Grabbing the radio, “Hold here, checking the house,” Arthur called out.
“Hey, Pops, there are two MRAPs there,” Todd called out.
Stopping the smartass comment that was on his lip, Arthur took a deep breath before replying. “Yes, and Wendy thinks her friend is home, so I’m going to check.”
It was a second before Todd responded. “Let me move over near the fence line.”
“No, just stay in the rides. I won’t be long,” Arthur called back and dropped the radio. Pulling the sling off his chest, he passed Nicole to Kirk. “She’s asleep.”
As Kirk took the bundle, “That she can sleep through your yelling is amazing,” Wendy scoffed. Ignoring Wendy, Arthur pulled down the driveway. “I know this is her house, but do you think it’s wise to just drive up since they have two MRAPs like we do?”
“They don’t have people in theirs and we do,” Arthur huffed. “I’m not waiting till someone inside runs out and climbs in them.”
“How can you tell?” Wendy asked.
“The remote stations aren’t pointed at the road,” Arthur answered, pulling around the circular drive and stopping almost in the exact spot they had picked up Alicia to take her to the airport. The MRAPs were parked on the lawn right in front of the house. “They’re using the MRAPs to shield the house from gunfire from the road,” he nodded approvingly.
“What kind of camouflage is that painted on them?” Wendy asked.
“Homemade because there’s a smiley face on the rear door of the first one,” Arthur said, opening his door. “Kirk, let the dogs out and Wendy, if there’s gun play, pull the Suburban back.”
As Kirk let the dogs out and the excitement of Alicia making it home faded, Wendy started getting worried once Arthur shut the door.
Inside, Sutton was looking through the front window. He could see the line of trucks and trailers with two MRAPs on the road. The trip to Arkansas, Ellie had schooled them very well and they weren’t naïve to this new world any longer. “What should we do?” he asked when Ellie ran up to stop beside him.
“He’s not hostile and from the way he’s walking, it seems he feels confident he can kill anyone in here,” Ellie told him as the others gathered behind them.
“You can tell that from a walk?” Sarah gasped, studying the man and two dogs heading for the door.
“If he was hostile he could’ve just had those MRAPs on the road open up, but look at the way he’s walking and holding his M4, he’s relaxed,” Ellie pointed out. “If this goes bad I’ll take him, and get the kids out the back.”
“You’re not going out there,” Skannish huffed behind them, and Ellie rolled her eyes. She really loved the old man, but he could push her nerves unlike anyone she had ever met.
“He damn sure isn’t coming in here,” Ellie sighed, and saw the man and dogs stop in the yard just staring at the house. “Wait a second,” she mumbled.
Studying the man, she turned to the Suburban and then looked at the line of trucks on the road. Turning back to the man, Ellie let out a gasp, “It’s the Caravan Man we heard about on the radio.”
“What the hell is he doing here?” Sarah asked, moving closer to the window.
“Are you sure?” Sutton asked.
“Two dogs, a flat brim Indiana Jones hat, black Suburban, and a caravan on the road,” Ellie pointed out with a grin. “We aren’t a gang, so we should be good.”
Taking that to heart, Sutton headed for the door and walked out, startling everyone. “What the hell is he doing?!” Shanna cried out.
Ellie was staring right at Arthur when Sutton opened the door, he nor his dogs jumped. “That man is ice,” she mumbled.
“Afternoon,” Sutton called out, lifting his hand and giving a wave.
“Afternoon,” Arthur replied, tilting his head but keeping his hands on his weapon. “Is Alicia home? I don’t need to see her by all means, or even have her come outside. For that matter, I don’t even want her to start talking while I’m here. We were just wondering.”
Startled at the question and the limitations, Sutton dropped his hand. “Um, no, she’s not here. She was on a cruise when the flu hit.”
Giving a sigh, “Yeah, I know, I dropped her and my wife off at the airport,” Arthur said, and heard a door open on the Suburban, but didn’t turn away from the house.
“Scott?” Wendy called out unsurely from the Suburban. Arthur saw the man give a startle and squint his eyes, trying to make out Wendy’s face.
“Yes,” Sutton answered, and Wendy walked around the Suburban. When Wendy was halfway to Arthur, “Wendy?” Sutton asked.
