Gathering Home

by JEFF MOTES

  Lynn has been quiet all the way home. I hope she doesn’t screw this up. “Lynn, let me do the talking about our visit. You back me up. Okay?”

  She gets out without saying a word. Will and Lizzy are sitting on the porch swing. Amy must be inside.

  As we approach the porch, I notice the tufts of grass torn in the yard and a wet spot where it looks like somebody poured several buckets of water. Why would they make a mud puddle this close to the house? Will stands as Lynn and I climb the few steps up.

  “Where’s Amy?” I ask.

  “Asleep in her room,” Lizzy replies.

  Damn! That girl is going to have to come around if we’re going to survive. If she doesn’t, we’re going to have to go door to door and beg for food.

  Will holds his hand out, and I give him a firm shake. Something seems different about him, although I can’t tell exactly what. I release his hand, and he turns his palm up.

  “The key, Mr. Wright.”

  I stare at his hand for a moment. This kid gets right to the point. Everything hinges on the next few minutes, maybe seconds. I pull the key from my pocket and place it in his palm.

  “Thanks, Will. I feel much better now. Lizzy, I saw your grandmother. She is doing well. Anxious, of course, to see you and your mother.”

  Lizzy seems relieved, as if a burden has been lifted off her shoulders.

  “Thank you, Mr. Wright.”

  “We had a little trouble in town and on the way back here. Your grandmother asked if you could stay out here for a few more days. She wants to come too but wanted to wait a few more days for your mother to arrive. I told her that was fine. I encouraged her to come with us now. However, she insisted she wanted to wait a little longer for your mother. I promised her we would come back in a few days and get her and your mother and bring them out here.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Will asks.

  “Looters and robbers. But it appears Lizzy’s neighborhood is setting up a community watch group. As I was coming by the old Exxon gas station, somebody shot at us, blowing out one of your tires, Will. Sorry. I used your spare. That’s why my knuckles are bloody.”

  Lizzy takes Will’s hand in hers and looks up at him. “What do you think, Will?”

  He glances at me, then Lynn, and finally at Lizzy. “All right, Mr. Wright, we’ll stay a few days. I’ve got to call into Repose and let them know my intentions and check on Grandpa. If Grandpa is okay, we’ll stay, but only for a few days.”

  “Very good, Will,” I respond. “That’s what Mrs. Barnes wanted. We need to make plans for her and Jill to move out here. We’ll see what we need to do about sleeping arrangements, fixing the front door, and food, of course.”

  Will is about to speak when Amy runs out the door, crying and frantically wrapping her arms around me. The move catches all of us by surprise, and the force of her hug requires me to take a step back.

  “Dad! I’m so glad you’re home!” she says between sobs. “It was terrible. Terrible!”

  “What’s wrong, baby girl?” I ask.

  We step through the door and sit on the couch. Lynn joins us, and Amy is now hugging her. Will and Lizzy are outside walking around the truck, Will shaking his head at the damage. He gets on his knees and looks under the truck. I’m hoping they won’t get in and drive off. Amy is saying something about the Hiltons coming over, but my attention is split between her and Will. He’s opening the hood. What’s he doing? He brings something out of the engine compartment and to the cab of the truck. His back is toward me, and I can’t tell exactly what he’s doing. He reaches under the seat, straightens, and closes the door.

  “Dad, are you listening to me? The Hiltons came here to search our house and take Lizzy!”

  My attention snaps to Amy. “What? Did they take anything? What did you give them to keep them from taking her?”

  She simply stares at me in shock.

  “What did they take?” I ask sharply.

  If they took our food, Will is going to have to go to Repose for more without Lizzy!

  “No, Dad. Will wouldn’t let them in.”

  “He stopped them from coming in? How? Was there only one of them this time?”

  “Dad, there was a shootout,” Amy responds. “Will killed one of them.”

  What? Will killed somebody? Right here at our house?

  I look back out the window and study the boy more. The hairs rise on my arm, and a little fear enters inside. I’m not going to be able to make this boy do anything. Will’s a killer? That’s what Keith Overstreet did to Russell Neighbors at the mill. Maybe that’s what’s needed for this new time. All the more reason for Amy to get close to that boy.

