Lucky

[Grand58742]

PROLOGUE


Wednesday, 6:30 AM, Denver, Colorado


Jim Williams was a successful man. He had worked hard in his life to get where he was at and had everything a man could want for. He had started out his career in a large brokerage firm before making a small fortune in the dot-com bubble before selling off just in time to avoid a complete wipeout. Afterwards he had started his own business taking several wealthy clients away from the firm and investing their money wisely and, more importantly, at a profit. He could evaluate market trends just by taking a glance at a daily report, identify which companies would be successful just by reading a news article and which currencies would be ahead of the game three months down the road. All in all, he was considered a genius by his counterparts and extremely lucky by others.

A millionaire by the age of twenty-four, his own personal fortune had continued to grow as he played the markets shrewdly and without hesitation. Careful planning and quick actions were his watchwords and even in the depressed economy of late he was doing just fine when others were failing badly. And although he was straight as an arrow, he had been investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission a half dozen times for insider trading. However, there was no impropriety on his part and they had always chalked it up to

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 1


Wednesday, 4:37 PM, Denver, Colorado


“Anything else I can get for you Mister Williams?” asked the maid as she finished cleaning up the office area while he was busy studying three computers and making annotations on two legal pads.

“No thanks, did that last transaction come into your bank account?” asked Jim.

“Sure did and my husband and I thank you. We wish we would have known a guy like you in our twenties and maybe we would have been living in a big house by now,” she laughed.

“Still on track for retirement?” he asked, looking away for a moment.

“Two more years, God willing and your investments keep producing. You know, my husband spending thirty years at one place and retiring and then having to get another job just to make ends meet just doesn’t seem right. And me having to get a job along with him doesn’t seem right either, but we do like what you did with our money,” she said.

Jim had taken them on as maid and lawn maintenance three years prior. They both were having trouble making ends meet with his retirement checks and had to seek additional work just to keep up. Jim had taken a personal interest in their financial status and invested their savings in various stocks and funds and watched as the money poured in. They could officially retire in two more years and never have to worry about another paycheck again. It meant Jim would have to find another maid and groundsman, but he would start off again with another couple and see if he could help them as well.

“It was no problem and Beth insisted. And you know what happens when a woman gets insistent,” he laughed.

“We typically get our way,” she laughed. “Is there going to be anyone around this weekend?”

“No, and you have free reign of the pool and grounds. I’ll leave a letter and a number to call in case of trouble. It’s your…daughter’s birthday?” he asked.

“Granddaughter turning seven,” she answered.

“They do grow up quick,” said Jim.

“And when are you and Miss Beth going to have some children?” she asked, quite informally.

“We’ve talked about it, but we just don’t know. When the time’s right I suppose,” said Jim. What he didn’t explain was the fact they couldn’t have children. Beth had been in a car accident as a child and would never be able to have children. They had talked of adopting, but it just never came to more than just talk. The closest thing they had come to children was a German Sheppard dog that had recently died of old age. Adopted from the pound, he had been a faithful dog to them and it was something Jim planned on rectifying sooner rather than later since Beth had loved the dog. Not that she had hinted on anything in particular, but he liked to surprise her from time to time with a present.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll get out of your hair,” said the maid as she turned to leave.

“Yeah, one thing. Do you know any dog breeders?” he asked.

“Can’t say that I do. What kind in particular are you looking for?” she asked.

“Beth was pretty upset when Barry had to be put to sleep two months ago. I was thinking another German Sheppard,” said Jim.

“We always got ours from the pound or the humane society. You could try there again,” said the maid.

“Might just do that,” said Jim.

“But if you are looking along the same lines as a Sheppard, why don’t you try the Belgian Malinois? My son had one he adopted from the police force and it was a good dog. They are loyal and work good as a watchdog for those times you are away,” said the maid.

“Can you spell that?” asked Jim.

She spelled it out as he wrote it down. “They are kind of a special breed. Expensive, but I think you can afford it.”

“What do you mean by special and how much exactly?” he asked.

“You have more computers sitting there than NASA does down at Houston. You can look it up just as easy,” she laughed. “Time you took a break anyway.”

“Yeah, it is quitting time,” said Jim as he looked at the screens and figured he could pick up later with what he was doing. One of the advantages of working from home meant he could work whenever he wanted to. The disadvantage of it was the fact he typically worked more than most since it was right there and if he had an itch, he would act on it. He would put in sixty to seventy hours a week doing what he did best. He knew he would come back later on and finish up what he was doing, but taking a break for the moment sounded pretty good. But he had a particular thought pattern going and didn’t want to step away right then.

“Okay, I’ll look it up later. See you in the morning,” said Jim as he waved his hand at her and went back to writing down the trends he saw in the market. He took another half an hour to finish up and went downstairs to get something to eat. The dog situation was still on his mind and he resolved himself to rectify that sooner rather than later since the idea had slipped his mind more than once. She had mourned enough and he figured it would be the best time to get one. He made himself a simple sandwich since Beth was away and his cooking skills were horrid. She enjoyed cooking even though they could have afforded just about any cook in the world. It relaxed her and made her seem far more down to earth than most women in her same economic status.

Getting his corned beef and Swiss sandwich made, he went back upstairs to find out exactly what kind of dog the maid was referring to and more precisely, where to get one locally.

********************

Wednesday, 7:42 PM, Los Angeles, California


“You know, just a dash of ginger to this would make it even better. Ever give that a thought?” asked Beth as she moved around the kitchen of the five star hotel.

“No ma’am, never occurred to me to try,” said the cook as he looked at the dish he was preparing and thought about the woman in front of him. His first thought on when she asked to come into the kitchen was she was there to complain. But after several minutes, he saw she wasn’t the kind of haughty person he typically had to deal with when the food wasn’t done to perfection. “I’ve just always done it this way.”

“Maybe you could give it a whirl and see how folks like it,” she suggested.

“I’m kind of set in my ways,” he laughed.

“Okay, I’ll order it tomorrow and you give it a try,” said Beth.

“May I ask you a question ma’am?” the head chef asked.

“I’ve always loved cooking, that’s why. And when it comes to cooking, there is no reason we all can’t share,” she said.

“It’s kind of competitive in my line of work,” he laughed.

“That’s why I’m not in your line of work. I have a husband with money and furthermore, my parents were rich. You ever hear of Ron Hampton?” she asked.

“Former White House chef Ron Hampton?” he asked.

“The very same. He worked for my dad for a while I was growing up and taught me a lot about cooking. He always said each and every cook had their own special techniques, but sharing wasn’t a bad thing,” she said.

“If you were taught by Ron Hampton, you were taught by one of the best. I’ll try it with some ginger, but you can’t blame me if it doesn’t turn out okay,” he laughed.

“I promise not to chase you around with a meat cleaver or yell at the waiter like that old hag did a while ago,” she laughed.

He laughed and was relieved that the woman was so down to earth. She didn’t seem like the typical clientele that frequented the restaurant but he knew she was staying in the executive suites and that meant she had to have a pretty decent bankroll. She stayed around talking with him for several minutes and watching what he was doing, picking up some little tidbits herself while he prepared some of the dishes being ordered. He didn’t mind as the patrons rarely asked about such things except to tell him it wasn’t done right. She politely excused herself and went back to her table where her dinner dates were at, old friends from her childhood. Julie and Chad Woods had moved out to California some years prior and gotten into the Hollywood scene.

“Did you tell the man the fish was horrible?” asked the woman.

“No, just a way of improving it,” said Beth.

“As much as you are paying for it, he should have kissed your feet and begged for forgiveness,” said the man.

Beth looked at him like he had lost his mind. She hadn’t seen her friends in several years and had recognized in the first ten minutes of dinner they had become “those” kind of people. Their stuck up attitude grated on her throughout dinner and was quickly becoming tiresome. In a classless society, they certainly had taken on royal airs.

“Really Chad? Is it that big a deal? The fish wasn’t done to my perfection, but you know what? Nothing in life ever is unless you do it yourself. I never expect royal treatment even in a place like this and don’t expect to be treated any differently because Jim made it big,” Beth said with cold eyes.

And the polite chit chat at the dinner table came to a screeching halt at that announcement. They both looked at her like she had suddenly sprouted horns. Beth’s friends were nouveau riche but had forgotten they had begun in a one bedroom apartment in the low rent area of the city. And although Beth came from a rich family, she had a background of never flaunting her money or more importantly, never thinking she was better than anyone else. Her parents had always taught her to remember everyone was a person with dreams and aspirations and to never forget the fact that money came and went.

“So…plans for tomorrow?” asked her friend Julie diverting the subject.

“Doing some shopping early and catching the flight into San Francisco. Jim’s due in sometime in the afternoon,” said Beth, bouncing back from the almost confrontation with Chad.

“Heading up to Rodeo in the morning again?” asked Julie.

“Probably not. I was thinking of hitting some smaller shops in the city. You never know what you might find,” said Beth.

They spoke for several more minutes before finally saying goodbye. They were off to some party or other and invited her along. However, she had no plans to stay with them any longer than necessary. She politely declined using an “oncoming headache” as an excuse to leave. Goodbye hugs and kisses were given and they departed the hotel.

She was slightly depressed her friends had changed so much in the five years it had been since she had seen them. He was an executive with a movie studio and she was a part time actress still waiting for her break out role. While they had plenty of money, they weren’t that high up the food chain and probably never would be. Her butt was too large to get a decent role anyway, she giggled to herself and wondered what to do while waiting for Jim’s call. He called every night and this was another reason she still loved him. From humble beginnings to their current status, she admired and loved the way he loved her. He was highly successful when they were first introduced all those years before, but it was his down to earth attitude that impressed her the most. While some men would try to be impressive with a fancy house or a nice car, he would show up with a simple rose at that unexpected time and steal her heart away. After nearly eight years of knowing him, he still had a few surprises in him that kept her enchanted.

She wandered into the hotel bar and decided on a drink before he called. She didn’t drink in great amounts, but from time to time, she would have a few. And in her mood, she decided it would be better to forget her so called friends and have one while waiting.

