Stella was wearing the same pair of black tights that I had seen on her before, or an identical pair at least. Her top was a clean yellow long sleeve blouse that appeared to be two sizes too large for her tiny frame. Body-wise, she was very similar to my wife. Her slender legs just as sexy as they filled out the clingy thin fabric. Her butt was like a little button begging to be pushed. I was thankful that Alexa wasn't around to pick up on the things that I was thinking. Her smooth tan skin was even more lovely than Camilla's in my opinion. Her long straight hair was nearly the same color as her skin. Her yellow eyes popped more than usual with the matching blouse.
I tried to engage in small talk, but the quiet nature of this teen-looking woman made it challenging. I carried her bag for her like the gentleman that I am, and each smile she gave me was slightly warmer. She was doing her best to be friendly, but she just wasn't very good at it.
On the hill about a half mile away we could see what looked to be four skanks. They were fighting something too low for us to see from this vantage point. It may have been small dogs, snakes, or even a crazy ground hog for all I knew. Whatever it was, they had it surrounded. They weren’t fighting for their lives. The subject of their aggression was prey, about to be eaten.
The scene was not entirely unusual. I couldn’t even think of anything worthwhile to say about it. So, I said nothing, as did the others. After a minute of silence, when we were almost to our home, Riley spoke to her. "Stella, do you have your own room at your new house?"
"No, Miss Riley. Miss Ling and I have to share. Everyone else gets their own. The house just has four bedrooms. I don’t mind sharing, if I have to."
That was more information out of her at one time than I was able to acquire. So, I just let Riley continue. Perhaps she would need to be my go between with the girl to improve our communication.
"We have five bedrooms, and Alexa shares a room with Mason. You can use Camilla's room while you are with us. I'm not sure how many nights that you will need it, but it will be a place that you can keep your stuff."
"I'm happy to stay as long as you need me. Miss Camilla speaks very well of all of you."
"All of us?" Riley asked. Things had improved between her and Camilla since the choke hold that she applied. But that didn't mean that they were endeared to each other just yet.
"Yes, ma'am," Stella replied, turning to make eye contact for the first time since we left the house. "She especially has a lot of respect for you, Miss Riley. She advised me to befriend you as quick as possible. Otherwise, I wouldn't be this talkative."
"Really?" a surprised Riley responded.
"And everyone loves Mason, of course."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
The plywood looked like unapologetic shit. Without enough boards to form a fence that could effectively block the view, I opted for the uninviting quarter inch sheets of pressed lumber. Just looking at it I knew that it was a temporary barrier at best. I had an abundance of poly products that could seal it well against the weather for a while. Standing them on end gave me an eight-foot-high barricade, but it meant that I would require a fence post every four feet!
I took a step back to catch the grand scope of my dismally failed concept. It simply looked like shit. Sure, I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to build something that looked like it belonged with the house. But anything that was this thrown together would surely attract attention as recent construction. I would also cringe every time that I looked at it.
"Fuck!" I said under my breath. I tried not to get too frustrated in front of my girls. Sadly, I had this tendency to fall in love with my ideas quickly, and deeply. I would be blind to its flaws until they were glaring right at me. And glare is what this miserable flop was doing right now.
"Excuse me, Mister Mason," Stella whispered from behind me at what she had probably decided was a safe distance. The yard was in disarray. Tools and lumber laying around like a normal building project. If only we lived in a normal world.
"Mason is my first name," I replied abruptly, still angry about my fence.
"I'm sorry," she said with a soft voice. I turned to see her lost puppy dog face. Combined with her already innocent schoolgirl appearance it was enough to make anyone pull their head out of their own ass.
"No, I'm sorry Stella. You did nothing wrong. But you don't have to call me mister, or sir, or anything else. Just Mason. My name is Mason."
"Okay. Mason. Does the fence need to stop an invasion or simply block the view?"
I looked at her like her head had just spun around in circles on her body. I guess I knew that she wasn't a stupid little girl. She was intelligent for sure. Just not very outspoken to say the least. But her question, no matter how delicately voiced, told me that I was being an idiot. I couldn't build something that would keep out an intruder bent on getting in. That was beyond my skill set and current supplies. My best bet was to put up something that would keep anyone from seeing our crops. That was all.
"Riley!" I yelled at my friend as she was still pulling lumber out the back door with the others.
"Yes, master!" she replied as she began her special illusion of glide jog in my direction. I still couldn’t figure out how she managed to be so graceful in her movements.
I turned to seeing Stella giving me an inquisitive look. I just got done telling her not to call me anything but Mason. Then Riley calls me master.
"She was joking," I explained. "Don't call me master. That was a private joke. Only one that is not so private anymore."
"Why didn't you stop my dumb ass before I got started?" I asked Riley as she arrived.
"You seemed so sure of yourself. I was assuming that the picture in your mind was better than the one you painted in mine."
