Surviving The End (Book 3): New World

by Hamilton, Grace

  “We had a great—! We had a great idea during the workshop today,” she said.

  “Oh?” Jodi said. “What was that?”

  “I met these two nice people from Albany,” Violet explained, scarcely waiting for Jodi to finish her question. “They’re living in the tent camp at Memorial Park near the high school, and we thought it might help all the people there to start a garden in the park. There’s plenty of open land down by the creek.”

  “It sounds like an excellent idea to me,” Beth said, scooping herself a second serving of corn soup. “It’ll help keep all those people fed, which could prevent desperation from setting in.”

  “Wait a minute,” Shane said, through a mouthful of food. “There’s a tent camp at Memorial Park? Did the mayor approve of this?”

  “It sounded to me like maybe it was his idea,” Violet said. “He’s been letting outsiders stay in town. My new friends, Marna and Brad, got stranded here when they ran out of gas, and the mayor gave them a tent to stay in.”

  “He’s just letting people squat in the city park?” Shane said. “Is that a good idea? Is he at least keeping tabs on who’s camping in town?”

  “I don’t know,” Violet replied.

  Shane had fixated on the tent camp. In a town where even long-time neighbors had begun to look at one another with suspicion, it seemed dangerous to allow unknown people to move in. Still, Jodi knew that wasn’t why her daughter had brought it up.

  “I think setting up a community garden makes a lot of sense,” Jodi said, reaching over to pat her daughter on the back. She felt the heavy edge of the bandage that covered Violet’s right shoulder. Violet had been through a lot, but if she’d found some purpose that made her happy, Jodi wouldn’t let anyone take it away from her. She’d been through so much, and Jodi was well aware that Violet had been down in the dumps since the power went out. Mostly, she spent her days moping around the house. “What’s the plan? How are you going to make it happen?”

  “Well, we’re going to put up a big fence to keep the deer out,” Violet said. “This one guy at the workshop has a hand tiller, so he’s going to bring it next Monday. Zoe, the librarian, is going to help us, too, and we have a lot of volunteers. I think I’m pretty much in charge of the project, so I’ll direct people and make sure we do it right. I haven’t measured the amount of available land, but if we could carve out an acre or two, we could make a lot of food. Maybe not enough to feed everybody, but certainly enough to supplement whatever they got from the grocery stores.”

  Jodi didn’t know if her daughter thought much these days about her showdown with Pike, Wolf, and Gunner. It was hard to believe that Violet had had to shoot and kill someone. It was a thing no one should have to go through, much less a sheltered teenage girl with a disability. Still, she was proud that her daughter had defended herself and Kaylee.

  They hadn’t spoken about it much. The few times Jodi had brought it up, wanting to give her daughter either a shoulder to cry on or just someone to talk to, Violet had quickly shut down the conversation. It was good to see her finding something more positive to focus on. Jodi intended to help her in any way she could.

  “I assume Mayor Frank approved of this garden project,” Jodi said.

  Violet hesitated a second before answering, and in a way, the hesitation was her answer. “Amelia and I went to his office, but he brushed us off.”

  “He pretty much chased us out of the building,” Amelia added. “He didn’t even want to discuss it.”

  “Oh, really?” Jodi said, trading a look with her mother.

  Yes, Jodi and Beth’s view of their dear local mayor had diminished significantly in the last few days. This only added fuel to the fire, and Jodi saw the furious glint in her mother’s eye.

  “I guess Frank is too busy trying to figure out how to break into private homes and get at the food,” Beth muttered. “He doesn’t have time to discuss reasonable ideas with reasonable local residents.”

  Jodi stabbed her bean salad a little too angrily, sending a few beans flying off across the table toward Mike. He picked them up and tossed them back onto her plate.

  “I think I’ll pay the mayor a visit tomorrow,” Jodi said. “I’ll make sure he gives your idea proper consideration, Violet.”

  “Maybe if you present it, he’ll listen,” Violet said.

