Escape

We were in the middle of putting groceries away when Kristin's phone chimed. She reached over and pressed the speaker button.

The agitated voice of Lief shouted, "Armageddon, Kristin, Armageddon!" The phone clicked loudly as he hung up.

She rushed into my arms. "Oh Torben! It's happened! It's happened!"

Claudia was at the counter, eyes wide with shock. I waved her to my side and gathered them both in my arms.

"Kristin! He is alive, we are alive, we must follow the agreed directions."

I turned to Claudia. "Lief was sending us a signal of an attack on the family. We have had a survival plan for years. Everyone is briefed on what to do. Come and sit down."

I gathered all three cell phones and turned them off. The survival plan assumed that one attack meant others would follow, and everyone should avoid actions that would provide location data to the attackers.

Kristin was sitting with arms around herself, rocking back and forth. "Torben, even with a survival plan, this is so sad. I don't like killing..."

I said quietly to Claudia, "The oil business can be very nasty. The family has operations all over the world and lots of potential enemies. You are not part of this and we need to get you back to your family."

Claudia hugged me tightly and said, "There is no one home for days. Please let me stay with you."

My brain was struggling with the impact of the phone call. Each branch of the family had a safe house and means to wait out an attack, for days if necessary. Ours was on a small farm in northern New Jersey that also provided shelter for two other branches. Assuming family members were alive and able to reach the house.

Kristin said, "Yes, Claudia, we should stay together for now."

She turned to me, "We must get to the safe house."

A year ago, Lief decided I was old enough and strong enough to be included in the family planning drills. An ex-military man had briefed us on escape and evasion techniques. Depending on how many attackers there were, and how determined, we might or might not live until authorities acted to protect us. At the beginning of an attack, it was important to go to ground and refrain from any use of phones, credit cards, or cars that were traceable to us. In a walled off section of the garage at home were two motorcycles that never were ridden in daylight, and weren't registered. We needed to get to them, but with as much caution as possible.

We were lucky to be where we were. The cabin was fairly remote and our connection to it unlikely to be known to an enemy. Unless, of course, we had been under surveillance the last few days.

I had to put the women to work to take their minds off our predicament, even if for a few minutes.

"You need to go to the kitchen and prepare some emergency supplies. I'll see if I can locate day packs to put it in. We may end up out in the country for a day or two. I'm also going to move the car into as much hiding as we can manage. When we go outside, we need to assume we are being watched and so should not give away the fact that Lief has warned us. At nightfall, we will move away from here."

I asked Kristen, "Is there a gun in the car?"

"I'm not sure, look in the equipment sack for the tire jack."

I wandered casually outside and moved the car. There was plenty of high ground around the lake from which to keep us covered. In a deep thicket, I searched for the gun and found it, along with a supply of bullets. Lief, over Kristin's objection, had taken me to an out of the way firing range and helped me learn to use a gun properly.

"Torben, we are not building our lives around guns and attacks. More people are killed by ignorance about guns than deliberately. But there may come a time when having this and knowing how to use it saves lives. Remember your lessons."

It was a wicked looking SIG, common in the military. Wrapped in oiled paper and then in black cloth. Unfortunately, it needed to go with us. Bottom of the pack and hope we don't need to use it. Testing was out of the question. The first bullet might successfully fire or not. Encouraging thought.

They had found packs and filled each with a cross section of the supplies so if we lost one it wasn't all of something important. I was impressed with the quick action. I guided them back to the sofa with a couple of beers, so we could talk more.

"We need to get rid of Kristin's car, it is well known. We can't rent, that is too obvious. If we stole a car up here, it would get to the police immediately. So we need to go home, get the motorcycles, and stash the convertible somewhere private. Do we do that tonight, or wait a day?"

They didn't say anything but pressed into me. Body contact seemed to be important to my women.

Kristin said, "Torben, if we are targets then the house is under surveillance. Does it make any difference if we wait? If there is any confusion on their part, sooner is better than later. How do we get in and out if they want hostages? If they have people in the house already?"

