Without Law 12

by Eric Vall

  “Yeah,” she said, and she looked over and smiled at the dog, “but he’s a good boy. He deserves his bones.”

  “He is a good boy,” I agreed. I had been concerned about the dog when we first got him. I knew he had been abused, and I expected him to be scared of people, and possibly even vicious. I had gone so far as to warn the girls that if he showed any signs of aggression we would have to put him down, but he never had.

  In fact, he was the perfect dog. He was well trained, kind to everyone on campus, but vicious when protecting one of us, and he absolutely adored the girls, particularly Bailey.

  After the EMP I hadn’t even considered having a dog again, but we were lucky to have found Winchester, and he was lucky to have found us.

  Soon, Paige had the whole elk skinned and gutted, and we worked on cutting the meat off and separating it.

  “We’re almost done with this,” Paige said. “Why don’t you grab the meat you need and start cooking, I can handle the rest of this.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. “It’s no problem for me to wait.”

  “Yeah,” she chuckled, “but I’m hungry.”

  “Alright,” I laughed. “I’ll get breakfast started.”

  “Great,” she said, and she took a sip of her coffee and left yet another bloody fingerprint on the cup.

  I grabbed the two backstraps and headed over to the fire pit. The girls had kept it going in anticipation of me cooking breakfast, though nobody was over there at the moment. They must have gone down to feed the cows.

  I set the meat down on a bench, then went inside to grab a couple of pans. As I was coming out of the kitchen/laundry room, I saw Rolly and Betty coming down the stairs.

  “Morning, sleepy heads,” I greeted them with a laugh.

  “I can’t believe it’s past dawn,” Betty said. “I’m sorry we slept in.”

  “Don’t be,” I told her. “You all deserve it.”

  “Is everyone else awake?” Rolly asked.

  “Not yet,” I said. “Just me and the girls.”

  “Wow,” Betty breathed. “We all slept in.”

  “Like I said, you all deserve it,” I assured her. “I know it’s been a long, hard few days out working in the fields.”

  “That’s true,” the old woman said with a small smile. “Still, I hate to feel like I’m not doing anything.”

  “You do plenty,” I chuckled. “Come on outside whenever you’re ready. Bailey made some coffee, and I’m about to whip us up some breakfast.”

  “I get to sleep in, and have a morning off from making breakfast?” Betty joked. “Is it my birthday?”

  “I know,” I laughed, “you deserve a break far more often. We do appreciate you cooking for us all the time, though.”

  “Thank you,” Betty said. “I’ll go wake up everyone else.”

  “Nah,” I said with a wave of my hand. “Let them sleep, we’ll get them up when breakfast is ready.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Rolly said. “I could use a cup of that coffee before I have to do anything else.”

  “Come on and get it, then,” I laughed and led them outside.

  The girls were coming up the driveway when we got back outside, and Paige had finished with the elk, so Anna ran over to help her carry everything inside to the freezer while Tara and Bailey went to the chicken coop to feed them and gather some eggs.

  Bailey let the chickens out and spread some feed on the ground in the courtyard, so they happily pecked around while she gathered the eggs from in the coop. They never went far, and Winchester was never bothered by them, so we figured it was good to let them get out and stretch their legs during the day when we were there.

  Most of them were even fairly friendly, and a few of them would let Bailey pick them up and pet them, though Winchester often got jealous, so they only got a few pets before she had to put them down and switch her attention to our needy canine.

  “What kind of meat is that?” Betty asked, which brought my attention back from staring at Bailey and the chickens.

  “Oh,” I said. “I bagged an elk this morning.”

  “Elk, huh,” Rolly said with a nod. “That’s some good meat.”

  “Yeah, it is,” Betty agreed. “How’d you manage that?”

  “Same way any hunter does,” I chuckled. “Lie in wait and hope to get lucky.”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten elk,” Rolly said. “I remember it being really nice, though.”

  “Is that the backstrap?” Betty asked.

  “Yup,” I agreed. “It should make for some nice steaks.”

  “Need any help?” Rolly asked as he poured him and Betty some coffee.

  “I think I can handle it,” I said. “Besides, that would take away from your morning off.”

  “Too true,” Betty said, and she stretched out. “Slept in, breakfast being made for me, and elk sausage. Could the day get any better?”

  “We did the chores, too,” Bailey said as she and Tara brought the eggs over.

  “You fed the cows, too?” Betty asked.

  “Yup,” Tara said. “And we checked the traps earlier, so everything’s done for the day.”

  “Seems like a great start to the morning,” Rolly said with a smile. “Thanks, girls.”

  “Of course,” Bailey said, and she took a seat next to me.

  “Hey,” Anna said as she and Paige came up to the group as well. “We were just thinking, everyone else slept in, do you think the women from the camp did, too?”

  “Oh, they stayed here last night,” Betty informed us.

  “Really?” I asked. Everyone had already been in bed when we got home the previous night, so I hadn’t thought to ask, but the women’s group had been making the trek to and from their compound each day since they didn’t want to stay anywhere with men around.

  “I was as surprised as you are,” Rolly chuckled.

