“Whenever you want to stop is good with me,” Vince said. Fifteen miles wasn’t a long distance. It could be hiked on foot in a day’s time without much trouble, but he hoped it was enough of a deterrent to keep them away. There was nothing stopping them from coming back, except the fact that they weren’t welcome in Cloverdale. Vince wasn’t too worried about them returning, though. He figured they would most likely seek out a new place to sell their deceit.
John brought the truck to an abrupt stop, causing Dalton to nearly fall over. Vince and John remained inside the running truck for a moment, deciding how to handle the release. No words were spoken, but there was no need. This was going to be short and to the point and end without any fanfare. They both wanted to return home and put the day behind them, along with the two deviants in the back of the truck.
Vince opened the rear sliding window in the cab and sized the two up. “This is it. Time to get out.”
Travis grumbled something, but Vince couldn’t make out what he said. Dalton climbed over the side of the bed and lowered himself to the ground.
“I said I need my gun.” Travis stood up in the bed of the truck and did his best to be intimidating. Vince had planned on giving it back but had forgotten about it on the ride out. He fished it out of the glove compartment and tossed it back through the window. Travis missed the throw, and the weapon landed on the bare steel, where it skidded to a stop against the tailgate. Vince almost felt bad, then remembered who he was dealing with.
Travis looked surprised that Vince had produced the weapon so quickly and had given it up without a fight. He hesitated before picking it up and locked eyes with Vince as he bent over to grab the gun.
“Go ahead, and then get out,” Vince instructed.
“That’s what I thought,” Travis snarled.
Vince glanced at John and shot him a crooked smile. The insult was meaningless, and they all knew it. Travis was defeated, and Vince almost felt sorry for the witless duo. Almost.
With Travis and Dalton unloaded and standing on the side of the road like two abandoned strays, John began to pull away. Vince noticed that Travis hadn’t put the gun away yet, and he kept an eye on him as John maneuvered the truck through a tight and awkward three-point turn. Vince had envisioned the drop-off going much more smoothly and wished they had pulled away from the outcasts quickly, but the burnt-out cars on the interstate prevented that vision from becoming a reality. Instead, it was a long, slow process that required them to carefully turn around as the two watched.
Travis’s cheeks tightened as he clenched his jaw. Vince knew it was coming but wasn’t sure when it would happen. Travis drew the pistol and squared off on the Ford.
“Stop right there!” Travis leveled his pistol in their general direction, one eye closed as if he was about to take a shot.
“Go ahead.” Vince let out a half-hearted laugh and dangled a bag full of ammunition from his fingers—ammunition he’d removed from Travis’s gun. If Travis thought they were going to hand over a loaded weapon, the kid was more of a fool than Vince had taken him for. John moved on down the road a ways and then stopped. Vince dropped the bag on the ground and sat back in the seat while keeping an eye on the two.
“Don’t come back,” Vince said in the most sincere voice he could muster.
There was no time for anything other than that, as John hit the gas and Travis and Dalton were swallowed up in the night.
Vince had expected as much out of Travis, and his suspicions were proven correct with the deviant’s last-ditch attempt to gain control of the situation. Vince had hoped for more from the young man, but deep in his gut, he knew better. He’d considered not returning the gun at all, but without a weapon out here, the two were as good as dead, and he didn’t want that on his conscience.
The wind began to flow through the cab of the truck, and Travis and Dalton were easily forgotten as the promise of a warm meal and a secure place to sleep filled his head. But it didn’t last long. Dalton’s stubbornness and Jackie’s cries urging him to reconsider his decision filled Vince’s thoughts as John did his best to speed home. He tried not to let it affect him, but it was hard.
Vince felt good about the fact that he left the two with the pistol, and he clung to that thought. They would certainly need the means to defend themselves. The fact that it could be used against Vince and the Cloverdale survivors was a possibility but not one that he was overly concerned with. Besides, he’d put money on them not returning. Well, at least not Travis.
Vince wasn’t sure what it was, but he was thinking about Dalton more than he should have been. He couldn’t get him out of his head.
Maybe it was the painful goodbye with his sister. Maybe it was the look on his face, which couldn’t have been mistaken for anything other than fear.
Vince felt bad for him; the poor kid had no idea what he was getting himself into by following a guy like Travis around. Unfortunately, soon enough, Dalton would find out for himself the hard way.
Chapter Twenty-One
The drive back to Cloverdale seemed shorter than the drive out, but maybe that was because John was pushing the old Ford harder than he should have been. Though Vince was going to suggest that he slow down a little, he didn’t say anything. He was anxious to get back to town, and they were already pushing their luck by being out this late.
Once they hit the exit ramp, Vince radioed ahead for Bill so he could open the gate. The Suburban rolling out of the way was a sight for sore eyes, and a weight lifted from his chest once they were back inside the wall. He didn’t realize how much peace of mind the wall provided until he was on the outside after dark.
