by Payne, T. L.
"Don't shoot. It's Maddie coming in with three guards."
"In here," a voice called from down the long, dark hall.
The light from their rifles bounced off the floor and walls as they made their way to the back bunk room. Jacob's uncle lay on a bottom bunk. His son, Russ, was kneeling on the floor at his side. Jacob stood beside them with his rifle raised to the ready position. Relief flooded his face when Maddie stepped through the door. He raced over and flung his arms around her. She slowly raised her hands and returned his embrace.
"Where are Rank and Maria?" Jacob asked.
"Clearing the west tower," Maddie said as she bent over the wounded man.
She placed her index and middle fingers on the man's wrist.
A smile crept across her face.
"He has a pretty good pulse."
Then Maddie furrowed her brow and turned toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Jacob said.
“To see if they got all the supplies,” she said over her shoulder. “You guards, stay here. I’ll go with you, Maddie,” Jacob said.
Chapter 27
South Central Correctional
Licking, Missouri
Event + 23 Days
“Wait, Maddie. We can’t just go riding up into town to retrieve the supplies,” Jacob said to her back.
“The hell we can’t,” Maddie said marching out of the empty storeroom. “Those bastards rode up in here, killed Todd, shot your uncle, and stole the supplies that are the only thing maintaining control over this prison.”
Maddie hurried into the break room and grabbed the bullhorn off a side table. She turned and Jacob ran right into her.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I am going to try to get this prison back under control.”
Maddie ran outside. She stopped at the Humvee, where Lug was still maintaining security with the 50 mounted on the vehicle. She opened the back door and grabbed her rucksack. After pulling a whistle from a side pouch, she hopped onto the hood of the FEMA truck and blew the whistle into the bullhorn. Some of the inmates turned to see what had made the noise, but most continued yelling and chanting.
Maddie blew the whistle again long and hard. A few more turned. One more blast of the whistle and she had the attention of most of the inmates.
"If you'll quiet down a moment. We can explain what has happened here today and what we intend to do about it," Maddie said into the bullhorn.
The gang leader, who they'd previously had an alliance with, stepped forward. He held a hand in the air. The rest of the prison yard fell silent. Maddie surveyed the yard. If she'd had to guess, only half of the six hundred prisoners were present in the yard. She wondered if the other three hundred were even still alive or if they had been victims of prison violence or starvation.
"As you know, the guards were attacked by bandits today," Maddie continued.
"Not just the guards—those motherfuckers shot at us too," an inmate yelled back.
Maddie hadn't seen it at the time. But there were bodies on the ground all over the prison yard inside the fence.
What were they thinking? Did they honestly think they could shoot all the inmates?
She'd thought of that herself in the beginning, but if they started firing on the inmates, they would just run inside the prison. They would be forced to go in where the prisoners would have the advantage—and that would never work.
"The people who attacked were not part of our group. They came for the supplies. They got what they came for, so they likely won't be back. You are safe now."
"We are like sitting ducks in here," one inmate yelled.
"If they took all the food, what are we going to eat now?" another yelled.
"We have more food on the way. The governor has a convoy of supplies coming from Fort Leonard Wood as we speak. It should be here in a couple of hours. You will have your evening meal as scheduled," Maddie lied.
She needed them to believe her and go back inside. She needed time.
"What about the booze and dope?" the prison leader yelled.
"We have more booze. The dope…well, that may take a little longer to get. We have contacted the medical marijuana dispensary in Rolla to see if we could trade for some weed. That may take a day or so. But I can assure you, we are going to make this work."
"Guys, I'm going to be honest with you. I know it is bad in there—really bad—but we are going to do our best to provide for you until the governor can move you to Farmington or release you," Maddie said.
Mumbling from the crowd of inmates rose in volume. The prison leader held up a hand and silenced them.
"You have twelve hours. If morning comes and we still have no food or booze. We're gonna do what's necessary to take care of ourselves."
Maddie shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if they hadn't arrived in time. A mere matter of minutes had stood between them and assured disaster. Hundreds of murderers, rapists, and child molesters would have been roaming the Texas County countryside.
She had twelve hours. She'd have to either get the supplies back from Guffey or bring in some of their own food and make a show of it somehow to fool them into thinking they had enough for everyone. Maddie clenched her teeth.
She looked down at Jacob, as Maria and Rank walked up. Each of them stared off at the crowded prison yard. She imagined they all thought the same thing she did—they were screwed.
"Oh ye of little faith," Maddie said under her breath.
Jacob reached a hand up and helped Maddie down from the hood of the truck. He held on to her hand until Maddie slowly slid it free from his grasp.
"So, now what?" Maria asked, not taking her eyes off the inmates.
"Hell if I know," Maddie said, turning to go back inside the building.
Maddie stopped and ran her hands over her face. They needed a plan. They needed more people.
"We need to round up our neighbors and anyone we can find. We have to go pay Guffey and his men a visit," Lugnut said from the turret.
"Jacob and I can go round up as many people as he can, while you and Maria go get Ryan, Zach, Harmony, and Krista. We'll take Zach with us, put the others in the towers, and lock the doors. All of you can stand guard while we all go visit Houston," Rank said, pointing to Lugnut and Roger.