I pulled her into my lap and applied muscle to massaging and pounding on her.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

Claudia joined me, working on Kristin's feet and legs.

"While you think, you are relaxing on my poor body?"

I unzipped her dress and undid the clasp on her bra, giving me access to all of her back. I pointed to her behind and Claudia moved her attentions upward. The dress was now down from the top and up from the bottom around her waist.

"There is nothing poor about this body. It is strong and tough, and has all these curves too."

I lay back and let her relax. Claudia's fingers ran a little routine on the spine, like playing a piano.

Claudia spoke, "We should go to my house and get one of the sedans. I let you out a block away from the house and drive up as though I was expected, and go into the house. If someone is waiting for you, they won't know what to do and I can yell like crazy and run back out. If there isn't anyone there, I go to the garage and bring the motorcycles out, and all three of us leave as rapidly as possible."

Kristin sat up and fixed her clothing. "Claudia, you shouldn't be involved in our troubles."

Claudia hitched up her dress and straddled me. "Your son has taken my virtue and we are bonded. You are not allowed to send me away."

She smiled brilliantly and rubbed herself on my limp cock.

Kristin pulled her off and stuck a hand down the front of Claudia's dress. "You don't take orders very well. Just like me. When we were first married, Lief used his hand on my backside a lot."

I moved dress and underwear so my hand could get a firm grip on Claudia's incredible ass.

"Behave, woman, or Lief's son will follow his father."

They giggled and Claudia turned her face up for a Kristin kiss. "I guess we both are to be disciplined."

It was slow torture waiting for darkness to fall. The women made snacks for the car and we picked up the cabin. We turned on the lights for a normal evening, and slipped out and down to the car without flashlights. We managed to get down the track without the car lights, and headed south on the highway.

Traffic was very light and there was no one following. At Claudia's house, we put Kristin's car in an empty space in the garage and transferred what could be transported on the motorcycles to Claudia's car. On the way to our house, I tried to think of a way not to expose Claudia to danger and came up empty handed.

Claudia glided to a stop, still out of sight of our house. Kristin and I got out. "Be careful and if you smell anything wrong, come right on out. We will be in sight of the door." I didn't tell her I had the pistol in my pocket.

We watched from some bushes as she did a nice job of turning right up into the driveway and stopping. Her walk to the front door was natural and she turned on the outside light as she entered.

The next few minutes were tense. It seemed to be taking a long time. I wondered whether they would take her hostage and wait for Kristin and me to try something else.

Finally, we heard a garage door creak, and she was wheeling out the first motorcycle. We hurried up to transfer the packs and help with the other cycle. She drove her car inside and we closed up everything before starting the bikes together and going briskly down the street.

There needed to be a stop to regroup before setting off to the survival house and I led us to a park with trees on the edge of town. Kristin and I had rehearsed the back route to the farm, and went over it again. We decided no stops unless absolutely necessary. And a normal biker pace, keeping speed up so as not to attract attention. I hugged and kissed them, trying to release some of the tension of getting away unnoticed. At least we hoped unnoticed. There was no sign of a tail, and our route would reveal one if it occurred almost immediately. I remembered that if the attackers were completely into this, they might be letting us lead them to the safe house, where they could corner Lief. So, the bikes might be bugged. Ten careful minutes with a flashlight found nothing.

It was a little after midnight and we should be there before three. A little more conversation and another round of hugs saw us on the road, with Kristin in front. I wanted to be rear guard, to have better observation opportunities, especially with Claudia onboard.

Taking no chances, my next worry was that the safe house had been sabotaged. I had never been there, but was part of planning sessions which showed the layout in detail. Some years ago, the farm had been purchased by a family company and leased to one of the Scandinavian churches as a country outing site for picnics and hikes. At the edge of the property, accessible from a dirt lane, was an aged tenant house. In a careful piece of work, the house had been raised, an underground shelter constructed, and the house returned to its original look with a rebuilt interior. In order to provide protection for those who might be inside in an actual attack scenario, but allow others to approach, there were keypads discreetly located on two different fence posts. Each had to be coded properly to prevent offensive action from inside the house.