The motel looked quiet, and there were no visible lights at all. Vince wondered if Tom had secured the power or if they had run out. Either way, he was disappointed about missing out on his chance to get cleaned up. John parked the pickup in its spot at the edge of the motel parking lot and shut it down.
John sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna grab some grub and call it a day. I’ve got the morning watch shift, and it’ll be here before I know it.”
“Yeah, I don’t plan on being on my feet much longer, either.” Vince wondered if he looked as tired as John did.
Mary was waiting outside the motel office in a camp chair as the two approached. “Well, how did it go?” she asked.
“As well as could be expected, I guess.”
Vince noticed Mary’s slouched shoulders and long face. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Oh, nothing. I was hoping Dalton would have come back with you. Just wishful thinking, I know. I just feel bad for Jackie. Things are hard enough without losing family.”
“Yeah, I know. But we can’t risk having him around if he doesn’t want to be here,” Vince said.
John raised his brow. “He was going to steal from us. Let’s not forget that little detail.”
“Where is Jackie?” Vince was genuinely concerned about the girl and felt bad for her, but he was also a little worried that she might try to retaliate for the way he kicked her brother out of town. He hoped she wouldn’t and didn’t think she was that type of person, though he wasn’t about to assume all was well with the situation. When it came right down to it, he didn’t know her that well. None of them did. And trust wasn’t something given easily these days.
“She’s in her room. Reese and Buster are trying to cheer her up,” Mary said. Knowing that someone was keeping an eye on Jackie put Vince at ease.
“A good night’s sleep will help,” John added.
“We could all use that,” Mary agreed. Vince noticed that she was wearing clean clothes and her hair was wet.
“So did the power last long enough for everyone to get a shower?” Vince suddenly felt very dirty standing next to her. Not that he had felt clean before, but the smell of soap in the air reminded him of how badly he needed a shower and a fresh change of clothes.
“Yes, everyone was able to clean up, and we even managed to do a couple loads of was
h and run one of them through the dryer. There’s enough for each person to have at least one clean outfit. Tom said to let him know when you returned so he could turn it back on for you guys. He didn’t want to leave it on and drain the power any more than we had already. Why don’t you guys grab a quick shower, and I’ll re-heat dinner for you?”
“Sounds good to me.” John nodded and headed for his room.
“There’s a pile of clean clothes outside your door,” Mary called after him.
“Thanks, Mary,” John replied without looking back.
“I put a pile of clothes on the dresser in the room for you.” Mary pushed Vince toward their room. “Go ahead. I’ll let Tom know to turn the power on.”
“Thanks.” He didn’t want her going through any extra trouble for them, but he was too tired to argue and too hungry to turn down a hot meal.
Vince sat on the edge of the chair and took off his boots while he waited for the power to come on. He didn’t want to lean back in the chair and get it dirty, but he was also afraid that he wouldn’t have the energy to stand up again. At this point, the only thing motivating him was his grumbling stomach and the promise of a shower. Next, he tried the knob on the table lamp a couple of times until finally the bulb lit up.
Not wanting to waste any time or precious electricity, he hurried into the bathroom and turned on the shower. There was no hot water, but he didn’t care. The cooler water was refreshing, and although a little heat would have helped his aches and pains, he was just glad to have running water. He watched as a small river of dirty water ran between his feet and snaked its way down the drain. He knew he was disgusting, but seeing the almost-black water coming off of him made him thankful that Mary had suggested that he shower before he ate.
He could have fallen asleep standing up while the cool water washed over him, but he didn’t have the luxury of a long shower, and he kept it short. He also didn’t want to run the risk of losing power and water while still covered in soap. The lamp on the table was lit up, but it was dim, and he wondered how much time they really had before they depleted the remaining electricity. There couldn’t have been much power left in the system. With the number of people staying at the motel, he was surprised there was still any left at all.
John wanted to run power to the old Andersen place and set up shop there, but finding more batteries and adding them to the solar electric system’s reserve bank would have to take priority. John might not like that, but running a line over to the new police station wouldn’t do them any good if there wasn’t any power to send through it.
The new clothes almost felt as good as the shower, but with the warm temperatures and stale air, he soon began to sweat. At least he smelled human again, he thought as he put his boots back on and tied the laces loosely. If he wasn’t so hungry, he would have preferred to not put his shoes back on at all. He eyed the bed longingly. Soon, but first he needed to eat.
Vince pushed himself up from the chair and let out an involuntary grunt. Just sitting down for a few minutes had allowed his worn muscles and joints to tighten. Getting out of bed tomorrow was going to be hard. Not because there was still so much to be done but because he was going to be very sore. Coffee and ibuprofen would only go so far.
He was gladder than ever that he’d decided to take it easy tomorrow. It was going to be Sunday, after all. It was hard to believe only a week had passed since the EMPs. It felt more like a month or more. The sleepless nights and odd hours standing watch blurred the boundaries between one day and the next, and more than once he’d lost track of what day it was. If he hadn’t been keeping track with a piece of scrap paper and pen on his nightstand, he might have lost count altogether.
