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MP-5 and taped to magazines together, one up and one down. He loaded the weapon and placed it on safe, then went back downstairs to talk to Rick.
    “Dad, that’s awesome. Can I see it.”
    “You just did, Mikey. If you TOUCH it, or any of the others, without my express permission, I’ll kick your ass. Got it, kid?”
    “Yes, sir.” Mikey said, a little dejected.
    Dillon smiled and leaned in a bit. Mikey was really getting tall, already two inches taller than Hannah. “Hey, critter, I’ll be happy to show you how to use one when I get home tonight, okay? I think you’re old enough to know.”
    “Thanks, dad. Is it scary out there? I figured it has to be scary out there if they’re closing the school and mom doesn’t care if I do my homework and you’re carrying all of those guns.”
    “It’s scary. So, do you know what that means?”
    “It means that we have to rely on each other, do what we’re told, stay safe, and that we’re going to be evacuated. Are you coming, too?”
    “Yes, I am. I promise.”
    “Good. I hated you being away the other times.”
    “I hated it too, Mikey. It’s not going to happen this time, I promise. I might not be on the same plane as you, but I’ll only be a few hours behind you this time.”
    “Where are we going this time?”
    “I don’t know yet. It could be Cyprus, Crete, or even Malta.”
    “I hope they take us to Crete or Malta, I’ve already seen Cyprus.”
    “You’ve also seen Istanbul and Jerusalem and Athens and Rome, as I recall.”
    “Yeah, I liked Jerusalem the best.”
    “I thought every one of them was wonderful.”
    Hannah was still in the Army Reserves. Every summer, she still went somewhere for annual training, and usually needed three to four weeks to complete her drill requirements for the year. Last year, she had gone to Germany for a month, but she had been lucky. Most other times, she had to fly back to the U.S. and work three or four weeks at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Dillon had started a tradition the first year they were in Cairo. When Hannah went off for annual training, Dillon and Mikey picked a new place to explore and took a week of vacation. Every one of those trips was an adventure for Mikey, and were chalked full of great memories for Dillon as well.
    “Hey, kid, I need to talk to your mom for a second. Make sure you eat something, and don’t sit too close to the TV screen, okay?”
    “Yes, daddy.”
    Dillon walked into the kitchen wondering how the last twelve years had rushed by so quickly.
    “Rick, this is for you. The stock slides out when you depress this. It’s already loaded. Right now, it’s on SAFE. I don’t want you to ever put it on AUTO, okay?”
    “Got it.”
    “You put it on SEMI and it will fire once for every time you pull the trigger. There are thirty rounds in the magazine. When it’s empty you press the magazine release and put in the other magazine, bullets forward. Here’s the magazine release. You press it here to drop the magazine. The bolt, here, locks to the rear when the last round is fired. After you put in another magazine, you have to flip it up, right here, to load a round into the chamber. Got it?”
    “Yes, I do.”
    “Don’t point this at anything you don’t want to kill, ever. Also, you might have to shoot the infected more than once to take them down. They seem to be immune to the pain, and that means they can keep going for a few minutes on what might be a fatal wound. Aim for the chest and put two or three rounds in them. If you are wondering if they are dead after that, feel free to put one in their head from a few feet away. Better safe than sorry.”
    “Better safe and sorry.”
    “Right. I’m going out with Hannah and Doc now. Keep the sling around your neck, the weapon on safe, and your finger off of the trigger unless something happens.”
    “Okay, Dillon, I’ll be fine. You’re like a drill sergeant.”
    “I’m sorry, Rick. It’s just…you’re protecting half of my