“I’m still listening,” said Kyle.
“There are at least half a dozen very capable men in our group that will go with you. One of them is Hector, and Bull is getting him now. Hector was a foreman at the railroad hub before the grid went down.”
There was quick knock on the door. Bull and Hector stepped into the room. Hector looked at the weapons still in the hands of Robert and Kyle. Although he was just told that they were not a threat, Hector kept a cautious eye on the two men. He gave a quick nod as a greeting and stayed several paces away from both of them. Hector wore a loose shirt that covered his beltline, and had tucked his pistol into the back of his pants. He stood with one hand behind his back in an unthreatening, but ready, position. Hector was a native of Mexico and had come to America with his parents when he was young. Although he did finally gain US citizenship through military service, his early years in the U.S. were nomadic and rough. His parents worked difficult jobs for little money, and so did Hector. He had lived in dangerous neighborhoods all his life, learning early on not to trust anyone, and most of all, to stay well armed.
“Gentlemen, this is Hector.” Doc cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. Our pleasantries were not extended to formal introductions yet. What are your names, anyway?” asked Doc, as he used both hands to move the thick glasses to the correct position on his face.
Robert noticed the distant stance and the unblinking stare of Hector, and then realized that he had not completely aimed his rifle downward. He pointed the barrel to the floor, and then introduced himself and Kyle to Hector. Hector nodded his head again to acknowledge the greeting.
“Gentlemen, you need to go. I will stay with Dorothy. Discuss a plan of action and execute it… and Cyrus, if you like,” Doc said, with a euphoric laugh.
“Hold it. I haven’t agreed to anything yet. One condition isn’t negotiable for me. I get to kill Cyrus,” Kyle said, with absolute resolution. “Any problems with that?”
Bull looked around at the group and said, “I don’t care who does it.”
Everyone nodded, and an alliance was formed.
Doc motioned with his hands, waving the men toward the door. “Move along, you’re wasting time. Find the other men and get going.”
Bull opened the door for the men to leave the room. Robert and Kyle could see the rest of the concrete structure they were standing in. It was a multilevel concrete parking garage. Bull led them around the structure and gave them a tour of the different levels as they gathered men for the nighttime raid against Cyrus. They started at the top level, where there were water buckets to catch rain. There were also wind turbines made from alternators they had removed from cars. The alternators had makeshift blades attached so that when the wind blew, it would turn the alternators, creating an electric current, and charge the car batteries. Those batteries ran their electric lights. They also were able to recharge batteries for handheld flashlights. He explained that the concrete structure was much like a medieval castle, with the height of the top level being useful as a lookout, and the concrete walls providing protection against bullets. The concrete garage would also not burn down. Fires were why so many people had ended up homeless. People’s homes had been burning down because of candles, inadequate fireplaces, and pure stupidity in using fire in their homes. Bull thought that the number of fires during the coming winter would be astronomical.
The underground levels of the concrete structure would remain cool in the summer, and because they were so far underground, would not get below freezing. The lowest levels were much like a cave. The food they had scavenged was stored below. That would keep them through the winter months. People who were homeless and without food could easily die over the winter. In the spring, they would to plant the seeds that they had stored, and hopefully be able to raise their own food. It would not take long to scavenge all the canned food and boxed goods. They all knew that it was critical to become self-sufficient.
Bull brought all the men to the lower level. He flipped a switch and the cavernous space was illuminated by the power of car batteries. He directed them to sit at a large table so they could discuss a plan of action. Hector used a piece of coal and created a rough map of the area where Cyrus was. He estimated there were nine sleeper cars and they were on the far side of the rail hub, closest to the river. The entry doors to the sleeper cars were on the west side and the river was on the east side of the tracks.
“Okay, Hector, how do we do this?” asked Bull.
Hector tossed the piece of coal to the ground and brushed the coal dust off his hands. He walked over to a small crate in a dark corner, grabbed something from it, and returned to the table. “This will get us started. Bullets will do the rest.” Hector was displaying a stick of dynamite.
“You’re the only one who knows how to use it,” said Bull skeptically. “And we only have a few sticks.”
“That’s right, four sticks exactly. We put this under every other car that they’re in, and boom, they wake up, run out of the cars scared to death, and our bullets take over from there.”
“How do we know which car Cyrus is in?” asked Kyle.
All the men looked to Hector for an answer. Hector scratched his head. “That’s a good question. Here’s a guess. When we get there, we’ll see if they have anyone on watch. If so, they’ll be near where Cyrus is sleeping. That’ll be your car.” He pointed to Kyle. “If they have someone on night watch, it’ll be somebody low in the organization, probably someone stupid and easy to control. That will make them an easy target for us.”
“What are the details of your plan, then?” asked Robert.
“If there’s someone on watch, we get them with a rifle, and then wait to see if anyone heard the shot. If not, I sneak up and place the dynamite under the sleeper cars. We set off the dynamite and wait for them to run out. Then when they run out, we pick them off one by one.”
“What if they hear the shot that takes out the night watchman?” asked Bull.
“We will shoot through the walls and windows of the rail cars. That option isn’t as good.”
“The dynamite won’t blow up the cars?” asked Kyle.
“No, those cars have a massive steel undercarriage. One stick will just motivate them to leave.”
Robert removed the two hand grenades from his backpack and placed them on the table. Hector smiled and leaned over to get one. He placed it on the palm of his hand and held it up to the light like a precious gem.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve used one of these. I was in the army for a few years. That’s where I was able to play with these. Where did you get them?”
Robert pointed to Kyle. “We passed by a military base and got a few things a while ago. It’s a long story.”
“You’re going to have another story after this night.” Hector leaned over to grab the other grenade from the table. “You mind if I work with these?”
Robert and Kyle both shrugged.
“Let’s get going,” ordered Bull.
The eight men stopped when they could see a fire near the Amtrak cars. The cars were exactly where Hector thought, in an open area next to the river. They faced the side of the cars with the exit doors. To get out of the cars on the other side, near the river, would require someone to climb out the windows. In a hasty retreat, Cyrus’s men are going to run out the doors, and to their death. Hector went ahead alone to see if there was anybody on night guard duty. He returned and confirmed that one person was on watch near the lead car.