by C. A. Hoaks
“But we thought you would be in charge,” Bernie answered.
“No,” Brian replied, “I have a family out west, and I won’t be staying. As for the others, that’s up to them.” He nodded toward the two men still kneeling in the dirt. “You have a sentence to carry out.”
Henry gasped. “Us? We can’t kill them.”
“I don’t have a problem with it. Those two killed my dad.” The young woman who testified during the trial announced. “I won’t lose a moment of sleep killing those two.”
“Tiffany, you can’t do that.” A man, who had not spoken before, protested. “If the soldiers will accompany me, I will be the one to pull the trigger.”
“Eugene, you’ve never shot a gun.” Bernie objected.
“Tiffany’s dad was my best friend. I would like to ask the soldiers to come with me. I’d hate to screw it up.”
Brian interrupted. “If none of you are going to step up, then Eugene, Billy and I will ensure this is done right, but at least two strong men will accompany us to dig graves.”
Henry and Bernie stepped to Eugene’s side. Dixon opened his mouth to protest, but saw the determined look on the faces around him and remained silent.
Baker whimpered and protested. “I was just following orders.”
Billy and Brian grabbed Dixon and Baker by the arms and pulled them to their feet. They pushed them into walking to the back fence. Bernie and Henry stopped at the tool shed to retrieve four shovels and two pickaxes. They fell back into line with the others. The grim group left the camp through the back gate and walked to an area of open ground, about a quarter mile from camp.
Both men were shoved to their knees and held at gunpoint while two graves were dug. It took nearly an hour to get the holes almost five feet.
Brian slid a towel across his damp forehead. “That’s enough for these two.” He grabbed the back of Dixon’s collar and pulled him to his feet while Billy brought the second man to his feet. The man tried to pull away, but Henry stepped up and cuffed him across the face.
“Man up, for Pete’s sake. You were a big man killing that gal’s daddy. Now act like a man paying the price.”
They walked the two to the graves and forced them to their knees in front of the holes.
“You can’t do this!” Dixon cried.
Brian slapped him on the back of the head. “Shut up.”
Eugene laid down the shovel and slowly walked to the back of the two men. He pulled an old Colt from his waistband and raised the pistol toward Dixon’s companion. The barrel of the gun shook violently.
Brian reached out with his right hand and covered Eugene’s hand with his own. “Breath. In and out.” Eugene did as he was told, his hand steadied, and Brian released his grip. “Use two hands to hold the gun. Place our finger on the guard until I count, put your finger on the trigger. I’m going to count to three, and you squeeze the trigger.”
Brian raised his own gun to the back of Dixon’s head. “On three.”
Without further comment, Brian took a breath and counted. The explosion of both guns shattered the painful silence. Both bodies slumped forward and were let fall into the holes.
Eugene dropped the gun and turned away. He took three stumbling steps from the graves and then fell to his knees. “Oh my God….” He whispered.
Brian walked over to Eugene and pulled him to his feet. “Let’s head back.”
Brian led Eugene back to the fence. At the gate, Eugene took several deep breaths and then squared his shoulders. Brian handed him the Colt.
Eugene looked down at the gun and quietly replaced it in his waistband. “I shot infected leaving the city, but this was different.”
Brian let the quiet envelope them for a full minute before he answered. “It’s meant to be difficult to kill a man. The day you can shoot a man and feel nothing, it’s the day you have lost your humanity.”
“But you shot Dixon,” Eugene mumbled.
“I have a duty to protect this country and the citizens from all enemies. This is a different enemy than I could have ever imagined fighting, but I’ll do what I need to, to protect who I can. Those men were part of the danger the citizens face since the attack. Billy and I have to help take care of the problem when we can.”
Eugene sighed. “Maybe we should have exiled them.”
“Do you think that would have worked?” Brian asked. After a long silence, he continued. “They would have done one of two things; victimize others or come back to attack you, folks.”
