"Do you smell that?"
"What?"
"That smell...kinda like dirty gym shoes."
"Yea, I noticed something stunk out there."
Something about the conversation tickled my memory. I searched for it but gave up when breakfast was served. Everyone laughed and told stories until Joe came in and some of the fun went out of the morning. I didn't think Joe was very happy because he was missing Sissy. I wish there was something I could do but I had my hands full of cowboy.
"Whats that?" Mandy asked, pointing outside.
"What dear?" Sarah asked, looking out the window. Then I saw it and my blood ran cold. White tendrils of smoke drifted over the valley coming from the south. We have the tall cliff to our south so we couldn't see where it was. The reference about the smell finally hit me and I remembered it was what the pine trees smelled like when they're on fire. We had a forest fire.
Everyone moved with a purpose. The caves had been outfitted for just this event. So the kids and dog was taken there right away. Ken dragged out his plane saying something about checking the size of the fire. Flynn was off on his four wheeler and around the cliff base before I could think. Riley and a few of the new people were busy putting space blankets over the hay bales while Randy was on the barn roof getting the sprinklers ready. They hadn't been finished yet so Randy was working on em. The piping was steel so they wouldn't melt and the generator for the pump was ready to supply electricity to the water pump should we need it. The lodge had two sprinklers on it's roof and the stock barns were protected also. The sprinklers were working fine so I felt a bit better.
"A flareup just occurred about 3 miles from the lodge. It's headed your way and it's bad. Stay in the caves till I let you know it's clear. I can't land this in the field so I'm going to stay airborne as long as I can then I'll go to Valley East and help them anyway I can. Ken out."
We donned our oxygen masks and I was immediately thrown back to the facility at Flagstaff having a panic attack. Next thing I knew I was laying on the ground in Masons lap trying to figure out how I got there. I swear Brat, you keep doing that and I'll tie you to the bed and never let you out.
The air got hot and Howard closed the large door of the cave against the heat. So that answered my question. The generator started up and a fan somewhere in back started circulating the air while we waited for the storm to pass. It seemed to last forever but couldn't have been that long. Just a flash and burn and it was gone, right? (I later figured out we'd been in that cave for three hours) We kept our masks on and stepped outside. The lodge was standing but there were small places where the ground was smoldering.
Everyone grabbed the atomic water guns and scattered. While we did that the other guns were being loaded. When a gun was emptied it was replaced and the empties refilled. We worked all day. Every step we took, little puffs of ash rose from our shoes. Our clothes and hair was covered in ash. Soon the sprinklers on the lodge and stock buildings caused mud to form and then everyone was just nasty. A branch had fallen on the RV crushing the roof and two of the five cabins were burning. They were too far gone to try to put out, so we let them burn.
The livestock fared a little better. We lost seven chickens, two pigs and three turkeys. The greenhouse had a broken roof and some of the plants inside were probably damaged. Melody and Sam ran in there to check things out. Flynn, Randy and Riley checked the inside of the lodge for hot spots but didn't find any. The wind turbines were okay so it looked like we were lucky. Except for my panic attack and Joe's bad cough, we weren't complaining.
"Valley East was spared. That crazy fire got to within a hundred yards then a wind came up and sent it north. It's over the mountain now so I'm gonna watch it for a bit more before I land at Valley East. That valley at the lodge is gonna be too hot and I don't want my plane to land there. I'll stay the night unless you need me."
Everyone turned and looked at Jill who blushed and shrugged her shoulders like she could care less. We told Ken to stay there, we were all fine. Duke went in and worked at his computers so he could monitor the fire while we all gathered in the dining room. Some of us started to take showers while the rest of us sucked up the water. I listened to the guys talking about taking turns watching areas for hotspots.
Alice had swept off the back deck so we sat and enjoyed our drinks back there. It was covered so the sprinklers gave us the impression it was raining. After being in the caves, we were a bit claustrophobic so we opted for the great outdoors even if it looked like a war zone and smelled worse.
