The E.M.P. Chronicles (Book 1): 458 Miles & 24 Days Read online

  Five years later in 2007, the families felt it was necessary to take the next step in their preparations: find a Bug Out Location equidistant between the two households. They accumulated large stores of food and medical supplies. They secured access to water and purification systems. They took professional training including tactical gun courses and first aid. They practiced and developed new skills ranging from how to start a primitive fire to bush crafting, but it didn’t change the fact that each family lived in a dense, highly populated area. This meant that when the Stuff Hit The Fan hundreds of thousands of people would eventually run out of food and begin migrating wherever they had to and doing whatever they had to do to find food. They knew their families would eventually be visited by the hordes of desperate people who hadn’t prepared as they had. It was time to purchase a Bug Out Location.

  Oz was on the internet researching potential Bug Out Locations (BOL) when he heard, “Oz, snap out of it. Have you seen the news today?” Brian said excitedly.

  “No. You know I don’t watch the news. Fake reports, terrorism, people starving, politicians attacking each other, and ever restricting gun laws. Tell me again why you watch the news,” Oz said without lifting his head from the computer screen.

  “News is a compass as to how bad things really are. A gauge if you will. I agree that the majority of news is fake and not truly vetted, but it does give us some direction on potential SHTF events. Look, Georgia is in a drought, we’re still fighting terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention that I just read an article on both Iran and North Korea’s electromagnetic pulse capabilities. Both technologies could bring the United States to its knees. EMP equals no electricity for a minimum of six months but more like twelve. Most of the US would starve within three weeks. This type of information gives a direction or focus of what could be next,” Brian said.

  “I know,” Oz stated. “It’s why we increase our preparations and constantly develop our skills,” Oz said haphazardly but continued. “I’m surprised there’s nothing on mutant viruses in the news today. By the way, Brian, stay focused on our property search. Between our two families, I’m sure we can find something economical. The Bug Out Location needs to be somewhat of an equal distance between our two houses and have back roads we can travel if the main highway is impassable. Not only will this be our ‘safe haven’ it could be our livelihood. You and I are smart enough to know that we’ll need to get out of the city in a disaster. We’ll also need to establish relationships with like-minded people to survive. We’ll need different skills. We need to begin to think about recruiting others we trust. We already have medical, construction, engineering, gardening, firearms, water preservation, food preservation, and aviation skills. Still, there are a ton of other skills we’re going to need such as bush crafting, hunting, plant identification, tracking, trapping, orienteering, and cold weather living to name a few. Don’t forget that we’ll also need to set up security details and that alone will take at least ten people if we want to do it right.”

  Oz was deep in thought while looking at a property that had ten acres, no water, no electricity, and no sewer. However, it was within twenty miles of a large city that had a population of over 300,000.

  He silently said, “I’ll pass. Too close to what will become the panicked flock.”

  “Brian,” Oz said abruptly. “What would you look for in a Bug Out Location?”

  Brian took a minute to respond and then said, “First, and ideally, I would want to be at least sixty minutes away from the nearest city that was around 500,000 people. You know that within days city dwellers will begin to venture to the forest and countryside. They’ll think they can simply hunt and live off the land. We’re going to encounter those types of people but if we’re at least sixty minutes out it gives us a week or two to prepare. Second, our property should be near a water source. A stream, spring, river, or well. As you always tell me Oz, you can only live three days without water. Third, fertile soil. You’ve made me understand that prepping is only a short-term solution. Even the best of us who are prepared can only store so many beans and rice. Ultimately, we’ll have to grow our own food and raise animals. We’ll have to live off the land and live a subsistence lifestyle. What am I missing, Oz?” Brian ended.

  “Pretty good list but there are a few more things to think about. We’ll need some form of electricity whether it’s solar, wind, geothermal, or hydroelectric. We’ll have to look at average rainfall, the number of clear days compared to cloudy, average number windy days including direction and speeds, water table levels, and determine if the property has a sizeable aquifer. We then need to consider what percentage of the property is wooded or cleared. We want a balance, so we can hunt and attract wildlife but at the same time, we need cleared land for gardening, animals, food plots, housing, and security. We also need to consider the cost. Ideally, we want land we can pay cash for or work out a loan with the property owner. This means it won’t be the perfect property but with hard work and dedication we can make it perfect and the most important part, we’ll own it. We need to also consider how many neighbors we have and how we can become part of the community. Since we’re buying a bug out location it means we won’t be there often; one to two times a month at most. We need neighbors who trust us and will watch the property when we’re not there and if, I mean when, The Stuff Hits the Fan we need the neighbors to welcome us in. Odds are high that they will be teaching us new skills, bartering with us, helping us defend our home, or simply giving us advice that could save our lives. Cell phone service would also be a bonus. That will allow us to install and monitor security cameras from any distance and of course have internet access. Once we have the land that’s when the work really begins from determining where we build our houses and out of what type of materials to where we put our Listening Post Observation Posts.”

  Brian interrupted, “What’s a Listening Post Observation Post?”

  “We can talk about that at the appropriate time. Right now, we need to do our research and find the perfect bug out location,” Oz explained.

