A Lucky Find

by Sage du Toit

  Sam could sympathize with Kendra to an extent, she had been alone and wanted to die when she thought Tom was dead but to be alone and starving for as long as Kendra was, that was an amazing tale of willpower. Kendra said her medical knowledge is what kept her alive, she hovered at the point of death from starvation for so long that she almost forgot what it was to eat. She said she read her medical books and journals until all her batteries and candles were used up. She explained that she was lucky and survived as long as she did because they had just gotten a shipment of Meal Supplements from a vendor to hand out as samples. There was also a few boxes of candy and a little food in the kitchen that she kept there in case she couldn’t leave for lunch. She explained that she only used the IV’s because she didn’t have a way to sterilize the water and when she ran out of bottled water, she had gotten sick from drinking tap water. Sam could tell Kendra was drained, her voice was getting weaker and at that point Kendra looked around at all of them with tears in her eyes and thanked them all. Beth got up and went to her and gave her a hug.

  Sam and Tom were asked to retell and elaborate on some of the events that happened to them and the Country Store group retold their story so Kendra could hear it. Sam hadn’t heard the full story of what happened with the Cracker Barrel group and was very keen to hear how they survived. Chris said on N-Day the morning rush had just cleared out and only a few of the regulars were left in the restaurant, along with Beth’s group. He explained that he was in his office going over the tickets from the night before and he got the emergency notice on his phone. He said he immediately turned off the A/C unit and went out front to have the employee’s close off the vents and seal everything up like the message told them to do. He said he was just as confused as everyone but he thought it was better to follow the directions.

  He said he locked the front doors and a couple that was getting ready to leave complained and threatened to sue him. He said they told him they had an appointment they needed to get to and he wasn’t going to stop them. So, he let them outside and quickly locked the door behind them. Chris looked around at the people that remained from his group. He said they all watched out the windows at the couple fell to the ground and everyone retreated to the dining room, away from the doors.

  Beth took up the story and said that Chris saved all their lives. Chris blushed and looked down at his hands as he mumbled about just doing his job. Beth said they talked about leaving but when she looked at the people outside, through the window, she knew from her medical experience that it was something bad. She said that she knew personally that she needed to survive if she was every going to go get her kids. She hugged Noah close and tears came to her eyes as she explained that each month the group had people that sacrificed themselves by going outside to see if it was safe. Sam had originally thought the additional dead that had been outside had died because they insisted on leaving to go home for their own benefit, not to check for the benefit of the whole group. She thought how unusual for a group of people to be so selfless but they had formed a tight bond with each other and seemed to genuinely care and respect each other.

  Beth said it was the hardest thing she had ever done, not leaving to go check on her kids, and to let someone else sacrifice themselves for everyone else’s safety. Everyone in her group was nodding and several of them had tears running down their faces as they remembered the people that had gone outside. Beth said they worked hard to survive and that if it wasn’t for everyone working together, they would not have survived. She then told them that they estimated they had about two days’ worth of food left when Sam and Tom showed up. Everyone looked at Sam and Tom and she pointed to Thomas and Martha and said it was their group they needed to thank for the food!

  After everyone was done telling their stories the talk turned to her and Tom leaving and their families in Texas. Several people in the group also started talking about going to see if any of their families had survived but most of them were near the area and they decided they would wait for the weather to warm up a bit. Sam hated the thought of leaving another group of friends but she couldn’t help but worry about her family in Texas.

  The group broke up into smaller groups with some people going to clean and others to help organize all of food that had been brought in over the last few days. Beth found out about the idea of using the cat jungle gym in the kitten trailer and suggested they use the one they already had here and they could just replace it tomorrow with a new one. They removed the heavy wood pieces from inside the kitten trailer and dismantled the cat jungle gym and reassembled it to fit better inside of the trailer.

  They ended up with a fabric lined cube on the bottom and a curved scratch board going up to the top where a shallow hammock was hanging. The whole set up was a lot less weight and fit the trailer better. They did have to cut a few pieces of the plastic tubing to make it fit, but that was one of the benefits of using it. Sam found a long narrow stainless-steel pan in the kitchen and asked Daniel if she could have it. He followed her out of the kitchen to see the trailer and see how the pan fit. The pan fit fine width and length wise but it was much taller than the other box they were using. She was concerned that one of the kittens would get hurt on the sharp edges of the pan.

  The sun had finally started melting the ice about midafternoon. The ice was so thick on the trucks and the Van they had to find something to scrape it off the windshields with. They just wanted to make a quick trip to the tool shop and the pet shop and Chris was taking the van to go get more propane. With the extra cold weather, they were going through it quickly.

  When they were at the tool store Sam looked through the plastic bins they had there and found one that would work better than the stainless-steel tub and it even had a lid in case she needed to close it up. Tom found the paint he needed and also some drop cloths and tape so he could set up an area in the foyer to paint.

  At the pet store picking up another Jungle gym, Sam found some interactive cat toys that she thought might help to entertain the kittens as they traveled. She was worried that the kittens would get too rambunctious when they stopped while traveling if they didn’t have something to entertain them while they were moving. Of course, until they actually traveled a little distance, she didn’t know how they were going to do. She was just trying to think of everything but was afraid she might be overthinking it.