“Vodka martini, extra dry, extra olives,” she announced to the bartender as she sat at the bar and collected her dress below her legs.

She took her cell phone out and sat it on the bar, waiting for Jim to call. She didn’t know exactly when he would, but decided to have it immediately available just in case. Soft jazz played in the background, further darkening her mood instead of relaxing her. She was almost finished with her drink when a voice came from behind her.

“Seven and seven and a refill for the lady,” announced the male voice from her six o’clock.

“Thanks, but I’m-” she started to say as she turned around. The man behind her was handsome and automatically she was attracted to him for some reason. She had no idea why, just for some reason she automatically felt charmed. Her guard instantly went up and she would watch herself carefully.

He saw the look on her face change and knew he was already at a good start. “Mind if I sit down? You look like you could use some company.”

“I’m waiting on my husband to call,” she said.

“If I were him, I wouldn’t keep you waiting,” he said with a charming smile and very straightforward.

“It isn’t going to happen, but feel free to have a seat if you want,” she said with a wave of her hand.

“What isn’t going to happen? Conversation between two people?” he asked with the same charming smile.

“Look, you’re cute, but not that cute. Want to drop the act?” she said, fairly straightforward, but not hateful.

“And what act would that be? I’m just making conversation, that’s all,” he said.

“With no other intentions?” she asked.

“Then to sit for a few minutes with an attractive woman? No, nothing further,” he said, still charming.

“Okay, here is the deal,” she started. “You obviously have been checking me out since I walked in. I saw you sitting by yourself in the corner waiting for something or someone to arrive. There are plenty of single unattached women in this bar, so why me?”

“Why not you? Yes, you are an attractive woman and there are plenty of men checking you out maybe even wanting to make the same move I just made. But I’m the kind of guy who sees something and goes after it. Maybe I feel safer talking with a married woman rather than someone else. Maybe I just want to have a decent conversation and nothing more. Maybe the other women in here just aren’t up to your standards. Maybe you look like you need someone to talk to. There are several different reasons I might have come over,” he said.

“And I obviously need your company or something?” she asked.

“Maybe I’m just a nice guy who doesn’t expect anything in return for a little talk,” he said.

“Probably not. I know your type,” she said.

“And that type might be? You might have me all wrong,” he said.

“I think you are a charming man who is handsome enough to bed down ninety percent of the women in this town after a few drinks. You play the whole ‘I’m not interested but just want to talk routine’ and get my guard down after a few drinks. You find out what my pet peeve is with my husband and go after that angle. Sorry, but that’s not going to work,” she said.

“Maybe I’m just a nice gentleman who just wants to talk?” he asked.

“My husband is also a nice gentleman and frankly, I’m not interested in ruining what I have with him,” she said while tapping her wedding and engagement rings on the table. “Or you could be what you say. Now if you want to sit down and have a conversation, that’s fine, but as soon as my husband calls, I’m out the door alone. Would you still like to have a seat and pay for the drink?”

The look on his face was priceless and the bartender had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as he delivered the drinks. After he walked away, the man was able to utter a reply. “Okay, you got me.”

“On which part?” she asked.

“The first answer,” he said with the same charming smile.

“And?” she said.

“You obviously are onto my game. Is there any reason for me to stick around trying to charm your dress off?” he asked as he collected his drink and prepared to leave. It wasn’t the first time he had been shot down and probably wouldn’t be the last. However, it was the first time it had happened so quickly. But the night was young and he would seek other prey.

“Sure isn’t…thanks for the drink though,” she said and turned back to her drink and away from him.

But for some reason, he felt enchanted by her as well and stopped before he left. She wasn’t your run of the mill airhead who frequented the hotel bar looking for a little excitement in her life and an escape from a disinterested husband. He was instantly charmed by her as well, but didn’t know exactly why. He thought it was just the audacity of her remarks and how quickly she had caught on to his game. He typically dealt with fairly na

[Grand58742]

Chapter 1 continued

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 2


Thursday, 10:10 AM, Castle Rock, Colorado


“How long before they are weaned?” asked Jim as he looked at the puppies in the kennel with the mother.

“Maybe another two or three weeks. They are growing pretty quickly. They have good bloodlines on both sides and are probably going to be in the eighty pound range when fully grown,” said the dog breeder.

“And how much per?” asked Jim.

“Call it a grand total. Two hundred more for pick of the litter. They come with the proper AKC paperwork, a small kennel, with shots already and a week’s worth of food to start,” said the breeder.

“Kind of expensive,” said Jim, starting his wheeling and dealing.

“Yeah, but these dogs are in high demand. Mostly as police dogs and for the military. You won’t find a better dog for training,” said the breeder.

“How often do you sell them?” asked Jim.

“Actually, I have a hard time keeping them in stock. They do make good family pets since they are very loyal and affectionate,” said the breeder. “But a lot of my sales are to trainers for police dogs.”

“Sounds like a good business to be in,” said Jim.

“It is actually. With the proper females, I can get four or five good litters of four to five pups throughout the lifetime. I try not to do more than one litter per year with the females before I sell them off. With a good male, I can get at least four studs a year to other breeders. At a grand a pop for stud fees plus the pick of the litter, it does tend to make a tidy profit,” said the breeder.

“All for letting a dog be a dog,” laughed Jim.

“So how about it? You interested?” asked the breeder.

“Yeah, I am actually,” said Jim. “How do you work the payment?”

“I require half up front for pick of the litter, otherwise it’s a quarter down for my selection,” said the breeder.

“And if they were to take ill? Any kind of refund?” asked Jim.

“Only in the first year that can be directly linked to my business here or the particular litter. If it’s normal dog sickness, it’s on you. And as for refund, I offer full up refund if I am at fault or personal choice on the next litter,” said the breeder.

“All that in writing?” asked Jim.

“Of course. Plus I send out e-mails in case one of the others turns up sick. I run an investment business here and wouldn’t want my clients to go away unhappy,” said the breeder.

“What kind of payment do you accept?” asked Jim.

“Cash, credit, debit or check. I’ll even do an EFT if you prefer,” said the breeder.

“Debit will be fine. Do I have to make the choice now?” asked Jim.

“No, you can when they are weaned and ready for pick up. But it’s first come, first serve,” said the breeder.

“Okay, add in another ten percent on top and make me your first call,” said Jim. “And I’ll pay in full up front.”

“I won’t argue with that,” said the breeder. “Want to get the paperwork started?”

Jim sat down at the desk in the small office and started filling out the contract for buying the puppy for Beth. Again, he liked surprises and wanted to see her face as she got to pick out her new puppy. It was the simple things in life like that she enjoyed.

“This going to be a gift?” asked the breeder.

“Yes, for my wife,” said Jim.

“We do a special ‘gift wrapping’ for the ones given as presents,” said the breeder. “At no cost.”

“She would probably like that,” said Jim.

“Okay, mark yes in block seven,” said the breeder as his phone rang. “Excuse me.”

The breeder took the call on the cordless phone and walked out of the office. Jim continued filling out the paperwork with the information needed to purchase the new puppy until the pen ran out of ink. He shook it and tried writing again, but it still didn’t work. He looked over the desktop and saw a pen on the other side just out of arm’s reach. He went around to grab the other pen and the computer caught his eye.

It was one of the same web sites he had been on the night prior. The firearms related one. He took a closer look and found the site was on the specific survival board with one of the many threads open. Not wanting the man to think he was snooping around, he grabbed the pen and went back to filling out the rest of the paperwork. The breeder walked back in and sat down to review what had been written and to take payment.

“Looks like everything is in order Mister Williams. Let me go ahead and run your card,” said the breeder as he took the debit card from Jim.

“Please call me Jim,” he replied. It took a couple of moments for the machine to connect with the bank and the money to go through.

“Okay, I’ll print two copies, one for my records and one for yours. Total will be thirteen-twenty plus tax as we agreed on,” said the breeder.

“No problems,” said Jim. “Might I ask you a personal question not related to the transaction here?”

“Sure, what’s on your mind?” asked the breeder.

“Well, your pen ran out of ink as I was filling out the application and I had to grab another one from your desk. I wasn’t snooping, but I saw the screen on your computer open…” said Jim, letting the information go at that.

“And?” asked the breeder, suddenly wary of his new customer.

“Are you what they call a prepper?” asked Jim point blank.

“Does it matter?” asked the breeder.

“Not for the business, no. I was just curious. I’ve kind of started prepping myself,” said Jim.

“Okay, and?” asked the breeder.

“I think I’m what’s called a noob in those realms. I just never thought I meet another prepper so quickly,” said Jim.

“We like to keep a low profile. Too many news articles about the crazy survivalist types out there,” said the breeder, but confirming what Jim was thinking about by his statements.

“How long have you been at it?” asked Jim.

“Quite some time. Listen, I’m not entirely comfortable talking about it with someone I don’t really know,” said the breeder.

“I’m sorry for intruding. I was curious mainly,” said Jim.

“You said you were starting?” asked the breeder.

“Let’s just say I was hit by a revelation recently about how unprepared I am for emergency situations,” said Jim.

“And that makes you no different than ninety-five percent of the population in the United States,” said the breeder. “But what are you going to do about it now?”

“I want my family safe during emergencies,” said Jim.

“Want some advice?” asked the breeder.

“Sure,” said Jim.

“Okay, read up on the net forums. There are a few out there that can help you quite a bit. Read and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask about something you don’t know. I mean, better to ask the questions and know rather than try to wing it in an emergency. And don’t just pick what advice you want to have from one sole person. Use the group discussion mentality. More often than not, survivalists are pretty opinionated. We tend to like certain things, dislike others and tell you in no uncertain terms how we feel about a particular subject. But don’t just go all out and buy what one person tells you to. But the most important thing to remember it’s not just a pastime. It’s a lifestyle. If you aren’t willing to stick with it, you will ultimately fail and shouldn’t have started to begin with,” said the breeder.

“Okay, anything else?” asked Jim.

“Yeah, lots of bright and shiny toys out there at the start. Don’t get caught up in buying the top quality gear at the start. Learn what works best for you,” said the breeder.

