“Being isolated has its ups and downs,” Michelle said. “Have you thought about talking to Peter and Amy about getting her and Liam together?”
“I have, actually,” Sarah said. “I’ve been considering it a lot more now that we have the gas to drive the Mule around.” She paused and took a sip of her tea and grimaced when she found it was still a bit too warm. “Before that, I would’ve had to pedal my bike down there just for a playdate. The one-day-a-week bike ride out to the church meeting is enough exercise for this girl.” She finished by pointing her thumb at herself.
“The gas is a godsend, that’s for sure,” Michelle said. “It’s already made things so much easier around here. It’s nice to have resourceful neighbors.”
Sarah grinned. “I hope you count my husband and me among them.”
“Of course I do,” Michelle said. “You guys have done great things for all of us. The greenhouse alone is like having a farmers’ market down the street.”
“It’s a lot of hard work,” Sarah said. “I don’t mind it much either—it’s nice to have something to occupy our time. I ran out of books to read a long time ago, and Bryan and I are tired of playing Uno. He’s a sore loser anyway.”
Michelle smiled and pulled the glass jar of goat’s milk closer to her. “This reminds me so much of being a kid in Berchtesgaden. We used to get our milk delivered in glass jars just like this every morning.” She swirled the bottle around. “Nothing tastes quite like fresh milk.”
“I’m glad you like it because we have plenty,” Sarah said.
“I’ll gladly take it off your hands.”
“Oh—I also wanted to mention…we plan to butcher one of the larger hogs before winter sets in, so if you guys want some of it, let us know. Bryan and I have already decided to help the Schmidts in any way we can—so a lot of it will go to them,” Sarah assured her.
“That’s awesome. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Sarah nodded. “We’re almost to a point now that all of our efforts are sustainable for the long term. Getting there was a big worry for us initially. One of our sows is getting ready to pop out some piglets any day now, too. There’s lots of things to look forward to.”
The two sat silently for a moment and watched Grace, who was now out of breath, chase Emily back into the living room and back out again, their game having changed from hide-and-go-seek to tag.
Sarah sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I love that little girl so much, Michelle,” Sarah said, the tone of her voice becoming a bit more morose than usual. “I mean, you’re a mom, so I know you can relate. But I just love her…more than anything. More than life.”
Michelle smiled, paused, and looked around the room. She began to recall Lauren at that age and how fast she’d grown up over the years. So much about her had changed, but then again, so much was still the same. Michelle could definitely relate to what her friend was saying.
Michelle took a small sip of her coffee and set her mug down gently. “You know—the two of us sitting here…it’s like we’re having a normal, everyday conversation—in the before.”
“In the before?”
Michelle nodded and squinted her eyes. “Yeah. Just two women watching a little girl play kid games, making small talk, and chatting about future plans—carefree. As if nothing bad is going on around us.”
“She’s four,” Sarah said, her tone lowered, her head gesturing to her daughter. “It’s not my desire for her to know how screwed-up the world is, Michelle. The fact that she has to live her childhood in it is bad enough.”
Michelle paused before responding. “Have you and Bryan taken the necessary steps to keep her safe?”
“Bryan doesn’t go anywhere without a gun anymore, if that’s what you’re getting at,” Sarah began, “and he never lets Emily or me out of his sight—especially after all that’s happened.”
Michelle nodded. “What about you, though? Even today, you still don’t carry a gun.”
“Nice of you to notice. You know why I don’t carry one. I don’t like guns, Michelle,” Sarah said as her body language donned a show of refusal. “You know I wasn’t a big gun person before, and I’m still not. I’ve just never felt comfortable around them. Bryan and I even talked about it after the last meeting and I’m just not ready.”
“I wish you’d reconsider how you felt,” said Michelle. “Our guns are giving us a level playing field right now, and I’m glad we have them. I wasn’t big on them either until I met Alan. Now, I know they’re the only thing in this world standing between us and the unthinkable.”
