by Payne, T. L.
The observation post had been situated three hundred yards from the gate, and they’d placed their lawn chairs in such a way as to position the SUV’s big engine between the chairs and the front gate. The wrought-iron structure could be seen through the SUV’s side glass and windshield. Others had positioned themselves in the beds of a few of the pickup trucks during their shifts. There were no hard and fast rules except to keep anyone from exiting that gate.
Will was aware that the residents could leave the community via the back of the property. He was fine with that. They had someone hidden on that side as well, monitoring who was coming and going. As of yet, none of the Blanchards had been spotted, a fact that did little to ease Will’s mind. They could be anywhere. He knew that family well and they would not let the death of their patriarch and kin go unavenged. Sooner or later, they would attempt to exact their revenge. Will and the survivors at the farm could not afford to let their guards down. Besides, they weren’t their only threat. In these desperate times, neighbors had turned on neighbors in the fight for food to feed their starving families. Other groups had formed—some better armed and trained than Will’s—he knew it was only a matter of time before trouble reached them, either from bandits, the Blanchards, or the the invaders along the coast.
They were reasonably prepared for marauders and even the Blanchards, but there was no way to be prepared for an army with modern, sophisticated weaponry.
Will glanced over at Luca who still wore a guilty look. The kid had a terrible poker face. They’d been discussing leaving, Will imagined but may have felt some sense of duty to their community to stay and help protect and defend it.
Will nodded for Cayden to stand behind the big truck and approached Luca. “You and Jane thinking of going out on the next run?”
Luca stiffened and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his skinny jeans.
He looked surprised and then relieved. “Yeah. We were thinking we might want to see for ourselves how things were out there. We haven’t left the community since the lights went out. We thought we’d go with August’s group when they go again.”
“That would be good. We need a fresh pair of eyes on the situation regarding the refugees heading to Shreveport. I’ve heard rumors. I know that Savanah would feel better having fresh intelligence, just in case we have to bug out that way.”
Luca’s shoulders relaxed, and he removed his hands from his pockets then looked at Jane. “She’s concerned about her family. She wants to find a way to get word to them that she’s all right.”
“I can understand that. What about your family?”
“My folks and brother are in Seattle. I doubt word would reach that far.”
“I hear that the West Coast was spared. They say they even still have electricity.”
“That’s what Pete said. That came from some private at the base, though, so who knows. Rumors are rampant these days.”
“That they are,” Will said. “Still, it would be good to see firsthand about the route to Shreveport. August said he was going to move north and stay close to our proposed route looking for supplies. He plans to go as far as he can on the fuel he has left in that old truck Pete found last week .”
The truck had been found in an old barn covered in moving blankets. Someone had once been attempting to lovingly restore it. Pete was able to get it running by replacing the battery and everyone had been thrilled to learn it had a full tank of gas. They’d been saving it for the trip north. But there was no way it would carry everyone in their growing community, so it had been decided that August would use it to find supplies and do reconnaissance on alternative routes to Shreveport—those less traveled and less likely to have bandits waiting to ambush them.
“Hopefully, we’ll come back with good news,” Luca said.
Will nodded. His gaze turned to Cayden, who was scanning the Sugar Hill community’s fence line through the scope of his rifle. The trip from Houston to Calcasieu Parish had almost cost them their lives multiple times. He did not want to be forced to take his son back out on the road regardless of the news the team brought back, but he needed to consider all their options and leave everything on the table.
Three
Will
“Hey, Will.”
Walker had appeared out of nowhere. Will chastised himself for not being more alert. The Texas Ranger could have just as easily been a foe rather than a friend. The lawman still wore his white western hat and white shirt and tie and Will wondered if he still carried his gold star in a wheel badge. The nickname that Monte had given him had stuck even after Monte had left to find his family down south along the Louisiana coast.
“Here,” he said, holding out a thermos. “Isabella sent it. It’s the real deal. That’s one special girl you got there.”
Will smiled. He agreed. He felt blessed but worried he might blow it with her. It was hard to balance everything.
“Any sign of you know who?” Walker asked, pointing toward the wrought-iron gate locking in the residents of Sugar Hill.
“Not yet. Tank and Troy think Valson and what was left of the Blanchards took off toward the east after their skirmish with the military. They have family living in Starks.”
Walker leaned against a brand-new Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Will admired the vehicle and lamented that the shiny red SUV was no more use than a hunk of metal and plastic. “You’re not convinced?” Walker asked.
“Jason isn’t and he knows them better than anyone. If he is still looking for them, then they are still around here somewhere.”
Walker adjusted his hat, revealing more of his face. “Maybe it’s just wishful thinking. Maybe he wants the closure of knowing whether his kin is dead or alive.”
“Either way, we need to stay on guard. We can’t afford to be blindsided by his vengeful relatives.”
“Don’t you think they’d go after your cousins and that outfit at the casino first? After all, he is the one that came to rescue you.”
Will ran a hand across his stubbled chin. “They’re all cowards when you get right down to it. They’ll go after the easiest targets. Troy and Tank held them off for weeks before we arrived and upset their truce. The only way that happened was the Blanchards didn’t want a bloodbath. They wanted easy victims like the elderly and unprepared residents out here.”