  “Jimmy, we shouldn’t have left!” Lynn cries.

  “I asked Lizzy to get Will to stay a few days,” Amy says. “To stay and teach us what we need to know.”

  So that’s why they were so agreeable earlier. I was expecting some pushback about staying and was surprised when they agreed so easily. Maybe Amy is coming around.

  “Where is the body?” I ask.

  “Some black men in camouflage clothes came and took it,” Amy answers. “Will seemed to know them. He talked to them, then they took the body away. Dad, I was so scared. If Will hadn’t been here, they would have taken me and Lizzy.”

  “I would have protected you, sweetheart.”

  “But, Dad, you weren’t here. Let Will teach you what you need to know. He’s smart, Dad. Listen to him.”

  “We’ll see,” I say vaguely. If Amy gets close to him, will I be able to control him? I study him more through the window. He’s leaning on the side of the truck looking at his extended hand. He brings it close to his body as if cradling it. Then his head drops, and he looks to the ground. Lizzy is there by his side with her hand on his back as if trying to comfort him. I better be careful.

  Chapter 8

  Will

  A Time of Reflection

  Day 6

  It’s after supper, and my hand still won’t quit trembling. Lizzy and I shouldn’t have delayed this morning. We should have left at first light. Nor should I have agreed to stay a few days. Lizzy is right, though. If I hadn’t been here, Amy would have been taken. Mr. Wright seems like a nice enough guy, and he’s probably a good engineer, but he is ill prepared for what is happening during this apocalyptic time. Maybe it’s a good thing—staying and helping them for a few days. But what can I teach them in such a short amount of time? It’s taken me and my dad years to prepare. How are the Wrights going to prepare in only a few days? I don’t know, but for Amy and Lizzy’s sake, I will try to prepare them as best I can. When I called Charlie at Repose, he wasn’t keen on the idea of me staying. He said he would relay the information to Grandpa and Mike. Mike and his guys had a little run-in with a gang operating out of McIntosh and had to stay the night with Ms. Sheila’s cousin. They haven’t made it back to Repose yet, either. Thankfully, Grandpa is doing well. Mrs. Marcie and Mrs. Scott are taking care of him, though if I know Grandpa like I think I do, he won’t accept much help.

  Although the Wrights need to move closer to Pastor Ezell, Mr. Wright seemed reluctant when we talked about it earlier this evening. I’ll take them over there tomorrow and introduce them to Pastor Ezell. Perhaps Lizzy and I can help them move then head home in a couple of days.

  My mind drifts to the encounter with the Hiltons. My hand started shaking not long after the Wrights returned from Jackson.

  Dad, I need you. I need you now.

  One of the things Dad constantly talked about was doing the right thing and to not second guess yourself when doing the right thing hurts. Did I do the right thing? Did I have to do what I did? There were four men, all armed. It was clear their intention was to do harm to Lizzy. Yes, I did the right thing; I have no doubt. Yet it hurts thinking about it. I don’t want to be a violent person.

  Fortunately, the Hiltons were used to getting their way with no one resisting. Otherwise, it would have gone poorly for us. Flashes appear before m
y eyes. Once that man stepped foot on the ground, my decision was made, and my actions were swift and decisive. The things Dad, Mike, and the others taught me helped save our lives. Front sight, double tap, shift aim. Front sight, double tap, move. It happened automatically. I didn’t have to think.

  Thank You, God, for preparing me!

  The image of the guy twitching on the ground as life left his body hits me, and bile rises in my throat. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to make the images go away.

  Lizzy squeezes my hand. She smiles yet says nothing.

  Amy walks out to the front porch and sits in a chair on the other side of me.

  “I appreciate you staying a few days, Will. I appreciate you both. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk much earlier. Thank you for protecting us.” She gets up and comes over, bends down, and gives me a big hug.

  Mr. and Mrs. Wright come out and sit on the swing.

  “Will,” Mr. Wright asks, “how do you think we should set up security tonight?”

  There is so much this man needs to learn.