Randy was in the middle of reporting on the cabins when we heard a loud thud. I turned and saw a burning body in front of the cave we had been in. What? Just then another body fell from the cliff above it and THUD!! hit the ground. Good grief, flaming walkers were falling off the cliff. Mandy screamed and pointed and around the cliff base shuffled a walker, ablaze. It was without a doubt the creepiest thing I've ever seen.
While I sat, the first airborne walker got up and looked around. He was a crispy critter and when he saw us, he headed in our direction. Duke came running out with two rifles, handing me one and Flynn the other. Mason made a grab for one but with his shoulder there was no way he could shoot. I yelled, "Wait till they cross the bridge...I don't want a dead walker in the creek." It managed to get across the bridge and when I could, I blew his charbroiled head off. Another shot rang out and the blazing walker dropped. Then another fell off the cliff and the process continued.
When my shoulder started to give out, Sandy took over and I watched as walkers fell off the cliff, bounced, lay still a minute, then got up just to die, again.
"It's raining walkers," I said, then sang softly "Walkers keep falling on my head..." Everyone moaned except for Duke who joined in, "but that doesn't mean...da da de daaaaa, hmm la la." Then I got tickled, Duke got tickled and Sarah just glared at both of us.
"The sky is falling, the sky is falling," Randy cried flapping his hands which made me fall down with laughter. THUD!! I whooped, a shot rang out. "Another one bites the dust!"
"Here comes the rain again."
"Who'll stop the rain?" I jumped up, "I know, I know. Credence Clearwater Revival." That got me going again.
"Rainy days and Fridays, or is it Sundays? Can't remember."
Just then Joe handed me a shot of whiskey. Thanking him, I downed it quick, then shivered and choked until I calmed down. "Thanks I needed that. However, you should be aware that according to the Grateful Dead, 'It Looks Like Rain'. A smile teased the corner of his mouth then he said "Go lay down, JD before that whiskey hits you."
I saluted him, then smiled big and before I got to the door I said, "I say 'Blame It On the Rain' and Let It Rain, Let It Rain, Let it Rain." As I shut the door the laughter started and when I got to my room I lay on my bed, dirty clothes and all and closed my eyes.
Chapter 14
I noticed the quiet first. The 'Thud's had stopped and the laughter quieted down. I'd quieted down also, so I thought about taking a shower. I needed a shower. The ashes mixed with the water from the sprinklers had created a nasty, dirty mess that was starting to itch as it dried, so I dragged my tired self up, toed off my shoes and padded stocking footed into the bathroom, pulling off my shirt and tossing it on the floor as I went.
I turned the shower on when I looked into the mirror, squealed, jumped back and almost fell into the tub. There was a filthy, ash cover me staring back from the mirror. I don't know how it got into bra. Where the water had splashed on me were dirty splash spots except for the tip of my nose, it was just black. My eyes were two white large ovals and when I blinked I disappeared, so I took a moment and opened and shut one eye at a time several times. Yep, disappeared.
You okay, JD?
Yea, just scared the crap out of myself when I looked in the mirror. Getting ready to shower. It's awfully quiet out there, what's up?
Flynn took a flare gun, went to the end of the valley and climbed a tree. He shoots it off toward Mount Baldy about every 15 m
inutes and from what we can tell the walkers are headed that direction. Shouldn't have any more fallout for a while.
I stifled a grin, cause I didn't need to get the giggles again then stripped and climbed into the shower.
I'll be down in a few minutes, I just need to get this stuff off.
I stood in the shower and watched the ash muddy the water at my feet then scrubbed at the remaining mud for the next half hour. I hadn't realized how that stuff could get into every crack and crevice I owned. It'd feel good to be clean again.
When I came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around me I saw ashy footprints on the carpet from where I entered the room, sat on the bed, slid to the floor then over to the place I taken my shoes off. I sure hope that comes out, I thought as I hunted for more clothes. Once I was covered again I felt good enough and thirsty enough to go hunting for something to drink.