“You sound like Bryan,” Sarah said. “And I know—I get it, believe me. I don’t disagree with you. I just don’t feel comfortable around guns. And that goes the same for knives, or any weapon, really. I never have—and I don’t know if I ever will.”
Michelle produced a look of mild disgust. “I hope you decide to reconsider. It seems sometimes like we have enemies around every corner these days. And they will show their faces again. And if you don’t make the decision to do what’s necessary to protect your little girl this far into the game, then who will?”
Sarah scowled hard at Michelle as the feeling of being challenged struck her for the first time in a long time. In the past when confronted, she would’ve already lost her composure and ended up in a physical altercation. She’d settled down since then, especially after meeting Bryan, and even more so after her daughter had been born.
“You are Emily’s last line of defense, Sarah,” Michelle continued. “She can’t defend herself—she’s not old enough to even understand what could happen to her. Are you really willing to chance something happening to her to suit your own comfort level?”
Sarah sat back in her chair, took off her glasses and tossed them onto the table. “I’ve known you for years, Michelle. Years. And not once have you ever talked to me like this.”
“Dammit, Sarah, most of those years, we never had to deal with anything like this,” Michelle said.
“I’m not stupid, Michelle. I know how different the world is. And trust me, if anyone even tries to harm Emily, or Bryan, I’ll kill them. Gun or no gun, they will die.” Sarah’s fist landed on the table gently as she spoke. “I’ll kill them with my bare hands if I have to.”
“I don’t doubt for a second your willingness to protect your child,” Michelle said. “As a mother, it goes without saying. I thought I lost Lauren last week, and I was helpless to do anything about it. I couldn’t protect her. Your situation is entirely under your control. Emily isn’t old enough to go off walking into the woods by herself.”
“Thank God,” Sarah said, her eyebrows raised.
“Look—I would just like to see you have another way to protect her…other than your fists,” Michelle said with a warm smile.
Sarah smiled back. She lifted both of her hands upward and coiled them into fists. Scars left behind from years of past altercations were clearly visible along her knuckles. “These puppies have never failed me,” she said. “But I get what you’re saying, totally. I’ll even consider it further…provided you drop it for now.”
“Fair enough.”
Grace came running around the corner, holding Emily in her arms. She could tell that the conversation had become a bit more heated than usual and asked jokingly if it was safe to walk into the kitchen for a drink. Emily hopped out of Grace’s arms and ran to her mother. Sarah picked her up, rubbed noses with her, and embraced her.
“This little girl saved my life—and I’d do anything for her,” said Sarah. “Absolutely anything.”
Emily smiled, nodded her head happily, and then kissed her mother on the nose and then again on the cheek. With an arm around Sarah’s neck, she pointed at Grace with a delightful grin, and after a moment, her finger pointed to Grace’s sidearm—the Glock 27 that was now always present on her hip.
“Gun,” Emily said proudly.
Sarah pursed her lips and nodded to her daughter. “Yes, honey. Gun.”
>
Norman walked into the cabin and accidentally let the door slam behind him, inadvertently waking Christian from his nap in the recliner. As he walked into the kitchen, he tipped his hat to the ladies and then went to the filter to pour himself a glass of water.
“There’s a ton of meat out there to distribute today,” he said. “That bear was a monster. I don’t know what we would’ve done without Bryan’s help.”
“Glad you like it,” Christian yawned.
“And I’m glad you’re making yourself useful,” Norman joked.
“Are you guys about done?” Sarah asked. “We need to get Miss Em back home and back on her routine.”
Norman nodded a yes while gulping down water from his glass.
“Norm, Grace and I are going to see Mr. Ackermann shortly,” Michelle said. “Could you wrap some up for him?”
Norman nodded and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “That’s happening as we speak.”
Christian looked over to Michelle and then to Grace, whom he caught eyeballing him. “You guys want I should tag along?”
Michelle nodded, and then Grace nodded—much more enthusiastically.
“How’s he been?” asked Sarah.