  “We had a long day yesterday,” Betty said. “Everyone was tired, but we gave them their own floor, so I think that made them feel better.”

  “Maybe they’re getting more comfortable with us, too,” Paige said.

  “Hopefully,” I agreed. I hated to think about how those women must have been treated to harbor such a fear of men, but if we could help them overcome it and know that we were there to help and protect them, then that made me feel a little better. I didn’t like the fact that they had to heal from such traumas, but I’d happily be part of the healing process.

  I looked around the group and thought about everyone we had on campus and those who were new to the group, but who we already treated as if they belonged. I wanted our home to be a safe space for everyone, where they could live and not worry about being taken or used. The only thing I asked was that everyone did their parts.

  Thinking about the people under my care also made me think about those under Brody’s care. I’d seen the way he treated his people. They were practically servants to him. They made him grand dinners, but then ate bread and stew themselves. I knew he had convinced himself that was what he deserved for taking care of them, and he’d probably convinced some of them of that as well, but it was still so wrong to me. From the beginning, even when it was just Rolly and the girls and I, we all did our parts, and we shared everything. I never kept things for myself or insisted that anyone treat me any differently just because I was in charge. In fact, I had never asked to be in charge. I had simply seen a group of people struggling, and I wanted to help.

  I worked with the elk meat as everyone else chatted with each other, and soon I had a few steak cuts, so I tossed the first few into the frying pan. They sizzled and the smell of them floated up and made everyone pause for a second.

  “Oh, my gosh,” Paige said, “that smells so good.”

  “I can’t wait to try it,” Bailey added.

  I smiled as I nudged the sausages around in the pan. It was good to be able to provide for my people. Everyone worked so hard, my girls and I included. I knew that we worked hard in a differ
ent way, and lately, we’d been called out for a lot of different things, like runs to get necessities or do reconnaissance, but those things were just as important as what everyone else did, and what they did was just as important as what we did. Nobody was above anyone else as far as I was concerned, we just all had different strengths. I knew full well that any of my people would take a bullet to protect what we’d built here, and it’d even been proven during the Canadian attacks. Nobody had hesitated to be on guard duty, even after Joe had taken a shot to the shoulder.

  I never wanted to be a leader like Brody was. I always wanted my people to know how valued and appreciated they were.

  “Oh!” Tara exclaimed, and she shot up and ran toward the dorms.

  “What’s wrong?” I called.

  “I need to check the biscuits!” the platinum blonde called back before she disappeared inside.

  “I didn’t realize she had put them in,” I said. “I figured she would have cooked them out here.”

  “They cook better in the stove inside,” Betty said. “It traps the heat and lets them rise better than cooking them on a fire.”

  “Good to know,” I chuckled.

  “How’s that sausage coming?” Anna asked, and she eyed what was in the pan.

  “It’s nearly done,” I said. “I only have one more pan’s worth.”

  I had made a large amount of sausage since we had so many people now, and I’d need to make all of the eggs the girls had gathered as well.

  “It smells great,” Betty told me with a smile.

  “Thanks.” I smiled back. “Is this enough for everyone?”

  “Oh, yes,” the old woman said with a nod. “That’s plenty.”

  I thought it was, but I wasn’t used to cooking for everyone, and I’d hate to come up short. Besides, there was plenty of meat to go around, it was just a matter of cooking it.

  “So how big was the elk you caught today?” Rolly asked.

  “I didn’t measure,” I said, “but I’d say he was a good five hundred pounds.”

  “Nice,” Rolly said with a low whistle.

  “That’s quite large,” Betty said.

  “I left the biggest one in the herd,” I said. “I didn’t see any of the females, either.”

  “They were probably closer than you even realized,” Betty chuckled.

  “I’m sure they were,” I agreed. “It was quite a sight this morning.”

  “I miss getting out there,” Betty sighed.

  “What’s stopping you?” Bailey asked.

  “Oh, just my age,” Betty laughed. “Besides, you all go out and do most of the hunting now, I’m not needed to do it anymore.”

  “Still,” I said, “if you want to take the next turn, it’s all yours.”

  “I appreciate that,” Betty said with a smile. “I’d need a partner, though. No way I could carry a deer back on my own.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Bailey offered. “We don’t have to hunt for deer, either, we can hunt for whatever you want.”

  “Sounds perfect, dear,” Betty said, and she patted the blonde hippie’s leg.

  “Let’s get through this elk meat first,” Paige chuckled.

  “Right you are,” Rolly agreed.

  “They’re done!” Tara hollered as she came out of the dorm building with a large pan in her arms.

  “They weren’t burnt?” Betty asked.

  “A couple were,” Tara admitted, “but I figure we can just give them to the chickens.”

  “Good idea,” Betty told her.

  “Is everyone else up yet?” Anna asked.

  “Yeah,” Tara said. “I heard people upstairs so I yelled up and told them that breakfast would be ready soon.”

  “Thank you,” I told the platinum blonde, then I turned to Rolly. “You up for making some more coffee for everyone?”

  “Of course,” he agreed.