“Thanks for the advice. I’m just the kind of guy that is pretty straightforward about things like this,” said Jim.

“No problems. But remember, most of us are pretty low key about the whole thing. We don’t like advertising as it makes us a target. You would do well to remember that little piece of advice,” said the breeder.

“Got it,” said Jim. “When can I bring my wife back to let her pick?”

“Say in about two weeks. At that point you can choose, but maybe a little longer on the pick up,” said the breeder.

“Okay, a pleasure doing business with you,” said Jim.

“And you too sir. Maybe I’ll see you around the net,” he said.

“Maybe so,” said Jim as he walked out of the breeder’s office and back to his vehicle. He wondered how fate would allow him to meet someone so quickly and wondered if the arrangement might bear a potential friend in the long run. One thing he had learned the night before was a term called a MAG. A Mutual Assistance Group and how valuable they might be. So much to learn about and in a short time. But again, with the markets playing the way they were, he wasn’t in a rush to get everything at once. As he pulled out of the driveway, his phone rang. He put in the Bluetooth earpiece and answered with a simple “Williams.”

“Jim, Jackson here,” he said.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” asked Jim.

“The Standard Metallic deal went through. All the shares you asked for and their stock is nudging upwards. I even went in for five thousand shares myself. The Star Drive Robotics deal should be done by this afternoon. They aren’t interested in changing their name just yet,” he laughed.

“Okay, just let me know when the deal is processed and how much is left over,” said Jim.

“Okay, I’ve got a line on another potential up and coming company as well. I’ve got the name around here somewhere, hang on…Volunteer Foods. It’s an LLC. Ever hear of them?” asked Jackson.

“No, new business?” asked Jim.

“Yeah, sort of. Just went from local to regional distribution. It’s in the food service arena,” said Jackson.

“How are they doing?” asked Jim.

“Up a point and a quarter in the past two weeks,” said Jackson.

“What do you think?” asked Jim, letting his prot

[Grand58742]

Chapter 2 continued

[FM18]

Looking forward to Chapter 3! Great writing so far! :)

[Lowdown3]

Very nice! Thank you for posting!

[monkeybird]

Oh my, now I addicted to another e-novel. Great read - I like the characters.

[Grand58742]

Sorry I haven't kept this up like I wanted...

But also a small problem for the mods. A lot of the chapters I've written are too large to fit into the posting sections. Is there a way to up the limit of characters in this forum specifically? It's hard trying to make it "fit" just right.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 3


Saturday, 9:19 AM, Pebble Beach, California


“Are you the two we are to pair up with?” asked the older of the two men that approached Jim and another man.

“I believe so. I’m Jim Williams,” he said, sticking out his hand. “This is Don Pepper.”

“Rob Moore,” said the man after taking the offered hand. Jim scheduled a tee time the previous day, but found himself paired up with three people he didn’t know. Beth was taking her time at the spa that morning and getting “all girled up” as Jim put it along with other wives she had met yesterday. She already played a round of golf yesterday afternoon and beat Jim by a stroke. He actually let her win, taking bad chip shots on the last three holes for her to come in ahead of him.

“Hal Charles. So you guys want to play for skins or for fun?” asked the second member as he walked up fairly confident.

“Depends on the skins,” said Jim. “I mean, I’m not that good.”

“Oh come on now. You are good enough to come here and play. You can’t be that bad,” said Rob.

“I don’t know,” said Jim.

“Say a hundred a hole?” asked Hal.

“I’m in,” said Don.

“I’ll have a go at that with the way you were playing yesterday,” said Rob Moore.

“I don’t know, a hundred a hole is a lot of money,” said Jim.

“Come on, you scared?” asked Hal.

“Okay, I’m in,” said Jim.

“Well, no matter what, we’ve got five minutes to get to the first tee,” said Don.

They got into their golf carts and headed off for the first tee box to start their round. Jim actually felt sorry for the men, seeing as how he had come in one under par yesterday and this course wasn’t as challenging as the other.

They tossed the tee to determine who would be up first and went from there with Jim hitting second. They had to wait for the group in front of them to clear out before teeing up and playing what amounted to the most infuriating game on the planet. The first hit a nice shot down the fairway to a point two hundred seventy yards before it came to a stop. Jim hit his shot, bouncing past his and ending up at two hundred ninety yards.

“You want to warn us?” asked Rob.

“Lucky hit,” said Jim bashfully, knowing full well he was going to make money today. And so he did, at hole seventeen, he came in at twelve total wins, two ties and two losses. They were on the seventeenth green while he was looking to make his twenty foot birdie putt for win number thirteen.

“Wish I’d kept my big mouth shut,” said Hal.

“Remember Hal, he didn’t think it was a great idea,” said Rob Moore with a chuckle until he remembered he was out a lot of money as well.

“Booger conned us,” he said.

“You took the bet thinking you were going to be good to go. He hustled you,” laughed Rob as they got quiet as Jim finished looking over the green from several angles.

“That little runt should be on the PGA tour! Even the pros don’t come in here and go two under par most of the time!” protested Hal in a whispered voice.

Jim lined his shot up perfectly, took a few practice swings and moved up to the ball. He had this shot in the bag as long as he played into the right break and uphill grade. He got behind the ball and tapped it as he always did with a good follow through. The ball was rolling perfectly towards the hole, turning with the green and forward as he had planned it. Even if it just rimmed the cup or stopped short, he would still make par fairly easily.

But three feet in front of cup, the ball wiggled slightly then took a sharp bounce. The rest of the men felt the rumble under their feet as the minor earthquake ruined the otherwise perfect shot.

“Man, that sucks-” Rob Moore had started to say when the group felt a larger jolt. Much more than the first, they were about thrown off their feet by the sudden movement of the earth under their feet. They looked around for anything to steady themselves with as the ground continued to rumble under their feet. The brake on one of the carts unlocked and the cart went rolling away from the green. After thirty seconds, it was all over as the rumbling and shaking dissipated. The other three were from California and somewhat used to the earth moving under their feet, but Jim was a little ashen faced over the ordeal.

“Big one,” said Hal. “Wonder where the epicenter was?”

“Five point five, maybe a six depending on the distance,” said Don. “Jim, you okay?”

“Sorry guys, it’s my first earthquake. We don’t get these out in Denver,” he said. “I’d like to go check on my wife.”

“Yeah, we’ll call it quits on sixteen,” agreed Hal, not wanting to lose two hundred more dollars.

The other two agreed and went back to the carts. It was a little longer walk for Jim and his partner since their cart had rolled away, but it wasn’t bad. Once they got back to the clubhouse, they found complete pandemonium. People were rushing this way and that, demanding answers to questions nobody could answer at that moment, but they still demanding them nonetheless. Jim looked through the crowd for Beth and couldn’t find her. He continued to pace around, looking at all the faces he could looking for his wife. He began to get nervous when the head pro stepped up to create some order out of the chaos.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen please! I’ll tell you what we know. Please remain calm and just listen!” he demanded. The crowd continued murmuring for a moment until they were ready to listen.

“Okay, we know the ‘quake was north of here around the San Fran, San Jose or Oakland area. Reports coming out of that location are sketchy right now, but we know it was at least a seven point five, maybe more. Telephone land lines in the Bay area are down and all cell towers are jammed. Yes we were hit here, but we have an on call engineer coming out to look over the structures out here to make sure everything is okay. Now first off, is anyone injured?” he asked.

A couple of people mentioned various cuts and bruises and were taken over to the medics which were employed by the resort.

“Okay, for now, we can’t allow you to enter the buildings until the engineers can make them safe. We are getting the portable coolers brought out and the patio areas offer shade for everyone. We will have cold water and snack type food served for those who want it free of charge. We aren’t sure how long the power is going to last, but with an earthquake this large, I’ll be willing to bet we will lose power any time now,” said the pro.

And as if mystical forces were at work, the hum of the air conditioning units was dropping and the automatic doors shut down halfway through their cycle. The area was eerily quiet for a moment and the crowd started muttering once again. The pro knew he needed to keep them calm.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We have some generator sets that we can run the coolers and the reefers. I just need you all to remain calm and wait for more information. I understand if you have family in the San Francisco area and are concerned, but trust me, you don’t need to go charging up north until we know more of what’s going on. I hate to put it this way, but right now we need to just wait and see how bad it was,” said the pro. “Jerry?”

“Yeah boss?” asked another of the club pros.

“I need you to get together a team and head out to the courses. Check on the others out there and make sure they are okay. Ask them to come back to the clubhouse and check for any injured,” said the pro.

“You got it,” he said while he turned to grab a dozen of the staff that had come outside. The gas powered golf carts the staff used would come in handy for the trips out and about and they carried spare fuel just in case. The shuttle would need to take them to the neighboring golf courses the resort owned, but they were still running as well.

A woman, the same that had checked in Jim and Beth the previous day came running out of the building. “Bart, I found a radio that works. It’s got batteries.”

“What are they saying?” asked the pro.

“It was in the San Jose area from what they can tell…they are playing the emergency broadcast again,” said the woman, looking quite pale at the news she had received.

“…please stand by for an emergency message from the California Emergency Management Agency… please stand by for an emergency message from the California Emergency Management Agency…The California Emergency Management Agency has released the following information pertaining to the earthquake in the San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland area. The epicenter of the quake was approximately five miles west of the city of San Jose and measured 8.3 on the Richter Scale. All power, water and gas lines in and out of the Bay area are currently down and phone lines are jammed. If you live outside the affected areas, the Governor of California has instructed you to stay out as you will hinder rescue operations. If you wish to assist, please go to your nearest Red Cross Office, CEMA Office or call 1-800-555-3214. Damages to the surrounding areas are unknown at this time, but are expected to be ‘heavy.’ The Governor has also activated all Army National Guard and Air National Guard units with instructions to report to their duty stations unless they are already involved in rescue efforts. All air traffic in and out of the Bay area is currently down with international flights being diverted into Las Vegas, Phoenix and Seattle and stateside flights being diverted into the nearest airport capable of handling the type of aircraft. Again, an earthquake measuring 8.3 was recorded at 12:49 local time near the city of San Jose. The California Emergency Management Agency will release additional information as it becomes available. This message will repeat every two minutes…”

The emergency broadcast alert tone was heard on the radio indicating an emergency message was about to come through along with the message to “please stand by…” The entire group looked a little pale at the information they had received. Beth came running up to Jim on the outside and they hugged the daylights out of each other.

