by Payne, T. L.
Maddie's dad had installed elevated rain barrels that collected water from the barn and house roofs. They were all connected to one another and ran to a spigot with a showerhead attached. A bamboo screen provided the only privacy. The water had been fairly warm, so far. But it would be freezing soon, when the temperature dropped. When the spigot froze completely, there would be no more showers.
Maddie dreaded winter.
When Maddie returned to the kitchen, she filled a glass with water from the tap on the LifeStraw Community water filter and purifier unit sitting on its stand in the corner, then took a seat at the table. Rank was filling Beth and Maria in on his and Lugnut's trip to the Army base. They'd helped Ron's friend, Todd, and Todd’s family, relocate there after the news that the Army would be pulling out and leaving the prison unguarded.
"I think Todd made a mistake taking his family over to the post. The mayors of St. Robert and Waynesville were at each other's throats when we pulled in. They argued with the new post commander through the whole meeting. That St. Robert mayor is an ass. I'd be more concerned about him and his group than those prisoners, myself," Rank said, placing a peeled potato into a bowl on the table.
"What were the mayors arguing about?” Maddie asked.
“Who's going to be on the new council. They want equal billing with the post commander. They say that since they were bringing people in to help on the post, they should have an equal say in how things are run."
"I bet that didn't go over well," Maria said.
"Actually, the scary thing is, the post commander didn't seem to mind much."
Maria wrinkled her brow and threw her hand in the air.
"That's the Army for you."
Rank stood, grabbed the bowl of potatoes, and headed for the sink.
"I think he's a civilian. Someone said he'd been the assistant to the post commander before the EMP attack."
"A civilian? In charge of a military base? Do regulations allow that?" Maria asked.
Rank placed the bowl on the counter and turned to face Maria.
"I don't think there’s a regulation for much of what's been going on with our military since the collapse."
"So, what do you think is going to happen over on base, then?" Maddie asked.
"Well, after the rest of the military heads to Jefferson City and then on to the Missouri border, I think those two mayors are going to exhaust what supplies are left behind fairly quickly, then start looking for ways to expand their kingdoms. They'll either kill each other or join forces, the way I see it,” Rank said, returning to his seat at the table.
"Wasn’t the military being called to guard the border with Canada?” Maddie asked.
"They were supposed to head north to meet up with an Army general in Illinois in anticipation of enemy forces invading from the north. The general said he had orders from the president declaring martial law and assigning him as head of military defense for the country,” Rank replied.
"They aren't going to the border with Canada now?" Ryan asked. "What happened?"
"It seems the governor received a visit from Region Five’s FEMA administrator and one of his regional directors. They warned that the general had plans to set himself up as a dictator of the region—by force if necessary. This general and his henchmen have been taking supplies from the communities and hoarding them. He plans to use our military to help him secure the region and enforce martial law,” Rank said.
Maddie thought about Emma. She tried to remember what she'd heard about DHS going after the National Guard units in Peoria, Illinois—the same National Guard units that were protecting the small town where she'd left Emma.
“What's the crisis at the Missouri border? What does the governor have to do with Illinois and the general's plans?" Ryan asked.
"Refugees. People are fleeing the fighting in Illinois. The shelters and aid stations in southern Illinois have been closed for over a week. People are desperate and flooding into Missouri by the thousands every day. The governor has asked the military at Fort Leonard Wood to help the National Guard bring order and help set up additional shelters to house and feed the refugees."
"What about the general in Illinois? Isn't he going to be pissed when the military doesn't show up?" Maddie asked.
"Oh, he'll be pissed all right."
"Wait. Why would the governor pull the MPs off of guard duty at the prison just to send them to handle refugees?" Roger asked.
“He’s concerned about the military and DHS from Illinois that are chasing the refugees who are crossing the border. I'm not sure why he’s leaving the prison unguarded though."
"Well, I think he should have to come down here and guard it himself, then," Maddie said as she rose to her feet.
"I don't think he’s left his office in weeks,” Rank said.
"Maybe that's the problem. He’s safe and sound up there in his mansion while we deal with the down-and-dirty business of survival."
Maddie didn't wait for his response as she headed toward the door.
"How'd things go with the judge?" Rank asked.
Maddie looked back over her shoulder.
"Fine. He agreed to coerce the residents to guard the prison. Jacob is going to oversee the operation."
Rank lowered his head and stared at Maddie.
"What?" Maddie asked, perturbed at the look he was giving her.
"How do you feel about that?" Rank asked, turning to look at Beth.
"Fine. I think it’s a great idea," Maddie said, turning toward the door.
At the mudroom, she picked up her rifle and slung her pack over her shoulder.
“Why the hell would I care, anyway?"
Maddie heard footsteps behind her and turned to find Maria rushing to catch up with her.
Maddie kept walking.
"I think you should go with Jacob."
"Not you, too."
"Me too? No. I don't give a shit if you like the dude or not. But the judge picked you to run the show. He might be pissed if Jacob shows up alone. If the judge is that important to the mission, I wouldn't want to take that risk. I'll go with you and chaperone if you want."