“I agree that we should remain cautious, but there are other threats to guard against,” Walker said.
Will unscrewed the lid to the thermos and took a drink. As the caffeine hit his bloodstream, he sighed in pleasure. It was a horrible addiction—caffeine. One that he’d be forced to abandon soon. He didn’t imagine they’d be getting any shipments of coffee beans from Columbia for a very long time.
“We have to be ready for anything. It sucks that we can’t do live-fire training so that folks can at least learn how to hit what they aim at.”
“We just can’t afford to use up the ammunition right now.”
“I know.” Will shifted from one foot to the other and looked south. “I just hope the military doesn’t run out before they push General Yuen and his army back to China.”
“They’re doing all they can to keep the supply chain open. Insurgents blew up the railroad bridge at Lake Charles, but they were ready for them at the one in DeRidder. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, I heard from Monte.”
“What? When?” Will asked, turning to face Walker as he stroked his chiseled jawline.
“Late yesterday evening. One of the lookouts from Choupique sent word that they were heading this direction on their way to Shreveport. He finally convinced his wife’s family to leave their camps and head to the refugee facility to wait this out.”
“That’s a relief—that they will be out from behind enemy lines, I mean.”
“You don’t think much of the refugee facilities?”
“I don’t know. I think my opinion of government-run facilities is jaded by how they handled Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters. They we
re even less prepared for the magnitude of the crisis at the Mexican border. I just think we need a solution that doesn’t rely on the government, a long-term solution because things aren’t going back to normal any time soon, even after we defeat the Chinese. All the infrastructure that has been destroyed will take many months, if not years, to rebuild. In the meantime, we have to find a way to survive.”
“Your sister’s homestead is pretty good, but—”
“I know. It’s not sustainable. We need to be able to hunt and fish in addition to growing crops. There are just too many people vying for too few resources here. I bet the deer, rabbit, and squirrel population has already been cut in half.”
“It sounds like you’ve been thinking a lot about the long term. Any ideas of a better place to go?”
“I was thinking Arkansas, maybe. It was less populated before things went to shit. The Ozarks were full of game. I hunted there with a buddy once up near Mountain Home. I thought we could spend some time at the facility in Texarkana and send out scouts to find a suitable area to settle in,” Will said with a question in his tone. He hadn’t told anyone else about his idea yet as they seemed so set on staying at the homestead.
“It sounds like a viable plan. I like the idea of having the FEMA facility as a safe base for everyone while we look. It would give us time to properly evaluate and investigate instead of feeling like we had to be in a hurry to pick a spot.”
“That’s what I was thinking too.”
“The journey to Texarkana won’t be easy,” Walker said.
Will stared down at the pavement. He knew the dangers they’d face out on the road. What had been left unsaid was the challenge of convincing everyone to uproot and leave before things got too bad and while they were still healthy enough to make the trip. People underestimated the toll that malnutrition takes on a body. Will could feel it. He already moved slower and planned his activities during the day for when he had the most energy. The adults were sacrificing meals to make sure the children were well fed. He understood. He did the same with Cayden, but was it the wisest move? Who would take care of the little ones when the adults were too emaciated to find food or defend the homestead?
“When do you plan on having this conversation with the others?” Walker asked.
Will looked up. “I was hoping you’d join me in that one—maybe sit everyone down tomorrow after the midday meal?”
Walker removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with a white handkerchief. “I can do that. Are you prepared for the push back?”
Will glanced over at Luca and Jane and then to Cayden. “There isn’t any other option. We’ll just have to make everyone see that. I suspect that there are others thinking something similar, but since we haven’t had a meeting in weeks, no one has addressed it.”
Walker stuffed his handkerchief into his back pocket and adjusted the hat back on his head. He lifted one eyebrow. “You ready to leave your family and go without them if they choose to stay?”
Will knew who he was talking about. He’d gone back and forth about it for weeks. Could he leave his sister and her children behind to save Isabella and Cayden? Truth be told, Savanah was the only reason Will was still in Calcasieu Parish. He just had to find a way to convince her that leaving was their only option—even if it meant leaving Jason behind. He prayed she’d see reason, unable to bear the alternative.
Four
Savanah
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Event + Two Months
* * *
“Mom, Kylie has my tractor and won’t give it back,” Keegan yelled as he chased his sister through the outdoor kitchen where Savanah had once created her herbal teas and candles. Now it was where the community prepared meals for the forty or so people that now called her farm home.
Mrs. B stepped in front of Kylie and grabbed the toy. “How about you come to help me grind the wheat?"
“Aw—it’s too hot inside. Jason said he’d take me swimming in the pond this afternoon,” Kylie said, stomping her foot.
“Kylie,” Savanah said. Kylie turned, and Kegan stuck out his tongue at her.
“Mom,” she whined.
“Go inside and help Mrs. B. Jason will come for you when he is ready for a swim.”