“Are you okay?” demanded Jim as he looked over his wife.

“Yes! I was thrown from the massage table, but I’m okay!” she cried and he grabbed her in close once again as if he could protect her from the unseen threat.

“You folks doing okay?” asked Hal as he approached with his wife who had also been in the spa.

“Yeah, first time for us,” said Jim as he continued to hold Beth.

“Hey, first big one we’ve been through in a long time. We’re all a little scared,” said Hal with a nervous laugh.

“Where is home for you?” asked Beth, gaining some composure.

“Palmdale so we are used to the ground shaking,” said Hal. “Don’t worry, we should be okay here.”

“The State has good plans for emergencies like this. We will be okay,” said Hal’s wife Linda, reassuring the two.

“I think I would rather have my blizzards,” laughed Jim nervously, still a little shaken. But he tried to put on the brave face for Beth, utterly failing.

“Nothing to this. Most of you out of town folks run around like crazy the first time, but for us? No big deal,” said Hal, trying to calm the two.

“How bad is an 8.3 earthquake?” asked Jim.

Hal nodded with his head to take him off to the side. Jim released Beth only after a moment of pause and went over to Hal. Hal spoke in a soft voice as not to be overheard by Beth.

“Listen, a seven is a pretty big deal out here. A lot of structures are rated at a seven or more as long as they were built right, but an eight? That will remodel downtown San Fran and Oakland fairly efficiently. The last eight that hit out here was in 1906. You study history?” asked Hal.

“Yeah, the 1906 San Francisco fire, right?” asked Jim.

“Started after an earthquake around eight or so. While the news won’t say it, this one is a big deal and the damage is going to be extensive. Probably like billions of dollars in property alone,” said Hal.

“Compared to the one in Haiti?” asked Jim.

“That was a seven I think. After seven, it goes up exponentially,” said Hal. “It’s pretty bad, but no reason to worry your wife about it.”

“She’ll ask, be sure of that,” said Jim.

“It’s going to be okay. I’ve known the club management out here for years. They are prepared for this kind of thing. You live close enough to an earthquake fault and it pays to be prepared. They have plenty of food and water stocked up so we won’t have to rely on the State or Federal boys, at least for about a week or so,” said Hal.

“You think we’ll be stuck here that long?” asked Jim.

“Nah, probably a few days at most. Shouldn’t be any longer than four or so,” said Hal.

“And your family?” asked Jim, composing himself.

“I retired out here. They are all out in Georgia and Tennessee where they don’t have earthquakes. Well, at least not this big,” laughed Hal.

“So okay, what should we do?” asked Jim.

“Just remain calm and wait for news. I mean, you’re lucky. You folks are just out here on vacation and shouldn’t need to worry about anything but each other,” said Hal. “You go on over there and stand by your wife. She looks a little scared.”

“Like I’m not?” laughed Jim.

“Try to act calm. It’s reassuring,” said Hal.

Jim went back over to Beth who was talking with Linda. She went back over to Jim after thanking Linda for the advice. “What did you two talk about?”

“He told me to be calm for you,” said Jim.

“Funny, she told me the same thing. Also told me this wasn’t just a little quake like he was letting on. It’s going to be bad,” said Beth.

“Yeah, he told me the same thing,” said Jim. “But he told me the course was set up for this kind of thing. They have enough food and water for a week.”

“Well, I would rather not stay here for a week if it’s all the same to you. I think Denver is calling about right now,” said Beth.

“And it is. But we do need to get more information about the roads and airports before anything else. It’s not like we are going to be able to fly out of San Fran about right now,” said Jim.

“So we just wait?” asked Beth.

“Until we get more information about what’s going on, yes,” said Jim, thinking it wasn’t such a bad idea.

“You eat yet?” asked Beth, trying to act as normal as she could after the scare she had gone through. She hadn’t told Jim, but the ceiling had partially come down in the massage room. Just the tile portion, but he wouldn’t make the distinction. It hadn’t hit anyone, but it was enough to scare them all. And she couldn’t tell Jim as he would freak out.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 3 CONTINUED

“No, I was finishing up my round when it happened,” said Jim.

“How were you doing?” asked Beth.

“Going two under at seventeen and made thirty six hundred in skins. Probably going for over four by the time we were done,” said Jim. “And your massage?”

“Heavenly,” said Beth with a sigh then giggled.

“What’s the giggle about?” asked Jim.

“Here we are in the aftermath of the largest earthquake in over a hundred years and we are talking normally,” she giggled again.

And he had to laugh. Laughter was good medicine and they both needed the stress relief. They wandered over towards the patio area where the cooks were bringing out finger food, sandwich items and cold drinks. The ice was coming out of the kitchen area and would melt anyway, so they put the drinks on ice and got everything ready.

“Can we go ahead and grab something to munch on?” asked Jim.

“Of course sir. The rest of the items won’t be ready for a few minutes, but you are free to grab what you would like for now,” said one of the men in a waiter uniform.

They browsed through the various cold cuts and rolls and made a quick sandwich while taking a seat under one of the umbrellas. Jim grabbed a couple of cold sodas for them and sat down to make his own sandwich and try and act normal. They were starting to be joined by others who took the idea of free food to heart instead of waiting for more news on the earthquake. A man came around the patio area carrying a flashlight and wearing a hard hat. He was followed by another man in civilian clothing carrying what appeared to be blueprints of the building. They rolled out the large paper sheets and spoke to each other and pointed at various points on the paper while nodding or shaking their heads. Eventually they came to some sort of agreement and walked inside the facility. Before Jim could comment, they were joined by Hal and Linda.

“Mind if we have a seat here and join you?” they asked with nice plates in their hands. It was almost comical to see the nice china being used for something as low as sandwiches.

“Please,” said Jim and stood for their new guests.

The other two sat down and started talking to the others, just small talk to pass the time. When the subject of the golf round came up, Hal suddenly got a little quiet.

“Oh don’t tell me you went out running your mouth again and played for skins?” asked Linda very pointedly.

“I didn’t think boy wonder here was a PGA star in disguise!” he protested.

Linda sighed and simply asked “How much?”

“Nothing bad,” said Hal evasively.

“Over a grand then,” Linda sighed. “Won’t you ever learn?”

“It’s not my fault!” he protested once again.

“Does your husband like to run his mouth and bet on things he can’t accomplish?” asked Linda and ignoring her husband.

“No, I typically slap him in the back of the head for things like that,” said Beth with a laugh.

“I stopped doing that years ago dear. I found it only made my hand sore,” laughed Linda.

“Jim can be pretty hard headed as well,” laughed Beth.

“It’s a good thing we’re sitting right here for all this talk,” laughed Jim as he nudged Hal.

“I can only imagine what my wife says about me in the spa,” he laughed in return.

The talk continued about everything under the sky instead of the earthquake (and the skins game) just to pass the time. The engineer came back out of the facility followed by the other man and went off to another building where the checking of the blueprints and entry was made. A member of the waiter staff came over.

“The engineer says it is safe to enter in case you wanted to go inside,” he said.

“No, it’s a nice day out here. Very pleasant with the breeze coming off the water,” said Hal with agreement from the other three.

“Might not be a bad idea. It’s getting a little hot inside already,” said the waiter. “Can I get you anything?”

“How about two plane tickets to Denver?” laughed Jim.

“Let me see what I can come up with three instead sir,” grinned the waiter. “Anything else?”

“No, thank you,” said Linda as he went off to another table. The waiter was pointedly asked when the power was going to be back on and why they couldn’t visit their rooms. And what gives you the right to keep us out of the hotel mister? Just who do you people think you are? It’s insulting to say the least! And I want to talk to the manager right now! No, skip him! I want the owner out here!

“That poor kid. He’s probably from around here or north towards the Bay. He might even have family up that way and they are treating him like garbage,” said Beth.

“Some people around here get pretty uppity when they don’t get their way,” said Hal.

“Yeah, but there is no reason to take it out on that kid,” said Beth.

“True, very true,” said Hal and rose to go over to the two that had caused such a ruckus. He spoke quietly with them for several moments before pointing a finger in their face and growling in low tones. Jim couldn’t hear what was being said, but it didn’t look like he was asking if their soda was cold. The two looked shocked at either the choice words he was using or the way he was saying them. Without giving them the chance to reply, he turned and came back to the table where he sat down and glared right back at them. Apparently he won the battle of wills when one of the two turned to the other and broke the stare down with a “well, I never!”

“Something tells me they won’t be joining a foursome with you at any time,” said Jim and wondering what he said.

“No, I just reminded them of who I was and asked very pointedly why they were harassing that young man. Then asked if there was anything else they wanted to demand while they were here,” said Hal.

“And something tells me you might not be just a random guy around here,” said Beth.

“I might or might not be on the Board of Directors for this Resort,” he said with a sly grin.

“Well, that explains how you can afford to lose to me,” said Jim with a laugh. “But I thought you said you were retired?”

“I am retired, but I still serve on the board here and own a nice amount of stock in some selected golf companies as well as having a stake this resort,” said Hal with another grin.

“You mean I was playing against one of the owners of this course?” said Jim with a shocked expression.

“It’s not a big deal. You beat me fair and square. But I have to tell you Jim, you seriously should think about the Pro Tour,” said Hal. “You could whip half those guys out there if you took it up full time.”

“Maybe when I retire I’ll take that up. But for right now, I’m happy with what I’m doing,” said Jim. “And this also explains how you know so much about the emergency preparedness out here.”

“Yeah, that’s something I talked the board into some years ago. I mean, we are a world class resort out here and we should be able to care for our guests and staff during an emergency without having to worry about the Feds coming in,” said Hal.

