He did not have to caution Lacey to stay quiet. She was barely breathing, she was so frightened. Behind the movie theater complex, across a paved area, were trees with a neighborhood beyond that. He decided that they would move across and go around the longer way to get to the Day Spa building. Just as they reached the edge of the trees, a man stepped out, pulling up the zipper of his jeans. He was as startled as the couple. Mac swung as hard as he could at the man's jaw. He fell to the ground, rubbing his face and swearing. He rolled over and raised back up, pulling a knife from his belt. He started slicing at Mac. The loner was still trying not to raise an alarm. Then, Lacey hit the man in the back of the head with the butt of her pistol. This at least had the man dazed and stumbling. She whacked him again and he went down. Mac drug the man farther back into the trees. He took the belt off of him and used it to tie the man's hands behind a tree. He was slumped down and unconscious now.
Mac checked towards the movie complex to see if any one seemed to have heard. He could still hear the voices coming from the side of the building. He could see Lacey's eyes wide and frightened in the moonlight. He flashed her a smile, grabbed her hand again and they started running. About twenty minutes later they reached the stowed away motorcycle. After circling around to the Day Spa, he could still see the two figures, just black shapes in the distance. He would again push the motorcycle at least a block or so. Lacey's flip flop sandals were not the best footware, for making stealthy get-a-ways or for riding on the back of motorcycles with no foot pegs. She was so happy to be leaving the hell that she had been living in, she was actually starting to believe that she might escape. She would die before she went back now.
The pair were about a block away from the building and the figures could no longer be seen at all. They stopped to get their breath for a minute. Mac said, “You will have to hang on and hold your legs out. That muffler pipe will be hot as fire and there are no pegs for your feet. As soon as I get the bike started, you hop on.” She nodded, yes. She poked the pistol down into the waist of her jeans. In another moment, she was hanging on to the pack on the loner's back and they were speeding away. They traveled along the toll road. When they reached the barricades of Unity, they got off and pushed the motorcycle until Mac had a clear path again. The bike and it's two riders moved along towards the haven of the grocery market.
The sticky hot summer nights made Jack sleep restlessly. He turned over and flipped his pillow. He heard a zinging, pop-pop-pop, not far away. In the quietness, he could tell that it was moving north. Good, the loner is back. We need to know his news. He could get a little sleep now.
***
The red capped man, still half asleep, went down the hall to the broom closet. The door was open. “S—t, now where are those two?” He went down to the opposite end exit and looked outside. He looked in the room, where most of the time the woman stayed tied up. He scratched his behind, stood around a bit and went to the lobby. The leader had a woman beside him and a warm beer in his hand. The big cigar glowed in the side of his mouth.
“Hey boss, I can't find that loner guy. I think he might have took off.” said the red cap.
The leader stared at the snitcher.
The snitcher said, “And, I can't find that woman either.”
The leader was paying a little more attention. “He has been the loner, all along. For some strange reason, he seemed to like that bitch. Hell, the horny freak probably just took her and disappeared again. No loss, on either count. Still, you go and check the weapons storage. See if he stole any.” The red cap hustled away, thankful that he didn't get blamed. There was no figuring when or if the man in the woods would be missed or found. There was not a lot of concern for your fellow man, happening here. The leader motioned the woman away. He sat back and thought, The guy was pretty smart. Was he spying on us? His arrogance set in, Nah-h...just a weird loner, he wouldn't have the balls.
***
It was still very dark, Mac raised the big door and pushed the motorcycle through. He turned on the flashlight and as he was lowering the door he noticed that Lacey was down to one flip flop. Somewhere on their journey, she lost one. He said, “You better climb on my back. There is lots of broken glass and junk on these floors. I think we are going to have to work on getting you some better shoes.” Except for some pale moonlight shining in high windows, it was dark inside. As Lacey's eyes adjusted, she looked around at the cavernous market. Mac put down his pack and turned, she climbed on his back. She could not imagine anything being as bad as the horror she just escaped. Here was more of the frightening unknown. She felt the pistol poking into her skin, it might as well be rock, for all she knew about it's use. I hope that I did not trade one den of devils for another one.