Maddie looked over to Maria. She wanted to smack the shit-eating grin right off her face, but instead, she forced her lips into a smile.
"You're right. The judge knows that Jacob’s intimidated by him. But Jacob has the respect of the people. I’m a nobody to them. Why would they listen to me?"
"If the judge puts you in charge, then won't they have to listen to you?" asked Maria.
"I don't know. I don't think that’s the same as respect."
"You'll earn their respect," she said.
"To them, I'm an eighteen-year-old girl. Besides, leading this mission should be Jacob's job. He's the sheriff. I can organize things and he can give the orders. That'll work, right?"
"Until he chokes again like he did in the judge's office," Maria said as she turned back toward the cabin.
Maddie thought about her last words as she skipped from stone to boulder across the creek. Recent rains had narrowed the gravel bar they usually crossed coming to and from their guard post along the road. Today, it was covered by an inch of water.
We need a damn bridge. Come spring, this creek will be impassable.
The bridge her dad had built across the creek had been the victim of the thousand-year flood the area had endured the year before. Logs from it were still piled up downstream, forming a dam.
We just need more hours in the day—or more people.
The thought made Maddie shudder. She felt they already had too many people living in the cabin. But they needed more people to have any hope of surviving long-term.
After relieving Lugnut from watch duty and settling into her nest in the tree stand, Maddie's mind went to work trying to think of a way they could house more people—if they found anyone willing to join their motley crew that is.
As she stared down at the road, her mind deep in thought, movement in the underbrush caught her attenti
on. Putting the scope to her eye, she scanned up and down the shoulder of the road and into the tree line. Sunlight reflected off of something metallic, and then it was gone. Maddie couldn't be sure what it was.
After staring at the spot for another five minutes, her mind drifted back to planning the housing arrangements for their growing group.
Chapter 5
The Farm
Evening Shade, Missouri
Event + 20 Days
Maria had been the one to convince Jacob that he needed to take Maddie with him to organize the mission to guard the prison. Maddie and Jacob barely spoke as they loaded their packs and weapons into the Jeep for the trip. Maria threw her bag into the seat behind Maddie and climbed in behind Jacob.
The sun was barely up. A layer of fog lingered over the pasture behind Ron's barn. As Maddie pulled out of the driveway, the headlights cut through the fog.
"How long have you lived around here, Jacob?" Maria asked.
Maddie looked in the rearview mirror, unsure why Maria had asked him that. Was she just trying to make small talk, or did she have an agenda? Maddie had a sense that everything had a purpose with Maria.
Jacob looked over his shoulder.
"I was born in Houston, Missouri. My family has lived in Texas County for generations," Jacob said.
"How long have you been in law enforcement?"
"About six months."
After a long pause, Maria asked, "How old are you again?"
"I'm twenty-one," Jacob said, turning back around and staring at the road.
"Did you go to college for law enforcement?" Maddie asked.
"No. I attended the Missouri Sheriff's Training Academy in Jefferson City. It’s a great course with over seven-hundred hours of instruction. I was still on probationary status with the sheriff's department when the lights went out."
"Seven-hundred hours. That's a lot," Maddie said, nodding her head.
As she drove, Maddie realized that Maria was sizing Jacob up. She was battle-hardened. Maddie imagined she wanted to know Jacob's level of training and experience in case they ran in to trouble and she had to count on him to have her back.
As they neared the Highway N junction, Maddie slowed, looking for any sign of the Jewell family they'd seen the day before. She knew it was likely just a chance encounter, but she wasn't taking any chances. Maddie inched her way up to the stop sign, looked left, and then right. Before pulling onto the highway, she looked to her left again.
"Get down!” Maria yelled as bullets struck the metal vehicle followed by thunderous rifle reports.
Maddie ducked down the best she could with the steering wheel in the way. Her head was cocked to the side. Jacob was in the floor attempting to draw the pistol from his holster. Maria returned fire from the back seat.
"Get out the passenger side," Maria yelled.
The sound was deafening, and she couldn't make out what Maria was saying. Jacob grabbed Maddie's arm and dragged her over the console and out the right front door. She landed hard on the blacktop and rolled. Maddie felt hands pulling her toward the front tire.
She reached down for her pistol. It wasn't there. She looked on the ground outside the car. It wasn't there either.
"I lost my pistol," she yelled over the sound of Jacob returning fire.
She couldn't see Maria. She heard two distinct rifles firing in addition to Jacob's pistol. She hoped it was Maria firing at the enemy.
"Can you see the shooter?" Maddie called, craning her neck to see where the shots were coming from.
Jacob pulled her down.
"The tree line. Stay down. Keep yourself between the shooter and the engine of the Jeep. The bullets can't travel through the motor," Jacob yelled.
Three more shots and Jacob yelled, "I'm out. You still have your mags?"
Maddie reached into the side pocket of her tactical pants and pulled out two full seventeen round 9mm magazines and handed them to Jacob.
"Shit. I need 45mm."