“And it’s a passion he takes home at night too. Has all that food and stuff stocked up in the basement,” said Linda.

“We promised not to talk about that in public sweetie,” said Hal, putting his hand on his wife’s.

“I see,” said Jim and wondered what else he didn’t know about Hal Charles. As well as wondering what kind of advice he might get from him. Since the earthquake, Jim had felt vulnerable, powerless to act, powerless to take care of his wife and generally quite useless in this situation. The familiar feelings he felt a few days ago came back full force to him and he mentally beat himself up about thinking things could wait until after the weekend. And how he missed something like this his whole life. But the questions could come later after getting to know the Charles’ better. But he surely would be asking some pointed questions.

“So what’s the plan then?” asked Beth.

“Well, if I have anything to say about it…and I happen to be the most senior member of the board on the grounds right now…we are going to have a good old fashioned barbeque tonight. We don’t have enough diesel to keep those reefers running night and day, so we limit how many we power and let the rest thaw out. So be prepared for one of the best steaks you’ve ever had over some charcoal later this evening,” said Hal.

“And after that?” asked Jim.

“We play it by ear. We have enough stuff for a week like I told you, but I doubt we are going to be here that long. And if my guess is correct, we might be seeing some refugees heading this way by tomorrow, day after tomorrow at the latest,” said Hal. Mainly they will get stopped in the city, but some might wander over this way.”

“What do you do with them?” asked Jim.

“Send them on their way. I mean, we can help a little bit, but it all depends on their story,” said Hal.

“Such as?” asked Beth.

“For one, where did they come from? Were they in a neighborhood that was decimated by the quake? Were they one of the looters, which are sure to be out by nightfall, that are trying to escape John Law? Are they just passing through like you folks and trying to get back home? Are they with FEMA and want to set up an emergency camp on the course here? I mean, let’s face it; we have a decent sized chunk of real estate here just waiting for a FEMA camp. Not that we’ll volunteer, but we have all the infrastructure for such a thing. Water, space, enclosed area. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them here within the next day or so scouting out the area. But with Fort Ord nearby, I doubt they would worry about our little golf course,” said Hal.

“Would you let them in?” asked Jim.

“Depends on how they ask. They would typically just say ‘it’s ours now’ and be done with it,” said Hal.

“They can’t just take your property!” exclaimed Beth.

“Can and will if they choose to. But hopefully we are far enough out of the way for them to ignore us,” said Hal.

“Anything else for entertainment?” asked Jim.

“I’ve got the staff working on finding enough power for a TV and radios. Most folks are going to want to know what’s going on up there. And I’ll admit, I’m one of them,” said Hal.

“Now I have a question for you two since my husband has been hogging the conversation. What exactly do you do for a living Jim?” asked Linda.

“I’m a stock broker. Actually, an investment broker as I play all the markets, mutual’s, stocks, bonds, commodities, currency, real estate. Just about everything,” said Jim.

“And you two have been married how long?” asked Linda.

“Five wonderful years,” said Jim and grabbed at Beth’s hand without thinking about it.

“Now that one’s a keeper Elizabeth. You see how he immediately grabbed at your hand to hold it? That’s a sign he really cares for you and couldn’t stand the thought of losing you,” said Linda.

“I think I’ll keep him around for now,” said Beth as she smiled at her husband.

“But you my dear. You’ve been around money your whole life. I could see that when we met in the spa,” said Linda.

“How did you know?” asked Beth.

“The way you act of course. You are used to being treated…differently I would say. But you haven’t let it go to your head like others have,” said Linda and nodded at the other table where the other two continued to sulk.

“Yes, my father was a big investment banker on Wall Street. We’ve always been well off,” said Beth.

“And you Jim. You came from humble beginnings but made your way in this world. But you are still down to earth as you remember where you came from,” said Linda.

“Are you a psychic or something?” Jim laughed.

“No, I just learned to read people. Like those two over there. They are scared, but don’t want to admit it. So they lash out at everyone and everything trying to act brave. But in the end, they are scared because they don’t know what will happen next. They are out of their comfort zone and want back in,” said Linda.

They continued to talk more on the disaster, the plans for the gold course and the coming events and what Hal thought might happen in the coming days. It was nice to find common friends in the middle of the emergency, especially those who could help out when they needed it the most.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 4


Saturday 8:39 PM, Pebble Beach, California


The staff at the resort had found a TV set that could be moved easily and taken it out to the patio area along with a generator. It was a quieter generator and didn’t play over the news channel showing shots of the devastation in the Bay area nonstop along with commentary of what happened. The satellite hookup wasn’t as easy to stretch out, but after splicing several wires together, they made it work. While the major network reporters still couldn’t get in on the ground, the local ones were doing a bang up job from the satellite vans reporting on what was going on. The story moved back to Oakland once again.

“Kerry? Are you there? Kerry, can you hear me?” the anchor in New York asked.

“Yes Sheppard, I’m here. As you can see down the street behind me, looters have already taken to the streets in an attempt to take advantage of the lack of emergency services. While all law enforcement is currently on the job, they are bogged down with rescue efforts and assisting fire department and medical personnel instead of being able to keep order. Not that is an fault of their own as the devastation in the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose area is enormous and requires all civil employees to assist in rescuing those still trapped by today’s earthquake,” said the reporter from the streets of Oakland.

“Are they taking anything in particular like food and water?” asked the anchor.

“They seems to be grabbing whatever they can get their hands on. Additionally, alleged deprived urban youth have been setting fires to abandoned vehicles and buildings in an attempt to divert the attention from the looting to the ongoing fires. Several fire fighters have been shot at attempting to approach burning buildings and cannot enter certain parts of the city,” said the reporter.

“Have you ever seen anything like this before?” asked the anchor.

“Actually I have. Right after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The looting is not about food or water, but about high dollar items. I’m currently in a fairly high end district and the looters are taking anything expensive they can get their hands on,” said the reporter.

“Is the National Guard on scene yet?” asked the anchor.

“Not yet, Sheppard. Most of the local units have been involved in rescue efforts since the start and those outside the area are still mustering. However, even when they do come in, they should be prepared for complete anarchy as the citizens of the metropolitan areas are pretty lawless right now,” said the reporter. A shot whizzed by, close enough that the reporter ducked and looked back at where it came from. He was a local reporter, but had served time in Afghanistan in the National Guard and was used to being shot at.

“Was that gunfire?” asked the anchor.

“Yes it was. And I think we’re going to cut this short and move away from this area. We’ll check back in when we can,” said the reporter as he gave the ‘cut’ sign to the cameraman and started jogging towards the van.

“With the situation in the San Francisco and Oakland area in complete anarchy, the Governor has pledged all California National Guard units to speed to the area. Additionally, Arizona and Nevada have recalled their Guard units to assist in the relief efforts as well. The President, on vacation in Chicago, has yet to make a press release, but we are told he is fully aware of the situation and ongoing relief efforts.”

“FEMA spokesman Norm Fields refused to speculate on the amount of damage although used the word ‘catastrophic’ at one point. Additionally, Fields stated FEMA is in a far better position to respond to this disaster than in recent memory. Prepackaged equipment and supplies are already being rolled out of national warehouses toward the California coast.”

“And in other national news, Speaker of the House Pelosi has already pledged to rebuild the damaged portions of the cities, no matter the cost. We have an excerpt from the question asked to her earlier.”

“No matter what, we have to rebuild in that great city. We stand to lose far more by not doing it. Millions of jobs will be lost and millions more left homeless if we do not act. I will be presenting a bill to the House tomorrow setting unlimited funds for the relief and reconstruction efforts in California. Right now, politics have to take a back seat to common decency of our fellow citizens.”

“In other news, Japan, Russia, China, members of the European Union and Mexico have all pledged support and assistance in relief efforts. A dozen more nations have pledged funds to help offset the cost of relief efforts. Military forces of NATO have been put on deployment alert for possible redeployment into the United States to assist with relief efforts. Pentagon officials have yet to determine what specific relief efforts would be needed, but have informed us the State Department is working the issue.”

“We’ll be back after a word from our sponsors…”

“You called it spot on. How did you know about the looters?” asked Jim.

“Common sense. All the cops, fire fighters and medical folks are tied up at the moment, the National Guard isn’t ready to go in yet and the rest of the city is over the shock of the initial quake. It wasn’t going to be long before someone figured out it was early Christmas shopping,” said Hal.

“You think it will last long?” asked Beth.

“Until those Guard guys get on scene. After that, those barbarians will scatter like the cowards they are,” said Hal. “Some might fight, but I have a lot of faith in our California boys and girls to put a quick stop to that with some well placed firepower.”

The scent of the barbeque was still hanging in the air after the royal feast they had done earlier. Most seemed a little calmed down after the earthquake, all except Jim. He kept thinking of other threats and how to counter them and came up empty. I’ve got to get back and research this. Nothing like a good old fashioned crisis to change one’s way of thinking. I wonder if my new friend can be of any help.

He motioned with his head at Hal in a silent request to talk away from the others. The two walked away and towards the surf hitting the nearby rocks. “I’m going to ask you a couple of questions if you don’t mind,” said Jim.

“Okay, what’s on your mind?” asked Hal.

“Your wife mentioned something earlier about the preparedness spilling over to home. What did she mean?” asked Jim.

“Just that we are prepared at home for this kind of thing as well,” said Hal. “Lots of people out here are.”

“I was just wondering because I’m not prepared for this kind of thing,” said Jim.

“Some people aren’t. Especially an earthquake. You don’t get that many of them out in Denver, so why prepare for something like that,” said Hal reasonably.

“No, it’s not just that. I mean any kind of crisis. I’ve lived my life with blinders on thinking everything was going to be just fine,” said Jim.

“And you are just like about ninety-five percent of the population out there. Most folks have about three or four days of food in their pantry and the gas in their car. No water saved up or anything like that. You shouldn’t feel like the lone ranger,” said Hal with a chuckle. “But the big question is, what are you going to do about it?”

“I kind of had a revelation recently about how unprepared I am,” said Jim. “And I’m going to do something about it.”

