“Is eviction on the table?” George asked. “We’ve gotta know how far you’re willing to take this.”
“It’s February, guys. Those other two left of their own accord, so that’s on them. Booting the rest out though… I don’t think they’d get far on those sleds. It would probably kill them.”
“They’re northerners.” Stu said. “They’re the toughest guys in the bush, remember?”
“Ha! That whole ‘tact’ thing continues to elude you, Stu.” Hal said with a snort.
“We’ll put a party together and head down first thing tomorrow morning, Hal.” George said.
“We’ll play it nice and easy and see how it goes.” Stu added.
“And see if Leo wants to come too.” Olivia said.
“Will do, Liv.” Stu said with a smile.
“So, what have you got for us this week, buddy?” George asked, getting back to the business at hand. “Hate to cut the meeting short, but my face is going numb out here.”
“I hear ya, pal.” Hal said, chuckling again as he reached into the back of his truck. “I’ve got a sack of potatoes, a bunch of onions, a few heads of lettuce, some broccoli, spinach… I think Nora threw some beans in here too somewhere. Two full assorted bushels. No bonus bushel this week, I’m sorry to say.”
“That looks great, Hal, thanks.” George said.
“That’s the last of the good stuff for a while, I’m afraid. The greenhouses need a little time to recover. They’re pretty well spent unless you like kale. Never seem to be able to get rid of the kale. I don’t know why Nora insists on growing it every year.”
“Yeah, can’t say I much care for it myself.” George said. “If that’s all we can get next week, though, we’ll take it. Two bushels if you can do it. Can’t survive on fish and meat alone.”
“You got it, George.” Hal said. “I’ll just send it home with the guys that come and stay with us. Save us the trip out here next week. I might be able to throw in some Brussels sprouts too. They’re almost ready.”
“Oh, thanks a lot.” George said sarcastically.
“Ha! You just eat your damn veggies, George.” Hal said. “We should have some asparagus and carrots again soon.”
“Shit, I hope so.” George said.
“Whatever you can set aside for us, Hal.” Stu said. “I’ll cram those sprouts down George’s throat myself, if I have to.”
“Ha! You guys are too much.” Hal said. “How’s the hunting been?”
Stu motioned for them to follow him around to the back of their truck. Inside the bed, field dressed, quartered and already partially frozen, lay a full grown bull moose.
“Wow!” Hal said. “That’s not all for us…”
“It is. Leo got him yesterday. Probably an 800 pounder.” Stu said proudly. “That’s the second one he bagged this week.”
“That’s incredible!” Hal said. “That’s too much, though, guys. I was hoping for a few hares and maybe some grouse… I can’t possibly pay for this.”
“Every trade isn’t gunna be perfectly equal, Hal.” George said. “How many bushels you figure this is worth?”
“Shit, I don’t know… 20?... 30?” Hal replied.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Hal.” Stu said. “We’ll take four deliveries of whatever you can spare. That means we won’t have any meat with us for the next month, though, okay? I’m just looking to keep the hunters home for a while, at least until we get a break in this weather.”
“That’s sounds great, guys, thanks!” Hal said.
“No problem, buddy.” Stu said. “Let’s let these guys start transferring it over to your truck, Hal. Come sit with me in the Dodge for a minute. I have one more thing for you.”
◆◆◆
“What do you mean, you and Leo will be away from home for a few days?” Sydney asked. “Haven’t you seen what it’s like out there?”
Stu set his boots down in a plastic tote that served as their ‘melt box’ and went to work on his coat.
“Syd… seriously? I’m completely covered in snow and you’re asking me if I know it’s snowing?”
“Where are you taking our son, Stu?”
“Hal’s place.” Stu replied. “You remember me telling you about that group that came down from Sudbury a few weeks ago?”
“The assholes, yeah, I remember.” Sydney replied.
“Ha! I take it Brody and Joey aren’t here.” Stu said, chuckling as he hung up his coat.
“No, we have the trailer to ourselves. What’s going on?”
