Free Storm Tide Rising: Blackout Volume 2 by D W McAliley Page A

answer that question when Joe chuckled softly and patted Brant's shoulder.
    "This, Brant," Joe said with a serious tone, "I do this. I manage the worst situations you can possibly imagine, and I do so with the lowest loss of life possible. It's what I did for most of my adult life."  Joe firmly shook Brant's hand again. "Remember, you have three days at most before things are going to be very bad. Don't trust anyone you don't know. Don't let your guard down, no matter what. Another three days, even people you know will be desperate, and desperate people are dangerous."
    Joe motioned to the rest of the small group. "C'mon, fellas. Let's give Brant a minute alone."
    Joe turned and walked away with Oscar and Justin. Eric lingered a moment and tried to think of something to say. Unable to find the words, he shook Brant's hand and left his friend staring into the dying flames of his home. Lightning lit up the sky to the west, and a faint rumble of thunder rolled on the breeze.
    Another storm was brewing.

Ch.12
    The Way Back
     
    Marcus looked down at the dark Tennessee Air National Guard base and ground his teeth. They'd tried three times to raise them on the radio with no response. Finally, he shrugged. "We can't make it all the way back to Utah on one tank, no matter how much we want to. We've got to set down and get fuel."
    The pilot nodded and started flipping switches on the control panel. The chopper descended slowly onto the helipad at his careful control. As soon as the runners were down, Marcus stepped out with his rifle raised. He clicked on the flashlight and scanned the open courtyard but found himself alone. The pilot throttled down the engines but kept them in a warming cycle. He disengaged the rotors to make it safe to move about and then climbed down from the cockpit to stretch his legs and back.
    Suddenly, the courtyard was full of lights and yelling. Marcus froze, as did the pilot, but neither dropped their guns. After a flurry of hectic action, a lone figure stepped out of the shadows and clicked on a flashlight. Captain Withers' dirt and soot-stained face was grim.
    "Mr. Attledge," Captain Withers said, "I didn't expect you back so soon.  You picked a hell of a time to drop in for another little chat."
    "Captain," Marcus said with a nod, and the men around him relaxed a touch. "What's going on? Why the overwhelming force? And why didn't you answer our hails on the radio?"
    "Radio's trashed," Captain Withers replied with a wry chuckle. "We've been hit three times today by rednecks and mountain men who've apparently decided they've got nothing left to lose. They actually breached the gates at one point and set fire to the main building. Radio went up with the break room and most of our food and water."
    Marcus breathed a heavy sigh but didn't say anything right away. He was having no luck trying to think up a kind way to tell the Captain that he needed another favor. Withers saved him the trouble, though. "Well, I'm guessing you didn't come back for a chat. What do you need?"
    "Fuel," Marcus replied simply. "We've got to make it back to Utah, and we're going to need fuel to do it. Your chopper out there is out of commission anyway. Do you have a burning need for the external fuel tanks attached to it?"
    The captain thought for a moment but shook his head. "Not that I can think of, and they're already full. But you've got a tank under each wing already. Where are you gonna put two more?"
    "In the crew compartment," Marcus said and Captain Withers arched an eyebrow. "Look, when you take the seats out, the bolt holes line up perfectly for the rack bolts that hold the tanks on the transport cart. If you and your men are willing to help, we can bolt them down, fill them to the brim, and pipe them into the internal tanks. It's dangerous, but thankfully neither the pilot nor I smoke, so I think we'll be safe."
    Captain Withers snorted a short laugh. "I have no doubt you will be, but what about my men? We can't hold