“Like what?” asked Hal.

“Well, get more prepared for things like this. I mean, not like this, this, but overall emergencies. I want my wife to be safe,” said Jim.

“It’s not hard, FEMA has some good information,” said Hal.

“Not just them. I stumbled across some websites talking about disaster preparedness,” said Jim, not wanting to throw out the survivalist name just yet.

“Like which ones?” asked Hal.

“More than just one. I bookmarked them at home,” said Jim.

“Just wondering. I go to a few of them myself,” said Hal.

“Okay, point blank question. Are you what’s called a prepper?” asked Jim.

“I could be…okay, I guess I am. Neighbor of mine in Palmdale got me turned on to it some years ago. Well, I was doing it long before that and never thought of it that way, but since moving to California I’ve seen the light as well and want to make sure the wife and I will be okay during an emergency. He gave me some pointers and gave me some pretty good advice on what else to pick up along the way. Over time, we’ve bounced ideas off each other and helped each other out when the need arises,” said Hal.

“Any advice for a noob?” laughed Jim.

“Yeah, don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Lots of good sites out there and I can give you a list of some I go to for advice and information. But be careful of the kooks,” said Hal.

“Like?” asked Jim.

“Oh those crazy types that believe the Earth is going to be destroyed in 2012, the anti-government types and the ones that believe having guns gives you power over those that don’t. In an emergency, you try to help out as much as possible. You remain guarded, but don’t go shooting at everything that crosses your path. Self sufficiency is an art and a lifestyle, not something that just happens,” said Hal.

“Basic advice? I deal in investing for a living, can you break it down into investment terms?” asked Jim.

“Easily. You own gold right?” asked Hal.

“Yes, I have some quantities of it,” said Jim.

“Why did you buy it?” asked Hal.

“Because no matter what, gold always performs in the market. Even when the stock market slides, gold is still an asset that will perform no matter what,” said Jim.

“And if it loses its value?” asked Hal.

“It will rebound and it’s better to be diversified in case one of the markets collapses. Generally speaking, when one falls another makes a profit. Like in an inflationary period, precious metals generally go up,” said Jim.

“So you would say gold is a safe investment even if it doesn’t make much in the long run?” asked Hal.

“It’s pretty safe. I mean, the price will fall, but typically it goes back up,” said Jim.

“Now let me ask you this. If you had a can’t miss deal, a high risk stock that is sure to go up no matter what, would you sell all your gold and invest in that instead?” asked Hal.

“No, I would still keep some back in case it fell through,” said Jim, wondering where the conversation was going.

“Why?” asked Hal.

“Well, stocks can rise and fall, but like I said, gold is a safe investment. You could invest in gold and never have a worry about it. I would keep some of it around just in case the rest of the market fell through,” said Jim.

“And preparedness is just like that. You invest in preparations like you would in gold. You may never need them, but you have them there just in case. You use the rest of the system until it crashes and still live off your preparations,” said Hal.

“But doesn’t it go bad? Some of the preparations I mean. You can’t just throw some food on the shelf and expect it to still be good in five years,” said Jim.

“No, but you still have to eat, right?” asked Hal.

“Well, yeah,” said Jim.

“So you really aren’t investing in anything are you? I mean, sure, food is an investment, but overall, food is a consumable item, same as water. Okay, most people think of food as something to stock on shelves. But where does it come from?” asked Hal.

“Farms and such, processing plants, distributors,” said Jim.

“Farms and such…so that food needs to be grown right? It just doesn’t magically appear on the shelves at your local grocery store like some people probably think?” asked Hal.

“Of course,” said Jim, still not in the mindset of where he was going. But knowing he had made a good point about the gold. It was better to have gold and not need it rather than try to buy it at greater rates when the market collapsed.

“And before that, seeds, right?” asked Hal.

“Yes,” nodded Jim.

“Think of food, gardens and seeds like an IPO. You need that idea, we’ll call that our seed and some collateral to get it off the ground, we’ll call that our garden. But also, you need collateral in the form of water, weeding the plants…a little care here and there. I mean, if you just throw money at an IPO and don’t do anything else, will it produce?” asked Hal.

“No, you still need to produce your product, work the marketplace and get it sold. Eventually the product makes you money. I mean, you can’t just throw money at an idea and expect it to work,” said Jim.

“You are light years ahead of most people in our government with that last comment,” chuckled Hal. “But a garden is not so different. You need your seed, grow your plants, care for them, spend some time playing around in it, but eventually the work pays off in the form of food.”

“But doesn’t that take a while?” asked Jim.

“Sure does, but in the meantime, you have other things lined up, like shelf stable foods and whatnot to get you through to your garden producing,” said Hal.

“So how does this work into preparedness? I’m following you, but not making the connection,” said Jim.

“Okay…you have your investments? You have an IPO ‘garden’ right? Just an idea that you have, but your need to grow your idea before it will produce. Your product is…we’ll call it your low risk stock. You don’t really lose a great deal when you start out, but in the end, you make decent money. Like a garden coming from a seed, you don’t make a lot starting out, but end up having food in the end.”

“Now you have your garden that you are waiting to grow into your low risk accounts. But you add in some long life ‘gold’ foods as well. Long life foods always pay out in the long run. Sure, you can eat your garden foods, but just in case, you have your long life, shelf stable foods as well.”

“But you also buy food from the grocery store, which is your high risk stock. What happens when our ‘stock market’ collapses and the grocery store runs out of food?” asked Hal, making his point.

“I can still live off the long life foods and the garden will produce food in the long run…how many times have you done this little speech?” asked Jim with a laugh.

“First time. It’s hard making it into terms you might understand,” said Hal. “But the garden scenario is also like our preparedness. You have the seed of the idea to get better prepared into your mind. Now what do you need to make it grow?”

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 4 CONTINUED

“Funds, time, work, knowledge,” said Jim.

“And that’s pretty much what preparedness is all about. Funds, time, work and knowledge,” said Hal.

“So for a beginner, what’s the most important thing?” asked Jim.

“There really isn’t one thing that is more important than the other. Focus on the basics: food, water, shelter and safety. Learn to know what you don’t know and ask for help,” said Hal.

“The web sites I went to tend to think guns are nice to have,” said Jim. “I’ve never owned a gun before. I never really cared about it one way or the other, but what’s the fascination?”

“Most preppers see firearms as being part of security. You take a look at those looters north of here. Now think about them descending on your home. Wouldn’t you just let them waltz in and take what you rightfully paid for or would you rather be able to defend your property?” asked Hal.

“I think the situation would dictate rather than a ‘one answer fits all’ scenario,” said Jim.

“Okay, how about looking at it from this viewpoint then. Those same looters want to rape your wife. What about then?” asked Hal.

“I would kill every last one of them,” said Jim with resolve. “Okay, I understand.”

“Preparedness isn’t as complicated as some people make it seem,” said Hal.

“I guess starting out it just seems like a lot to do,” said Jim.

“Well it is. I mean, there’s a ton of knowledge to be learned and that makes more than a few people give it up after a couple of months. But if you stick with it, it doesn’t really seem like a lot after you get going,” said Hal.

“I’ve pretty much made up my mind I’m going to do this, but another question,” said Jim.

“How do you explain it to your friends, neighbors and above all, your wife?” asked Hal.

“Yeah, how did you know?” asked Jim.

“Probably the most common thought with preppers. We all want to have help when it comes down to it, but have an issue bringing the subject up without being thought of as crazy. So put some feelers out and listen for things they say. Just like you did with me,” said Hal.

“And my wife?” asked Jim.

“That’s always the big question. Typically they tolerate it to a certain point up until you have enough ordnance stored up to last through World War Nine. It gets kind of tricky after that,” said Hal.

“Right, but where do I start?” asked Jim.

“Be reasonable about it. This is a perfect example to throw at the wife. She’s here and lived through this. This is the case file you use to get her into the mindset of being prepared,” said Hal. “But if you are going all the way, complete and utter self sufficiency across the board and prepared for everything including nuclear war and the end of civilization as we know it, you best start thinking of better reasons that this little earthquake. I can’t speak to how your relationship is with the wife, but I’m sure after five years of marriage you will know what to say.”

“I don’t know; sometimes I think women are some strange alien species dropped on this planet that we simply cannot communicate with,” laughed Jim.

“Brother, it doesn’t get any better with age; trust me,” laughed Hal.

“Not that I’m focusing in on a particular subject, but what about the guns? What should I know about them?” asked Jim.

“Preppers are as picky about guns as they are about their favorite color. You ask for advice on the net and I can flat guarantee you there will be about two hundred different opinions on the ‘best’ rifle, pistol, shotgun and .22 you should buy. Take my friend in Palmdale for example. He hates anything that starts in the letters AR, but loves the Springfield M1A. I imagine he would rather throw spit wads at an attacker as opposed to using a ‘poodle shooter’ as they are called. I know you have no idea what I’m talking about right now, but my advice? Find what you like and buy it. Don’t just go off of others advice about it. Take their advice on where to start, but in the end, buy what you are comfortable with,” said Hal.

“Are they as important as say, food and water?” asked Jim.

“Maybe. Depends on the situation. Like right now up north, one should have a way of defending themselves along with food, water, shelter and a way of fixing that food, water and shelter. There are evil people out and about up there and they don’t care to rob you as to look at you. Best to have a way of protecting yourself, your family and your property,” said Hal.

“Which brings up another question…what about around here? Is there some kind of security?” asked Jim.

“We have the local sheriff’s office as well as the police. Plus other things. I won’t say anything else, but you are safe here. Carmel-By-The-Sea isn’t a bad town at all. Kinda of liberal, but lots of money and not the typical riff raff like up north. Same thing with Monterrey and Seaside,” said Hal. “Before you leave, get with me and I’ll give you some of the web addresses of the sites I go to. Most are even keeled and have great information.”

“Thanks for helping me out,” said Jim.

“Well, here is the question. Just how far are you willing to go with this?” asked Hal.

“All the way to make sure Beth is taken care of,” said Jim.

