good with all the engineering they would need done. That meant more tools, but again it was part of the plan.

Of course, he’d been buying and storing both weapons and ammunition for several years, all intended for the plan. He’d consulted with Michelle on most of the items, weapons that she would be comfortable with and would be easier for the rest of them to learn. The stockpile had grown massive and it would nearly fill the back of Joey’s truck. He had a tarp ready to cover them for the drive and he hoped it would be enough to protect them for the duration. Michelle, though, would have her own stash of weapons and enough accessories to take care of them. He’d bought enough cleaning supplies to keep the weapons in nearly pristine condition for a very long time. He also had a small stash of explosives, but he knew it wouldn’t do much if they really needed it. For that, he would have to rely on his own devices.

Dori was the one that required the most stuff. For her, he’d gathered plenty of non-perishable food, along with more than two dozen cases of military-grade MREs, several gallons of water, though he thought he might’ve gone overboard with that. There was plenty of clean water near the site and a method of getting it to the house where they would be living, but he wanted to play it safe. He’d also brought down several of the best and most expensive bows in the store, leaving all the lower line weapons that weren’t quite as accurate or as durable. He also had a trio of crossbows and had included every arrow and bolt in the building along with a number of accessories. He also had a couple of laptop computers with a number of backup drives and software, all with her input. He didn’t really know that much about the computers and had gone strictly by the things she’d told him.

Jake was the one he felt the most confident about. He’d explained to the others that he was to be their source of entertainment, bringing along a large selection of books, a huge library of movies, and an even larger selection of music. Jake had spent the last couple of years putting it all together. Ron had purchased a number of tablet computers with high capacity for the number of books Jake wanted to include. There was one for each member of the team with, as Jake had told him, over two thousand digital copies of books on each one. He’d also purchased almost five hundred portable hard drives, a terabyte or more each, to hold the movies and music Jake had painstakingly copied. But that wasn’t the real reason he’d included Jake in the group.

Jake was a teacher, but he was also a writer. He’d actually finished more than a dozen novels, but he had yet to publish anything. Ron had read most of them and wanted to know how Jake knew so much about so many different topics. He’d explained that it was a writer’s job to know what he was writing about. Jake was fantastic at research and was well-versed on a multitude of topics. The breadth of his knowledge made him, in Ron’s opinion, the most valuable member of the group.

Ron was a big guy with broad shoulders and thickly muscled arms. He was in great shape thanks to hours spent weekly in the gym, but the work of gathering the gear, moving it from the storage areas and the sporting goods store, and getting it ready to be loaded into the vehicles left him sweaty and breathing a bit heavily. He was dressed in black tactical pants and a gray t-shirt that fit his muscular upper body tightly. His heavy boots, black to match the pants, thumped against the tile floor of the store as he walked quickly through the store bringing more and more to the piles growing rapidly at the loading door at the side of the building.

He paused and wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his right hand, drawing in a deep breath, and heard the rumble of Joey’s truck as it pulled to a stop outside. He put down a case of ammunition for the .22 rifles already in the collection, heaved a sigh, and moved to the store’s front door. The glass door was old and dirty, a milky film making it translucent and allowing him only to see shadowy shapes as Joey and Valerie approached it.

He’d locked the door when he’d first learned what was really happening and walked over to unlock it before Joey started pounding on it. He flipped the latch and pulled the door open.

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