They weaved around the aisles. Far back and away from where there had once been perishable foods, near the pharmacy he lowered her to the floor. There was still a faint odor of decay, it was not overwhelming. He got a match from his pocket and lit a lantern that sat on a fold out card table. “I'll be right back,” he said. He went for his pack and the cycle. For some reason, he liked the bike to be nearby. There was a lawn chair and she sat down. Another lawn chair was on the floor, still folded up. There was a cot. A pillow was at one end. Some blankets were folded up underneath. On a section of shelves, that had once held medicines, she saw some folded clothing and a couple of pairs of lace up boots. Also, there were some paper plates and cups and plastic ware. Some gallons of water, a few cans and boxes of food. She went over to the shelf and picked up a jar of something homemade, preserves. Next to it, a faded Christmas tag read, Merry Christmas, Unity. She held it up to the light. She wondered, who was Unity? She spotted toilet tissue and paper towels. There were lots of books and magazines, even some old newspapers. On the table, next to the lantern was a battery radio. A couple of pairs of glasses, just drugstore readers, sat askew near the radio
She heard the low putting of the cycle and Mac was there, straddling the bike and pushing it along with his booted feet. He parked it and threw the pack down. He unfolded the sleeping bag and put it on the floor. There was an uncomfortable pause between them, then he said, “I know you are beat and so am I. You take the cot and I will crash here. Let's get some rest and tomorrow....well, tomorrow, we will have lots to talk about.” Lacey eased onto the cot. She couldn't believe how good it felt, she usually slept on the floor. Mac put out the lantern and she was asleep in seconds. The loner's eyes did not close as quickly. I hope I haven't made a huge mistake, was his last thought.
The dawn spread some light from the high windows across the grocery. You still couldn't see a whole lot, with rows of shelves rising up. Lacey saw the flashlight on the table. She pushed the button. She started cautiously, nearly on her bare tip toes, following the beam of light at her feet. She stopped and swept the light around, searching for the familiar Restroom sign. There, not very far to the north of the pharmacy she spotted the big letters. She pointed the light down and watched where she was stepping. She made it to the bathroom. It was not too bad. As she entered, she saw two jugs of water setting there. With relief, she took care of business. She found a stack of brown paper towels, wet one and washed her hands and face. The cracked mirror showed an abused and weary face. She pushed her hair back and sighed.
She was exiting the bathroom and was in sight of the front doors of the market. She inhaled sharply and shut off the flashlight, backing up, two figures were near the doors. Then a hand touched her arm, she jumped and gasped again. Mac said, “It's okay, I know them. I expected to see them bright and early. Come with me.” Her shoulders relaxed. They walked past a display that was for summer sandals. He suddenly remembered and looked at her bare feet. “Put something on your feet,” he said. After she picked up about three pairs... too big, too little... she found a pair that was close and put them on.
He led her to another set of doors. He scooted a heavy shelf away from one that was broken out. They stepped through and walked around to the front veranda of the market.
Jack and Lee sat, patiently waiting at one of the tables. Both of their eyes widened as Mac and the woman approached. Mac pulled up a fourth chair and said, “This is Lacey. Lacey, this Jack and Lee.” She put her hand out and they shook it. Jack poured them some coffee from a thermos, as was their custom.
“Glad that you are safe and back,” said Lee.
Jack waited for the loner to talk.
Mac said, “Lacey here, was with the gang. They captured her over a year ago, before the military was moving through the north end of town. From the information that she gave me and from my own observation, I think that there are close to seventy five in the gang. There are about ten women, I would say that there is a solid sixty five or more men. They have a lot of weapons and ammunition. They are in the movie house and one of the small theaters has rifles and pistols and ammo, stacked between at least three rows of seat. I have no idea of how skilled their members are.”