We turned off the paved road and parked in a grove of trees. I found the first keypad easily and entered the code I memorized. A very tiny light flickered at the house. After a harder search, I found the second, and it also accepted my code. I told Kristin and Claudia that the little light did not mean anyone was there, just that my codes were accepted.

In a few minutes, we were inside the house, finding no one. There was a windowless room with red night lights. We clutched each other and let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good.

Behind a locked door marked 'Private - Storage' was actually a stair to the underground shelter, with an armored door at the bottom. I entered the combination on the sesame lock and we went in. The room was about twenty feet square, with cots and chairs, propane stove and refrigerator, and crude sanitary facilities in the corner. In another corner was a bank of video screens.

Claudia asked, "Do we have to stay down here?"

I was thinking the same thing. "I guess not, for now. Let's go back upstairs."

We carefully made a tour of the house, using only pencil flashlights. There was a utility room with a bank of meters. Following the signs, I determined that there was power from the utility company and that the batteries were fully charged and the inverters working. In an upstairs room was a duplicate of the video screens in the shelter. In a closet was a small arsenal of rifles and small arms. I activated the power on the displays and they sprang to life. In addition to camera views looking out from the house, there were two cameras mounted in trees looking in. Nothing was moving.

I said, "We have to stand watches. I'll go first. Find a sofa and a blanket and get some rest."

It was almost dawn when a gong sounded. One of the keypads had been used. There were shadowy figures moving to the other post and the second gong sounded. I zoomed the camera and recognized one of my uncles. I roused the women and we went to the front door. I decided the best thing was to show myself and went to the edge of the porch, telling Kristin and Claudia to stay in the house.

One of the party of six pointed to me and they stopped. I waved and they moved closer. When my uncle recognized me, he came forward on the run.

"Torben! It's good to see you!"

"Likewise, Harald. Is everyone safe with you?"

The women was hugging and crying. Harald's sons Olaf and Thor were with him, along with his wife and two of her sisters. I led the men upstairs to the video monitors so we could talk and watch.

"Do you have any details?" I asked Harald, "We got only the one word signal."

"The television had a report of a small jet crash in Texas. Your uncle Alf was down there. I got the same signal from your father and activated the plan. Do you know where Lief is?"

"No, except that he called Kristin two days ago and said he was being diverted to Caracas for three extra days."

"He would have been on the company plane, and the pilots must have heard about the crash over their radio link."

"If they could bring down a jet plane, we have to assume they are very dangerous, don't we?"

"Yes. And willing to risk the feds being all over them almost instantly. We will have to do some more thinking about all this. Do you suppose there is coffee?"

Leaving Olaf to mind the monitors, we trooped down to the kitchen, where there was coffee, and some hard rolls. Harald hugged Kristin and was introduced to Claudia.

Taking charge, he said, "We are lucky to have gotten here safely. We are supposed to be joined by Axel and his family, but I am not up to date on their travels or location before the signal. We will keep careful watch. Until we have a chance to regroup, I am afraid we cannot show ourselves outside. It is going to be hard, cooped up in here. But we are a tough bunch, we Andersons, and we are going to take our lives back as quickly as we can."

Everyone nodded and thanked him. His wife and sisters came to say hello to me and we exchanged hugs. Elise said, "Your girlfriend is very nice. Very brave."

"She's tough. Both of her parents were killed in accidents. She lives with her step parents."

Claudia was breathing down my neck. "Thank you," she whispered.

Harald sat next to me, munching on his roll. "You must have been very organized to get here first."

I squeezed Claudia's hand. "We were at a friend's lake cabin. I worried about advance surveillance, but we saw no signs of that anywhere. Our phones have been off since we got the signal. Kristin and Claudia and I are a strong team."