“I guess they’ve been starting up a little trouble with some of the others. A few punches were thrown. A few noses got bent out of shape. It’s not a big deal, but Hal was hoping we could help him out with it.”
“There are eight or nine other families living there, Stu.” Sydney said. “If it’s no big deal why can’t they just handle it on their own?”
“I guess they’ve got a few hunting rifles.” Stu replied. “He doesn’t want it turning into anything serious. He figures they’ll be more cooperative once they see that our group is watching over the place.”
“Why the hell did they let those guys in anyway?” Sydney asked. “Six armed men show up at your gates, you tell them to move along. You don’t invite them in and tell them to make themselves at home. Didn’t you show them how to keep that place safe?”
“Of course, I did.” Stu replied, mildly insulted. “They’ve got a different situation over there than we do, Syd. They have a few more firearms now, but they still don’t have a lot. We’re down on ammo ourselves, so we didn’t give them any ARs. They got all three of Carl’s SKS rifles and the ammo can full of 7.62. I think George gave them a few shotguns and a few boxes of shotshells too.”
“That’s not nothing.” Sydney said.
“True, but those weapons are all dedicated to defending the resort. That was an important part of our deal. They’re not for hunting. When those guys showed up and told Hal that they’ve been hunting the area for years he figured he’d give them a shot. They couldn’t afford to turn six potential providers anyway. I imagine Hal regrets the decision now. They’re down to only four assholes now, by the way. I guess two up them got fed up and left.”
“What about that little package you brought out there with you?” Sydney asked.
“I gave it to him. It’ll help in an emergency, but it’s not really much either.” Stu replied.
“So, why bring Leo? That sounds like it could get dangerous.”
“Leo’s not coming to help us out with that. He’s got someone over there that wants to see him.”
“What? Who?” Sydney asked.
“That day you came out there with me, back in December, did you meet a young girl named Olivia?”
“Oh, you have got to… That’s fantastic!”
“Calm down, we don’t know anything yet.” Stu said, already regretting having shared the information. “She came out today hoping to meet up with him. She tags along with Hal from time to time, but it never really occurred to me that she was coming specifically to see Leo. She seemed pretty disappointed that he didn’t come with us today. I don’t even think Leo knows, to be honest. He’s never said anything to me about it anyway.”
“Well, don’t say anything to him.” Sydney said. “If he knows she’s into him he might start acting like a fool and mess the whole thing up.”
“Nice faith in your kid there, babe.” Stu said with a slight chuckle.
“You know what I meant.”
“Yes, dear, I know what you meant. I’ll keep my mouth shut. Could be that he knows, but he’s just not interested.”
“Are you kidding me?” Sydney asked. “We’re talking about that pretty little thing with the green eyes and the jet black hair?”
“Well, I don’t know what colour her eyes are, darling, but she has black hair, yes. Shoulder length.”
Sydney smiled at her husband and said, “He’s interested.”
◆◆◆
Terrell stepped
through the plywood door of their make shift butcher shop and looked down at the large wooden table. Corey and Leo were in the process of carving up the full grown buck that Leo had shot today. A low fire in the wood stove kept the hut at a comfortable temperature. Its black stovepipe chimney ran across the ceiling and into the adjoining trailer, helping to keep the cow and chickens warm as well.
“I heard you let that punk ass kid show you up again, Corey.” Terrell said.
“My calls brought him in, dude.” Corey replied, defending himself.
“You were taking a dump.” Leo said.
“Those grunts were deer calls!” Corey said.
“Whatever…” Leo said, shaking his head and turning back to his work.
“Ha! Well, regardless, I heard you fools have been grounded.” Terrell said. “No more hunts until the weather improves.”
“Seriously?” Leo asked. “We found a ton of tracks out…”
“…Tell it to your dad, kid. I’m just here to deliver the message.” Terrell said, holding up his hands. “When you’re done he wants to speak to you guys in the cabin.”
“Okay, thanks, T.” Corey said.
“You haven’t seen Stacey around, have you?” Terrell asked. “I was asked to send her up to the cabin too.”