  “The park garden is your idea,” Jodi said. “I want him to respect that fact.”

  Violet, her sightless eyes tracking unseen things, smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Kaylee had been sitting listlessly through the conversation, taking occasional small bites of food. Jodi’s youngest spent much of her time being bored these days, but she squirmed suddenly.

  “Mommy, can I go with you?” she asked. “I never get to go anywhere anymore.”

  “You want to come with me when I talk to the mayor?” Jodi said.

  “Sure, and can Bauer come, too?”

  “Well, I don’t think Bauer should come,” Jodi said, “but you can. We’re just going to his office. It won’t be that exciting.”

  “I don’t care.”

  Jodi looked at Shane to make sure he was okay with it. She wanted to be on the same page with him, particularly where the safety of their children was concerned. Her husband didn’t look happy, but he might have just been fuming about the existence of the tent camp. It took him a moment to realize she was staring at him.

  “It’s fine with me,” he said, finally. “Poor kid hasn’t been past the fence since the event. Just…well, you know…”

  “I know,” Jodi replied. “We won’t go anywhere but the mayor’s office. Trust me, I’m not taking any chances with the kids.”

  “I trust you,” he said, and resumed eating.

  “Thanks, Mom,” Violet said, after a moment. Her voice quavered, as if she were close to tears.

  “You’re going to do an awesome job,” Jodi said. She would have given her a hug if Violet hadn’t been sitting on her left. That was side of her broken arm, and it didn’t hug so well these days. She settled for gently bumping her daughter with her elbow. “I’m proud of you for taking the initiative.”

  “You have to meet my new friends,” Violet. “Marna and Brad are really nice, and they escaped a biker gang just like you.”

  At this, Jodi shuddered. It brought up bad memories. She was surprised that Violet could mention it so casually considering she’d been right in the middle of a shooting. As she was wrestling with lingering feelings from her brief, horrible time with Talon’s gang, she noticed Owen and Amelia standing up from the card table. Libby said something that seemed sarcastic, but Jodi didn’t quite make out the words.

  Owen and Amelia carried their dishes into the kitchen.

  “Leave them in the plastic tub beside the sink,” Beth said, as they walked by. “I believe Shane and Corbin get to wash up after dinner tonight.”

  “We do?” Corbin said. He’d been eating quietly the whole time, saying very little.

  “Don’t get too excited,” Beth said. “You’ve got nice soapy water, so it won’t take long.”

  Everyone was finishing dinner now, and as they began to push back chairs and stand up, Jodi noted Owen and Amelia chatting as they moved toward the back door. Slipping behind Shane and Corbin, they went outside together. Was something developing between the two of them? If so, how had she completely missed it? Amelia was trim and athletic, certainly the most attractive of the three Horton kids, with big green eyes and an easy smile.

  It’s too soon, she thought. They just met.

  Then again, they’d been isolated from normal teen social circles. Jodi could see things progressing too far too fast. As people began carrying their dishes from the table, she rose and, trying to appear as casual as possible, made her way around the table and toward the open door. It was just past sunset, and a faint, purplish light lingered in the sky, turning the backyard into a well of shape and shadow. Libby Horton was giggling about something in the living room, and Jodi couldn�
�t help but suspect it was about her sister.

  “The soup was amazing,” Shane said to Beth. He was in the kitchen with Corbin, scrubbing dishes in the sink. “I don’t know how you manage it with our limited options.”

  “Oh, Shane, I spent years studying prepper recipes,” Beth said, wiping the dining room table with a damp rag. “I’ll have a different recipe every night for the next ten years. Just you wait and see.”

  “Something to look forward to,” Shane said.

  Jodi leaned against the door frame and leaned outside.

  Owen and Amelia aren’t doing anything wrong, she reminded herself. She just needed to make sure they didn’t get too carried away.

  At first, she didn’t see them. It was as if they had disappeared into their own little universe, but then she leaned a little farther out and spotted two shapes against the wall. They were speaking too quietly for Jodi to make out the words, but she recognized that tone of voice all too well, the soft, giddy sounds of blossoming young romance.