Lacey spoke, “I have seen them shoot at people and take women. I have seen them kill some people, from up close. They like to shoot the guns and make noise. Some of them, like the leader's red cap men, like to have target practice. They seem to be pretty good. A whole lot of the gang is lazy, stays drunk or high. There are even two or three women who shoot the guns well.”
“They do have three trucks and a van that are running,” said Mac. “There is no question, they are coming. They are low on supplies and have been in that location a long time. They are not finding a lot out there to scavenge. It will be a battle, it will be hard fought. If we are prepared, I think we have a chance of winning. I discovered no indication or info on when they might be planning this attack. I think it will be pretty soon. If it was me, I wouldn't move in this stifling heat but I wouldn't wait until cold winter, either.”
This intel was not a big surprise to Jack or Lee. From the day that they met, they both knew, things would be bad, before and if they ever got better. The groups that had come together and formed Unity had been strong and prepared. They had also, been lucky. They knew there was bound to be a day when they would have to defend all that they had saved and built. There would be lots of plans and preparation in the days ahead.
Mac asked Lee, about Lynn. “How about the rest of Unity? Jack, are all of your family good?” The men were talking and the words faded into the background. Lacey realized that Unity was a small town. The name was on the tag that had been important enough to Mac, to keep. She remembered her sweet and caring parents and all the lessons they had taught her. She also remembered the reflection in the broken mirror, this morning. These people were not going to want a scarred and damaged woman like her in their midst. She turned her head. She tried not to let the men see her push a tear away.
“....and, you know, the kidnapped girl at the church group? She had her baby, a little girl. She is fine and so is the baby,” Jack was saying. “Guess what, they named her Jackie.” Jack shook his head and laughed. They all stood.
Mac looked at the woman. When she looked down, Jack did too. He noticed the shoes that were a little big on her small feet. He said, “It's nice to meet you, Lacey. Glad you are safe. You know, maybe Mac can bring you over to meet all the girls in our family. A while back, we loaded up this big box of shoes on a scavenging trip. The women just love to have someone “shop” and try on those shoes.” He patted her on the shoulder. She gave them a lovely smile.
At the market, things were a bit awkward between Mac and Lacey. The loner had been solo for a long time. He was used to roaming around and doing his own thing. The woman was trying to not cringe when a man was even near her and learn to trust again. Mac would leave, with just a “later” and be gone for a good part of the day. He was participating in the Unity meetings and planning sessions. And he had become a part of other jobs that were needed for the town. That was fine with Lacey. She had the whole big grocery market to explore and she felt safe here. At the end of the day, they both seemed to look forward to having some company. They both slowly became more and more comfortable in their unplanned routine, the discomfort was flowing away.
Lacey, with a natural instinct, began to make Mac's den a bit more homey. He had brought in another cot. It sat at a right angle to his, the two forming an “L”. A plastic tablecloth appeared on the table. In one of the upstairs offices, she found an area rug. She drug it down the stairs and put it in the middle of the living space. She found some big plastic tubs that flowers had once been displayed in. That gave her a place to soak and wash out her one pair of jeans and T-shirt. She took a pair of Mac's jeans and tied a piece of rope on them to keep them up. One of his shirts, hung nearly to her knees. A small fold up bar-b-que grill became her stove. In this huge place, with plenty of broken windows, no need to worry about a fire in a grill. She scrounged around, looking down all the aisles and under the shelves. She finally gathered up some supplies for a meal of sorts. Some canned goods, even a can of roast beef and gravy and packaged dry goods. Some throw away aluminum pans and one small saucepan gave her cooking pots. Mac had told her to only drink the bottled water that he had stacked up. She knew though, that a drop of bleach in a gallon of water would purify it. She would also boil any that she wanted to cook with.
