Chapter 5 – Redress

12:06 pm
Unit 2
CMMR Complex Building 1

Matt drove up the gravel road toward the two main buildings up on the plateau. He reached up and over to the passenger side visor and touched the garage door opener to his unit from more than 200 feet out. He knew just how far away he could do it, and roll in without having to stop. In fluid motion Matt gear stopped and parked the vehicle and flew out of it, opening the unlocked door to the kitchen through the attached garage with his right hand as his left palmed the garage door button to close it. Through the kitchen, dinette, living room, up the stairs and around and down the hall he went to his master suite bedroom, and office.

Immediately he turned on his HP computer, and opened the file drawer to find the protocols. He found the 201 purchase orders checklist. He took a seat in his favorite leather office chair, at his desk under his bed loft. He had built it himself, and it was so efficient through college, he couldn’t part with it. Windows XP seemed slower than normal loading, but he realized he was anxious. He knew he had several orders to get out as quickly as possible. I was already too late for Syco or Menards to deliver same day, hopefully he had time.

Matt found the files, under the 201 folder, and checked them against the list.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-001– (715) 555-1901 Sysco Foods for delivery of canned foods, frozen foods, bulk dry foods, and cleaning supplies.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-002– (715) 555-2602 Hillman Propane & Gas – complete propane tank fill, inspection, and install two new tanks, fill diesel tanks too.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-003 – (715) 555-1492 Papke & Sons – 20 full cords of firewood delivered and tarped.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-004 – (715) 555-8989 Paulson Pump – septic tank pumping, all three main tanks.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-005 – (715) 555-2002 Menards – order for delivery of building materials to pole barn on site, including an entire pallet of ¾” OSB plywood and a pallet of 2×4 lumber, and treated 4×4 posts, with other misc items including chicken wire and barbed wire bundles.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-006 – (715) 555- 5663 Northwoods Farm, Feed & Supply – order for hey, and chicken feed, some animal meds, and other egg incubator and chicken feeder.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-007 – (715) 555- 3888 Ulrich Farms, expand chicken stock and goats populations by 100%.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-008 – (517) 555- 0662 J&S sales – ammunition – stocking up on the good stuff, 3,000 rounds of each Federal Ammunition Hydra-shock hollow points in 9mm and .357 mag, 5,000 rounds of 5.56 NATO SS109, 5,000 of 55 grain .223 JHP, and 5,000 of 160 grain 7.62 NATO FMJ. 25,000 rounds of .22 LR. 1,000 round of OO ¾” 12 gauge, and 500 1¼ oz. slugs. Ship what is in stock, do not hold for out of stock items.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-009 – (838) 555- 2121 Wilmont Foods – long term storage foods – 25 person basic supply 6 month order, ship in stock items immediately, do not hold for out of stock items.

PURCHASE ORDER 201-010 – (715) 555- 4162 – Midwest Supply – reloading supplies, gun powder, primers, black powder, bullets, shot shells, shot wads, lead.

He started emailing out the ready to go purchase orders that he could do by emails, cc to Paul, and started printing out the ones he had to fax, updating the dates to today’s date first, and then signing them. Matt plugged the brother printer/scanner/fax into the land line and started faxing. As the last one connected and went through, Matt had a sense of accomplishment and took a breather.

Time for quick change of clothes he decided, get into work clothes and get into another state of mind. He stepped into the walk-in-closet, kicking off his work shoes, black socks, slacks, dress shirt, hanging that up on the door, the rest went in the hamper. He put on his pocketed green work pants, a comfortable t-shirt, and a tight weave heavy shirt. He grabbed a stiff leather wide belt, and as he looped through the pants also slipped it through a flashlight and mini tool holder on his left side. For a second, he paused as to whether he should be putting on a holster, but decided against it, that was over reacting. He fastened the belt. He then grabbed some white tube socks and put on his favorite Timberline boots.

He turned to the in-wall safe in the closet and punched a 5 digit code. There on top shelf inside it was his Beretta 92F, 9mm, with Crimson Trace Lasergrips, which he had sighted in again just a few weeks ago. He made a mental note he should probably bring up some more ammo from downstairs as he usually only kept two 50 rounds boxes for it there. Only two of the four magazines were loaded, and they had 147 grain Hydra-shock hollow points alternating with 115 grain FMJs. Stopping power and penetration, every other shot.

Matt decided to grab his Kel-Tec P3AT in .380 caliber. This was really a back-up gun, but was incredibly light, and flat for a .380, just 10 oz. loaded and about ¾” wide. This little automatic was loaded with six rounds in the clip of 95 grain Federal Hydra-shock hollow points. Matt decided not to cycle a round in the chamber for safety. He had a super slim leather fold over for it that made it look like a wallet, which he then handily put in his left rear pocket, and made sure the Velcro was well closed. Matt also decided to grab a small pepper spray, and tucked that into his right front pocket. It was a great non-lethal way to back out of a fight, and have saved him from at least one unwanted bar fight.

Matt also grabbed his SOG Trident knife, it was a spring assisted 3.75” lock blade, not overly large, but large enough to defend one self with and do all the things a utility knife needs to do. The knife also featured a handy rope, twine, or belt cutter besides the knife itself, and a handy clip to hold it in place. Matt usually carried a SOG blink on him, same thing as a money clip with the two inch blade, but it was time to upgrade to a more, reliable and multi-purpose knife.

It was just about 1:00 pm. He wanted to get to his TV and catch FOX News and CNN at the top of the hour. He shuffled down the stairs quickly and turned on his big flat screen TV. As it fired up he switched the source to satellite and keyed in the channel. Commercials. Matt saw his phone on the first floor had the red light flashing. He entered the code, and it was a message from Lisa Paulson, who had a great voice, and was also a very attractive real estate agent. It said that they would be arriving from Madison around 8 pm. She knew to leave the message on the main floor extension so Matt would see it as he came in, but he had run right past it. When they built the retreat, they wired in an older analog phone system that they got a deal on. Each of the 12 units had 3 to 5 extensions, and everyone shared 4 phone lines externally. It also served as an intercom and announcement system.

Matt’s attention went to the TV as bottom of the hour update came on.

“From its headquarter in Atlanta, the CDC is also assuring health providers that there is ample flu vaccine in the face of an apparent early outbreak this year. There is also a report of an outbreak of chicken pox. More to follow on this tonight. In economic news, Euro has once again dipped below the dollar while the yen….” Matt clicked off the TV.

Though he’d lived alone for two years now, and was often alone in the complex two thirds of the time during the year, especially in the Spring and Fall, Matt now suddenly utterly alone, and longed for some companionship. He went back to the phone and dialed his mother in Arizona.