Eugene looked toward the camp beyond the gated fence. “We did the right thing.” His steps quickened. “Let’s get those graves covered then get you and your folks settled for the night.”
After a subdued evening meal, Miss Bessie led Brian and his traveling companions into the house. It smelled of pine cleaner and was spotless. From one end of the small farmhouse to the other, it had been cleaned and swept. The dirty mattress has been removed and cots brought into the house. Each bed had a pillow with a white pillowcase, a sheet and quilt draped over the foot. The foodstuff had been returned to the cellar, so there was a bedroom for Margo and Paula, then the mother and daughter they had rescued.
Brian and Billy, Juan and Leon took the first four-hour shift of guard duty during the night. Brian volunteered since he imaged most of the men confined in the basement had not spent much time sleeping.
Billy and Brian stood at the front gate as the sunset. Families and friends gathered to celebrate being back together.
“Wonder what happened to that guy, Grant they talk about?” Billy asked.
Brian shrugged. “Dead. He probably met someone either smarter and with more guns. Eugene said he left almost three weeks ago.”
“How do you make a decision to kidnap women?”
“When the man in charge realized there was going to be an imbalance of men to women and none of the married men intended to share their daughters or wives I guess Grant decided on the plan to find women.”
“That’s crazy,” Billy observed.
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I can’t imagine how anyone could justify killing families. Six women and girls were brought in by Grant. I’m just sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”
“We’re not staying are we?” Billy asked.
“No. We’ll rest for a couple days. I want to help these folks elect a council and get leadership sorted out before we leave. Long range, the camp has a good set up with the natural spring and garden.” Brian looked toward the compound. “I want to give Paula, Margo, Leon, and Juan a chance to get to know the folks around here then decide if they want to stay or move on.”
Chapter 35
Call to Arms
After three hours standing guard and a few words with his replacement, Matt returned to the office and spread out on his cot with his hands under his head. He watched hints of dawn spill through the picture window. After a time, Matt realized he was anxious to get the day started as he lay there, plotting and planning while he waited for the house to wake.
The sound of small bare feet padded down the hall. Amy shushed the baby in her arms as she made her way to the kitchen. Matt turned to look through the doorway and saw Amy slide Claire into a highchair that Jake had brought back on one of the supply runs.
Amy warmed a bottle on the stove then used the milk to make a small bowl of dry cereal. She poked a spoonful of the wet-paper looking concoction at Claire’s mouth. Claire stuck out her tongue and let the glob of brown splat on the tray. She slid an open hand through the glob smearing the sludge across the white plastic.
“Claire….” Amy chided. “You have to eat.” She reached into a cabinet, retrieved a jar of baby fruit then disguised the next bite of cereal with a covering of the fruit. The response was a second lump of baby food on the tray.
Matt got to his feet and padded into the kitchen on bare feet. “We got a problem in here?”
Amy looked up exasperated. “She won’t eat her cereal.”
Matt dipped his finger in the cerea
l and stuck it into his mouth. He made a face and tickled Claire’s chin. “It tastes terrible.” Amy’s eyes grew big, and Matt laughed. He opened the refrigerator and took out three eggs. “You go get dressed, and I’ll make you girls some scrambled eggs.” He grinned at Amy. “You like scrambled eggs, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” Amy ran from the room, her bare feet barely making a sound.
Matt sprayed the pan with non-stick then placed it on a lit gas burner. He broke all three eggs into a bowl and used a fork to assault them. Finding a box of powdered milk, Matt added a white powder to an old juice bottle of cold water, shook the jar, then added some of the liquid to the eggs before pouring some in Amy’s cup. He poured the eggs into the skillet and then turned around to make a pot of coffee.
When Amy reappeared dressed in shorts and a sports shirt, Matt had the table set and a plate of scrambled eggs in front of each of the girls. Clare dug into the pile of eggs with both hands and pushed a hand-full after handful into her mouth. She licked at the yellow lump, swallowed, and grinned as she reached for another handful of scrambled eggs.