That day, when Mac came into the market and moved up to his space, he thought, Something smells good. He nearly tripped on the rug, he was looking at food spread out on the table. A candle burned on a stand, on an upside down plastic bucket. It smelled like cinnamon. For the first time since he had come here, he didn't smell that faint sour smell. Lacey stood, in her clown size clothes and shoes, her hair pulled up in a ponytail.
“Are you hungry? I cooked some supper,” she said. “Oh, I hope you don't mind, I borrowed some clothes.”
He was a little flustered. “It smells great. Um-m, I think I will wash up a bit.” He moved towards the restroom.
The meal tasted fantastic to the loner. They talked and laughed. She enthusiastically told him how she had gathered up all the home stuff. He noticed that the dark circles under her eyes were faded. She had on a bit of make-up and lipstick, she smelled good.
He looked at her and said, “You know, there are lots of empty houses around here. We might could find one.” She looked at him and smiled. He said, “Not now, not yet. I want to be here, near that barricaded border right now. I think that Unity needs me here until...until the gang comes.”
“I understand. I am fine here, there will be time later.” she said.
He sure hoped so. That night on his cot, he raised his arm behind his head. She had done the same. He found her hand and their fingers touched. “Good night, Lacey.”
“Good night, Mac.”
Chapter Nine
SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
Mac did take Lacey to meet Jack and Beth's family. She was welcomed in. Just as Jack had mentioned, Dianne went and drug out the box of shoes. There were still some pairs in various sizes and styles. Lacey found a pair of tennis shoes and there was a pair of lace-up boy's hiking boots. She liked those, her feet were small and they fit. She and Lynn seem to hit it off, right away. Actually, they were pretty close to the same size. Lynn insisted that she take a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts. She told Lacey that when the Saturday five acre market came around there was always an exchange of clothing. She said, “We can go and you can get some more clothes.”
Lacey got the tour of the family compound. She was pretty amazed at the resourcefulness of this clan. They filled her in on the other compounds and told her about Joel's family. They also, told her about the colorful old hermit, Herm. Lacey told the girls that she had been a teacher's aide. She was very close to getting her Teachers Certificate, when the world went crazy.
Lynn said, “All the families around here try to home school their kids. They do the best they can. I have been thinking that it would be great if we had some sort of community school. Would you be interested in something like that, Lacey?”
Lacey said, “I would love to be involved in that.”
Shawna cam
e in and plopped down beside the big box of shoes. She was digging around, looking for a pair that fit. She overheard the school discussion.
“You know, you should bring it up at the town meeting. Of course, they are real busy with the plans for the battle,” she said. No one spoke and they caught the frightened look on Lacey's face.
Shawna continued, “Hey, we have had some trouble around here but we handle it pretty good. We will all be prepared for this fight.” Lacey thought, she can't be out of her teens, but she is way older in experience.
“And on that subject...battles and schools. The community has asked me if I will give some self defense classes for anyone that is interested. I have been helping out the young girls. But, they want me to offer something for any of the women or men that would like to learn how to defend themselves. Maybe a couple of times a week. The more trained all of us are, the safer we are going to be.”
Lacey said, “I would like to come to those classes. How did you learn to defend yourself, Shawna? You are only a girl.”
The cute girl with the creamy tan skin sat up a little taller and said, “I'll be eighteen soon. My dad was in the military. He was very into self defense, like Karate. I learned a lot from him. He also taught me to use a gun. We always had guns in the house and he insisted that my brother and I learn to respect and use them safely.”
At the mention of Brother, Shawna got quiet. A tear escaped down Dianne's cheek. Lynn leaned in to whisper in Lacey's ear, “I will tell you about it later.”
Beth came into the common room, clapping her hands. “Hey you little slackers, we have lots of work to do, fun's over.” She was smiling at them, “Lacey, come with me.” She took her into the food storage and offered her a few things.
No Normal Day II (Unity) Page 11