“All the way how? It’s going to take time, knowledge, work and money,” said Hal.

“As in I don’t care what it costs. I can afford it. And as for the time, I will make the time to get my life in order. I’m self employed so I can work when I want to. And the knowledge I can gain along the way,” said Jim.

“You remind me of me a long time ago. But that only counts if you stick with it. The biggest problems I see are the ones that get all hot and bothered about it after an emergency then slip back into their ways after a few months. You stick with it for the long haul and you will be okay,” said Hal.

“Trust me, I’ve never back off of anything in my life and I’m not going to start now. I appreciate any help you can give me,” said Jim, sticking out his hand.

“I’ll help where I can,” said Hal and accepting the handshake. He saw raw fire and passion in the younger man and knew he would help guide him as much as he could in getting prepared for the future.

“What are those two talking about I wonder?” asked Beth to Linda as she looked at Jim.

“Oh, probably ‘manly’ subjects us womenfolk aren’t supposed to be hearing,” laughed Linda.

“Something is bothering Jim, I can see it,” said Beth.

“Probably worried for the both of you. It’s a traumatic time living through your first big earthquake,” said Linda.

“Yes, but he looked to be worried even before that. Like something was in the back of his mind,” said Beth.

“You two doing okay? If I may ask,” said Linda.

“Yes, of course. Great actually,” said Beth.

“Troubles at work?” asked Linda.

“He’s self employed, but no, I don’t think there is anything going on. He would have mentioned it otherwise. He and I don’t hold secrets back from each other,” said Beth.

“Why don’t you ask him dear? If you two don’t keep secrets from each other, just ask,” said Linda thoughtfully.

“I will when we are alone tonight,” said Beth, still wondering what could be on her husband’s mind.

“You two heading back to Denver when you get the chance?” asked Linda.

“Probably so. Back to work on Monday and I doubt we are going to be much help out here,” said Beth.

“Possibly, but one never knows,” said Linda.

“What else could happen?” asked Beth.

“This place could get overrun by refugees like Hal said. But other than that, just miserable trying to sleep for starters,” laughed Linda.

“Yeah, the air conditioning would be nice,” said Beth.

“The rooms are fairly stuffy when the power goes out. The windows open and it helps, but not by much,” said Linda.

“It happen before?” asked Beth.

“Once that I know of,” said Linda.

“And you two? How long will you stick around before heading back to Palmdale?” asked Beth.

“Knowing my husband, until the last possible minute. He will insist on helping everyone out that comes this way. He was born to help,” said Linda.

“What did he do before he retired?” asked Beth.

“A general contractor. We owned a construction business and made it pretty big in the boom of the 80s and 90s. Sold off while the getting was good, but kept some stock back just in case. But all he ever wanted to do was play golf, so we bought into this place a little bit at a time and eventually ended up owning enough to be on the board. Plus getting into some of the golf equipment companies out there as well. Even for retirement, he still works about as much as he ever did,” said Linda.

“Not too bad on retirement pay and you two are what? Early 50s at most?” asked Beth.

“Just shy of 60 myself, although he hit his ‘tombstone’ as he likes to call it last year. I appreciate the compliment,” said Linda.

“You look wonderful for your age,” said Beth.

“My family carries youthful features around, so I can’t claim anything else except genetics,” laughed Linda. “And you dear?”

“Just turned thirty-three last month,” said Beth.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you for more than twenty-five,” said Linda.

“Genetics,” laughed Beth. “My mother always looked at least twenty years younger than she really was. My father got accused of robbing the cradle from time to time, as does Jim.”

“And is your father still married to her?” asked Linda.

“Mom died several years ago in a car accident,” said Beth.

“Oh, I’m so sorry for bringing it up,” said Linda.

“No, it’s okay. You didn’t know. It was quick though,” said Beth.

“I feel terrible right now,” said Linda.

“Really, it’s okay. It happened a long time ago and I’m over it. Well, I don’t think you ever get over something like that, but time is a great healer,” said Beth.

“It certainly is. What are you two conspirators talking about?” asked Hal as he approached with Jim.

“I was telling Beth how I’m going to wring a knot in Jim’s butt over robbing the cradle! This poor young lady is only twenty-one and was dazzled by his good looks and money!” exclaimed Linda.

“You married a twenty-one year old…but I thought you said you have been married for five years,” said Hal with a little confusion.

“You wife is playing games. Jim and I are the same age,” said Beth with a laugh.

“Oh, I mean, you look like you could be twenty-one,” said Hal with an embarrassed laugh. “I don’t know. It’s a crazy world and all and you might have gotten married at sixteen to this little weasel.”

“Hal! That’s not very nice!” exclaimed Linda.

“Well, the little runt gave me a run for my money on skins! He deserves a little torture!” exclaimed Hal.

“How much longer on the engineer?” asked Jim, a little tired after the day’s events.

“Shouldn’t be long, but the hotel portion is kind of extensive. I hope for his sake it turns out okay or this angry mob is going to take matters into their own hands,” said Hal.

“Does your suite face east or west?” asked Linda.

“East towards the city,” said Beth.

Linda leaned over and whispered something into Hal’s ear. He nodded and got up to walk away and inside the building.

“What did you tell him?” asked Jim.

“Nothing dear. A little surprise when you least expect it. The breeze is nice coming off the water in the evenings,” said Linda.

“Yes, if it wasn’t for the crowds out here, I would just throw out a blanket and go to sleep right on the patio,” said Jim.

“I suspect some of the folks are going to do that,” said Linda.

Hal reappeared a few minutes later with the engineer in tow. He told the man to take a break and get something to eat as he had been working nonstop through the whole thing. Calling over one of the cooks, he instructed him to put on the biggest steak he could find along with all the fixings. He also called over the head pro with instructions to talk to the residents.

“I tried to open your windows, but the structure, while sound, was a little wrenched by the quake. The windows won’t open. Linda and I have decided to invite you two to stay at our place,” said Hal.

“We wouldn’t want to impose,” said Beth.

“No, we insist,” said Linda.

“If you don’t mind,” said Jim. “Is there lighting inside the room so we can get a change of clothing?”

“The emergency lights are still on and we will need to recharge them sometime tonight from the generator, but for now they are okay. You have a flashlight?” asked Hal.

“No,” said Jim.

Hal went over to one of the nearby maintenance carts and found a flashlight in the small toolbox. He had to smack it a couple of times to get it to work, but the beam came on as advertised. He handed it over to Jim. “We’ll wait here for you, but you had better move quick. The pro is getting ready to tell everyone it’s clear to move back in and someone will assault you for that flashlight. You’ve got about a five minute head start.”

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 4 CONTINUED

Both Jim and Beth got up and moved into the hotel and went to their room. They found acceptable clothing for the next day and threw it into their carry-on bags along with their toiletries before moving back into the hallway. Once they got closer to the entrance, they heard the pro telling the assembled group it was clear to move inside.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 5


Sunday 5:44 AM, Carmel Highlands, California


Jim woke up early to the sound of the surf crashing against the rocks nearby along with an unfamiliar sound as well. He slipped out of the bed quietly without waking Beth and grabbed his tennis shoes and tiptoed through the house. However, he found out he wasn’t the first one up as Hal was in the kitchen already making a pot of coffee from the natural gas stove.

“You thought of everything didn’t you?” asked Jim as he wandered in.

“Just about. Linda will be up in a few to start breakfast. Want to look in the basement?” asked Hal as if there were untold secrets in there. He handed over Jim a cup of coffee.

“Sure,” said Jim after grabbing the cup.

They went back into the hallway and found a closet in the hallway. It looked like any other typical coat closet except the fact of the small hidden doorway in the back. Hal reached in to the side and hit a button and the door popped opened slightly. Grabbing a flashlight off the top shelf, he illuminated the interior and Jim could see a staircase leading down into the basement. He followed Hal down carefully until they reached the bottom. Hal flipped on a set of lights fed by the battery banks that powered the house and the low wattage lights came on in the spacious basement.

“Took a while to get everything in here, but with what we charge at the course, the executives can afford it,” said Hal as he looked over everything and saw it was in order.

Jim stood in awe of the basement. Everything was stacked neatly in shelves, on pallets and on the floor. Different containers were marked with what was in each along with specific expiration dates. Foods were in one area, water in another, other equipment was lying covered in plastic waiting for the opportunity to be used. Two large gun safes sat in one corner still locked along with cases of ammunition sitting off to the side. The room was full of everything, but still easy to negotiate.

“Why buy gold when you have the mine right here?” asked Jim with a laugh.

“Yeah, sometimes you go to the gold, other times you bring the gold to you,” said Hal as he began his tour. He would stop at various points and expand on certain items and why in particular he bought them or had them around. They ended up at the left gun safe and Hal put in the combination to open it up. The heavy door finally came open and Jim’s eyes popped out of his head at the amount of weaponry inside.

“That’s a lot of guns,” said Jim.

“It pays to be prepared. I’ve got a rifle for every major caliber in there along with the parts kits to fix them if they break, the manuals and all the accessories. Pistols and shotguns are the same. There isn’t a lot of hunting to do around here, but I have rifles in the major calibers for that as well,” said Hal.

“What is that one?” asked Jim, looking at the various weaponry and pointing at one missing the barrel.

“That’s the lower receiver of a Barrett M82A1 rifle. Darn thing’s too large to fit in here, so I had to break it down,” said Hal, not mentioning the fact they were illegal in California. What Jim didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“You are stocked up for World War Nine, that’s for certain. But why so many?” asked Jim.

“Well, I’m kind of a doomer prepper. I’m prepared for the collapse of civilization. Call me a survivalist if you would, but once the big one hits nationwide, civilization will go right down the tubes. You think of how long it took the looters to come out in San Fran after the earthquake. Now imagine if something happened across the country like an EMP strike and killed all the electronics. How long will it be before most of your major cities are up in flames? And how long before they run out of targets inside the cities and move into the countryside? I’ve got all these because I have others coming in to help with security and the fact ammunition can become scarce. I want to have a rifle capable of firing whatever ammunition I can get my hand on, hence why so many different types and calibers,” said Hal.