  “Mr. Wright, one of us, meaning you or me, needs to be awake at all times. I know these ladies can pull their share, but one of us has to be awake and ready to take action. I don’t know anything about the Hiltons or if they will come back. We should be alert, just in case.”

  “What if you and I stay awake the whole night? Wouldn’t that be better?”

  “We both don’t need to be tired at the same time. One of us has to sleep while the other is awake. I think it’s best we sleep in shifts during the night. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

  “All right. Perhaps one of these ladies can stay awake with us to keep us company. How about we do the same thing as last night? You and Lizzy keep watch till midnight. Lynn and I will take watch from midnight till 4 a.m., then you and Amy from 4 a.m.”

  I glance over at Lizzy, who nods.

  “I can do that,” Amy says.

  “Okay, Mr. Wright. What kind of weapons do you have?”

  He frowns slightly. “I don’t have many. A .38 revolver, 12-gauge pump shotgun, and a hunting rifle. The rifle is a Remington 700 chambered in 7mm magnum.”

  I recall the chart of the different calibers of ammunition Dad has hanging in our gunroom at home. Wow. A 7mm magnum. Way overkill for this area. Dad used to talk about the purposes and capabilities of many of the calibers on the chart and which ones were common to our area. The 7mm magnum is best for long range hunting, and that’s seldom available in these parts.

  “I have my Glock 19 and Kel-Tec Sub 2k, both chambered in 9mm. Lizzy has her 20-gauge shotgun, and we have the double barrel 12-gauge shotgun from earlier today. How much ammunition do you have?”

  Mr. Wright frowns again. “I had ten rounds of 00 buck for the shotgun.” His hand goes to his head. “But I think Lynn shot a couple of them, though. Fifty rounds of dove shells, fifty rounds for the revolver, and a little less than a box for the 7mm. I haven’t shot the rifle in a few years. Heck, I haven’t shot any of these in a few years.”

  “We need to shoot the rifle and check the sights. I hope they’re still on target so we don’t have to use any of the few rounds you have to set them. For my pistol and carbine, I have six fifteen-round magazines, seventy-five rounds of self-defense ammunition, and fifty rounds of FMJs.”

  “What about the ammunition you used this morning?” Mr. Wright asks.

  “I’m telling you what I have. We also have ten 12-gauge buckshot shells that came with the double-barrel shotgun.”

  “Mr. Hickman gave us a few shells for the 12 gauge,” Lizzy says, “though it wasn’t many. He also gave me some buckshot, birdshot, and some for squirrels for my 20-gauge, though I really don’t know much about the difference between them. I did use one shell yesterday. That leaves fourteen shells.”

  The sun is beginning to set, and the sky is beautiful. Conversation has drifted to nothing.

  “Since we’ll be getting up at midnight,” Mr. Wright says, “Lynn and I are going to bed. Amy, you probably should too so you’ll be alert at 4 a.m.”

  We each say our goodnights, and they go back into the house.

  Chapter 9

  Lizzy

  A New Feeling

  Day 6

  Will and I are on the porch alone. It’s the first time we’ve been alone since he got here. The silence seems awkward. The setting sun paints the sky with red, orange, and yellow. It’s beautiful. I wonder if my mother is peering at the same sunset. Is she facing the same type of people we are here?

  Mom, are you okay? Dear God, please protect my mother. Thank You, God, for sending Will.

  I wonder what’s going through Will’s mind. Does he have regrets about staying here for a few days? Regrets about coming out here at all?

  He stands. “Lizzy, obviously, you feel good about using the 20-gauge. Let me show you how to use my Glock and carbine.”

  He holds his hand out for me. I take it and rise. We walk inside and get his carbine and go out into the yard.

  “We should have done this earlier. I’m sorry I didn’t think of it. We won’t be able to shoot any rounds with everybody trying to sleep. We can tomorrow.”

  “I’ve shot my mother’s pistol. It’s a Glock 19 like yours. The only rifle I’ve shot has been my grandfather’s Ruger 10/22.”

  “Let’s go over the carbine first.” Holding it up, he says, “This is a Kel-Tec Sub 2K 9mm carbine. It is lightweight, compact, and folds for storage. It uses the same magazines as my Glock 19. Watch. I’m going to unload the gun.”