  When they got back to the Cracker Barrell, Tom set up the small foyer area between the front entrance doors with drop cloths and carefully painted the bike. It was still cool in the foyer area but not freezing so he said it should be fine. When the paint was dry enough so the fumes wouldn’t bother everyone, he would bring it in close to the fire so it could dry faster. When he was done, he went to the bathroom to clean up and when he came out, he had a worried look on his face. He told Sam that the water pressure was very low, which wasn’t a good sign. They could be losing their water soon.

  They found several of the Cracker Barrell group sitting around the fireplace and he told them about the water. Beth said she had noticed earlier that the water pressure seemed lower but hadn’t worried about it, she said she had just assumed it was because of the freeze. Tom explained that the freeze probably did have a lot to do with it but if pipes were frozen then that meant some could also burst. There was no way to go around and fix broken water pipes in all the houses that were frozen over. When everything thawed the water would just run free and eventually it wouldn’t just be low water pressure, it would be no water.

  They all got very worried after that and weren’t sure what they could do. Everyone had gotten quiet and Taylor spoke up. She said she knew of a children’s camp outside of the city that had a small lake. She had gone there with Ella to tour the camp because she was going to go there for a week during summer break. She said they were supposed to start camp on the Monday after N-day so most likely no one would have been there when the attack happened. She said there were camp houses and showers and that she thought she saw a big propane tank outside of the
cafeteria area, but someone would really need to go check it out to make sure it was livable. The group all looked at each other in astonishment. It sounded perfect!

  Tom suggested that they get directions and send a scouting party out to the camp, to see if it was clean and possible for the whole group to go. They pulled out a map and Taylor showed them where it was. It was only a few miles out. Since Tom had the chemical tester, they asked him and Sam if they would scout out the place for them. They didn’t really know what they should be looking for. Sam realized it would mean more delay but she would rather know where her friends were going and that they were safe.

  They bundled up and armed themselves and Tom insisted everyone bring a bug-out bag just in case. They decided to take the van since it had more room and Tom, Sam, Jacob and Chris all loaded up. The camp was just north of Douglasville and a very short drive. But they still had to stop a few times and push cars out of the way. Luckily there weren’t any big trucks turned over or in the way, this part of the freeway was narrower and there wasn’t a big shoulder. Driving around one wreck, Jacob went partway into the grass and they almost got stuck.

  It was still a few hours until dark when they turned down the dirt road to the camp. There was a big iron gate crossing the road and Tom got out to check it. He came back to the van and got his bolt cutters and cut a padlock that was on a chain wrapped around the gate. They still couldn’t see any of the buildings. Sam thought this place would be perfect if it had all the group needed. It was private and off the main roads. There was much less chance that someone would find them here and attack them for the food they had…or to take the women in the group. Tom closed the gate behind them after they drove through.

  The dirt road behind the gate led to a small lake with several wood frame and metal buildings around it. Sam could see a fire pit with benches around it near the water and a small pier going out into the water. It reminded her of the summer camp she went to as a kid.

  They sat in the van for a few minutes and waited to see if anyone came out of any of the buildings or if there were any lights anywhere. They didn’t see any other vehicles in the camp. Sam was happy to see that all the buildings looked well-built and were enclosed, not just screened in buildings like her summer camp had been for the bunk houses.

  They all quietly exited the van and Tom had them split up and go check around the buildings outside. He said they would clear the buildings after making sure there wasn’t anyone outside anywhere. It didn’t take long and they were all back to clear the first big building. The biggest building was a cafeteria with long tables and folding metal chairs. The kitchen was not as nice at the one at Cracker Barrell, but it did have gas appliances and the cupboard was stocked. So were the refrigerators and freezers but after opening one of the them they decided they would leave the others alone, they knew any food in them would be rotten and rancid.

  They went through the whole camp and didn’t find a single person, dead or alive. They wouldn’t even have to clean, other than the rotten food, tree limbs and dust. Tom went through each of the buildings and walked around the small lake with his chemical detector and it showed all clean. They also checked and found the water in the bathrooms was running fine and when they checked the water it also showed to be clean. As they finished up the last check, the sun was just starting to go down behind the trees. They decided to head back and let everyone know to start packing!

  When they got back to the Cracker Barrell everyone was very excited. The camp sounded almost perfect. They all sat down to eat dinner together and discuss the logistics of moving. They would have to take several trips and needed a place to secure their weapons once they got there. Tom suggested they get some gun safes from Academy and put them in a central location within the camp. Everyone was anxious to start packing so as soon as they were done eating, they started packing their individual items and boxing up the food in the kitchen.

  No one had much, so it didn’t take long to pack individual items. The kitchen on the other hand had a lot of food but they didn’t have a lot of boxes. They packed up what they could and decided to call it a night. Tom checked his bike before going to bed and said it was still a little tacky but should be dry by the morning.