I noticed it was getting dark out as I walked into the dining room. While I'd showered most of the crew had also. Flynn wasn't back yet, but Riley and Randy had loaded the bodies into a wagon and was hooking it to the truck to take to the north forty, or at the far end of the property where there was a large ravine. They'd cover them with dirt in the morning.
I walked into the dining room and watched Sarah comb out Mandy's wet hair. Several of the guys were talking and no one really paid me any mind. Alice and Sandy were hosing down the deck and watering the animals. They were trying to clean off all the ash. It still filtered down like gray snow while the air was pushing it back where we didn't want it but I figured that would be a daily thing for a while.
"Have we heard anything from Valley East yet?"
"Yea," Sarah said, "they said if we need any help let them know. Ken will be back in the morning. Oh, and Joe changed Masons bandage and sent him to bed with Mason fighting him every step of the way."
She finished her task, then sent Mandy on her way.
"I never expected to survive a forest fire. It was so surreal."
"That's because it was a flash fire. The fire is mostly in the tops of the trees and the wind forces it to jump from one treetop to the next. If it had been on the forest floor we'd been in trouble. Those dead pine needles must be a foot deep in some places and it would've been devastating. It's weird how some trees were burned and the ones next to them untouched. That always fascinated me."
"Well, I know I don't want to go through that again. I got ash in places it shouldn't be."
I laughed because I knew just what she meant.
I saw Flynn coming down the hill. It was almost dark, so I was glad he got back before dark. We don't like to have lights bouncing around in the darkness after dark. It draws undesirables. I squinted my eyes and looked closer. It looked like he had something on the back of the mule so I walked outside to wait for him to arrive.
When he got close enough I saw feet sticking out behind him.
"What have you got now, Flynn"
"Now, JD, don't be casting aspersions on my character, it's not like I go out looking for trouble. It finds me. This is guy was asking for help when he collapsed. I figured you'd want to know how this fire started and he might know, so here he is. What you want done with him?"
I don't know if I'd ever heard Flynn string together so many words at one time before. I walked down the steps and looked at the injured man, then thought to Mason. Joe still with you?
Yea, why?
Flynn brought us a man who needs Joe. Send him out, ok?
On his way.
In a very few minutes I heard Joe running across the bare floor in the kitchen before he skidded to a halt at the top of the steps, then ran down them to us. Checking out the man, he asked Flynn to help him and they went back into lodge carrying the man between them. I motioned to Mason, who had slowly followed Joe out, that I'd put the mule back into the garage. When I had it safely tucked in, I went to the greenhouse to see what Sandy and Melody was doing.
The fire had caused a large branch to fall through the roof. They were cleaning up the broken pieces of the roof and complaining about something that would have to be replanted.
"What needs replanting? I asked.
"We were trying out a new hybrid of wheat. We're going to run out of wheat soon or it'll be so full of weevils that we won't be able to use it, so we're trying out a breed of wheat that we can plant in the valley."
"Yea," Melody said, "It's special cause we can plant it early, it matures faster so we can plant it over again and get maybe three plantings of it before winter sets in."
I looked from one to the other and realized I hadn't given the idea any thought. What other renewable products are we using that we'll be out of in the next few years that we should be thinking of reproducing or replacing?
I chatted with them a few more minutes then suggested they sit down with the new people and see if they had any ideas. We'd also need a mill to refine the wheat and what about the yeast? Giving them something else to do, I left them to it and wandered into the lodge in search of Lacy. I hadn't see her lately because she and George were getting reacquainted. I found them in Lacy's room talking about clothes. Waving at them I continued on my way to my room.
Inside I was drawn to the window. Some of the trees were charred ruins while others were still beautiful and green. It always amazed me how a forest fire was so picky, kinda like a tornado hits and misses houses. I started to turn away and something caught my eye. Movement. I reached for my binoculars and just then the glass shattered where I'd been standing.