“She’s helping Fran in her trailer.” Corey replied. “I don’t think school’s out for another hour.”
“Alright, well, I guess I can wait.” Terrell said.
“Don’t be afraid to grab a scalpel there, Doctor.” Corey said, motioning towards another butcher knife. “Been a while since you performed surgery on anything bigger than a pickerel.”
“Well, don’t mind if I do.” Terrell said with a smile. “Not exactly a 10 blade, but I’ll make this baby dance.”
“That’s the spirit.” Corey said. “When you’re done make sure this all gets loaded into the freezer.”
Corey and Leo set their knives down and began wiping their hands. They both sported a wide mischievous grin as Terrell began to realize that he had just been played.
“Oh, that’s cold, guys.” Terrell said. “I was hoping for a little bonding time with my homies.”
“This homie’s going to get cleaned up.” Corey said. “I’ve been in these clothes since 3:00 a.m.”
“Sorry, Terrell, but I feel gross.” Leo said. “I just want to get ready for my shower. I think I’m up third tonight.”
“Alright, alright, I got ya.” Terrell said. “Could you at least throw a couple of logs in that wood stove before you leave, please?”
◆◆◆
“Well, if you’re sure you want me to come along… I’m in.” Stacey said. “Assuming I can convince someone to take Emma and Jenny off our hands for a few days.”
“I’m sure Fran will take care of them for you, Stacey.” Brian said. “With me out of the way there’ll be plenty of room over at our place.”
“Okay, cool.” Corey said. “We expecting trouble on this one or is this just a ‘good will’ type of deal?”
“Well, a little of both, maybe.” Stu replied. “Brian and Hal will do the talking, see if this Sudbury group can be reasoned with. We’ve been supplying Hal’s people with plenty of meat, so their usefulness as hunters has pretty much run its course. If they’re making life miserable for everyone and they have no interest in straightening up they’ll be told to pack their bags. That’s when it could turn ugly.”
“Why am I coming instead of Uncle George?” Leo asked. “Is this why you shut down all the hunting… so I can go babysit a bunch of buttholes?”
“You’re strictly backup on this one, Leo and watch your mouth.” Stu replied. “You won’t be meeting with those Sudbury guys at all. Your main job will be to stay with the others and keep them calm and under control. George and your mother are staying behind to take care of security here. We can’t have all of our gunslingers away from home at the same time.”
“If you hear any shooting, though, you and the others will be getting involved.” Brian added. “We’ll work out all the details once we’re there.”
“The hunts have been called off because you’re getting us all fat, Leo.” George said. “Let the wildlife live in peace for the rest of the winter. I think that freezer out there is pretty much full anyway.”
“Corey, I suppose if you still want to go out hunting, you can.” Brian added. “The wildlife hasn’t had much to worry about from you.”
“Not cool, dude.” Corey said with a face devoid of expression.
“And why am I coming?” Stacey asked. “You know that I’m basically useless with a rifle.”
“You’ll do alright, Stace, but we were thinking that you might be able to convince them to leave without anybody getting shot.” Stu said. “Maybe put on another one of those martial arts clinics.”
“I’m just a dancing monkey to you, aren’t I?” she then asked.
“Ha! We all remember New Years Eve, Stace.” Stu said with a smile. “Nobody needs to see you dance again.”
The room went dead silent for a moment and then they all burst out laughing. Even Stacey, as embarrassed as she was, had tears rolling down her cheeks. Just as she was about to make an attempt at defending her drunken indiscretions, Leo made it impossible.
“Oh, Corey, let me dance for you.” Leo said, trying his best to imitate Stacey’s voice while pumping his hands in the air. “Woo-hoo!”
“Damn…” Stacey quietly said, accepting defeat and lowering her head as the guys split their sides.
“Alright, so… me, Leo, Stacey, Corey and Brian makes five.” Stu said. “I was hoping to leave the Bronco here, but there’s no way we’re all fitting in that Dodge. I guess we’ll load up the Bronco in the morning.”
“Gear?” Corey asked.