"Thanks," I replied as I shook my head in disappointment. There was no denying that this was all my fault. Well, at least I didn't get too terribly far before I realized it. It was also clear that my clan would follow my lead even if they shouldn’t. I need to encourage more feedback in the future.
"Will there be a change in plans?" Riley asked with a taunting smile that only she could make look like subservience. When I nodded, she said, "Will we be going with the tarp idea that Stella and I talked about?"
"What tarp idea?" I worked hard to disguise my outrage. Not only did they know my idea was pure fecal matter, they already had a better plan. Riley proceeded to describe a simple three rail fence that stood eight feet out of the ground. Then plastic sheeting as thick as tarps would be attached to form a uniform wall like one you would see around a half-finished building project. It would minimize supplies and effort needed while completely blocking visibility. Anyone passing by could assume that is was a construction project started before the end of the world. Unless they were already familiar with the place.
I was determined to use the ground between the house and the pool so we could get a barrier up quickly. Despite my faux pas, we could still save time and effort. Stella informed us that the dirt close to the foundation of the home had far too much clay in it for planting. But at least seventy percent of the area I planned to fence in would be usable. We would just need to supplement with good soil from elsewhere during our field preparation.
A crow then caught my attention as it landed on the peaked roof of the pool house. It was soon joined there by a few more. Jamila and Hedy were inside that building, and not fairing all that well. They still weren't too far gone yet, in my opinion. So, I decided not to tell them that they had to leave. I even brought them some food. Hopefully a better diet could give them enough energy to fight the infection longer. I got the feeling that the overall consensus in my clan was that I should make them go. I too was starting to feel like I was being too compassionate.
I then heard the sound of distant thunder. As the disturbance continued and grew in volume, I realized that someone or something was approaching. When the crows flew away squawking, I checked to make sure my revolver was still tucked into the back of my shorts. I was too far from
the rear door to retreat, but I encouraged the others to go. Those closest to the house followed my instructions. Stella hid behind a sheet of plywood propped up against the pool fence while Riley came to stand beside me with the rifle in her hand.
The roar of hooves contacting the ground in quick succession grew as six horses appeared over the horizon of the small hill in our backyard. Each beast was mounted by a woman wearing a black t-shirt and shorts. They were all armed with rifles, but none raised their weapon just yet. My first thought was 'who the hell rides horses these days.' My second was 'that black clothing has got to be unbearably hot on a sunny day.'
The women directed their rides to separate enough so there was ten to twenty feet between each one. It was a good defensive precaution. Without their firearms raised in our direction I took this as a diplomatic visit. It was the first time that I had seen anyone representing this group. They must be new to the area, I figured. The fact that they decided to approach in this fashion was surely a good sign. They could have just surrounded the house or shot at us from a distance. I had to assume that this party was just an envoy of a larger cooperation.
Since we were outnumbered at our own home, Riley did not hesitate to point the barrels of her gun in their direction. A quick glance revealed Jada in the doorway with the automatic rifle from the gun cabinet. That should help to intimidate these riders enough to prevent things from getting out of hand.
"Hello," one of the women toward the middle of the group said. With the sun high in the sky behind them I was unable to see which one was talking. These people probably knew what they were doing when they planned this visit. Military strategists, or simply smart enough to think things through before acting.
"Hello," I replied.
"I would like to address the female in charge of your colony," the woman stated like royalty. Her voice was strong and clear, the sign of a confident leader. Unlike most of the small clans that we had encountered so far, they assumed that a woman would be in charge. Not only was she horseback, her tone set her on a high horse as well.
"You can speak to me," I replied without showing offense.
"I see," the rider responded with the sound of disappointment. "Are these women your slaves then?"
I was picking up a strong distaste for men in this woman's tone. If they were well traveled, which may very well be the case, it sounded like most men were not worthy of respect in their eyes. Certainly, they had to have males in their group if they planned to endure. Right?
"No. They are free to do as they please. They have chosen me as their leader. Can I assume that you were also elected?"
"Hmm," the woman replied as she dismounted. "Very well, then. I'll have to speak to you. I am Captain Barnes. I represent the New Order Women's Coalition. Please lower your weapons so that we may speak for a moment."
As Riley complied, two more riders dismounted. Unlike Barnes, they continued to carry their rifles. All three approached my position and stopped within easy conversation range. I was hoping that Alexa would be able to pick up some vibes from her location inside the house. She could advise Jada whose trigger finger was still in position on the black assault rifle.
"We are amassing an army to set right the wrongs in this new world. We would like for the women in your colony to join our group of their own free will."
My name was apparently of no interest to her. I could smell the lack of respect for me as she stood there. I got the impression that it was shared by her comrades.
"Just the women, huh?"
"Men are part of the problem. We are the solution."
"I see," I responded. Though I didn't, really. All men were bad? All women good? Even if that were the case, a lesbian nation wouldn't last long. Would they keep some males for breeding? Wouldn’t that be a form of slavery? Did you have high values or were you just bent on female domination? None of it mattered, though. I seriously doubted that anyone in my clan would even consider the offer.
