The Survivalist (Frontier Justice)

Chapter 5

By the time Mason arrived at the cabin, his mind was racing like a rookie trying to win his first NASCAR title. What he needed most was information. He had repeatedly tried the two-way radio and cell phone, both of which had failed him miserably. Now it was time to broaden his reach. He hurried around back and once again fired up the generator. Then he went inside and climbed a ladder to a small upstairs loft where his radio equipment was set up. He had been a licensed amateur radio operator for several years and knew from experience that, under the right conditions, one-hundred-watt broadcasts such as his could skip halfway around the world. Reaching out to those beyond the area of infection should be quite easy.

He switched on the radio and checked the power level and antenna selection. Everything was a go. He tuned to a frequency in the 20-meter band that was active during emergencies, hoping to hear traffic. When he didn't hear any transmissions, he said, "This is KB4VXP. Is anyone listening on this frequency? I'm looking for information on the pandemic."

He waited for a response. When none came, he repeated his call for help.

After his second transmission, a voice said, "Who is this?" The voice was that of a young woman. She wasn't following standard Ham jargon.

Mason keyed his microphone.

"This is KB4VXP. What is your call sign, over?"

"I ... I don't know. This was my husband's radio." She sounded close to having an emotional breakdown.

"Okay. No problem. Take it slow. Where are you broadcasting from?"

"I'm in Ukiah."

"Where's Ukiah?" he asked, wondering if she was even in the States.

"Northern California. Where are you? Are you close? My son and I need help."

Mason didn't like what he was hearing. Surely, the pandemic or attack hadn't reached all the way to the West Coast.

"Tell me what's going on. I'm listening."

"They're dead," she cried.

"Who's dead?"

"Everyone's dead!"

Mason took a deep breath.

"What's your name, dear?"

There was a slight pause.

"Kathryn. Kate. I'm Kate Battens."

"All right, Kate, I'm Mason. Relax, okay? Let's just talk. We'll figure this out together. Tell me what's going on."

"Right," she said, her voice steadying. "We're in trouble here. Nearly everyone around us is dead, and no one has come to help."

"How did they die?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"The virus. Superpox-99. Only my son and I survived."

Mason had never heard of Superpox-99, but he wasn't going to lose his only link to the outside world by having her question his usefulness.

"How many are dead in Ukiah? In California?"

"They're all dead. My neighbors. My husband. My co-workers. My pastor. They're all dead," she repeated, her voice rising again.

"Has Superpox-99 affected the major cities? Los Angeles? San Francisco?"

"I think so," she answered. "We have no TV. No radio. No power or even water. I'm running this radio using my husband's generator. Please, we need help desperately."