The Road Home Read online

  Bug Out! Texas

  The Road Home

  Book 10

  Robert G Boren

  Contents

  Previously - in Bug Out! Texas Book 9

  Chapter 1 – Wounded

  Chapter 2 – Bad Dreams

  Chapter 3 – Cherry Pie

  Chapter 4 – Waiting Room

  Chapter 5 – Dallas Recruits

  Chapter 6 – Many Fronts

  Chapter 7 - Comfort Food

  Chapter 8 – Demolition Plans

  Chapter 9 – Stadium

  Chapter 10 – Battle Barge

  Chapter 11 – Race Against Time

  Chapter 12 – Trinity River

  Chapter 13 – Carrier Group

  Chapter 14 – Wide

  Chapter 15 – Snowballs

  Chapter 16 – Southern Retreat

  Chapter 17 – Hospital Move

  Chapter 18 – Magdalena

  Chapter 19 – The Swells

  Chapter 20 – Radio Talk

  Chapter 21 – The Trestle

  Chapter 22 – Triage and Terror

  Chapter 23 – Ranks

  Chapter 24 - Shore Meeting

  Chapter 25 – Border Crossing

  Chapter 26 – Long Live the Republic

  Chapter 27 – Field Hospital

  Chapter 28 – Lubbock

  Chapter 29 - Galveston Bay

  Cast of Characters

  Copyright - About the Author

  Previously – in Bug Out! Texas Book 9

  As Book 9 opened, the Fort Stockton group was in a vicious firefight with the enemy, after they had destroyed the bridges over the Rio Grande on I-25, cutting the main route the enemy was using to move men and supplies from Mexico to Colorado. Their new allies - the Mescalero Tribe - arrived to save the day just as the Texas Patriots were running out of ammo. Amanda was kidnapped by enemy fighters from her bobtail truck, which was several hundred yards behind the battle lines. Curt and the others followed the tracks, finding her held by several Islamists. They attacked, getting Amanda back unharmed.

  General Hogan suggested that the Fort Stockton group disable I-40 as close to the Arizona border as possible, because this was a route that the enemy could switch to now that I-25 was destroyed. Governor Nelson agreed, but wanted the group back in Texas after that.

  The enemy saw that the RFID chips of their operatives at the South Padre Island DPS Base were gone, and set off charges they had placed there, blowing up the entire facility. Richardson and his team barely escaped death by diving into the water. They were left with no boat, no phone with the apps, and two pistols as they climbed out of the wreckage. Enemy choppers and boats approached.

  There were many RFID hits in the Gulf of Mexico, which was supposed to be patrolled by the US Navy. Director Wallis called his Navy contact and found out they had left the gulf to fight the EU Navy. Texas was again exposed on its coast. Nelson decided to use the Texas Air National Guard to strike enemy ships in the gulf, an act that had been forbidden before, knowing there might be consequences from the globalist empire.

  The Fort Stockton group saw enemy fighters surging towards the junction of I-25 and I-40, spreading to the west to protect that route. Eric suggested they could go into Arizona and travel up Highway 191 to hit I-40 just west of the New Mexico border. The plan was approved, and they moved forward.

  The DPS Patrol boaters were rescued from South Padre Island. They were taken to Corpus Christi, but ordered to move north to Canyon Lake, where a training facility was being built. Richardson and his team were to train as many new recruits for the DPS Patrol Boat force as possible, the plan after that being to take control of the Rio Grande by Big Bend National Park, which had become a huge border crossing point for the enemy. While they were in Corpus Christi, the city came under attack from thousands of enemy fighters. Wallis ordered them to flee, since they were the last of the DPS Patrol Boat service, essential to the rebuilding of that organization. They made it to Canyon Lake unharmed, after a road battle with Islamists who were attacking a car full of young women.

  The Fort Stockton Group began to execute the Arizona plan. Don and Sydney used their social media team to recruit people in Arizona for the fight there. The enemy noticed what they were doing and sent fighters up Highway 191, killing many Arizona civilians and taking women hostage. Jason and his team saw the activity on the apps and chose an alternative route to I-40. By that time Don and Sydney’s team had recruited over thirty thousand people, so Major General Gallagher took command of that group remotely, airlifting them modern weapons and giving them the RFID apps. The Fort Stockton group converged on Pie Town, New Mexico, planning to attack I-40 from there.