"And, if our women refuse to, I mean decline your offer. Will you then leave peacefully?"
The captain smiled at me. She was attractive for her age. I guessed that she was in her fifties, which made her the oldest person I had seen for quite a while. Short, cropped dirty blonde hair. A muscular build, though there was some loose skin in places. Her face was narrow with possibly the skinniest nose that I have ever seen. The wrinkles on her cheeks fought the friendly expression, indicating that a frown was more likely her go-to look. Military background would be my assumption for sure.
"It's not that easy. I won't take your word for it, first of all."
"I'm not asking you to take my word for it."
"And," she didn't like being interrupted. "I'll need to confirm that there are not any women restrained inside the building. How many of our kind do you hold here?"
I shook my head. I applauded her ambition to clean up this world, set things right. But her preconceived notion that every man was an asshole and every woman with him was a prisoner was getting more than annoying. I wanted to explain to her exactly what I will allow. However, boasting my position would surely rub her the wrong way. If there was an opportunity to get them to leave peacefully, I would do everything in my power to make that happen. I didn't want any of our people getting hurt.
"I must say that you have it all wrong here."
"Do I?"
"The women are here by choice. We do everything together. I have not forced anything on anyone. We are a happy family."
"So, you say. Let me speak with each of them in private and we will see."
Riley had stood patiently during the conversation, as was her custom. I was happy to have her by my side despite previously telling her to retreat. However, she was the most subservient in the group. I preferred that she didn't give these man-haters cause for concern. I knew that she would be analyzing the situation before she took any action. Hopefully, she was picking up on my desire to resolve this issue without conflict. I was happy that I decided to keep my revolver hidden from their view.
Riley then spoke up, "He speaks the truth. We are all here by choice. And I have no desire to speak with you privately."
"So, you are his wife, then?"
"No. We are close friends. His wife is inside prepared to defend against invasion."
"I think I see her over there in the doorway," Barnes replied totally unintimidated. One of the women still mounted had been watching Jada intently. I imagined that everyone under this woman’s command knew their responsibilities without having to be told. A skirmish with this clan should be avoided if at all possible.
"No," Riley answered, giving just enough attitude right back. "That is another close friend. Everyone is armed except for our man. I don't understand your confusion."
"What about the girl hidden behind the lumber?"
"She is just scared of intruders, and possibly put off by your rudeness," Riley responded. Then to the borrowed young lady from John's clan, "Stella. Please step into view so they can see that you are not a prisoner."
Timidly, Stella stood up but kept most of her body behind the board as cover. She did not smile or wave, of course.
"Stella," the Captain addressed her directly. "You are not armed, are you?"
"No ma'am. I don't really like guns. Besides, I was working on setting up our farm."
"A farm, huh?"
Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement toward the other clan's new home. When one of the riders also informed the Captain of the distraction, I turned to notice what it was. I was happy to see Corinne and Nadia take up position behind a couple trees with their rifles aimed at the intruders. The Captain took note of our support but did not panic. She was a seasoned veteran in these diplomatic endeavors, I surmised.
"Stella," she continued. "Are all the women here free to do as they please?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Excellent," Barnes said. Then raising her voice loud enough to be heard even by the two flanking women, she said. "I urge you to join us. We are co
llecting a strong group of women to clean up and organize this county. You are all welcome, and your varied skills will be appreciated." She nodded to Stella. "I'll return tomorrow. Please take the rest of today to consider my offer. Your lives are precious to us. We do not want to risk them by use of force. But we will free you if things are not as they appear. Be prepared for our return."
"I have some questions," I said to her. I was curious to see if she would speak directly with me again. Riley made it clear that the woman’s assumptions about our clan were dead wrong. Let’s see if she’s a fanatic or a disciplined leader.
"What is your name?" she demanded. Some of her distaste had faded, but she certainly did not consider me her equal.
"Mason," I replied. "We no longer bother with last names since there are so few of us. What is your first name?"
Captain Barnes seemed to grit her teeth for a moment as she considered my request. She agitatedly rocked her head to each side.
"Helen," she finally said through tight lips, as if it was painful to reveal.
"Well, Helen. I too am in favor of saving as many people as possible. But we are simply going about it in a different way. Our home is a haven for any peace-loving person needing food and shelter and willing to do their share. If you encounter others that choose not to join you, feel free to send them our way."
"Are you a priest then?" she asked with a noticeably higher level of disgust.
"Not at all. But perhaps we can work together to a degree. How exactly do you plan to improve our area?"
"We will abolish the slavery of females that has become common place. This includes the masses of diseased women that are existing at the whim of males. Are you aware that there is a military force along New Hampshire Avenue that is enslaving both healthy and ill women by the hundreds?"
"I've seen them. That is why we moved this far from the highway. I also noticed them capturing infected women. Not able to stand up against them, we retreated. But we do our very best not to harm any infected that we encounter. Thankfully, there are still some that are not too far gone. Have you heard anything about a cure?"
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