He said, "The family will have gone to the Norwegian ministry for assistance. Anti-terrorist actions have probably already started here. The agreement is that our safe house locations are never to be revealed, even to friendlys. We will leave here as soon as a coded all clear message is received. I have an unused anonymous smartphone that has an app for encrypted email, but I need to go to a town to use it, so we minimize the chance of electronic location of us. Perhaps tonight, if Axel is here, Olaf and I will go to Flemington."

I was asleep sitting there. Claudia guided me to a cot in the basement shelter. I told her to wake me at noon or if anything happened.

A hand was in my hair, and lips on my cheek. I smiled, still with my eyes closed. "Will you promise to keep waking me like this?"

"You know, I said two days ago, you were either very bad or very good for me? Maybe I can't decide yet. You've got me in a basement bomb shelter kissing you. Our lives are threatened but your tough relatives are all around us and I'm not scared anymore. I think I love you..."

I was on the floor, hugging and kissing her. "Danger bonds people. I'm very afraid we are bonded..."

In the kitchen was a large pot of soup that was welcome. Family members were scattered around the house to give each other space. The sun was high. Thor was watching the monitors. I volunteered to assume the watch and he went for some sleep. Kristin sat in a chair next to me, her hand on my neck. I had made Claudia take my place on the cot.

"Do you think we are detected?"

"It's best to assume that, although there are no signs. Once the U.S. anti-terror people are involved, their options become quite limited."

"What is the motive?"

"Killing one of the principals in the company obviously affects our business. How much beyond that is hard to guess. Perhaps some non-US bribery scheme was going to be exposed."

I took her hand. "Hold tight. Lief is very smart and has military training in his background. If anyone can evade them, he can. Why don't you get some sleep. We may be up all night again."

Shortly after three in the afternoon, figures appeared on the monitor approaching the first fence post. I sent one of the women to wake Harald and his sons. The four of us clustered around the screens. After the second bong, Harald said, "I'm almost certain that is Axel and his family, but we will go to the door with weapons. Keep watch here to see whether they are possibly followed."

Soon, there was a noisy reunion downstairs. Hugs and sighs of relief that everyone had reached the safe house without harm. Harald and Axel came up to keep an eye on the cameras and fill each other in. Neither had any information beyond the emergency signal. There was no further media news. They agreed that the trip to town to download the encrypted traffic was essential.

I ventured, "The probability of an attack here is diminishing. The next twenty-four hours is probably their last chance..."

"Yes, we must keep our guard up and be prepared to defend the house. Have you done anything with the guns?"

Harald said, "The boys and I each have a loaded rifle. The rest is still in the closet."

They looked at me. "Lief took me to the range for pistol training and I have one with me. I'm not any kind of expert."

"Don't worry, you can defend from close up. We need that."

I said, "We should rehearse our actions in the event they arrive and launch an attack. In any kind of siege, they will burn this place down around us. The shelter might survive but we would be vulnerable locked in a hole in the ground."

They looked thoughtful about the consequences of that series of events, and I tried to remember the words of the escape and evasion expert.

"Depending on what we learn from the mail tonight, our best plan may be to attempt to bring the police to this location in force if we are attacked. Is there some 911 alert that would do that?"

"At the least, should we not consider posting a first line of defence out beyond the fence?"

Harald said, "Good thinking, Torben. You are right about siege tactics. A safe house is only good as long as its location is undisclosed."

There followed a discussion about tactics and counter-tactics. The key question was whether the attackers wanted to eliminate us, or take hostages. In the death scenario, they would likely pursue a standoff approach, fire bombing the house, or something similar. Our response would be to engage in a fire fight, and take the fight to them if possible. The women would divide weapons among themselves and do whatever damage they could.

In the hostage taking scenario, our response would be to put up enough of a fight that the attackers gave up and retreated, with our side summoning whatever help it could.

The conversations used up much of the rest of the day. There was no traffic on the dirt road, and no sign of anyone on foot. As twilight approached, Harald and Olaf made their preparations. The women provided a list of needed provisions. I suggested they refuel the bikes at the same time they made the Internet connection. And take pistols with them.