  Within four months the two families had purchased a piece of property three hours from each of their respective homes. The Bug Out Location was in northwest Kentucky. The property, which they named Zulu Papa, or simply ZP was named after the author of the first book Oz read that introduced him to prepping; Zion Prepper. ZP was located forty-five minutes away from the nearest city which had a population of 75,000. The property was smaller than they wanted, only ten acres, but had the necessary requirements. The property was surrounded by state forest yet had three acres of clear, level, ground. Being surrounded by state forest gave them access to another 600 acres of land which would never have new houses, industry, or businesses. In addition, there was a stream, two natural springs, natural barriers like valleys and tree lines, only five neighbors who were born and raised in the area, plenty of natural vegetation including blueberries, raspberries, asparagus, mulberries, lamb’s quarters, and chestnuts, and finally cell phone service.

  The two families eventually had a metal building constructed that could easily accommodate twenty-five people while maintaining privacy for families. Within the building, Oz and Brian built a four-foot high cement block wall surrounding the entire interior perimeter but low enough not to cover the windows. The cement wall was reinforced with rebar and the cinder blocks were filled with concrete. This added additional security against entry as well as protection from gunfire. Unless you had been in the building you would have no idea of the additional security features. All of this was done at a modest cost, too.

  In addition to city power, they installed solar panels with deep cycle batteries that could provide up to three weeks of power if conserved. Within the building, the families stored over 600 gallons of water in two intermediate bulk containers (IBC) totes in addition to having a well on the property. The IBC totes were food grade plastic totes that at one time held corn syrup. Oz had purchased
them for $25 each. Once cleaned and sanitized, they were perfect for water storage. On the north side of the building, Oz created a water catch system by linking six more IBC totes together. The purpose of the system was to catch and store over 2,000 gallons of rainwater.

  In order to have a sustainable food source, the families built numerous raised bed gardens but held off on any livestock since none of them would be living there permanently. The raised bed gardens were not filled with soil but mulch instead. Over the last ten years, Oz learned to garden with mulch. Mulch is ‘natures’ soil as he often told Nicki. Just as important, the two families invested in their community. Oz, Nicki, Brian, and Elizabeth often visited their neighbors for advice or simply to say ‘hello.’ Over the following years, the families created strong bonds with the community.

  Over the coming years and when not working on the Bug Out Location, the families individually continued to develop their skills. Oz and Brian knew that there were many skills to learn to become self-sufficient and if ever there was an SHTF they would need to know them all. To keep it simple, they defined the skills the group would need and agreed to divide and concur. Each family would become knowledgeable and perhaps proficient in a skill that would benefit the group. They would then become the teacher and ‘go-to’ person if needed.

  The only skill required of all group members was firearms training. The families attended Front Sight Firearms Training Institute near Las Vegas, Nevada twice a year every year. Every fall the families attended the four-day handgun course. They felt that the handgun was the one weapon that each member needed to be highly proficient in. Every family member needed to have basic, and eventually, advanced skills with a handgun. The families standardized on the Springfield XDM® 9mm with a 4.5” barrel. This was for several reasons. First, it standardized the type of ammunition used between the two families; the 9mm round. Second, standardizing on the XDM gave any member of the group instant familiarity if they had to borrow someone else’s handgun. Third, they could exchange parts from one gun to another with no issues. And fourth, it allowed the families to standardize on equipment such as magazines, sights, trigger groups, holsters, and tactical lights. In the spring, the families would rotate their firearm training between shotgun and rifle courses. They had a well-rounded understanding of weapons.

  Oz and Nicki had a personal interest in gardening and were eager to learn everything they could about natural remedies, plant identification, composting, soil enrichment, seed saving, canning, salting, pest control, and water purification. Not only did they practice these skills they also maintained a fully stocked library of books on all topics at both the Bug Out Location and their residence.

  3

  When to Bug Out

  THE BUG OUT LOCATION WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BOTH families’ preparations, but it would only be useful if they were able to actually reach it when the Stuff Hit The Fan. This meant that there had to be established criteria that would trigger both families Bug Out Plans. Basically, they needed a ‘Go/No Go’ decision point. The families agreed that there were two plans: Shelter-In-Place and Bug Out. The families would shelter in place if the natural or manmade disaster appeared, based on current information, to be short-term meaning it would last less than two weeks. Examples of events that the families agreed would require sheltering in place and not bugging out would include tornado, hurricane, localized epidemic (avian bird flu, etc.), drought conditions, contained wildfires, localized terrorism (9/11, Boston Marathon incident, etc.), and temporary loss of the power grid (electricity, water, sewer).

  To effectively shelter in place the families had a standardized list of items that were always kept on hand. Items include iodine tablets, nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) suits and masks due to a local nuclear facility, pre-cut boards for windows and doors, gas masks to protect against chemical spills from the local fertilizer plant, blackout curtains, backup heat sources, backup lighting, an emergency food supply to last a minimum of six months, a minimum of 100 gallons of stored potable (drinkable) water, and first aid supplies.