  When they laid down to sleep Sam and Tom whispered quietly to each other. They had to decide if they were going to leave in the morning or help the group move and get set up. If they went with the group it would take them further out and they would have to travel back. Sam was concerned about the kittens that were staying with the group and wanted to be sure they were set up in a safe area. She also thought Tom could probably give the group ideas for their future gardens and solar panels since he had helped get those set up at Fort Jackson. Tom was easily convinced and they decided that in the morning they would pack their stuff on their bikes but leave them there. Someone could bring them back later and they could leave from the Cracker Barrell.

  Sam snuggled in close to Tom as they were drifting off to sleep. The bed was warm and comfortable and the room was only slightly chilly. She knew that soon they would be on the road and these small comforts would be gone. She wanted to enjoy them now…while she could! As she was drifting off to sleep, she felt a small kitten climb up the side of the mattress and knew Mew had come to find her. The kitten managed to find an opening at the top of the covers and worked her way down and snuggled in against Sam’s back. Sam vaguely wondered where the other kittens were and if Lucky was still sleeping next to Kendra. She yawned and decided they were safe and that was all that mattered.

  Chapter 9

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  7 February 2021

  Douglasville, GA

  Everyone was up early the next morning, eager to start moving and to see the new place. They all ate a quick hot breakfast of reconstituted scrambled eggs with cheese, hash browns and freshly made tortillas. Daniel kept surprising Sam with the variety of foods he could make. The tortillas were soft and delicious and there was even salsa. Sam rolled her eggs, salsa and hash browns inside of the tortilla and ate it as she walked back out to her bike and trailer. They had put all the kittens and Lucky in the pet crate. She had considered leaving them in the kitten trailer but she didn’t know how long they were going to be at the camp and didn’t want to leave them alone too long. Beth told her she could use the crate to bring them back when it was time.

  They all loaded up what they could, using all the vehicles, including the RV. There was still some food and a few propane heaters and one of the grills they would have to come back and get. They had to leave enough room for all the people to travel too. It was a tight squeeze and several people had to sit on the floor of the RV, but they didn’t have far to go. Everyone was quiet as they pulled out in a long convoy. Sam couldn’t help but think how strange this would have looked before N-Day.

  Everyone was quiet but she could see the anticipation on everyone’s faces. She was sitting in the front of the RV on Tom’s lap and Jacob was driving with Beth sitting on the RV couch with her kids with Noah in her lap. Sam helped Tom keep watch through the windows, looking for any movement from side streets or windows.

  When they pulled up to the camp gate Tom got out and took a new lock with him. They had decided to replace the cut off lock with a combination lock. Sam had been fascinated last night when Tom had aged the lock. He said it would look too suspicious to put a brand-new lock on the gate. The lock still functioned perfectly but it looked slightly rusted and old now. He had used a combination of salt and vinegar and then salt and peroxide. Tom never stopped amazing her at the things he knew!

  Tom stayed by the gate and when the last vehicle went through, which was Thomas’s truck, he shut and locked the gate. He jumped on the back bumper of Thomas’s truck and rode the short distance to the camp. Everyone piled out with their gas masks on and stood for a few minutes, looking around. They then started with the easy part, which was to unload the food into the cafeteria kitchen. Sam and Beth moved the
kitten crate into the dining area of the cafeteria. Deciding that would be the easiest place to keep them for now. They then went to help in the kitchen. Sam and Tom had the only masks that also filtered smell, so they volunteered to bag up all the rotten food in the walk-in refrigerator and freezer. Once cleaned out, they could still use it for storage.

  Tom suggested they dump all the rotten food into a barrel and start a compost pile. They found an area near the woods and Tom made an improvised box with wooden pallets and plastic bags that had been piled up near the back door to the kitchen. He filled the bottom with leaves and then they slowly started adding the rotten food that could be composted while mixing in more leaves and a little dirt. There were some rotten foods they couldn’t add, like the meats and dairy products, so Tom dug a hole and dumped them in and covered it back up. They used the dirt from the hole to cover the top of the compost heap. Tom explained to Sam the he learned about composting when they were at Fort Jackson.

  After they were done, they went back to the kitchen and Madison and James already cleaned and sterilized the refrigerator and freezer and had the doors open and were letting it all air out. Tom told them they could open the doors to the outside too but if they did, they would need to keep their masks on for safety. Daniel and Chris were also in the kitchen and they decided it was worth it and opened the back door. All the food had already been put away in the pantry. They had just stacked it all in where they could, Daniel said he would organize it later.

  They all went to find the rest of the group and found them over by the camp houses. There were four camp houses that had been set up for the campers and two bunk houses that were set up for the camp counselors, all the buildings had bathrooms and they checked and found the water was running fine in all of them. Beth and her family were taking the first camp house. Taylor and Sarah and their daughters, plus Kaitlin were taking the second camp house. The other women were taking the third camp house and the forth camp house was going to the rest of the men. The camp houses were set up for ten kids each so there was plenty of room for all of them. They could even remove some of the beds and give everyone extra room. The group decided to reserve the counselor rooms in case they found other survivors and in case couples wanted to pair off for private time. Sam saw Beth give Jacob a look when that was said and she also noticed Madison giving Daniel a hopeful look.