Matt stepped to the stove and poured a fresh cup of coffee. He turned back to see Amy with her head bowed and hands folded.
“And bless, mommy, daddy, Daddy Matt, Mr. Larry and Mr. Jake, Ms. Amanda, and the new baby.” Amy looked up and smiled sweetly. “Oh, and please help us get to grampy’s house soon.”
“Eat your eggs before they get cold,” Matt ordered a little more gruffly than he intended. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he spoke again. “I’m going to be gone for a day or two. When I get back and get things squared away, we’re going to head to your grandfather’s place. I’m going to need you to pack for you and Claire. Maybe Ms. Amanda can help you get together what we’ll need to make the trip.
“Yes, sir,” Amy answered with a big smile.
“Good morning.” Amanda with her newborn in her arms appeared with Jake close on her heels. She passed the baby to Jake and turned to pour a cup of coffee and put on a pot of water to boil. “Glad you noticed the eggs. Claire is getting a little picky about breakfast lately.”
“Not the little man here.” Jake laughed. “He knows exactly what he wants.”
Amanda slapped at Jake’s arm with a wide grin. “Shush.”
Matt chuckled. “Amanda, you need to be at the meeting today. Everyone that hasn’t been training will need to start. As soon as you’re able, that means you, too. In the meantime, Jake can teach you gun safety then hit the target range and use an air gun to get a feel for shooting.”
Amanda nodded. “Jake explained the plan, and I agree. I want to be able to protect my son and myself. We had no chance at the park because the civilians were all helpless. Military took all the weapons.”
When he had finished his coffee, Matt picked up Claire and walked out into the morning sun. Jake and Amanda followed behind, chatting together and fussing over the new baby.
Amy picked up the carrier and followed close behind chattering as they walked. “Mr. Larry brought Claire Bear new shoes. He brought baby Alex shoes too, but they’re way too big.”
Matt led the small group to the food truck where taquitos were being served for breakfast.
He stationed himself at the side of the serving window greeting each of the residents coming for their breakfast. Maggie, the women rescued from the mad preacher, and the girls that composed her new family walked toward the residents looking a little uncertain. They each looked clean and well-rested but had not lost the haunted look on their faces. Matt waved them toward the serving window. “Come on over. We line up and get meals from the food truck.”
Doc, his wife, and granddaughters appeared at the front of their trailer and crossed the grounds to meet Matt. “Well, young man, you have quite a set up here. Thank you for the trailer. It’ll do fine for the four of us. The FEMA trailer next to it will do just fine for my medical office. If we can get someone handy with a hammer to help remove the bed in the bedroom, I think with some Texas engineering we can set up an exam room. Meanwhile, the wife and girls can spend the morning sorting and set up supplies. I imagine we can start treating patients this afternoon.”
Matt nodded. “You can make an announcement at the meeting right after breakfast. We're asking everyone to be there.”
“No problem, young man. If you’ll excuse us, I see a couple taquitos with my name on them.” Doc chuckled as he turned and headed to the serving window.
“Y’all enjoy your breakfast,” Matt answered.
Jake led Amanda to a concrete picnic table and helped Amy set Claire’s carrier on the seat then spent a few minutes fussing over her. Amy settled next to carrier and placed a bottle on the table. He slid Claire into the chair and buckled the harness. “Will you girls be okay while I get some breakfast.”
Amy nodded. “I’m a good babysitter.” She handed Clare the bottle then looked up smiling. “Can I have one?”
“You’re a bottomless pit, pumpkin. With catsup or hot sauce?”
“Hot sauce, please.” She answered with a grin.
Matt laughed as he headed for the food truck. Jake quickened his steps to elbow Matt and comment as they walked away. “You’re just downright domesticated.” He laughed.
“And look who’s talking.” Matt jabbed back.