  He pushes a button on the side of the grip and catches the falling magazine in his other hand. He puts it in his pocket, then with his left hand he grabs the knob on the bottom of the stock tube and pulls it back. A 9mm round comes out of the chamber and falls to the ground. He locks the bolt to the back. Twisting the gun in his hands slightly, he shows me the open chamber.

  “See? It’s unloaded. The safety is here on the pistol grip. Set the safety on and off using your thumb and trigger finger. To close the bolt when it’s locked back, simply bump it out of the catch. Like this.”

  He takes the palm of his hand and bumps the knob. It slams forward with a loud whack.

  “Here, you try it.”

  I take the carbine. The little rifle is light, maybe even lighter than my grandfather’s Ruger 10/22. I check the chamber and release the charging handle. It makes a loud noise as it slams the bolt closed. Well, it seems loud with only a few birds chirping late this evening. I hope it didn’t wake the Wrights.

  “Go ahead and put the gun to your shoulder, Lizzy. Take it off safety and squeeze the trigger.”

  I do so, taking my time with the trigger like my grandfather taught me. I hear a click, then pull the charging handle and reset the safety.

  “I thought this thing had a red dot sight. I didn’t see a red dot.”

  “Put it back up and aim down the barrel,” Will says, standing behind me. “You should see the red dot. It’s pretty bright, especially in the evening.”

  I place the gun to my shoulder. Still no red dot. He moves closer, placing one arm around me, helping me position the gun. “Lay your cheek on the tube and tilt your head slightly…”

  His words fade. His chest is on my back, sending an electric shock though my entire body. I turn to look at him. His face is only inches from mine. My heart is pounding, and my mouth is dry. Then …

  “Hey, what are y’all doing?” Amy says from the porch. “I couldn’t sleep. Thought I would sit up a little longer with you two, if you don’t mind.”

  Swallowing a lump in my throat, I reply, “I don’t mind. Will was showing me how to use his carbine.”

  “Sorry, Lizzy, think I forgot to turn the sight on,” Will says.

  He takes control of the gun. “The on-off button is on the side of the sight.” He pushes the button and gives it back to me. “Try it again.”

  I do, and I see the red dot. Will is still behind me, although not quite as close. I’m trembling a little.
r />   “I see it. Yes, this is easier than regular sights.”

  “Can you show me how to use it too?” Amy asks.

  Will says, “Sure.”

  I give Will the carbine, and he steps closer to Amy. I’m hoping he doesn’t do the same thing with her. I don’t think I would like that. He’s showing her how to position the rifle on her shoulder, how to operate the safety and use the sight. He does it all from the side and doesn’t stand behind her at all. Good!

  ****

  It’s now midnight. Amy went to bed an hour or so ago. I’m glad Will has a watch. Heck, he even has a working iPhone, though it doesn’t have any service. He said he kept it and a few other things in a Faraday box that’s supposed to protect electronics from an EMP. I guess it worked.

  We haven’t talked much since it got dark. Will said we needed to be alert and quiet. This is so much different than the other nights here since the EMP. For some reason, I feel safer. I glance at Will again. He’s looking through his night vision device. He showed me how it works. It’s super easy to use, and it really lets you see things in the dark of night, but it’s still not like daylight. Kind of looks like dusk, except in different shades of green.

  I’ve never experienced anything like the feeling I had earlier. I felt…different. I don’t know how else to explain it. Just different. I’ve been around Will a lot, and nothing like this has ever happened. What’s different? I don’t know, but I think I like it.

  He sets the NVD down. “Lizzy, go ahead and wake the Wrights. Try not to scare them.”

  Chapter 10

  Jimmy

  Our Turn

  Day 7

  The dim candle from last night isn’t burning, but the moonlight sheds some light inside the great room window. Will and Lizzy are sitting close together on the couch, facing the door and front windows. Maybe I should have suggested Amy take the first shift with Will. It will be much better for us if Amy can get close to him. If she does, perhaps he’ll bring more food or even ask us to go to his place. That would probably be the best thing.