The Long Roll Home

by Anderson, Diana E.

  He nodded in agreement, and then asked, “How come you aren’t married? A beautiful woman like you, I’d think you would have a hundred guys fighting over you.”

  Cassie sighed. “I guess up until now, I hadn’t met anyone I could stand to be around more than an hour or two at a time. I’m a pretty private person. You are the first man I’ve ever spent any time with other than on a mission that I haven’t wanted to strangle.”

  Andy laughed louder than he meant to, startling Cassie and Petra. “I’m really, really happy you don’t want to strangle me. Does that mean you might like me a little bit?”

  “Maybe even more than a little bit, I think,” she whispered back to him. “You are such a good man, with a kind and loving heart. Yes, I think I like you a lot, City Boy.”

  “Well, Cowgirl, that’s a good thing, because I think I’ve fallen for you. You are everything I’d ever dreamed of in a woman, and then some.” He reached over and gently cupped her chin, lifting her face towards his and softly kissing her. When their lips parted, Cassie looked deep into Andy’s eyes, but did not say anything. Andy was afraid he overstepped his bounds, and so with bravado he asked, “What’s wrong, Cowgirl? For someone who is usually a chatterbox, you’re awfully quiet.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say.” She grinned. “Can we try that again?”

  Andy laughed, and the two kissed again. After a moment, he pulled back. “It’s late, tomorrow is going to be another busy day. I’ll take first watch and I want you to go get some sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s your turn.” Cassie began to speak, but he put his finger on her lips. “No arguing.”

  Cassie nodded, pulled the blanket tighter around them both and, with her head back on Andy’s shoulders, closed her eyes.

  -

  After her husband sent his hands into town to get their families, Lilly and Dora went over to the equipment barn and gave it a quick cleaning. Although it was named the equipment barn, they used it more as a place to host parties, training space for the ranch staff and other non-equipment uses. Of course, there were a couple of old tractors and other farming implements in the back part of the barn, but most of the barn was open space. After sweeping the dust from the main part of the barn, Steve helped the ladies set up tables and chairs and then the two women went to the kitchen to begin cooking for the huge crowd they expected to arrive later that day.

  Billy, his sister Leanne and her baby were the first ones back, driving a Leanne’s old Volkswagen van. While the vehicle may have seen better days, it still ran, and Billy and Leanne had packed it with just about everything she owned, including the baby’s crib. Lilly decided to put Leanne and Baby Jake in one of the guest rooms on the second floor. Since Jake was only three weeks old, he needed to be somewhere he could stay reasonably warm. It took Billy about an hour to get all of his sister’s stuff moved and the crib set up. Leanne helped as much as she could, and when the baby’s things were situated, Leanne went looking for Lilly. She found Lilly in the basement checking her inventory against all of the supplies there.

  “How can I help? Jake is asleep in his car seat in the living room and your daughter is with him. What can I do?”

  Lilly smiled at the young mother and pointed to several boxes of food. “These are the boxes of food that you and Billy brought. As you put each item on the shelf, would you call it out to me so I can mark it on my sheet?”

  “I’m happy to do that.” Leanne scanned the shelves in wonder. “It’s like being at a grocery store! I can’t believe how much stuff you have down here.”

  “We’ve been feeling like something was going to happen for a while now, and so we thought stocking up might be a good thing- especially with how many people we expected to be here if anything happened. I’m so glad you and the other families will be here with us. I think it will be a lot safer and will help us all survive this mess.”

  Leanne nodded. “I think you’re right. I don’t live all the way in town, but I could hear loud noises that I’m guessing were gunshots, and I could see smoke over towards the town. I guess this is a good an excuse as any for the troublemakers in town to go wild.”

  “My sister predicted that would happen. I figured it would take a week or two for trouble to start, but Cassie told me she expected it to start as soon as people realized that without phones, vehicles, and power, the police and fire department wouldn’t be able to do too much, banks wouldn’t be able to cash checks, and everyone would be on their own.”