By eight o’clock, everyone in the camp had made it through the breakfast line, and except for three of the men who’d had breakfast delivered because they were standing watch at the gates and front road. Jasper called the meeting to order. After a few internal matters had been addressed and the introduction of the newest arrivals, the meeting was turned over to Matt.
“Ladies and gentlemen it seems our numbers keep growing as you see.” He nodded at Maggie and Doc and the new group brought in with them. “As of now, we still only have fifteen soldiers responsible for security and scavenging. The majority of our civilians are either untrained or under the age of eighteen. As the demand increase for more and more goods, we’re finding ourselves stretched pretty thin. That said, I’m concerned we’re not doing as good a job in the area of security as we should be. That said we’ve come up with a plan. We’re going to be training every member of this camp to be better prepared to defend themselves. After the retrieval of firearms recently those with experience will be expected to carry a firearm at all time once they are cleared by an instructor. Everyone else, thirteen and older, will be required to begin firearm training. Training with knives or spears will continue as before with six years and older.”
One of the women from Doc’s group stepped forward. “I have a concealed carry license.”
“Good. Anyone else?” Matt felt a smile crease his face when six more hands raised. “Alright. Glad to hear it. Anyone else?”
Three teens raised their hands. “I don’t have a CHL, but I can shoot. I’ve shot an automatic pistol and an AR-15,” commented one of Larry’s teenagers.
“Same here,” added a second boy with a grin.
The third to respond was a tall, thin girl of about sixteen with blonde hair and a tentative smile. “I can shoot almost anything. My dad had a gun range.” She blushed as she stepped back.
Matt gave the group a hint of a smile. “Alright. All of the shooters report to Jake. Anyone not skilled will be scheduled in one of two classes.” He pointed to Larry’s spear carriers. “More of the spears need to be made, and everyone will be trained with knives. Classes are mandatory, so check with Larry about scheduling. No one gets to opt-out. Everyone will be assigned to protecting the camp or responsible for watching kids. We’ll be passing out machetes to those without guns.” He looked at the group then added. “Your lives depend on being able to defend yourselves. Also, we’re going to set up a couple fallback for the kids. We brought in a storage container that we’ll bury and add venting with a fan of some kind. We’ll store emergency supplies and extra bedding inside.”
Maggie stepped forward. “It sounds like you’re planning on an attack.” She pulled her daug
hter close.
“No one knows we’re here and we’re trying to keep it that way,” Matt answered. “We have a good setup with the generator and campers, but if the wrong people stumble across this place, we’ll have trouble. I’d rather be prepared and not need it, then need it and not be prepared.”
Jasper Novak stepped up and raised his hand. “Ladies, I understand your concern but if we err let us err on the side of caution. These soldiers have been doing all they can to protect us, but I agree, it is time for us to step up and stop being dependents and be partners in our survival. I will be signing up for the class to use all three weapons.”
Joan, the camp cook, stepped out of the food truck and held out her hand to Jake for the clipboard. “Young man, I can do more than sling hash around here. Never know when I might need to shoot a snake.”
The crowd burst into laughter. The tension and trepidation disappeared as women walked to Larry and Jake to sign up for classes. Occasional chuckles and debate of timing resulted in class schedules without compromising the care for the children or helping with cooking and laundry.
Matt watched the residents step forward to begin to take control of their lives and walked to the shade of the Rec-Center to lean against the wall. He folded his arms across his chest, and a hint of a smile crossed his face.
“Pretty proud of yourself,” Tate whispered.
“They’ll get there,” Matt answered. “We should have started looking for weapons from day one.”
“Between food runs, dragging campers in here for people to live in, and saving people?” Tate answered. “You're a bit hard on your men. I’m sure they brought in weapons when they ran across them.”
Matt scowled. “I’ve got two kids that I need to get to their family. But here I am. I owe it to their father, but it seems I’ve done for everyone else, but them.”
“Then do something about it,” Tate answered.