  General Hogan shared that the RFID apps were finished, and he provided the capability to the entire Texas Leadership team and all Texas combatants. This came just in the nick of time.

  The DPS Patrol Boat team got to their hotel on Canyon Lake, and found that the women they had rescued on the road were in the band who was playing at the hotel’s lounge. They also learned there had been two run-ins between the band and enemy fighters, the last one resulting in a severe beating of the Islamists by some Texas Patriots in New Braunfels. Richardson saw enemy fighters converging on that town, going from venue to venue looking for the band. At one of the venues, a patron told the enemy fighters the band was playing a gig at the Canyon Lake hotel. When Richardson saw the enemy fighters heading towards Canyon Lake, he notified Wallis, who ordered Richardson to flee, and dispatched a large National Guard force which was nearby. Richardson warned everybody at the hotel, and they made their escape before the enemy fighters arrived. The National Guard troops, now having the new RFID apps in their possession, ambushed the enemy fighters at the hotel, and then headed for a larger base, exposed by the apps, on the outskirts of San Antonio.

  The Fort Stockton caravan arrived at Pie Town. Everybody got there safe and sound except for the three tanks on flatbeds and the rigs of Jason and Kyle, who were guarding their rear. Scavengers on the road tricked the tank flatbeds into pulling over, and took the drivers prisoner. Jason, Kyle, and Kate walked up to see what was going on and got captured as well. Carrie remained in the rig with Chelsea, not knowing what was happening. After a while she sent a text message to Pie Town, saying that something was wrong. A group was dispatched to their location to check things out. They saw the scavengers from a high spot in the road, White Eagle hitting two of the three scavengers with his sniper rifle. They captured Jasper, the leader of the scavengers, and learned that he was friends with Phillip of the Williams Militia, who was bringing a team to buy the three tanks and take them back to Arizona. White Eagle and the others laid a trap for the militia, attacking and defeating them on the road a mile or two from where the tank flatbeds were parked. Meanwhile other scavengers snuck in and killed the flatbed drivers. Carrie and Kate, who were hiding in the rig behind the flatbeds, snuck up and saw the other scavengers. They attacked, Kate killing two but getting hit herself. Carrie opened fire on the remaining scavengers as Kate lay bleeding.

  Chapter 1 - Wounded

  Carrie fired several shots from her Mini 14, hitting the last two scavengers, one only in the leg. She knelt next to Kate, who lay unconscious on the blacktop, bleeding heavily from her side. “No no no!” she cried.

  She heard a noise and looked up to see a wounded scavenger crawling towards her, bowie knife in his mouth, his belt buckle rubbing the pavement as he moved. She reached for her gun, then saw Chelsea coming towards her from the corner of her eye.

  “Get back in the coach,” she screamed, but Chelsea kept coming towards her mother. When Carrie turned back to the scavenger, he was on his feet, charging her. She opened fire, hitting him several times. He continued towards her, his eyes glassy,
hands at his side limp.

  “I’m gonna kill you, bitch,” he croaked. Carrie aimed the Mini 14 in a panic and pulled the trigger, but it just clicked. She scrambled to the BAR lying beside Kate, aiming and pulling the trigger, the 30-06 rounds blasting big holes in the man’s chest. He slumped to the ground and died as Chelsea got there.

  “I told you to get in the coach,” Carrie shouted. Chelsea looked at her, terrified, and ran back crying. Carrie snuck forward with the BAR, looking for more scavengers alive. She got to the bodies at the front of the flatbed, one of them moaning. It was Jasper. He turned towards her, his eyes barely open.

  “We’re gonna get you and your little bitch,” he said.

  “Not today,” Carrie said, firing several rounds into his head. She continued searching, finding the dead flatbed drivers. Then she pulled out her phone and called Jason.

  “Hey, honey,” he said. “We just finished up.”

