After we reached the base gate, we used the map Gus had drawn up for us to locate the warehouses. After a couple of dead ends we finally located the warehouses where I had found Tony and the others. The Chain was still wrapped around the gate and fastened with a carabineer as we had left it over five years previously.
Inside the storage hanger there were still several trailers loaded with weapons and ammunition. The same as when we had left. We unstrapped three of the APC's and after refueling them we hooked up four trailer loads of weapons and ammunition. When we pulled out of the hanger Gus landed the chopper and hopped out and walked over to where we were making our pre-trip vehicle checks.
"Young Jack here showed me where most of the Zombies were. It seems that Bill there and another of their friends used a big old D9 to turn several hundred into Zombie Jam. Man there were hundreds of them and Bill didn't even bother to clean up his mess. I'm glad we didn't find them on our first trip, it must have smelled something awful when they were first killed," laughed Gus.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you about that. Pete and I rigged up a bulldozer and squashed Zombies over at the evacuation point the military had used. We spent most of a day killing Zombies," I said in answer to Ralphs questioning look.
"Well, at least that answers your question of where all the Zombies are." said Gus.
"Where did all the Military evacuate to?" asked Ralph.
"I remember it was in Utah." I said.
"Hill AFB?" asked Gus.
"Yeah I think that was what a memo said." I answered.
"Well let's get this show on the road, before Tom mounts a rescue party and comes looking for us," said Ralph.
"Let me make a pass around our perimeter and make sure there aren't any gang members or Zombies closing in on us first said Gus.
"Deputy Cal can ride shotgun for Mel in the lead APC. Deputy Ross can ride shotgun for Paul. You and Ron can drive the empty APC in third position. And Elizabeth and I will bring up the rear. Jack can ride with Gus in the chopper. If that's ok with you Bill," said Ralph. Looking at Jacks expectant face, I didn't really have any choice but to agree. And I did appreciate the smile I got from Jack in return for my acquiescence.
About twenty minutes into the trip, Gus radioed back from the helicopter that there was a convoy of eight cars approaching us from the direction of Rosamond. Gus said that they should intersect our path about five miles further down the road.
Ralph told Gus to hang back and allow the APC's to engage the vehicles first. That we would determine if they were peaceful or hostile before we made our next move.
Ten minutes later, we encountered the vehicles. The group of cars fanned out across the highway blocking our forward progress.
The passenger door on the lead vehicle opened and a man stepped out. He was dressed similar to the gang members Ralph and Tom described encountering in the past. He strolled boldly toward the lead APC.
The remainder of our APC's fanned out across the lanes facing the oncoming vehicles. Ralph drove his APC up beside Mel's APC.
Mel got out of his APC as the gang member approached.
"We will need you to follow us to Santa Clarita," said the gang member.
"I'll have to clear that with my team leader," Mel said turning toward Ralph who was just exiting our vehicle.
"You don't have to clear anything man, just do as you're ordered," shouted the Gang member and started to raise his rifle. Before he was able to point the rifle at Mel a shot rang out and the gang member crumpled to the ground.
"Get into your vehicle and open up on them with the 50 calibers!" screamed Ralph who jumped back inside his own vehicle. Grabbing the hand held radio Ralph shouted, "Everyone hit them with everything you've got!"
Car doors that had been opened or were in the process of opening slammed shut. Simultaneously, five of the eight cars either burst into flames or exploded as a result of the heavy barrage of 50 caliber fire.
Gus swept overhead in the chopper as he pursued the two fleeing cars and a large step van.
"Gus, demand that those vehicles return to the road block. Destroy them if they fail to follow your instructions," said Ralph into his radio.
We could hear Gus on his loud speaker ordering the fleeing vehicles to stop and return or he would destroy them. The two cars slowed and made a U-turn back to the road block of burning cars. Then the sound of mini cannon fire was heard as Gus peppered the roadway in front of the van. We could see the van brake to a halt, make a U-turn, and start back toward our location.
Ralph asked Rubin and Mel to drive out to the cars that had attempted to flee and check for survivors. As Mel and Rubin drove toward the disabled cars, the rest of us checked the first five vehicles for any survivors.
During the encounter we hadn't taken any casualties or injuries to our party. When we gathered up all of the survivors, we had a total of six gang members with minor or no injuries. Three seriously injured, and twelve gang member's dead. There were also five uninjured, one seriously injured and three dead female prisoners.
Gus landed the chopper and we loaded the seriously injured woman into the chopper and he and Jack returned to Wasco.
Ralph suggested that the wounded gang members would just have to try to hold on and make the trip in the back of the step van with all of the other prisoners.
We soaked the twelve dead gang members and three dead females with gasoline and burned their bodies. Fortunately, the gang members had various types of handcuffs and manacles for securing prisoners that enabled us to cuff the uninjured so we didn't have to execute anyone.
Ralph was remembering the trip to Edwards on his first visit to Wasco. There had been concern with the harsh manner he used when dealing with the gangs. He said that he didn't want to deepen tension between himself and the citizens of Wasco if it became routine procedure for him to execute people on every trip.
Upon our return to Wasco, Tom met us at the roadblock. Tom had sent for three deputies to escort the prisoners to jail and one to escort the five females to the church. There would be people waiting to take the women in until it was determined where they wanted to go. The injured female was in stable condition at the local clinic and her prognosis looked good for a full recovery.
That evening as Jack, Ralph, Elizabeth and I sat in Fred's eating our dinner, I told Ralph that we should think about establishing a settlement at Edwards to inventory and control the supplies. Sooner or later it would dawn on the gangs to do it if we didn't.
"That's a great idea, who would have control of the goods?" Ralph asked.
"If Edwards became a settlement the settlement itself could control it," I said.
"OK, how soon can you relocate to Edwards, Bill?" Ralph asked me.
"I wasn't talking about me running it. I'd have to check with June and see if she would be interested enough to give up the farm," I stammered.
Ralph just laughed and said, "OK, you check with the boss and find out if she agrees. How soon would it be before you could relocate?"
As we bantered back and forth Tom walked in and joined us.
"Mayor Marshall would like to arrange a meeting between Mayor Fred, and Rob. He would like to propose a joint currency formula to encourage commerce and trade interaction between settlements."
"I'll let them know and you guys can set up a meeting," Ralph said.
"I'm sure we would like to get in on that as well. I'll talk to people in Appleton when I return home," I said.
"Sure thing, the more communities we can involve the better," said Tom.