“I honestly don’t know,” Michelle replied. “We’ve all been so busy lately, no one’s been around to see him.”
“That man is as tough as an old boot,” Norman said. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
Christian stood up from the recliner and stretched. As he walked past Grace on his way to the bathroom, he punched her lightly on the shoulder. She promptly retaliated, punching him back with more force than he’d anticipated receiving.
“Ouch!”
“Don’t mess with me, then,” Grace asserted.
“What’s Lauren up to?” Michelle asked. “I’m thinking of asking her to go along.”
Norman lowered his glass and wiped his mouth again. “She left…a little while ago.”
“What?” Michelle turned in her seat to face him. “Where did she go?”
Before Norman could respond, Michelle was on her feet, her expression taking a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn to the negative.
“Where did she go?”
With Grace and Christian following not far behind, Michelle stormed out of the cabin, unaware that she’d nearly slammed the front door in Grace’s face. Christian’s hand had been there seconds before to stop the door’s momentum, much to Grace’s amazement. Bryan and Sarah were busy loading up and getting young Emily strapped into their Kawasaki Mule for the ride home. Their goodbyes had already been said, but they took their time to watch the drama unfold.
“I can’t believe you just let her leave,” Michelle said angrily, glancing back at Norman as she threw a large duffel bag of food items onto the ATV’s rear rack. “I just can’t fucking believe it.”
Norman held his arms outward in protest and shrugged.
“What was I supposed to do exactly? Tie her down? Tell her she’s not allowed to go anywhere? Lauren’s a grown woman, and I’m not her parent, Michelle. That’s your job, not mine.”
“Damn right, it’s not your job. You should’ve told me she was leaving—that’s what you should’ve done,” Michelle spat. She began spouting off obscenities in German under her breath.
“Well, sorry. I personally didn’t see anything wrong with her leaving.”
“You know full well how I feel about her going off by herself, Norman!”
“Well, set your mind at ease, then, pumpkin, because she’s not by herself,” Norman fired back, his voice full of contempt.
Just as Michelle went to respond again, Norman turned his back on her and marched back into the cabin, ending the conversation where it stood. He knew there was just no point in arguing with Michelle. He’d learned that fact years ago—long before the world had changed, long before the move to the valley. Sometimes, no matter what stance he took, it was the wrong one.
Michelle’s family was broken in this new world. She’d lost her husband, and now her daughter was all she felt she had left. The situation put Norman in an uncomfortable position. He wasn’t here to replace her husband, or Lauren’s father—but like it or not, he was now their guardian, if nothing else. Still, he had to draw the line somewhere, if for nothing but his own sanity.
Christian motioned to Grace to ride passenger with Michelle and she nodded without dispute, mounting the four-wheeler right after Michelle hopped on. Grace patted Michelle on her shoulders as if to offer moral support, but Michelle didn’t respond to it. Christian adjusted his gear, moved his M4 to a position across his chest and mounted the other Rancher. With both engines started, they took off down the driveway with Christian following several yards behind.
As Michelle and Grace turned into the driveway that led to the Ackermann farm, Christian stopped his ATV at the entrance. A pair of fresh, muddy tracks leading into a pathway in the woods caught his eye and he started to get a strange feeling in his gut. He decided to make a mental note of them before continuing down the driveway.
As his visitors pulled their machines to a stop, a frail, almost ghost-faced Johannes Ackermann stepped out to greet them. The ladies dismounted their ATV while Christian remained seated on his just a short distance behind them. Mr. Ackermann adjusted his glasses as he strode unsteadily over to them.
“Good morning,” he said as he glanced at Christian, who at this point was a total stranger to him. “Brought me some goodies, I see.”
Michelle removed the duffel of food and handed it to the old man. “Most of this is courtesy of the Taylors,” she said. “But we killed a bear yesterday and brought you some of that as well.”
“A bear? Been a while since I’ve seen one in these parts. Well, I do very much appreciate it,” Mr. Ackermann said with a kind nod.