  They were at the far corner of the house, Amelia’s back to the wall, chattering away. Suddenly, their voices stopped, and their shadows seemed to melt together into one. It was quick, a second or less, and then they parted. Jodi chided herself for watching and eased back into the dining room.

  They’re teenagers, she reminded herself. A little flirting and kissing go with the territory. Don’t overreact.

  She watched Shane and Corbin washing the dishes, and she fought her conflicted feelings. Why should it matter if Owen and Amelia liked each other? It was perfectly normal. There was no harm in it, and no risk. Wanting to make sure she’d read the situation correctly, she started to lean outside again, but she heard them speaking. They were very close, moving onto the back porch. Jodi lurched toward the dining room table, grabbed the rag that her mother had left behind, and pretended to be cleaning.

  Owen came through the door first, sliding along the wall then moving quickly toward the living room. Amelia came a couple of seconds later, moving slowly, as if trying not to draw attention to herself. Jodi glanced over her shoulder and just happened to make eye contact with Amelia. At first, Amelia smiled, but then she gave Jodi a serious look, as if to say, “What are you looking at?”

  Jodi resumed wiping the clean table.

  8

  The mayor’s office was a little over a mile from Beth’s house, but Kaylee seemed up for the walk. Jodi was the first to suggest walking there, and while Shane was concerned about her injuries, he agreed. Neither of the vehicles had much gas left, and it seemed like a waste to drive such a short distance. Soon, there would be no gas, after all, and then they would be walking everywhere. Better to get used to it now.

  Shane wasn’t particularly interested in getting approval for the park garden, though he was glad Violet had found something to occupy her mind, but he did want to talk to the mayor. The man seemed to be losing his mind. He was so worried about the well-being of the residents of his town that he was threatening to redistribute private food stores, yet at the same time, he was also apparently creating tent camps for transients. It made no sense, and Shane was angry enough that he couldn’t let it go. He would get to the bottom of it. He just hoped he could control his temper.

  The mayor’s office was a nondescript little building across the street from the library. If Shane hadn’t known better, he might have thought it was the office of a small-time realtor or dentist. A single vehicle sat in the parking lot, Mayor Frank Zion’s black Buick LeSabre.

  “Is that where the mayor lives?” Kaylee asked. She was still wearing her teddy bear pajama bottoms, though Jodi had at least insisted she put on a t-shirt and tennis shoes. Her hair, which had grown past her shoulders, was a tangled mess in the back. “In this building? It doesn’t look like a house.”

  “It’s where he works,” Jodi replied.

  “He seems to be in his office,” Shane said. “Let’s go corner the guy while we have a chance.”

  Jodi gave him what he thought of as her warning look: eyebrows slightly raised, lips pressed tightly together.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll be polite. In fact, I’ll let you do most of the talking.”

  “That’s probably for the best,” she said.

  Kaylee had alternated between holding Shane’s hand and holding Jodi’s hand, switching every few minutes for no discernible reason. Along the way, she had also apparently picked up the vibe of the conversation, and she now said, “Is the mayor a bad man?”

  Shane didn’t feel like correcting her. He was irritated enough at the mayor after the town meeting that he wasn’t sure he could answer Kaylee in the negative. Jodi, on the other hand, shushed their daughter.

  “Let’s just be nice, okay?” she said.

  Kaylee gave her mom a confused look.

  That comment was meant for me, Shane thought, giving Kaylee an encouraging wink.

  Inside, they found the mayor sitting alone at a big table in the reception area. The glass door gave the reception area plenty of light, and at the moment, Mayor Frank had a large city map unfolded on the table in front of him. He appeared to be making marks on the map with a small pencil.

  He glanced up as they walked in, started to return to his work, then seemed to realize who it was and did a double take. Frank was wearing a blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, generous sweat stains creeping out from under his armpits.