“And just how in the hell do you know my fucking wife?” Arthur snapped.
Turning to Arthur, “I’ve seen her pictures on my sister’s social media pages,” Sutton answered.
Giving a nod, “Have a good day, sir,” Arthur nodded and turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” Wendy snapped.
“Alicia isn’t here, we’re leaving before she gets the fuck back,” Arthur informed her.
Glancing at Sutton, “Sorry,” Wendy whispered, then turned back to Arthur. “You’re being rude!”
“Who gives a fuck?! I don’t like being around her! She rapes my ears! I would rather stick my dick in a light socket than listen to that bitch!” Arthur cried out, finally letting his rifle go to hang under his arm and Skannish stepped outside beside Sutton.
With an understanding sigh, “He knows your sister very well,” Skannish declared.
“Arthur, we aren’t leaving yet,” Wendy snapped.
“She isn’t here and I want to go before she somehow shows the fuck up,” Arthur huffed.
Giving a forced smile to Sutton, “Arthur, she’s not that bad,” Wendy said in a low voice, seeing a passel of kids and two women step out on the porch.
“Oh, yeah, the Sunday before you left, what was Alicia doing? Oh, what that bitch does all the time, running her fucking mouth nine hundred miles an hour during the church service!”
Getting pissed off now, Wendy squared off with Arthur. “You didn’t have to scream out ‘Shut the fuck up!’ in the middle of the sermon at her!”
“Why not? She was running her mouth, but I got a standing ovation!”
Coming out with the others, “I don’t know if I want to meet your sister,” Sarah told Sutton.
“I was sleeping in the garden shed if she showed up,” Skannish informed everyone.
“Arthur, she’s just lonely!” Wendy shouted.
Throwing his hands in the air, “If she would shut the fucking hole under her nose for two minutes out of every hour, Alicia might have people that actually may want to talk to her. Don’t act all high and mighty with me, Wendy! You’ve told that bitch to shut her fucking mouth more than once, in those exact words!” Arthur cried out.
“I don’t do it every time I see her!”
“I didn’t on the way to the airport, did I? But I’ll tell you, before getting on the interstate, I almost rammed a truck so I could get injured and just call a cab to take y’all to the airport!”
Stepping off the porch, “I feel so sorry for that young man,” Skannish said, heading for the two arguing. “But his wife has a heart of gold to even put up with Alicia for any amount of time.”
Stopping beside Arthur, Skannish held out his hand. “I feel your pain, sir, and I only had to deal with Sutton’s sister a few times,” Skannish told him. “After meeting Alicia, I know why some animals eat their young.”
Shaking the hand, Arthur waved at Skannish. “Hear that? He knows her really fucking well,” Arthur declared, looking at Wendy. “Alicia is the only person I’ve ever known who’s on telemarketers ‘Do Not Call’ list. Why? Because she won’t shut the gaping geyser of hot air fucking hole under her nose! They don’t call her because they don’t want to listen to her bitch ass!”
“Damn, that was good,” Sarah chuckled.
“That wasn’t a joke. He was being serious, Sarah,” Sutton sighed, stepping off th
e porch.
“If she shows up, we can’t leave her here!” Wendy shouted as Arthur let Skannish’s hand go.
“She damn sure isn’t moving into my fucking house! She’s the only person on the planet who I’m willing to rip my own balls off for and shove them down her throat just to get her to shut the fuck up! And I would do it, happily and willingly, if it would shut that bitch’s mouth!”
Stumbling back at that declaration, Wendy just blinked at Arthur. Seeing her just stare at him, “I’m serious, I’ll rip, not cut. I’ll rip my balls off and shove them down her throat to shut her up!” he vowed.
Slowly nodding, “Okay, we’ll get her to join up with others,” Wendy offered.
Wendy was startled to see shock in Arthur’s eyes as he squared off with her and snarled. “Are you out of your goddamned mind?! That would be an open declaration of war on our asses! I wouldn’t do that to that little cock-sucker Dean, and I’m going to cut his liver out while he’s still alive and make him eat it before he dies!”
“We’re finding another house if Sutton’s sister shows up,” Ellie told Sarah, who nodded in agreement.
“I apologize on my sister’s behalf,” Sutton said, holding out his hand.