Crouching, I sent a message to Mason and an image of where the shooter was when the shot rang out. Grabbing my own gun, I put the night scope on it and slipped on the night goggles from the window box it had been stored in. The ammo box was still mounted on the side of the window, so I was ready. I heard doors slamming all over the lodge, along with window shutters. A baby wailed from below and barking told me the kids were being taken to the safe room in the basement with Bubba on their heels.
I had several small cuts from the flying glass but otherwise was unhurt. I tried to look out the window but another shot rang out and killed the deer in the picture hanging on the opposite wall.
I'm pinned down, can you get an eye on him?
Yea, give me a minute.
Your deer picture on the wall has three eyes now.
Well, I'll just have to have a talk with this guy, won't I?
Just kill him quick, Mace. Your talks are pure torture.
Just then a shot rang out from below me and a thud sounded on the RV parked
That will teach him to poach my deer. Stay down. Let me clear that area before you become another target. Duke's getting the security cameras rolling again. The fire scorched one of the feeds from that side.
Of course it did, it's my side. And don't think I'll forget that you just ruined my RV. Drop the next one on the garage holding your Goldwing.
Oh, what a baby, I'll kiss it and make it better later. I got an image of the 'where' in question, blushed but I stayed down until I would be told it was okay.
Stay put, we have several sneaking up on that side. There was trucks on the road trying to get through the gate and some more men coming towards us from the cliff in back. Flynn's human says its the militia from Missoula. They've decided they want this property and planned to do everything they can to get it.
I thought we talked to General Dummy last year and scared him into leaving us alone.
We did, he's dead and these guys are led by someone that was below him on the ladder to general-hood. Another wannabe planning to get things the easy way.
Well, he's in for a surprise. Hold up.
I spotted movement behind a large pine and primed my bow. When he moved, I shot through the hole in the glass and he screamed.
Another one bites the dust, dear. That makes us even.
I didn't know we were keeping track. Bang! Bang!
I'm one up on you now, Brat.
How are you shooting with a bum shoulder? Is Randy doing all the wor
k and you're taking credit?
Oh, that hurts, Brat, that really hurts. How can you be so mean? Bang! I just proved you wrong cause I missed that one. There's one climbing down behind the RV, hold on. Another scream and this one continued for a few minutes then slowly died down to just moans.
Two.
Lacy, are you and George doing okay?
Yea, we're fine. Randy and Riley are here and they're taking care of the ones trying to repel down the cliff. Are you hurt?
Just some scratches from flying glass. You two help the guys reload but stay down.
What do you think we've been doing. Geez JD, give us credit for having some brains.
Sorry. I keep forgetting how much she'd matured since this all began nearly two years ago. I'd have to give her less crap and more respect.
Crawling to the bathroom, I grabbed a wash cloth, wet it and wiped the cuts down. I was getting low on clothes and didn't want to get any blood on these. They'd have to wait for band aids till later. Getting a drink of water, I decided I'd take care of other business while I was there. When I returned to the window I couldn't see any more movement but knew it was just a matter of time.
What's going on Mason, I need to know.
Hang on a sec.
I was frustrated. I'd bet anything these guys started the forest fire. It was just too coincidental for any thing else. What a bunch of dumb asses. If they'd burnt the lodge and everything around it they'd not have anything to show for their trouble. They knew I'd said how if we didn't reset the computer every night the lodge and surrounding buildings would self destruct. I'd lied at the time but they didn't know it, so why try to burn us out? It doesn't make any sense. The way they went about this would leave them with nothing. Why?
Mason!?
Okay, damn you're impatient. Flynn's human isn't going to make it. Too much of his body was burned. He was a mail carrier. Like that movie The Postman played by Kevin Costner? Anyway, he has some mail from these fools and was on his way to deliver it when he decided to read it. He sidetracked to warn us when he got caught in the forest fire. Evidently, they caught onto what he was doing and had to up the date to keep us from finding out. They're plan is not a good one but I'll wait and see if they try to contact us.
Walkers (Book 2): The Rescue Page 13