  “More scavengers,” she said, barely getting the words out. “Kate’s down. Hit in the side. I don’t know how bad. I killed the rest.”

  “Oh, God,” Jason said. “We’ll be there in a few minutes. Get in the coach and protect Chelsea.” The call ended.

  “Chelsea,” she said to herself, turning and rushing back towards the motor home. She saw a dark shape running towards the door of the coach.

  “Stop!” she shouted. The man turned towards her with a pistol, and she opened fire with the BAR, killing him next to the rig, then racing into it and slamming the door. “Chelsea!”

  “I’m here,” she cried from the back. Tires screeched outside as Jason’s Jeep skidded to a stop, other vehicles following. Kyle jumped out and rushed to Kate’s side. Jason sprinted into the door of the coach, both Carrie and Chelsea rushing to him, embracing.

  “Daddy,” Chelsea said, trembling. “There were bad men here.”

  “They’re dead, honey,” Jason said.

  “I hope Kate doesn’t die,” Carrie whispered through sobs.

  “Rachel’s here,” Jason said. “She’s had some nursing school. Hope it’s enough until the ambulance gets here.”

  “You called one?”

  “Kyle did on the way. There should be paramedics from Pie Town here any second.”

  The sound of a siren floated towards them. “I hear it,” Carrie said, fainting in his arms. Jason picked her up and took her to the bed, Chelsea following close behind, getting on the bed next to her mother.

  “I’m okay,” Carrie said, eyes blinking. “The baby.”

  “Does it feel okay?” Jason asked, face showing panic.

  “Yes, but I’m so tired,” she said.

  Jason turned towards the windshield and saw the ambulance pull up. “They’re here.”

  “Go see if you can help,” Carrie said. “I’ll be okay in a second.”

  “I’ll stay with you, mommy,” Chelsea said, resolute. Jason and Carrie looked at each other in horror.

  “Go,” Carrie whispered.

  Jason nodded and ran out the door. Chelsea moved closer and put her hand gently onto her mother’s belly. “She’s gonna be all right, mommy. I know it.”

  Chapter 2 – Bad Dreams

  “Get out of the way!” shouted the paramedic as he rushed over, an EMT behind him pushing a gurney. He knelt next to Kate, checking the wound, then looking at the others. “What’s her name?”

  “Kate,” Kyle said.

  “Kate!” the paramedic yelled, his face just inches from hers. Kate’s eyes fluttered open, not sure where she was at first. She saw Kyle standing over her.

  “Watch out, honey,” she said softly. “There may be more around.”

  “Don’t talk,” Kyle said, watching as the paramedic lifted her shirt and looked at the wound.

  “It’s bad, isn’t it?” Kate asked.

  “It could’ve been a lot worse,” the paramedic said, motioning to the other two paramedics, who rolled the gurney closer and lowered it. The men picked her up carefully and put her on the gurney, then raised it. Two of them rolled her to the ambulance. The first paramedic stayed behind.

  “Is she gonna live?” Kyle asked, tears running down his cheeks.

  “I wasn’t kidding when I said it could’ve been a worse spot,” he said. “We’ve got a team standing by at the hospital. You can follow us over there.”

  “Take the Jeep,” Jason said, tossing his keys to Kyle. “I’ve got to drive Carrie back in the rig.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Jason watched the ambulance roll away, Kyle making a U-turn in the Jeep and following.

  “Take your rig home,” Junior said. “Want me to drive Kyle’s rig back? Rachel can take this off-roader home.”

  “Yeah, I’ll do that, but I’m staying right with you guys,” Rachel said.

  “We’ve got enough people here to drive the flatbeds home,” Kelly said, glancing over at several of the others. “Most of you guys doubled up. Who knows how to run a big diesel like these?”

  “I know how,” Stanton Hunt said.

  Several other men raised their hands.

  “That’s enough,” Kelly said. “Let’s get the hell out of here before somebody else shows up.”

  “Seriously,” Stanton said.

  Jason nodded, turning to rush back to his rig, climbing up the steps. Carrie was out of bed, standing in the salon.

  “What’d they say?” she asked.

  “The paramedic said she could’ve been hit in a worse place,” Jason said. “Why aren’t you still lying down?”