"I should…"
"You have to stay here and make it look like we have things under control," Lugnut said, holding a hand up to ward off her protests.
Maddie turned to Jacob.
"I agree."
Maddie was torn. She wanted to see Guffey and his men pay for killing Todd and putting them in this mess, but part of her knew Lug was right. She needed to be here to make it appear like everything was business-as-usual, and to take care of business if things went sideways.
"All right, but you guys need to hurry. We have twelve hours. I'm going to the cabin to load up as many supplies as I can and bring them back here for show. I'm going to grab every empty crate, box, and bag we can find to make it look like we have more than we do. I hope it will buy us time. You have to be very convincing with our neighbors and get them to join you in confronting Guffey," Maddie said.
Jacob and his cousin carried his uncle and placed him in the back of the truck. Maddie couldn't watch as Lugnut and Rank laid Todd's body in the back. Her heart hurt for his family. She made a vow to go and invite them to join them after this whole thing with the prison was over. She'd make sure they were safe. That was all she could do for Todd now.
"As soon as you and Maria get back with the others, Jacob, Rank, Zach, and I will go round up folks and head to Houston," Lugnut said, climbing down from the turret and placing a hand on Maddie's shoulder. "We will make this work. It will be all right."
"Thanks, Lug," Maddie said, reaching over to give the big guy a hug. "You know I love you, right?"
"I know, Little Bit. Don't worry. We'll be back. All of us," Lugnut said into her ear.
As soon as they were in radio distan
ce of the cabin, Maddie unclipped the radio from her hip.
"Camp Langston, this is Maddie. Over."
She waited for a response.
Ryan's voice came through her radio.
"Camp Langston? Okay, over."
"I don't have time to explain. I need everyone to gather every box, bag, and barrel we can find. I need the crate of MREs from Ron's basement. We are about fifteen minutes out. We will meet you at the farm. Maddie over and out."
"Roger that. I'll gather the others and get started. Ryan over and out."
By the time she and Maria pulled into the driveway at the farm, Beth, Jason, and Harmony had already begun stacking boxes, crates, and metal barrels outside the barn.
Maddie made a beeline to Ron's basement. She needed to decide how much of their supplies she could take with her. As she passed through the kitchen, Beth and Jason were tending to Jacob's uncle's wound. When she reached the truck, Todd's body had been removed. Zach was loading the truck with ammunition and guns. The others began loading the MREs from Ron's basement. Maddie stood back and took a look into the open cargo area of the truck. She thought it looked convincing. She hoped it worked.
Ryan and Harmony joined Maddie and Maria on the trip back to the prison. Krista was still too upset from her ordeal with the Jewells to be of any use. It wasn't ideal leaving the cabin and farm so unguarded, especially the same day that members of their group had been taken hostage—and one killed. But they didn't have much of a choice. If the inmates escaped, there would be no way for them to secure both, anyway.
As they made their way around to the volunteer's building, Maddie drove the FEMA truck slowly past the inmates. They'd left the door up, putting the supplies on full display. When they reached the volunteer building, the group quickly unloaded the boxes, crates, and barrels in plain view of all the prisoners. They set everything on the walkway in front of the building. Maddie, Maria, and Harmony would cart everything in using the hand truck while Ryan stood guard.
As the last of the boxes were handed down from the truck, Maddie reached over and wrapped her arms around her brother.
"You stay safe out there, little brother. I need you to come back in one piece."
Her voice cracked as she finished her sentence.
"You too, Maddie," Zach said, squeezing her tight.
"I love you, Zach."
"I love you too, Sis."
Maddie felt a hand on her back. Rank held his arms out wide. Maddie turned and embraced him. She thought for sure that his dark brown eyes glistened with the hint of tears.
"We'll take care of him. Don't worry," Rank whispered in her ear.
"I know you will. But who is going to watch out for you?"
Maddie gave a little chuckle. She wanted to ease the tension. After losing two friends that day, they all knew the risks they each faced. She forced a smile, but her heart was filled with apprehension.
She hugged Lugnut and Roger as Rank climbed up into the driver's seat of the truck. When Zach opened the passenger door and put his foot on the step, all sorts of thoughts ran through her head.
We could just leave. We could drive off and let whatever is going to happen here, happen. Or we could all just pack up and leave. We could all go south or west.
But she knew that danger existed everywhere now. This far into the apocalypse, the world had become about the survival of the fittest. They would have to stay and fight. There were just so few of them.
Did they really stand a chance?
Chapter 28
South Central Correctional
Licking, Missouri
Event + 23 Days
Zach bent forward and looked into the side mirror as Rank pulled the box truck onto the highway. There seemed to be fewer inmates on the yard. At least, that is what he told himself.
Their first stop was about a quarter-mile from the prison. Abraham Lincoln Welsh was the patriarch of a large family and a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was no stranger to war. But in his late seventies, he was just too old. His two sons lived hundreds of miles away, but his daughter lived on the property with him, along with her daughter and two grown grandsons.