  “That’s him,” Kaylee said, pointing. “He’s the mayor of the whole town, isn’t he? He looks really sweaty.”

  Jodi shushed her again, but Mayor Frank laughed as he rose to greet them.

  “Good morning, folks,” he said. “I sort of wondered if I’d see you sometime soon.”

  “Oh, why’s that?” Shane said, perhaps a bit too sourly. Jodi elbowed him in the ribs.

  “Just thought I might,” he said, dropping his pencil onto the map as he came around the table.

  Shane’s instinct was to step in front of his family, but at a glance from Jodi, he held back. Yes, she needed to be the one to talk to him first. She was in a more reasonable state of mind. Shane nodded at her. Still holding Kaylee’s hand, Jodi approached the mayor.

  “Our daughter Violet came to visit you yesterday,” Jodi said, in a measured tone. “You told her you were too busy to talk to her.”

  “Yes, yes, that’s right,” Frank said, smiling uncomfortably. Sweat was streaming down his face. The air inside the office was stifling. Shane didn’t know how the mayor could stand it. “I had a couple of neighborhood watch representatives demanding my attention. They want to know what we’re going to do about all the vandalism. Fortunately, I have a few plans in mind.” He tapped his temple. “Now, what was it your daughter wanted to talk to me about? I can’t seem to remember. Something to do with the library? I’ve got just a few minutes before my next meeting, so we can talk about it now, but let’s…you know…” He snapped his fingers. “Rush, rush, that’s how it goes these days.”

  “Violet wants to start a community garden at Memorial Park,” Jodi said. “A bunch of people at the gardening workshop volunteered to help make it happen, but we need your approval. It would require setting aside some of the land in the park, maybe quite a bit of it.”

  Frank made a little flip-flop gesture with his hand. “Not a bad idea. It’ll take a lot of work, but if we have people who are willing, I’m not against it.”

  “Well, that was easy enough,” Shane muttered, and then to Frank, “You couldn’t have taken three seconds to say that to Violet yesterday?”

  “I was wrapped up in something else,” he said, with a shrug. “Couldn’t really think about it. Look, I’ll need some kind of formal plans that I can submit to the planning committee for approval. Why don’t you work with Zoe over at the library and come up with something? There will need to be fencing to keep out the critters and the mischief makers. That’ll take skilled labor. We can’t have some cobbled-together mess.”

  “It’ll be done correctly,” Jodi
said.

  “I’m sure it will,” he said. “Come back to me when you’ve got the plans, and I’ll submit them for approval. Sound good?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Jodi looked at Shane.

  “Yeah, that’s fine,” he said. “Thanks.”

  “Does that mean Violet can make her garden?” Kaylee asked.

  “Possibly,” Jodi said. “We have a bit of work to do first.”

  Frank walked back around the table and sat down. He picked up his pencil then looked at them, as if waiting for them to catch the hint that it was time to go. That only made Shane angrier. He was not going to leave today without dealing with everything. He turned to Jodi.

  “Why don’t you take Kaylee home?” he said. “I’ll be along in a few minutes. I want to talk to Frank about some other things.”

  “Other things,” Jodi echoed, giving him that warning look again.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t ruin it for Violet. Like I said, it’ll just be a few minutes.”

  She gave him a hard, probing stare for a couple of seconds. “Okay, just be careful what you say…and how you say it.”

  She started toward the door, pulling Kaylee with her.

  “Are we leaving Daddy here?” Kaylee asked, staring at him over her shoulder.

  “Just for a little while,” Jodi said.

  Shane watched them leave. Once they were outside and moving toward the parking lot, he turned back around to find Mayor Frank staring at him with unfriendly eyes. The mayor had resumed marking up his map, but he paused and set his pencil down again.

  “Is there a problem?” he asked. “I told you I’m fine with the park. That’s what you wanted to hear, isn’t it?”

  Shane grabbed a nearby folding chair and pulled it up to the table. “Yeah,” he said, sitting down. “That’s fine. Thanks.”