Shaking Sutton’s hand, “I feel sorry for your ass, you had to grow up with the bitch,” Arthur grunted, letting Sutton’s hand go.
“Believe it or not, she was shy as a child, but when she became a teenager…” Sutton stopped and shook his head. “I was just thankful I was the oldest and left for college when she was sixteen.”
“I would’ve joined the French Foreign Legion, changed my name, and hid in the Congo up a gorilla’s ass,” Arthur informed everyone.
Throwing up her hands, “Okay!” Wendy shouted. “We’ll deal with that if it ever comes up,” she said in a normal voice. She turned to Sutton, “Good to finally meet you,” Wendy smiled, holding out her hand.
As Sutton shook her hand, “I can tell you why we haven’t met him before. He looks like a smart motherfucker and smart enough to run the other fucking way when he saw Alicia coming!” Arthur cried out.
“Arthur, be nice!” Wendy barked as she let Sutton’s hand go, and Skannish was laughing so hard he was having trouble standing.
“Oh, I am being nice, want me to get vulgar?!” Arthur challenged and Wendy felt drained.
“When did you get here?” Wendy asked, and noticed all the older kids on the porch were laughing.
“Two days ago,” Sutton answered. “So, Alicia didn’t get sick?”
“Nobody wants her!” Arthur cried out as he walked away. “That woman could run every angel in heaven out straight to hell and make Satan want to get baptized just so he could get the flying fuck out of hell!”
Cutting her eyes at Arthur as he walked away, “I don’t know, but I know her stuff wasn’t in her cabin. I did get sick, but after I was able, I went and checked, but her purse and small bag were gone,” Wendy told him. “You worked at the CDC, right?”
“Yes, as did Skannish and Sarah,” Sutton told her, and Arthur spun around and stormed over. Seeing that, Ellie stopped laughing.
“Why in the hell did anyone let that Ernie guy talk? And how did he get over the CDC? You could’ve found a guy cleaning toilets to explain shit better than that numb nut!” Arthur snapped.
Shrugging, “Don’t know how he got the job, but that’s why they wanted him to give the press conferences. He didn’t know what he was talking about,” Sutton admitted.
“Pops!” Kirk cried out from the Suburban. “Nicole is doing the Arthur cry!”
Hearing that, Arthur took off in a sprint and everyone heard a baby crying, and Wendy noticed everyone looking at her. “That’s his child, don’t ask me,” she shrugged. “He gave me a child that hates clothes and is teaching it to others.”
“We haven’t come across any gangs around here,” Ellie said, walking off the porch and slinging her rifle.
“No, Arthur is hunting them down and doing vile things to them before they die. He won’t let me go so we can make a date of it until I’m fully recovered,” Wendy laughed. “So, are you planning on staying?”
Glancing back at the house, “Yeah, it’s the only place I could think of that we could run to and stand a chance at making it,” Sutton told her, then introduced the others.
Looking at Sutton and then the others as he introduced them, Wendy really didn’t think they stood a chance. Ellie and Shanna looked like they could fight, but none looked like they could grow food. “Let me talk to Arthur for a minute, I’ll be right back,” Wendy smiled.
Walking to the Suburban, she saw Arthur talking to Nicole and making her laugh. “Arthur, I want to let them join,” Wendy told him.
Jerking his head up, “After what we just talked about?!” he cried out. “We can send them to the new group,” he offered.
Biting her lip, Wendy let it go and smiled. “You let her brother Scott and his group join us, and I’ll tell Alicia she has to join the other group if she ever makes it here,” Wendy countered.
Stepping to the side of Wendy so he could see Sutton and his group, “Get your shit and follow us!” Arthur shouted out while getting ready to put Nicole in the truck, and then load Sutton and his group up, willing or unwilling. It didn’t matter, they were coming even if he had to tie their asses up. He only stopped when Wendy grabbed his arm, but he was willing to force people to do what he wanted and didn’t care about what they wanted. If it meant he didn’t have to fight with Wendy about Alicia, Arthur was prepared to break many things he considered taboo to keep that bitch away from him.
“Take care of Nicole, I’ll tell them,” Wendy laughed and ran back, and was very happy to see excited faces. “You can join us but I’m telling you now, there’s a ton of work ahead. If you don’t work, you don’t stay. Everyone works and Arthur works harder than anyone, so don’t ever complain to him. If Alicia shows up, we’ll send her to the new group starting near us.”