  Leanne nodded her agreement. “Yes, and single women like me would be targets of the bad guys. I was never so happy as when Hank dropped Billy off at my apartment to help me get packed. I am so grateful to you and your husband for letting Jake and me stay here. I hate to think of what would have happened to us if we stayed where we were.” For the next hour, Lilly and Leanne finished putting up the boxed food and continued to check the rest of the items on the many shelves. When they were finished, it was time for Leanne to feed Jake and for Lilly to check on Dora and dinner.

  Late in the afternoon, a convoy of vehicles arrived. In the lead was Hank’s truck, followed by several older large RVs, two beat-up pick-up trucks, a minivan, and Sven’s station wagon bringing up the rear. Every vehicle had a trailer attached, and it was obvious by the way the trailers were sitting that they were packed full. Steve met the convoy and began directing the vehicles, instructing them where to park.

  Once all of the vehicles were parked to Steve’s satisfaction, he directed everyone into the equipment barn. Numerous long tables had been set up and set for dinner. Once everyone found seats, Dora, Lilly and Leanne began to serve up bowls of beef stew. Loaves of homemade bread were placed on tables, and each table had a pitcher of water. While several people helped pass out the bowls of stew, Steve stood and addressed the crowd.

  “I know most everyone here, and I am glad to be able to welcome you to the ranch. I must say, though, that I’m sorry for the circumstances that brought us all together. While the guys were out rounding all of you up, those of us here were busy. All of the animals are now in the closest pastures. We’re going to have to set up a system of guarding the animals so they aren’t poached or butchered. The solar is hooked up to the wells, so we ought to have running water. All of our bathrooms are on septic, so they should still work. I know we are going to be kind of cramped for the next few days until we figure out where everyone is going to stay, so please bear with that.

  “My goal is for all of us to not only survive this mess, but for us to thrive. To do that is going to be a lot of work. Everyone is going to have to pitch in and help, even the kids. I know we’re not in the army, but I think my sister-in-law has rubbed off on me. When we talked about how we would handle this kind of situation, she recommended we organize the way the army does. Consider me the battalion commander. I will be responsible for everything that happens on this ranch. I will appoint “company commanders” over the various areas. Hank, I’d like you to be over the physical plant – making sure all of our systems work, buildings are in good repair, and stuff like that.”

  Hank smiled, nodded, and answered, “Sure thing, Boss. You know I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “Thanks, Hank. I appreciate that.” Steve continued, “Tank, with your veterinary training, I’d like you to be over the animals, making sure they are healthy and cared for. Lilly, you are my partner, of course, but I want you to focus on our health and hygiene. Dora, you are over food services. Lilly will help you with meal planning and you can recruit cooks and dishwashers from among the crowd. Sven, will you take on security? We’ll need to figure out how to protect our perimeter, as well as protect people, animals, and our supplies. We’ll also need to make sure everyone who is old enough and able is armed, so we’ll need to plan some firearms training. Juan, you are the agriculture guru, so I’d like you to oversee planting and crops. Who have I left out? Oh, Sean and Billy, you will be over our scavenging efforts. Am I forgetting anything?” People looked back and forth at each other, then bac
k to Steve shaking their heads no. During the pause, Steve took a second to get a drink of water for his dry mouth. He was nervous and trying hard not to show it. Lilly could tell, but the rest of the group saw only the strength and safety Steve was trying to portray.

  “Now, my military chain of command does not mean all of the company commanders and Lilly and I don’t have to work – I expect those of us who are in a leadership role will probably have to work harder to be sure nothing goes wrong. Everyone else will be assigned to jobs based on interests and skills. For example, kids can help with collecting eggs, working in the garden, helping to feed and water animals, helping to do dishes, and other chores like that. Does everyone agree to this?”

  Steve looked around to see everyone nodding and smiling. A couple of the kids groaned at doing dishes, but otherwise everyone seemed eager to help.

  “Is there anyone that does not agree?” People looked back and forth at each other, but nobody indicated disagreement.