Up until the moment that Zach and his group pulled down their drive, the Welsh family had been determined to keep to themselves and survive the best they could. Abe Welsh's two twenty-something great-grandchildren were standing in the driveway with shotguns lying across their arms. No doubt they thought they were prepared if someone came to take from them.
"If Guffey and his men don't scare you, six hundred violent criminals a half-mile away should," Jacob warned them.
"But I thought the governor was moving them to another prison," Abe's daughter said, a quiver in her voice.
She'd been genuinely shocked when Jacob explained the dire situation at South Central Correctional. They somehow believed that the government was still in control of things. Abe's mouth hung open when Lugnut told him that FEMA had pulled out days ago, and now Guffey had stolen the last of the supplies meant to appease the prisoners.
"The governor has his hands full with refugees coming over the border from Illinois. He's not sending any buses for the prisoners. They're our problem now. If they get over that fence, they'll be your problem before they're ours," Rank said, pointing to each of them.
Zach thought for sure that at least some of Abe's family would join them. He was shocked when they decided, instead, to pack up and move rather than stay and fight. But that was their decision.
They received similar reactions from four other families along their route. Zach was getting truly discouraged by the time they reached the Gunderson's. Harvey Gunderson didn't bat an eyelash before saying he’d help.
"He's had a beef with Guffey for years. Something about a used car," Jacob whispered in Zach's ear.
Harvey Gunderson turned out to be a gold mine. Not only did he, his daughters, and one grandson join them, but he directed them to others who were no fans of Guffey. Most had no idea that Guffey had set up his own little kingdom in Houston, and even fewer were aware of how dire the situation had become at the prison.
"How long before he and his men come knocking on your door and want your children's food?" Lugnut asked each family.
It seemed that Guffey's reputation for bullying had earned him plenty of enemies. Zach hoped he had as many enemies in Houston. If not, they could be going up against the entire town.
In all, Zach, Jacob, Rank, Lugnut, and Roger rounded up fifteen men, four women, two teenaged girls, and three teen boys. Everyone else they’d spoken to that day were too old or too ill, either from the flu that was making its way through the community or from starvation. From the sight of some of their neighbors, they wouldn’t make it much longer. Zach wished they'd called on them sooner.
Zach took a notepad and pencil from his pack and wrote the names and addresses of those too sick to join them. After this crisis was over with the Guffeys, he intended to see if he could bring them food and medicine. He was sure his mom and Jason would want to join him and help with their medical needs.
After loading everyone into the FEMA truck, they drove south to Houston, Missouri. No one guarded the checkpoint on Highway 17 or the one on Highway 32.
Rank weaved the big truck in and out of the cars blocking the road and drove into town unmolested. That unnerved Zach.
Where is everyone?
"Turn there,” Jacob said, pointing to a street on their left. “We'll go try to get some more folks here to join us before we confront Guffey and his men. Not many folks liked Guffey before he turned all dictator on us.”
Rank took the turn a little too sharp, tossing Jacob into Zach. Zach could hear groans from their passengers in the back of the FEMA truck. It was a tight squeeze in the cab, but he was glad he hadn't been made to ride in the back like the others.
"Stop here," Jacob said, pointing to a tiny park. The sign said, “Emmet Kelley Park.”
"If people see a FEMA truck, they may get the wrong idea and t
hink we're here to do a food distribution. We don't want to get swamped with people.
Rank pulled around behind a park maintenance building and killed the engine. He was scanning the nearby neighborhood when Harvey and another man jumped down from the back of the truck.
"You guys wait here. We'll go round some people up. Give us thirty minutes, and I'll have you an Army," Harvey said, his bushy mustache twitching as he spoke.
Rank, Jacob, and Zach exited the box truck and scanned for signs of trouble. The others either leaned against the truck or sat on the curb. Jacob walked over and nudged Zach.
"You have admirers," he said, using his thumb to gesture behind them.
Zach resisted the urge to turn and look. He didn't really need to. He could hear the two girls giggling behind him.
Jacob raised and lowered his eyebrows twice, and grinned.
"You know, if this thing with Harmony doesn't work out…”
Zach sighed, adjusted the strap on his rifle, and walked off toward a row of shrubs that divided the park from a nearby subdivision. He didn't have time for silly, teenaged flirting. Besides, things had never been better between him and Harmony. She'd leaned on him for comfort after her ordeal with the Jewell family. He was sure that the giggling girls sitting on the curb were not his type, anyway. They seemed way too immature. These days, that shit would get you killed.
Zach was so distracted worrying about his mom back at the cabin, and his sister and Harmony at the prison, that the sound of the engine didn't register at first. By the time he recognized the noise, and that a running vehicle was likely trouble, it was only a block away.
Zach dropped down behind the bushes and grabbed his radio. After letting Rank and the others know about the approaching vehicle, Zach brought his rifle up and looked through the scope. He didn't recognize the driver, not that he really expected to. He didn't even know what Guffey looked like. He imagined him as an old, fat, white guy. The truck turned the corner. As it passed, Zach counted six men in the back—none of them old or white.