Kylie frowned and stomped off toward the house as Savanah continued. “She’s right, Mrs. B. It is too hot to be inside today.”
“I’m not going to stay in very long. I’m going to try to get her down for a nap. She’ll be a lot less cranky, and I could use one myself.”
“Thanks, Mrs. B—for everything.”
Mrs. B smiled. She reminded Savanah so much of her grandmother. They were close in age and had the same kind and generous disposition. She was blessed to have Mrs. B as part of their new family.
“It’s been a blessing being useful again,” Mrs. B said as she turned to follow Kylie.
“Keegan, would you tell Luca that we’re almost out of wood for the stove? We have another hour or so to go on dinner.”
“Okay, Momma. Can I go play with my friends after?”
He and Kylie had been thrilled to have other children with whom to play. Some of their older neighbors had volunteered to corral and watch over them while the parents worked to keep the community safe and fed, but some of the kids still managed to find ways to get underfoot, mostly Kylie and Keegan. Karson had become Jason’s shadow.
Savanah nodded, and Keegan ran off toward what had, just weeks before, been their back pasture. Now, it was lot C in their RV park. Jason, Luca, and her cousin Troy had been hauling Porta Johns in from a construction site near town. Four of them between the thirty or so people camping there wasn’t enough, but it was something.
After Jane and Luca finished their shifts at the checkpoint, she’d come to help Savanah prepare dinner. Savanah was grateful for the help. “Jane, you mind stirring the stew? I want to check on Myrtle. She didn’t eat when I fed the pig this morning.”
Jane cut the greens from the top of a turnip and placed them in a bowl before standing. As she stepped toward the wood-fired stove, her hand flew up to cover her mouth, and she ran out the door. Savanah followed her, holding Jane's braids back as she vomited in the dirt.
“Are you all right?”
Jane wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and straightened. She was sweaty and pale. Savanah felt her forehead with the back of her hand. “You don’t seem to have a fever.”
“I don’t think it’s viral, Savanah.” The corners of her lips curled up, and Savanah's eyes widened.
“Are you?”
Jane nodded as the color began returning to her cheeks. “I know it’s awful timing. That’s why Luca and I haven’t said anything. With all that’s going on and all.”
Savanah placed her palm on Jane’s flat stomach. “Are you kidding? This is wonderful news. In the midst of all this mess, a new life being brought into the world signals hope.”
She hadn’t known Jane but a few weeks, but they’d grown as close as sisters in that time. Having a baby in the group added a new dynamic, especially if they were forced to flee, but they’d all seen so much death and destruction that they needed to be reminded that the cycle of life continued, and they were fighting to make a better life not only for themselves but for future generations.
“You should get out of this heat and get some rest. Why don’t you go on over to the pond and sit under the willow trees?”
Jane smiled. “Maybe just for a few minutes. I’ll come back and get the rest of the turnips cut up in a bit.”
“No, don’t worry about that. Rob’s wife is coming to make some fancy dish with roasted turnip with wilted greens. She’ll finish up for you.”
“Thanks for being so understanding, Savanah. I promise to still pull my weight around here.” She glanced down at her stomach then looked up and scrunched her face. “I am not looking forward to getting as big as a house. Luca’s mother said he weighed over eleven pounds when he was born.”
“Ouch!”
/>
“I know. I’m kinda scared about it.”
“Don’t worry. It’s bad for the baby,” Savanah said.
Savanah would do the worrying for the both of them. Giving birth without modern technology and medicine could prove fatal for Jane or the baby. Before the advancement of maternity and neonatal care, infant mortality was fairly high and the fact that someone could once again die from an infected cut due to the lack of antibiotics was always on her mind. They would have to make sure Jane received proper nutrition and monitor her closely to ensure a safe delivery and healthy baby.
As Savanah watched Jane head down to the pond, she worried again about the health of the rest of the community. They’d already used up most of her herbal remedies and store-bought medical supplies. What they really needed was a doctor and a fully stocked pharmacy. With the amount of manual labor involved in securing the farm, keeping people fed, and the dozens of other daily tasks, they’d seen an increasing number of injuries. Most were minor, but some were potentially life-threatening. It was just one of the million things that kept her awake at night.
“Keegan said you were out of wood,” Jason called as he dropped an armload of wood into the box just outside the door.
“Thanks.”
“My pleasure,” Jason said, leaning in and giving her a peck on the cheek.
She half smiled and turned her gaze toward the pond. In the weeks following the shoot-out in town that had ended in his father’s death, along with many other relatives, she and Jason had grown close. His father had taken her brother hostage and been killed by their cousin, Tank. That fact should have complicated their relationship, but it hadn’t. They’d spoken at length about their families and in the end, they’d both agreed that you couldn’t choose your parents.
Will was finally beginning to accept the relationship. After spending time with Jason on guard duty and working to secure the farm, they seemed to have put their differences aside. Savanah hoped that they would develop a friendship; she’d had no difficulty accepting Isabella and Savanah thought it was great that they’d found each other despite the chaos all their lives had become. And Cayden adored Isabella. It would all be so perfect if it weren’t for the apocalypse—and war.