  “Wonderful. Thank you everyone! While you are eating dinner, can each table take a turn standing and introducing themselves so we can all get to know each other? Tell us your names and if you have any skills or special interests. I’ll start – I’m Steve and I’m married to Lilly. We have three daughters, Rebecca, Katie, and Sally. The lovely lady with the white hair is my mother-in-law, Estelle Blake.” Steve sat down and looked at the table to his left.

  Juan stood and introduced his family. “I’m Juan Herrera, and this is my wife, Elena. I have a degree in agriculture, and as Steve mentioned, I love growing things. My wife is an elementary school teacher. The three kids with us are my son Miguel (he likes to be called Mike), Luisa, and Antonio, better known as Tony. The lovely couple sitting with us are my in-laws, Ed and Lupe Murillo. Ed ran a construction company for many years until he retired last year. Lupe is a registered nurse and works, well, I guess worked in a surgical hospital.”

  After Juan sat down, Steve stood up again. “Elena, I forgot you were a teacher. Can you put together something for all of our kids so they can continue their learning? Although, I suspect the curriculum is going to focus a lot more on survival skills than other studies, but they still need to learn important thinks like math, reading, writing, and history.”

  “I’d be happy to do that. Can we talk later about what you want included?”

  “Sure. I’m sorry for interrupting. Sven, I think it’s your turn?”

  Sven stood up. “I’m Sven Knudtson, and these are my brothers, Arne and Erik. My parents are also with us – Bernie and Inge Knudtson. My brothers and I are all Vets – Arne was a Marine and Erik and I were both Army. Mom and Dad ran a travel agency in the city until they retired a few years ago. For a hobby, dad was an NRA instructor. Mom’s hobby is cooking – she is an awesome cook, as you can probably tell,” he laughed, patting his stomach and causing everyone to laugh with him.

  Wayne stood. “Hi, I’m Wayne Russell, and I’m a wrangler. I love working with horses and cattle, probably more than I like working with people.” Tank then stood.

  “I’m Fred Murphy, but everyone calls me Tank, probably because I am so tiny!” Everyone laughed, as Tank stood easily 6’7” tall and weighed a good 350 pounds of pure muscle. In spite of his huge size, he was a gentle and friendly person. “I’m a wrangler, too, but I also am trained as a veterinary assistant.”

  Billy then stood. “I’m Billy and the thing I do best is follow orders. This is my sister Leanne and her baby Jake. I guess her special skill is taking care of the house and having babies.” Everyone laughed when Billy realized how his comment sounded and blushed deep red.

  Leanne stuck her tongue out at him and added, “I can also cook and sew.”

  Sean Williams introduced himself next, and explained he had no real skills except as a wrangler and a farrier. “I am also good at being what the military might call a ‘procurement officer’ so working with Billy to liberate supplies for us is going to be fun, I think!”

  Finally, Hank stood and introduced himself and Dora.

  People seemed to relax a bit after the introductions, and soon everyone was busy eating. When it seemed everyone was about done eating, Lilly stood and whistled to get everyone’s attention.

  “When you’re done eating, I’d appreciate it if you would put your dishes in the plastic bins on the cart. Also, if you brought food with you, please bring it over to the porch by the kitchen door so Dora and I can check it into the inventory. There are a couple of coolers by the door for things that need refrigeration. Tonight, just grab an empty bed in the bunkhouse if you’re not sleeping in one of the RVs. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out everyone’s housing. We’ll serve breakfast at 7 tomorrow morning here in the barn, and right after that, we’ll get everyone set up into their assignments. Get some rest, everyone, because life as we knew it has changed and we are going to be working hard if we want to do more than just survive.”

  -

  It was close to midnight a week later that Steve found Lilly and Dora deep in discussion in the ranch office, surrounded by stacks of papers.

  “What in the world are you two doing so late at night?” he asked.

  “We’re trying to figure out what we still need,” answered Dora. “People brought their food to us, and we logged it all in. We have a bunch of meat we are going to have to can tomorrow. We’ve also got a lot of cheese that we’ll need to wax. Stuff like shampoo and toothpaste are pretty good, and we’ve got more medical stuff than I expected.”

  “So, what’s the problem?” asked Steve with a perplexed look on his face.