“Just hearing that, I’m going,” Skannish said, turning around and heading for the house to get his stuff.
It didn’t take long before Skannish was in the lead MRAP with Ellie driving. The kids were divided between the two as they fell in at the back of the caravan. When they passed a sign that read ‘Dead End’, Ellie and Skannish just shrugged at each other.
Soon they saw a house and the road stopped at a fence with trees in the field, but they saw the caravan take a small farm track heading to a dilapidated barn. The track passed the barn and when it reached a road, Skannish turned back to the north. “They hid the road!” he shouted, realizing what he was seeing.
“I’m impressed,” Ellie snickered as she turned on the road and followed the caravan down a narrow valley with a creek running on the left side of the road. A mile further, Ellie’s foot came off the gas pedal and her mouth fell open. Across the valley floor was a fifteen feet tall wooden fence. Slowly, she and Skannish turned to the right following the fence that started at the creek and saw it run up the slope and continued out of sight. “They’re building a wall?!” Ellie cried out and the kids in back looked out in awe.
“Yeah, I see it, but why build a wooden wall?” Skannish asked, trying to figure it out as they drove through a gap in the fence that let the road through. “It has to be fifteen feet tall.”
Looking ahead and seeing she was falling behind the caravan, Ellie hit the gas to catch up. No one spoke about trying to make sense of the wall. When they reached the valley floor with all the equipment, the shock just increased tenfold. Arthur had them park their MRAPs at the bottom of the hill and ride up in buggies, with only the trucks pulling trailers continuing on to the house.
After being shown around, Skannish found Sutton. “We were never prepared to think on this scale,” Skannish said.
Shaking his head, “I don’t think many are,” Sutton added.
After the trucks were unloaded, Wendy started making out the new work schedule with her leading a group to start on the rooms upstairs. At su
pper, name tags were handed out and Arthur was the first to put his on.
Chapter Fourteen
Innocence Lost pisses Arthur Off
Sitting up in bed, fast asleep but feeling something squirming on his chest, Arthur cracked his eyes open, glancing down. He found Nicole chewing on her fist and looking up at him with her bright blue eyes. “I just fed you four hours ago,” Arthur croaked out.
Nicole gave a giggle as she threw her fist out like she was cheering that Arthur was awake. Blinking his eyes, Arthur noticed his body was tilted to the side. As his eyes registered the fact, Arthur felt something under his left side. Turning his gaze he just sighed, seeing Robin burrowed up under his side and one of the twins under his right leg. “I wanted more kids and I sure got them,” Arthur said, turning back to Nicole who gave another cooing cheer. “Just shows me I have to be careful about what I wish for.”
Realizing the right side of his hip was sore, Arthur reached down and felt little cowboy boots. “Robin,” he moaned, looking as his hand pulled up a little leg with a pink cowboy boot. “I told you not to wear them to bed.”
“You got her a new pair, what did you expect?” Wendy grumbled, and he saw Lucas on her chest and Ryan beside her in the bed with the other twin curled up to the baby. Blinking his eyes he saw two more babies, but gave up on trying to come up with their names. Then it hit him, he would put ID bracelets like they did at the hospital on the babies.
“Yeah, I can’t get the damn mud off her other pair. I wanted her to wear these in the house,” Arthur protested.
“If I’m not mistaken, Robin is in the house,” Wendy chuckled.
Ten harsh comebacks instantly popped into Arthur’s mind, but he shut all of them off. Pointing at the twin under his leg, “Which one is this?” he asked.
Lifting her head to look at the eight-year-old curled up with Ryan, “Jo Ann,” Wendy yawned. “I put different barrettes in their hair for you since they can’t wear name tags to bed. I still can’t tell the boys apart without name tags. Can you?”
Turning to Wendy as he rolled his eyes, “Doll, I forgot my own name two days ago arguing with Robin because she wouldn’t stop calling me ‘you’. I told her I’m not you, I’m-. But, I couldn’t remember my name, for like ten minutes and told her just to call me ‘Pops’,” Arthur admitted, slowly extracting his body to get out of bed. “After she called me Pops, I remembered my name. I’m just glad we have name tags now.”
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