“You think it will come to that?” asked Jim.

“Maybe…but probably more than likely. I mean, the country is starting to boil underneath with everything that goes on politically. And the entitlement class is no better. Once the welfare checks stop rolling in, they will take to the streets and start fighting for what they think is theirs. And eventually the cities will run out of things for them and they will join forces with other rival gangs and go out into the countryside looking for more places to loot, pillage, rape and burn. We aren’t far enough away from them for my tastes, but I can flat guarantee you, we’ll give them a bloody nose when it comes down to it,” said Hal.

Jim thought about what he had seen on the news last night along with footage from Hurricane Katrina, the New England Blackout, even something as simple as a team winning the NBA championship. He knew Hal was right, civilization would break down at the drop of a hat. And this simple fact put more resolve into him than anything else.

“You said you have multiple bug out locations,” said Jim.

“Yeah, more than one, plus the ability to bug in if needed. All are outfitted the same way as this one,” said Hal.

“How did you get all this stuff?” asked Jim.

“Over time and having friends in low places. It didn’t happen overnight and took some careful planning on my part. Take those gun safes for example; I had to put them in while the houses were being built. They wouldn’t fit through that entrance so I had to get them lowered in and build the house around them,” said Hal. “Just takes a lot of planning.”

Hal looked inside the safe and found two pistols he wanted and pulled them out along with the appropriate holsters. He also selected a shotgun off the rack and pulled it out as well. He closed the same behind him and went over to what appeared to be a tool chest before pulling open a drawer and finding the appropriate magazines for the CZ-75 and Kahr pistols he pulled out. They weren’t loaded, but the ammunition was in a separate cabinet and he pulled two boxes of it as well. The shotgun ammo rounded out his choices and was all put into a regular looking small black bag. If it was in a car, nobody would pay it any mind.

“Expecting trouble?” asked Jim.

“Nope, but that’s when trouble typically finds you,” said Hal.

“You going to carry those around the resort?” asked Jim.

“No. I’d probably give a few folks a heart attack doing that. I’ll carry the Kahr, that’s the little one, concealed but have the other two in the vehicle along with the rifle upstairs,” said Hal.

“Lot of weaponry,” said Jim.

“I read something a while back about a toolbox and firearms. You wouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer a nail, why use a firearm that isn’t intended for the task?” asked Hal.

“Sensible,” said Jim. “I’ve got a lot to learn I see.”

“It will come. Get involved in some shooting classes. That will help the most,” said Hal as they departed the basement and went upstairs. Linda was already in the kitchen getting the things for breakfast ready. The odd sounds were still coming from outside and Jim asked what was going on.

“That? That’s kind of our alarm system. Come on and I’ll show you,” said Hal as he took the firearms to his vehicle and locked them inside. He kept out the magazines for the CZ pistol and a box of ammunition and loaded it while they walked towards the ocean.

“They help alert us when folks are coming up the beach. They get a lot more rowdy when there are humans around,” said Hal as he pointed out the “alarm system.”

“I’ve got to get Beth to see this,” said Jim.

“Jim? Keep the fact I’m armed between you and me. Okay?” asked Hal.

“No problem,” said Jim as he went back into the house and to the bedroom where he and Beth had stayed. He leaned over on the bed and woke his wife. “Beth? Baby, wake up.”

“Mmmm, morning. Time for breakfast?” asked Beth groggily.

“Not yet, some here I want to show you something,” said Jim.

She grunted and looked at him. “What is it?”

“Just come on,” said Jim like a kid in a candy store.

Beth shot him a dirty look since she didn’t like early morning surprises, but rolled out of the bed and pulled on her sandals. She followed Jim out of the house to where Hal was still standing watching the scene in front of him.

“Go on up to those bushes over there. Don’t worry, they aren’t aggressive,” said Hal.

“What is so important to go dragging me out of bed this early?” demanded Beth in a low tone.

“A surprise,” said Jim as they crept up to some bushes overlooking the beach.

Beth was decidedly unhappy until she peeked over the bushes and towards the ocean. While she has seen them in zoos from time to time, she had never seen a California sea lion in the wild. Much less an entire rookery of them. She gasped at the sight of the animals basking in the early morning sun on the beach and making their distinctive bark at each other.

“Awww,” she cooed at the scene in front of her and pointed. “Jim look! There’s baby ones!”

“You going to let me off the hook for dragging you out of the bed to see this?” asked Jim with a chuckle.

“Awww,” she repeated and stared at the mothers and their pups. “How cute!”

Hal had crept up behind them and was looking between them. “They just had their pups a few weeks ago. Noisy boogers when mom goes out to feed and comes back looking for junior.”

“I want one,” said Beth with a laugh. “They are absolutely adorable!”

“You willing to give up the pool and pay the money to convert it into an enclosed space and heat it along with the fish smells?” asked Jim with a laugh.

“Absolutely!” she replied with another “Awww.”

“I think they might object,” laughed Jim.

“Not after I spoil it and make it fat!” laughed Beth.

They weren’t alone as one of the female sea lions saw them and peered at them. It hopped closer to the intruding humans and looked them over, deciding they were okay to be in the area for the moment. She turned her head and stared at them much like a dog would.

“That’s one of the mothers. The bulls have a larger bone in their head. She’s just wondering who we are and why we are out here,” said Hal.

“They ever get aggressive?” asked Jim.

“Not at all. Find them in the driveway from time to time and on the back patio sunning themselves. They tend to take over if you let them and just kind of move along when you come by. They tend to stick closer to the beach this time of year on account of the pups. I had an aggressive bull once who thought I was intruding on his rookery, but decided after I fed him a few fish I could be allowed to stay,” said Jim.

“How much would it cost to convert the pool?” asked Beth with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Come on, let’s go,” said Jim with a smile and a roll of his eyes.

As they crept away, the mother decided to follow them and see where they were headed. As they would stop, so would she and look at them intently.

“See Jim! She wants to go with us!” laughed Beth.

“Probably thinking we have food. A lot of them are used to humans feeding them and follow us around waiting for the fish in our pockets. They are wild animals, but are used to humans being around,” said Hal.

“If it follows me to the door, I’m keeping it,” laughed Beth. Hal went over and waved his hand at the sea lion, shooing it back towards the beach. She just looked at him and opened her mouth in a request to be fed.

“This one probably came from the Bay area where they get fed,” said Hal as he continued to shoo her away in a calm voice. “Go on. No fish here. Go pester the neighbors.”

The sea lion figured out the humans didn’t have what she wanted and turned back towards the beach. She looked over her shoulder once more before hopping along back to her pup and the rookery. The three went back into the house where Linda was starting breakfast.

“You show them the babies?” asked Linda.

“Yeah, and like everyone else Beth fell in love with them,” laughed Hal.

“They are cute when you first meet them, but I don’t pay them any mind now. Had a big fat male that refused to get out of the driveway once when I was trying to park. We planned on having fresh perch that night, but I had to use it to lure him away just so I could park the car,” laughed Linda. “They can get troublesome from time to time.”

“You see them in the zoo and all, but out here in the wild is certainly different,” said Beth.

“They aren’t really that wild. Typically don’t pay us any mind,” said Linda.

“Kind of unusual to find them this far off the beach isn’t it?” asked Jim.

“Not really. We are only about fifty yards off the water here but I’ve never seen them past the houses,” said Hal.

“Nice place you have here,” said Jim.

“Keeps the rain off our heads,” said Linda. “Eggs, sausage and toast okay?”

“Sounds great. I’m starving,” said Beth.

“You’re starving with that side of beef you ate last night?” laughed Jim.

“That was a good steak,” objected Beth.

“I’m heading into the resort this morning and taking Jim with me. You two want to stick around here or go in with us?” asked Hal.

“I think I’ll stick around here if it’s okay with you,” said Linda. “Beth is welcome to stay as well.”

“No reason for me to go out there. What’s going on anyway?” asked Beth.

“Just a leadership function. I don’t have to take Jim with me,” said Hal.

“No, it’s okay,” said Beth. “With the earthquake that far north, why is the power out here?”

“I suppose it’s because the lines were downed. Power lines are fairly fragile in that sort of incident. Might be back on by tonight or tomorrow,” said Hal as Bart pulled into the driveway. “You make enough for six?”

“Yes of course,” said Linda.

“Fairly impressive set up here. You have hot water as well?” asked Jim.

“Of course. The water heater runs off the battery pack, but can be disabled if we start running low on fuel for the generator,” said Hal.

“Morning. Linda, something smells good,” said Bart as he walked in.

“Should be ready in a few minutes,” said Linda.

“Hey Hal, you mind taking a look at something right quick?” asked Bart after pouring a cup of coffee.

“Sure, outside?” asked Hal.

“Yeah, in the car,” said Bart as he went to the door and was followed by Hal. Once they got to the vehicle, he popped the trunk lid and opened it up, effectively blocking their view of the house. “Got a question for you.”

“Okay, what is it?” asked Hal, looking in the trunk. Besides the normal emergency kit, there was nothing else.

“How well you know that Jim guy?” asked Bart.

“Just met him yesterday,” said Hal.

“And yet you invited him over and showed him your preps within a day of meeting him?” asked Bart.

“I don’t know. I just got a feeling about him. He could be a valuable asset,” said Hal.

“He a prepper already?” asked Bart.

“No, just getting into it, but he’s got a good eye for details,” said Hal.

“Why him though? There’s plenty more on our list,” said Bart.

“Well for one, he’s out in Colorado and we don’t have anyone out that way. You know we are trying to do that nationwide MAG and he could fit into that,” said Hal.

“Okay, good point, but we are looking for veteran preppers, not newbies,” said Bart.

“True, but he does have the financial means to come along quick,” said Hal.

“As long as he sticks with it. You and I both know there is a surge in preparedness after a big event like this,” said Bart.

“According to him, he was getting into it prior to it. Plus we don’t have anyone really inside the markets to warn us of an impending collapse. He could be downright valuable when it comes to that,” said Hal.

“You’re taking a risk,” said Bart.