  When sheltering in place, the families agreed to stay in contact utilizing shortwave radios. Each family had unique call signs and cryptic vocabulary that would allow updates to each family as well as the actions each family was taking. To the normal person listening, the conversation would be uninterpretable and appear as if both parties involved in the conversation were drunk.

  Examples of when the families would head to the Bug Out Location would include categories such as pandemics (H1N1), large-scale terrorism, economic collapse, loss of the power grid, and chemical/nuclear threat or release. With the bug out categories set and agreed upon, the families further defined the specific action levels that would automatically trigger the Bug Out Plan. They are:

  Epidemic

  May lead to bugging out if extended. Examples of recent epidemics include Avian Flu, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola, Influenza, Lassa Fever, MERS, Meningitis, SARs, Smallpox, Yellow Fever, and Zika.

  ACTION: Shelter in place with weekly reassessment of situation.

  BUG OUT IF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA IS MET:If epidemic officially becomes PANDEMIC with the following criteria:

  > 20 deaths within a five-mile radius or 50 deaths within a twenty-five-mile radius of your house.

  Monitor CDC, local health department, news, and police scanner for up to date information.

  Terrorism

  Examples of recent domestic terrorism include: Pittsburgh synagogue shooting (2018), Congressional baseball shooting (2017), Orlando night club shooting (2016), San Bernardino shooting (2015), Charleston church shooting (2015), and Boston Marathon bombing (2013).

  ACTION: If localized, shelter in place for a minimum of two days.

  BUG OUT IF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA IS MET:If terrorist event continues to affect localized area for > 5 days.

  Assess daily and bug out sooner if necessary.

  If infrastructure is affected: water quality, loss of power, limited food supply, sewer backup.

  If terrorist event leads to societal breakdown in your area: looting, stealing, rape, violence, damage to property, martial law, and imposed curfews.

  Economic Collapse

  ACTION: Monitor triggers that may indicate economic collapse is coming.

  Triggers include: An inverted yield curve: occurs when the yield (the return an investor in bonds receives on bonds with a short duration) exceeds the yield on bonds with a longer duration.

  The VIX: an index that is tied to market volatility using S&P 500 index options. Also known as the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (CBOE VIX), it is used as an indicator of the stock market’s anxiety and concern over short-term future market performance.

  Market Cap to GDP: Logic dictates that the worth of a company should be related to the output of an overall economy. As such, this is one of several indicators of a potential market collapse if metrics become skewed. Use this as an indicator only in combination with the above and be aware that market capitalization comes from companies that are global; therefore, there may not be a 1:1 correlation to the US GDP.

  Wealth to Income ratios: An indicator of a potential recession. Given strong stock market conditions, forecasters are generally blindsided by recessions because they tend to be preceded by economic strength.

  Other observable/reported indicators: political infighting (domestic and international), trade wars, strained international relationships, international selling and buying of United States bonds, Treasury issuing additional debt, ever-increasing national deficit, and local gas and merchant prices.

  Loss of the power grid:

  Action: Solar Activity: Monitor Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and Solar Flare activity via phone app found at http://www.spaceweather.com.

  Manmade: Monitor https://alertsusa.com/ via phone app, local news, shortwave radio communication, and internet.

  BUG OUT IF THE F
OLLOWING CRITERIA IS MET:Incoming X Class solar flare or CME:You may only have 10-24 hours to bug out before all power is lost for an extended period (maybe years).

  Incoming M Class solar flare or CME:Monitor to find out area of impact. May not need to bug out but be ready.

  Incoming nuclear (EMP – Electro Magnetic Pulse) threat from nation states.

  Chemical/Nuclear Threat:

  Action: Monitor https://alertsusa.com/ via phone app, local news, shortwave radio communication, and internet.

  BUG OUT IF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA IS MET:Incoming or confirmed chemical or nuclear threat from nation states.

  Imminent concern from local nuclear power or chemical plant.

  With the Bug Out Plan in place and agreed upon by both families, the families continued to live their lives, working and living in separate states and practicing their survival skills as time allowed. It was always the hope of both families that the plans, skills, and bug out location would never be needed, but their confidence in the world and that of the world’s governments were ever waning.

  4

  Normalcy: The Deadly Belief!

  OZ SAT IN HIS LIVING ROOM WITH RANDALL REFLECTING ON 2017. Randall McTatey was a scraggily sixteen-year-old and the youngest of Oz and Nicki’s three children. He was intelligent and yet your typical Millennial. He didn’t answer or talk on a phone but wouldn’t hesitate to text you even if you were in the next room. His passion was staying up late playing video games and sleeping late into the afternoon. However, Randall had a passion and that passion was flying. At the age of fourteen, Oz introduced the youngster to a Cessna 172. Since that day the sky had been his backdrop and the Cessna his paintbrush. As Randall approached his seventeenth birthday, he was excited to be able to complete the last step in the process of becoming a full-fledged pilot, the check ride. Though he was confident in his flying, Randall was naive, as most sixteen-year-olds are, and given his limited years of experience thought the world would always be the relatively peaceful place he had always known.