“You, Leo and I are going full tac. We’re going for intimidation here, so don’t leave anything behind. Stace, you need to be able to do your thing, so dress light. Hopefully, Bri, you’ll just be doing a lot of talking, so you can dress light too. Everybody brings their primary and secondary weapons, though and plenty of mags for each.”
“Hey, guys, 10 minutes until I need the generator started.” Gwen said, calling into the living room from the kitchen. “Better get the shower parade organized.”
“Crap, I think I’m up first tonight. Meeting adjourned.” Stu said, rushing out of his chair.
◆◆◆
By 5:00 p.m. that evening the sun was already setting. For a couple of hours each evening their entire camp was lit up with an assortment of jerry-rigged spot lights. Each of these lights were mounted to the cabin’s soffits high above their heads. This illuminated the area around the cabin while also lighting up the treeline surrounding them. It gave them a reasonable view of their surroundings while also blinding any potential invaders. In an effort to avoid anyone seeing the light from afar and coming in to investigate, they only ran the spotlights until darkness set in. In an emergency, though, everyone staying in the cabin knew that job number one was to flip on that light switch.
The 12,000 watt generator that George kept locked in its protective enclosure still functioned perfectly after two separate electromagnetic pulse events. George’s insistence that the generator shed be kept closed and locked at all times had saved it… twice. His intention was only to keep the critters out and prevent the kids from messing with it, but the shed being sealed had served a far more important purpose. The generator’s metallic enclosure had successfully shielded it from the harmful energy waves produced by the EMPs and prevented them from damaging its delicate circuitry.
The rooftop solar panels and the power inverter, on the other hand, had been completely fried six months ago. The enormous 12 volt industrial battery was undamaged, but without the power inverter converting the electricity to 120 volts AC, it was basically useless. As a result, the cabin’s electrical system would only function while the generator was running. Gasoline for the generator was far from an inexhaustible resource, so they needed to find a way to convert
everything they could to 12 volts DC, something that the cabin’s battery could easily supply on its own.
It had taken a bit of effort and several trips back to the abandoned campground, but eventually they had many of the cabin’s appliances and fixtures converted over. Instead of one large AC refrigerator, the kitchen now held two smaller 12 volt units that they had pulled out of two campers. Rather than using the large decorative ceiling lights, each room now had a few smaller LED lamps that ran on 12 volts, also removed from said campers. Everything that had a DC powered alternative was replaced including the outdoor lighting. The spotlights mounted to the cabin’s soffits were actually repurposed truck headlights. Throughout the area several derelict vehicles now sat with their eyes plucked out.
The dual fuel range was propane up top, but the oven was electric, as was the water pump and tankless water heater. Due to their extreme power demands, they were kept on AC power. In order to use any of them, the generator would have to be started. With the lake being solidly frozen over, not to mention extremely cold, the tub/shower was deemed to be an absolute necessity. Everyone was unanimous in their desire to keep the beloved toilet filled with water as well. Since the solar panels weren’t capable of charging the battery anymore, that responsibility fell to the generator alone. Each evening, while the generator topped up the battery, the cabin would become a flurry of activity.
The schedule was laid out well in advance and planned to synchronized perfection. Once the cooks were ready to start making dinner, everyone scheduled for a shower would be prepared outside of the bathroom. One person would be in position at the generator, one would be in the kitchen and one would be in the bathroom. The instant the generator was started the chef would get to work. After counting to five, the lucky person up to bat in the shower rotation would open the valve, drop their towel and dive in for five minutes of pure heaven.
The next happy contestants would all be standing in line outside, wrapped in only their towels, waiting for their turn at the shower. To avoid holding up the operation, the person exiting the shower would quickly wrap themselves back up in a towel and dash into the adjoining bedroom to get dressed. That person would have five minutes to towel off and dress themselves before the next person would run in to do the same. They had even gone as far as to forbid anyone from bringing clothes into the bathroom with them. During the speed showering events, participants were only permitted to enter and exit wearing a towel.
EMP [Collateral Darkness] | Book 4 Page 8