  The girls brought out the tables and chairs from the gym while I made the eggs for everyone, and once everything was finished we laid the food out on the tables so everyone could jump in line and make a plate. Rolly set up a table with coffee, too, and pretty soon everyone came out and commented about how delicious it smelled.

  Betty gave me all the credit, but I told them I just wanted to thank them for working so hard and to go ahead and fix their plates.

  While everyone dished up, I headed over to the table with the coffee and poured myself a cup.

  “Hey.” Rolly came up next to me.

  “Hey, old timer,” I said with a grin, “need another cup?”

  “Yes,” he said, “but I actually wanted to talk to you.”

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, my eyebrows pulled together with concern. It wasn’t like Rolly to need to talk privately.

  “It’s nothing major,” the old man assured me. “We just have a little problem.”

  I didn’t like the word problem, whether it was accompanied by the word little or not.

  Chapter 2

  “What’s the problem?” I repeated.

  “It’s with the fuel,” Rolly said, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Is the fuel bad?” I asked.

  “No, it’s not bad,” he said. “It’s just that we’re using a lot of it hauling water back and forth to the farm.”

  “I see,” I sighed and took a sip of my coffee. Bailey made a good cup, but there was still something about Rolly’s that put me at ease.

  “We need to set up a line to the farm,” Rolly said.

  “Agreed,” I told him.

  “We’re fine on fuel for now,” the old man said in what seemed to be an attempt to make me feel better. “But with how much water we need to haul, it will eat into the supply rather quickly.”

  “I understand,” I assured him. The druggies were still a problem, and we needed to get them taken care of, but plants were finicky, they needed to be taken care of properly or we could lose our whole harvest. “How time sensitive is this?”

  “I’m not sure,” Rolly said. “Betty would know, though.”

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  We made our way to where Betty sat near the fire with her breakfast, and I took the seat across from her while Rolly sat next to her.

  “The elk is excellent,” she said as we sat down.

  “Thanks,” I told her with a smile.

  “What’s wrong?” She asked immediately.

  “Rolly told me about the waterline,” I said.

  “Oh.” She frowned. “It would help out a great deal.”

  “How time sensitive is it?” I asked. “I just need to know what to prioritize first. We still need to take care of the druggies that are out there, but if this needs to be done first then they’ll have to wait.”

  “I wouldn’t want to put you all in danger,” Betty said. “You should do whatever you think is best first.”

  “You wouldn’t be putting us into danger,” I told her. “But we can’t have the harvest in danger.”

  “Right,” the old woman sighed and set her fork down on her plate. “Well, plants can be tricky. They need specific care, and since we just planted they’ll need a lot of water in the coming weeks, especially with how hot it’s been getting during the day.”

  “We can still haul water,” Rolly said.

  “Yeah,” I agreed, “but it’s using a lot of fuel, as you said. Besides, I know it’s more difficult to get it spread out properly when you have to use the reserves.”

  “It is,” Betty said. “The main issue is that if the plants aren’t watered properly then it could stunt their growth, or worse.”

  “That’s not an option,” I said and I had already made my decision. “The girls and I will leave after breakfast and find the supplies to set up the waterline. Rolly, what do we need?”

  “I made a list,” the old man said, and he pulled out a piece of paper from his overalls and handed it over to me.

  “Perfect,” I said as I took the list.

  “What’s perfect?” Anna asked as she a
nd the rest of the girls came over with breakfast plates and sat down.

  “We’re going on a run today,” I informed them.

  “Nice,” Tara said, and she picked up a bite of elk sausage from her plate. “Where are we going?”

  “I’m not sure yet,” I said, and I looked at Betty. “Any ideas?”

  “I know of a place up close to Burlington,” Betty said.

  I pursed my lips and thought for a moment. The druggies were definitely still crawling around everywhere, and if they had an outpost in Burlington as Brody said, then they would definitely be in the area. But then again, they were fairly spread out, so I wasn’t sure if it really mattered where we went, there was still the risk of running into them.

  “There’s one down south, too,” Rolly informed me. “It’s a contractor’s supply store. I used to go there to get a lot of landscaping stuff for the school.”

  “Alright,” I said. “Paige, once you’re done eating can you grab us a map? We’ll see where the places are and then decide, though I’m leaning more toward the south since one of the cartel outposts is in Burlington.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Anna said through a mouthful of eggs.

  “Of course,” Paige agreed. “I’ll go get it now.”

  “No, no,” I told her. “Eat first.”

  “Speaking of,” Betty said with a pointed look at both Rolly and I. “You two need to go fix your plates.”

  “I’ll wait until--” I started.

  “No,” Betty said in her best mom voice, “you both will go fix your plates now. You can worry later, for now, you need to eat. No sense in letting a good breakfast get cold.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said with a small chuckle, and Rolly and I both got up and headed toward the food line.

  “Way to get us into trouble,” the old man teased.

  “You started it,” I teased back.

  Once our plates were made we sat back down with Betty and the girls and I took my first bite of elk meat. It was absolutely delicious. I hadn’t realized just how hungry I actually was until I had that bite. My mouth literally watered from wanting more, so I shoveled another large bite in and breathed out a heavy sigh.

  “Damn good meat,” Rolly said as he ate.