“Have you been doing okay, Mr. Ackermann?” Grace asked.
“Been just fine,” he replied, without a single hint of emotion in his voice. “Please…hold on a minute. You were kind enough to bring me something nice—let me get something for you so you don’t leave empty-handed.”
Mr. Ackermann turned on his heel and walked briskly back into his home. As he moved out of her view, Michelle turned her attention to the backyard of the old farmhouse and saw two motorcycles parked side by side in the grass. A five-gallon bucket, some old rags, and what appeared to be an assortment of cleaning supplies accompanied them. It didn’t take a genius to know where the bikes had come from.
When Mr. Ackermann returned, he was carrying a wooden apple crate in his arms. As he got closer, the contents of the crate were revealed.
“I gave them a salt bath and coated them…but you’ll want to hang these up and let them dry in your shed—just make sure the raccoons don’t get them,” said Mr. Ackermann.
Michelle helped Mr. Ackermann stow the crate of beef on the rear rack, and then thanked him and gestured to the motorcycles while Grace began eyeballing the prize.
“Did you find yourself a new hobby?” Michelle asked.
“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” the old man boasted. “It took a lot of work to get them looking like that. Those boys drug them off into the woods the other day. I fought like hell to get them up here and cleaned up. Then that Godforsaken rain came and dirtied them up again, and, well…you know how that goes.”
Michelle gave him a look of concern. “Aren’t you worried someone will come looking for them?”
“I couldn’t give two shits,” taunted Mr. Ackermann. “Let them come.”
The old man waved, abruptly turned, and walked off without anything more to say. Michelle shook her head dismissively and turned to face Grace and Christian.
“There’s a shitload of beef in that crate,” Grace said. “And I don’t see any cows in the field anywhere.”
“How many did he have?” asked Christian.
“Several,” Michelle stated. “At least four…if I recall correctly. I know he had a bull and I think two heifers.”
“No kidding. Do you think he slaugh
tered his breeding stock?” Christian inquired.
Michelle shrugged as she mounted her ATV. “Evidently.”
Grace appeared lost in the conversation. “I don’t get it. Is that a bad thing?”
Michelle and Christian shot her odd looks. Neither said anything. Christian’s look became more playful as the seconds passed by.
Grace held her arms outward in protest and shrugged. “Really, guys? How the hell am I supposed to know?” she quipped. “I get it, everyone else is an expert—but this is my first apocalypse. I don’t know all the things.”
“I’ll explain later,” Michelle said as she motioned up the driveway. “Let’s head up to the barricade. I want to see if Chad and Mark have seen the girls.”
Christian pointed to the apple crate, and Michelle produced a look of indifference.
“That can wait.”
“Wow. You’re really worried about her again, aren’t you?” Grace asked. “You’re such the mother, Michelle. I’m sure she’s fine.”
“Yeah, like she was last time, right?” Michelle remarked. “I’m not that confident, Grace. Sorry. If she was that good at taking care of herself—” she pointed at Christian “—he wouldn’t’ve had to save her.”
As Michelle turned her ATV around and pulled aside Christian, he held up a hand and motioned for her to stop, which she unwillingly did.
Sensing her irritation, Christian used caution with his tone. “Just so you know, if it wasn’t for me, Lauren wouldn’t’ve been put into a position to need saving, Michelle,” he said.
Michelle sighed. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Look…I saw something in Lauren when I first met her that left a real impression on me. After the attack the other day—what I saw only solidified it. I know this may sound foreign to you, but your daughter…for some reason, knows how to handle herself in dangerous situations.”
Michelle let out a loud sigh and rolled her eyes.
Christian paused for a moment but continued. “She thinks differently. She’s strong, confident, and agile—it’s like she’s had some sort of tactical training of some kind. She’s definitely not an average teenager. She’s a fighter, Michelle, and I’m just going to put it out there—I think maybe you shouldn’t worry so much about her.”
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