Maddie recalled her dad making sure they all carried the same caliber weapons during training for this very reason. Now, he had a gun with no ammo, and she had ammo and no pistol. Neither did them any good.
A round hit the hood of the Jeep and sparks flew.
"Shit!" Maddie called, "I have to get my gun."
She crawled over to the open passenger door and rose slowly. A round whizzed by, sending her back to the safety of the front tire.
"I can't get it. They have us pinned down. What are we going to do?" Maddie asked.
"Did you see Maria?"
"No. I couldn't see shit. They nearly took my head off," Maddie said.
"I think that’s her in the tree line to our north."
“I agree. It sounds like an M4 to me. I hope it’s her."
Jacob crawled on his hands and knees to the rear of the Jeep. He peered around the bumper then eased himself back to the front next to Maddie.
"Yep. It's Maria. I can see her boots sticking out of the bushes. But she must be pinned down too. I think the shooter’s in the trees on the other side of the road," Jacob said, pointing in that direction. "They must’ve set up a watch over the road to ambush people."
"What do we do now? Wait for them to run out of ammo?"
The words had barely left her mouth before a round struck a window, sending glass raining down Maddie's back. A second round hit the right front fender.
Maddie tried to make herself as small as possible behind the tire.
“There's a second shooter,” Jacob said.
Jacob didn't hesitate. He grabbed Maddie's arm, and the two ran into the ditch beside the road. Jacob pulled Maddie up-and-over some rocks, and they ran about fifty feet into the woods before they dropped down behind a fallen log. Jacob covered Maddie with his body. She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck. She was gasping for air, and the weight of his body was making it difficult to catch her breath.
"Get off," she said, arching her back. "I can't breathe."
"Sorry," Jacob said.
"We can't leave Maria out there on her own," Maddie said, still gasping for air.
"We can't help her without a weapon. There are at least two gunmen, maybe more. She's well-trained. She'll make it. I'm sure," Jacob said.
Jacob didn't sound all that convinced.
Maddie heard gunfire coming from the direction of the Jeep. Maria was still in the fight.
"We can't just lie here and wait for one of them to run out of ammo. We have to do something," Maddie said.
"I agree, but what do you suggest. You want to charge them with our tactical knives?” he said, his words filled with sarcasm.
"You distract them somehow, and I'll get to the Jeep and get our rifles," Maddie said.
"Distract them? With what? You want me to stand in the road and wave my arms?"
Maddie sat up, straightened her navy blue Kent State T-shirt, tucked a stray strand of blonde hair back into her bun, then looked at Jacob. “Yes.”
"Really?" Jacob asked with a surprised look on his face.
He looked so damn cute. She had to fight to keep from smiling.
"No, stupid. I want you to go down the hill and make some noise. Draw their attention away from the Jeep."
"I don't think that’s a good idea. You should distract them, and I'll get the rifles," Jacob said.
Maddie rolled her eyes. She was pushing herself to her feet when she heard a bullet slam into the log in front of her, followed by the crack of a rifle a second later. Dropping back to the ground, Maddie began crab-walking backward away from the log. She ducked behind a large boulder just before another round flew by. Jacob scrambled over and plopped down beside her.
"We have to get out of here. We're just sitting ducks. Let's drop into the creek bed and follow it downhill. At least it should provide some cover," Jacob said.
"And leave Maria?"
"Maddie, they have a bead on us, and soon one of those shots is going to connect. We have to get out of here and get help. We have
to make our way back to the cabin and bring back reinforcements."
Jacob pulled her to her feet and down the hill as the next rounds whizzed by. They dropped into the wet-weather creek and crouched down, then scrambled over slippery boulders and loose rocks for half a mile before stopping. They could still hear gunfire. Maddie wasn't sure if it was Maria still in the fight or if the gunmen were still shooting at her and Jacob. What she did know was that they weren't headed in the direction of the cabin. They were following the creek bed south, away from help.
"There," Jacob said, pointing to an old, weathered, gambrel-roofed barn.
She and Jacob ran through the tall grass toward the dilapidated structure. It was missing boards, and the edges of the old tin roof were curled up. It had seen better days. Maddie doubted it was still in use.
Maybe we can find a weapon in there, though — something to defend ourselves with.
She knew a pitchfork wouldn't stop a bullet, but she would sure feel better with some kind of weapon in her hands.
"In here," Jacob called, taking her hand and leading her inside.
Jacob latched the door and led her to the back of the barn. The two huddled behind a stack of hay bales. Maddie closed her eyes and let out the breath she had held. When she opened them, she looked down. She and Jacob still held hands. She was going to pull her hand free but stopped. She was scared. She had never been more aware of the fact that life was short, and any day could be her last. If today was her last day, she wanted it to be with him. They sat quietly holding hands as they listened to the gun battle nearby.
Maria was still in the fight.
Maddie leaned over and peeked out of a crack in the old wooden barn. She couldn't see past the tall grass surrounding the barn.
"Maybe someone at the cabin will hear the gunfire and come to check it out,” Maddie said.
"I doubt the sound would travel that far, but maybe."