  “I feel better,” she said. “Can we go?”

  “Yep, we’re leaving now. We got enough guys here to get the flatbeds home. Kyle took our Jeep to the hospital.”

  “Good,” Carrie said. “Let’s go.”

  Jason got behind the wheel and drove forward, following the flat beds, Junior behind them driving Kyle’s truck and trailer.

  “I hope she pulls through,” Carrie said, getting into the passenger seat after buckling Chelsea onto the couch.

  “Yeah, we can’t lose Kate,” Jason said. “You sure you’re feeling okay?”

  “Yes,” she said. “We should get a checkup while we’re here, but I think I’m fine.” She lowered her voice. “I’m more worried about the munchkin. She saw way too much.”

  “Oh no,” Jason said, glancing over at her. “She saw you kill people?”

  “Yes,” Carrie said, starting to shake as she cried. “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “We’ll watch her, but she seems okay now.”

  “She fell asleep already,” Carrie whispered after glancing back. “That’s unusual. Hope she’s not going into shock.”

  “Don’t go to the worst place,” Jason said. “You’ve got enough stress going.”

  “I know, but I can’t help it,” she said. “Wish these had bench seats so I could be closer to you.”

  “We’ll be home in no time,” Jason said.

  “Was that Phillip guy with the militia caravan?”

  “I don’t know,” Jason said. “We killed them all. They were barely armed, by the way. A few hunting guns and pistols.”

  “I wouldn’t assume that their entire force is like that,” Carrie said. “They thought they were meeting friends to buy tanks.”

  “Yeah, they were more interested in escape than fighting with us, that’s for sure.”

  “I’m glad you killed them.”

  “It was the best choice,” Jason said. “We might get hit by their friends, though. Glad they have RFID chips.”

  Carrie picked her phone up from the console and loaded the apps. She got buzzed right away, but saw that it was on the road.

  “Just got hits from the dead militia,” she said, changing to the long-range app.

  “What are you looking at?”

  “Arizona,” Carrie said. “Looking for signs that a team is on the way here.”

  “They have to drive through Pie Town to get here,” Jason said. “We’ll see them come and go. If it’s a small force, maybe we
ought to take them out.”

  “There’s a lot of hits around the Grand Canyon.”

  Jason glanced at her. “We heard that Phillip was the head of the Williams Militia, and that town is pretty close to the Grand Canyon.”

  “I remember,” Carrie said. “There’s the wreckage of the militia vehicles.”

  “Yeah,” Jason said. “We probably should’ve kept at least one of those creeps alive. It was a tough decision. Came down to one thing.”

  “What was that?”

  “We couldn’t take a prisoner into our camp while they have a chip in them.”

  “Oh,” Carrie said. “Maybe some roadside surgery?”

  Jason’s eyebrows went up. “Wow, that’s grisly. You must be feeling better.”

  “I’m fine, really, now that I’ve settled down.”

  “Good,” Jason said. “Wish we could go faster.”

  “Don’t get too far ahead of those flatbeds, honey,” Carrie said. “Take your time. You can still see them back there, right?”

  “Only the first one. No, I see the other two now.”

  “Good,” Carrie said. “Don’t let them out of your sight. Slow down more if you have too.”

  “Thanks,” he said, looking at her, eyes misty. “I can’t imagine what Kyle must be going through.”

  “We’ll go to the hospital after we get settled,” Carrie said. “Unless some new crap starts up.”

  “Yeah,” Jason said, glancing at her again. “She’s family.”

  “Mommy!” Chelsea cried from the couch.

  “I’d better go ride with her,” Carrie whispered. “She’s having dreams already.”

  “Go,” Jason said. She left her seat. Jason looked at his mirrors, seeing he was too far ahead again. He slowed, then put cruise control on at 45 mph. They got to the Pie Town RV Park safely.

  Chapter 3 – Cherry Pie

  Richardson was at the wheel of his rented pickup truck, racing north on Highway 306, following Juan Carlos and Madison in their pickup. Brendan and Hannah were behind them. They were fleeing the Canyon Lake resort as the Islamists raced towards it.