The Collapse CXXVI: The Plan

 24 June 20XX +1

My Dear Lucilius:

By the time I awoke this morning – almost at my normal time; I seem to be recovering – there was a great stir. The Scouting Party had returned; our plan was to be presented later in the day.

You know the feeling of waiting for the meeting that everyone anticipates because of the subject or the announcement everyone knows is coming, but has not been made: there is a sharpness of anticipation to the air and to interactions. Some may talk about the what if’s, but most (especially we who are “more experienced”) will simply hold their tongue; pondering without actual facts simply creates anxiety and fear that may or may not manifest itself.

At 1400 – after the scouting party had the opportunity to rest and eat – the plan was presented.

The Locusts had established themselves in the town of McAdams, about 6 miles away and, almost directly west of where we were. Originally it was a ranching town that became a sort of vacation spot on the local lake; its main buildings were a few stores along the road, a small grouping of homes (largely vacation homes) and a combination post office/general store by the lake. The Locusts had moved into the post office/general store and pushed or pulled cars over as a front line wall, thus giving them a protected rear and a clear view out to the road on either side.

The difficulty was going to be to lure them out. To do this, there was a plan.

Up to the recent past, the locals had used that road with little incident; even now, one could sometimes slip through. The plan was to fake a broken down transport some distance away (but not too far) and lure them in. Given the paucity of supplies, it was felt it would be sufficient as it did still reflect a situation that occurred from time to time.

The group would split into three sub groups. The first – the largest, with the Colonel – would be stationed to the north of the truck, overlooking the lake and road. They would wait until the trap was sprung. The second – a smaller group – would also wait to the north and swing in behind the Locusts as they passed by, getting between them and McAdams. Their job was simply to prevent anyone from getting through. The third – led by the Captain – was the commando group They would come around from the lake side after the shooting started and assault the post office/general store, relying on surprise and reduced personnel to enable their assault.

We would pack 5 days of rations and head out tomorrow, making a wide circle heading South and then coming back in towards the road. That would take approximately one day. On the second day, the trap would be laid by locals. We would then wait. They anticipated at least one day, perhaps two, before a scouting party of Locusts had discovered the lure, returned with word of it, and came back with a larger force.

The lure obviously had to be large enough and tempting enough to hold their interest – and get enough individuals to try to haul things away.

Someone raised their hand. Water? Food we could carry, but water was a thing we could not do without, long term.

In this case, luck – and hydrology – favor us. The area between the lake and the river has a number of creeks we can avail ourselves of, and even the second party would be stationed by a small creek (the third party – the lake party – would have their fill of water).

With that, they began subdividing us. The largest group – 25 or so – included the Colonel, Young Xerxes, and what could only be interpreted as men and women “of a certain experience”, either hunting or military. The smallest group – 5, including the Captain – could all be mistaken for nothing other than ex- military. The middle group – about 10 – represented the “swing east and hold the line group. The young woman who had helped with my firearm – hereafter know as “The Leftenant” – was the leader. It was to this group that myself, Blazer Man, and what could be interpreted as “the back benchers” were assigned.

It was Blazer Man that suggested we call ourselves “The Old Contemptibles” after the British Expeditionary Force in World War I. I laughed out loud; the Leftenant gave us a very quizzical look and probably regretted having been noticed for her leadership.

We leave this evening.

Your Obedient Servant, Seneca