On the way back to the dining room, Vince let everyone he bumped into along the way know about tomorrow’s plan and that they could do whatever they wanted. He also told them to spread word to the others. Of course, this meant some of the survivors would want to get back to whatever was left of their houses to see what could be salvaged, but that was okay with him. It was going to happen sooner or later, and who was he to stop them anyway? He was guilty of wanting to get out to his place as well.
Venturing out in small groups or individually would be dangerous, but that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. And if people wanted to see what was left of their former lives, they should be able to do that.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mary stayed with Vince while he ate, and eventually, John joined them as well. Vince discussed having a down day tomorrow, and they both agreed that it was a solid idea and well deserved by everyone. They had all put in a lot of long days recently, both because of the amount of work that needed to be done and because of the looters’ relentless attacks for the first five nights.
The looters had been silent since the night Vince, John, and Tom rescued Ryan and sabotaged most of the gang’s vehicles, but that wouldn’t last, and they all knew it. They might as well take advantage of the lull in attacks and try to enjoy what they could of the day tomorrow.
When Vince and John finished eating, they helped Mary clean up and close the kitchen for the night. The large walk-in cooler, where most of their supplies were kept, was locked with the large deadbolt that Mary held the key to. Hannah held the only other known copy of the key, aside from the one hidden over at the garage, but only Vince and Mary knew about that one.
Once everything was secure, they split up and made rounds to all the rooms and officially informed the others of the plan for tomorrow. Unsurprisingly, the idea of a day off was a big hit with everyone. Vince liked being the bearer of good news for a change, and he was looking forward to having a semi-lazy Sunday morning and actually enjoying his coffee for once instead of rushing breakfast in an attempt to get a jump on the day’s chores. Of course, there were still things that needed to be tended to, like feeding and watering the animals, cooking breakfast, and standing watch. But with everyone chipping in, all of those things, outside of the watch rotation, would happen quickly, leaving the majority of the day for personal time.
Vince wasn’t planning on taking the day off per se, but he was going to allow himself the extravagance of not feeling like he needed to accomplish anything, if that was how the day turned out. Maybe he would even take a drive out to the house and see what there was to see. He probably wouldn’t attempt to reach the safe unless, of course, his house had somehow survived and he could simply walk into his basement. If that was the case, he’d also feel a little foolish for not making his way out there sooner and retrieving his guns, at the least.
But he didn’t want to think that far ahead or be that optimistic about the state of his house. He’d seen enough of the town to know what he would most likely find. And if that was the case, he could at least plan to come back with the loader and recover the contents of the safe at another time.
Mary would probably want to go to her place again, and they should. The last time she’d been there to get the animals and what supplies they could carry, they had done so quickly. There were certainly more resources at her house. Maybe he could convince Mary to grab Nugget and slip away with him for a Sunday drive. They could incorporate a stop at her house and then hit his place while they were out.
It wouldn’t be like any Sunday drive they had ever been on before, and they’d have to keep an eye out for trouble, but it could be just what they needed. They’d be sure to bring their weapons and plenty of ammunition, just in case, but Vince was unusually optimistic about their chances for a decent day away from town and away from the responsibility of keeping everyone safe.
It wasn’t that he disliked the role of leader, but it wasn’t one he’d sought out. He also felt like he was stepping on John’s toes a little. Then again, there were other times when John couldn’t even be found, let alone be relied upon for guidance. He didn’t blame John or expect anything from him, but these people needed consistency from someone they could depend on for advice and structure, and for some reason, they all seemed to gravitate towar
d Vince.
Vince sat down and took his shoes off again, this time, he hoped, until morning. Mary was in the bathroom with a candle as she brushed her teeth and prepared for bed. Nugget was already curled up in a ball at the end of the bed, her snoot tucked into her tail. He felt like he was in a daze and stared at the little dog for a moment.
He wondered what it would be like to sleep so soundly without a care in the world, something he would likely never do again. Life was much simpler in a lot of ways, but at the same time, it was also more complicated. The things they all took for granted once were now major milestones that were achieved only with great effort and determination. Climbing into bed for a good night’s sleep was no longer a given. Instead, it was an anomaly.
Sometimes, when Vince had managed to get a decent night’s rest, he would wake up and forget about what was waiting for him outside the door, and for a moment, that feeling of uncertainty he carried with him all the time was absent from his thoughts. But it never lasted long. The motel room’s outdated décor and cheap wood paneling were good reminders that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be and that this life was in fact very different from the one he’d known only a week ago.
As Vince lay in bed, he wondered if there would ever be a time when life would return to normal. He thought of their old way of life, even though he tried not to. Mostly, he tried not to think about it because he had no control over it, and that was something he didn’t like one bit. The only thing they could control to some degree was what they could do around here to bring back some type of normal. But using the word “normal” felt a little foolish these days, as if it were out of reach. Like a broken record, these thoughts played over and over in his mind. The fact that he was living in a dark, dingy motel room didn’t help any.
Cloverdale (Book 4): Confrontation Page 11