  “Honey, we’re good for a few weeks, but we don’t have nearly enough laundry soap for this many people. We also need a lot more bar soap. I know we can make those eventually, but I’m putting it on the list for Sean and Billy. We also need a lot more canning jars. We’ve got plenty to do the meats now, but by spring, we’ll need a lot more, especially lots more lids. We will probably need more work clothes for everyone – most people brought clothes, but with the kind of work we’ll all be doing, they’ll wear out quickly.” Lilly stopped to take a breath. “We also need sewing materials – more needles, threads, fabrics, stuff like that, and the list of things we could use just goes on and on.”

  “But I thought we had a lot of that stuff?”

  “We do – for a few people. With so many people here, though, we need more. I’m trying to get a list together so Sean can start bringing this stuff back before it gets taken by others or destroyed.”

  Steve put his arm around Lilly and kissed the top of her head. “Okay, ladies, I’ve been getting my own lists together for them. Maybe we can put all the lists together and send them out tomorrow. Don’t you think you both ought to call it a night and get some rest?”

  Lilly smiled at Steve. “We’ll be done in about ten minutes or so, and then Dora will head back to her place and I’ll head towards bed.”

  Chapter 15

  The pleasant weather held out for several days, and Cassie, Andy, and kids made great progress along the trails. The cart and wheelchair both exceeded expectations, functioning well with just an occasional application of oil to the wheels. The morning after Cassie and Andy’s conversation in front of the fire, both felt a bit awkward at the subtle change in their relationship, but within a few minutes they were back to their usual comfortable selves. Once all the kids were awake and breakfast and morning hygiene was completed, everyone loaded up as usual and the group took off. Cassie and Andy were amazed at how well-behaved and cooperative the kids were. There was very little bickering, and all of the kids willingly did whatever small chores they were asked to do. They kept up lively conversations among each other and with their new guardians, to the point the five began to feel they had all been together a lot longer than just a few days.

  As they walked, Benjy shared a lot of information he learned in the Scouts. He knew the different types of trees and many of the plants. When they stopped for lunch one day under a giant oak tree, Benjy began picking up acor
ns, explaining to the group that if acorns were shelled and soaked several times, they were good to eat and full of good nutrients like protein, fat, and minerals.

  “When I went camping with my troop, we made bread with acorns, and it was really good. We had to soak the acorns for several days in cold water so we didn’t cook out all of the stuff that makes bread stick together. We also soaked the acorns for a few hours in boiling water, and then just ate them. They made a great snack.” Cassie pulled a plastic trash bag from her pack and soon the kids filled the bag with acorns.

  “Wow, this is great!” Andy exclaimed. “Since it takes a while to cook, we can try cooking these once we get back to the ranch, okay?”

  “How much longer until we get there?” asked Lizzie.

  Andy looked at Cassie. “Maybe another week or so if the weather holds.” Cassie nodded agreement. Lizzie clapped her hands, and grinned. “Cool! I can’t wait to see the horses and the bunnies and the puppies.” Everyone laughed at her exuberance and loaded back up for another afternoon of walking.

  -

  Sean, Billy, and Arne were on their first foray into the little town of Newcastle. They drove Sven’s old station wagon but decided to park about a mile outside of town and walk in, just in case things were bad in town. As they got closer, they could smell smoke, and soon they could see towers of smoke throughout the town. Arne led the other two men down side streets, staying as hidden as possible. Every few minutes, they would stop and Arne would check the area with his binoculars. The center of town had most of the grocery stores, restaurants, and bars. The original plan was to check the grocery stores first, then the big hardware store on Main Street. The closer they got to the center of town, though, the louder it got, and the heavier the smoke. Soon, they could hear the sounds of breaking glass and gunshots. The three quickly retraced their steps, heading for a part of town that was more industrial than touristy. They passed a small strip mall with a fabric shop and a dollar store. The dollar store looked like it had been gone through and trashed, but the fabric store looked fairly intact. Other than the broken glass at the front, the shelves still seemed to hold a lot of fabrics and notions.