Nuclear Winter (Book 1): First Winter

by Nathan Jones

  “You won't need it.”

  The man grinned and pointedly finished cinching the buckle, then slung his rifle and pack over his shoulders. “No offense to the town, I know you guys've done a great job with crime, but I still don't feel comfortable risking any of this stuff out of my sight.”

  Fair enough. Living with his family there was always someone around to watch their things while Matt was gone, so he hadn't really considered what it was like to live alone. Thankfully Trent no longer had to worry about that.

  Matt led the way back down the path, Trent keeping pace beside him. “So what was it you needed?” the man asked politely.

  “You'll see soon. It's just outside town.” Matt pointed up the western slope.

  Trent followed his finger, frowning. “Is that Trev, Lewis, and Jane coming back from their trip? They went after a stove, right?” Having leapt to that assumption, his confusion cleared. “I can help them get that installed no problem. We put up a stove in our new house a few years back.”

  Sure enough three people on bikes were winding their way down the slope on the muddy dirt road, one towing a heavily loaded trailer and all moving cautiously with heavy packs on their backs.

  So his friends were finally back; Deb would be happy about that. And sure enough, he could see her at her waiting spot on her feet and waving excitedly.

  “Actually that wasn't it,” Matt said. He pointed higher, to the larger group of people on foot that had just appeared over the ridge. He let his smile widen. “You've got visitors.”

  Trent stiffened like he'd been struck by lightning, fumbling with his pack to retrieve his binoculars. “Is that . . .?” He brought them to his eyes and looked through them for a second, then returned Matt's grin and clapped him on the shoulder before bolting off down the street, calling behind him. “Thanks!”

  Matt followed at a slower pace to meet his returning friends before greeting the new arrivals. By the time he reached Deb the three had already pulled their bikes to a stop and Trev was going over their trip with the brown-haired woman. They all waved at Trent as he ran past, Lewis calling a question that the man ignored, so with shrugs they let him go.

  “How'd it go?” Matt asked his friends when he reached them. He glanced at the bike trailer, relieved to see that they'd managed to bring back the stove like they'd planned. That would immeasurably improve the situation for Trev's family.

  Lewis shook his head. “We were just telling Deb. The hideout was ransacked and some guys tried to take the stove while we were there. But on the plus side we managed to stop them, and we also brought back an elk.”

  Matt was surprised to hear the place had been found. For being so close to the road it was incredibly secluded, hard to find unless you knew it was there. “I guess it's tough to keep things hidden from thousands and thousands of hungry scavengers.”

  The older cousin nodded, then turned and jerked a thumb after Trent, still pounding up the road towards his family. “Speaking of which . . . judging by his Christmas morning grin as he ran by, I'm guessing that group of refugees we just passed is actually his family.”

  Trev slapped his forehead. “Seriously! I knew we should've stopped to say hello.” He glanced at the stove inside the bike trailer. That was a good explanation for why they hadn't: no risking run-ins with travelers on the road when they were carrying something that important. “Well now that they're here we'll need to see what we can do for them.”

  Matt stared at his friend. The shorter blond man had a generous heart, but he'd made the same oversight Matt had. “Trev, why the blazes isn't Gutierrez on your roster?”

  Trev jumped, turning back from staring upslope to give him an uncertain look. “Huh?”

  “He told me he's been searching for ways to help out, when you're having trouble filling shifts. Why didn't you include him?”

  His friend scratched at the stubble on his jaw. “Um, because he didn't volunteer?”

  Matt knew it wasn't fair, but he kept pushing. “And while you were making sure everyone else had a place when you got back, you left him sleeping in his tent?”

  “Hey, why are you getting on his case?” Deb demanded.

  “It's fine,” Trev told her, although he hunched his shoulders defensively as he turned back to Matt. “Look, it's not like Gutierrez is new to town. He has a place.”

  So Matt wasn't the only one who'd let the former soldier fall through the cracks. All the more reason to remedy the situation and show their friend he was part of the community. “He had a place down in the pile of cinders we abandoned! Here he's got a tent, and his friends won't even give him the time of day.”

  Trev stared at him miserably, but Lewis was calm as he intervened. “Including you?”

  Matt froze, and just that quickly his anger faded away. “Yes, including me,” he said heavily. “Me more than anyone. Forget I said anything, Trev.”

  “No, I'm glad you let me know. I've been so busy with everything I didn't even think about whether he needed a hand.” Trev smiled wryly. “And you know, I think a spot on the roster for tomorrow afternoon just opened up. I'll see if he wants it.”

  Before Matt could answer Trent and his family arrived. The next few minutes involved handshakes all around and introductions, then they all started into town.

  As they walked Matt turned to Lewis. “Listen, I know you've had a long day and you need to get the stove sorted out, but can you and Trev spare some time this evening to help the Lincolns? They'll want to get their house done as soon as possible, but I need to help Gutierrez with some stuff for his cabin that he can't handle alone.”

  “Gutierrez is building a cabin?” Trev asked in surprise. “Is that where he's disappeared to since we got back? You made it sound like he was huddled shivering in his tent feeling useless!”

  Matt thought of his confrontation with the former soldier and shook his head past another surge of guilt. “I'm not sure how long he'll need me for, but expect I'll be busy until dark.”

  “We've got it,” Lewis said, nodding to Trent. “If nothing else we can get the walls high enough to stretch a tarp ceiling for them to sleep under tonight, in case it rains again. And let Gutierrez know we've got a venison steak with his name on it whenever he's ready to break for dinner.”

  Trust his friend to be perceptive about what had gone unsaid. Matt was grateful for the gesture. “Will do.” He turned to the Lincolns. “Welcome to Aspen Hill. I look forward to getting to know you all better soon.”

  With a few brief farewells he hurried back down the street, leaving the group to follow at a slower pace.

  * * * * *

  The six Lincolns looked a bit dazed as they inspected the town that would be their new home. They obviously weren't expecting it to be so clean, orderly, and well built.

  Lewis didn't blame them. He'd just barely passed the refugee camp on the road to the west, and the image of it was still fresh in his mind. It, like the other refugee camps he'd seen, was anything but well built, nowhere near orderly, and not even close to clean.

  Moving here would greatly improve the family's circumstances, he hoped.

  And by the looks of it their circumstances could use some improving. Thomas's father looked haggard and exhausted, leaning a bit on his son and grandson as they walked. Beside Thomas shuffled a woman about his age, likely his wife. Behind them came a footsore couple in their twenties, the woman carrying a toddler girl who wiggled to be let down, while the man pulled a heavily loaded cargo wagon similar to the one Lewis owned, but in much worse repair.

  Trev had noticed the wagon too. “What happened to that big steel frame handcart you had when I met you on the road?” he asked. “The one loaded with grain and other supplies from Newtown? You guys looked pretty well set up.”

  Thomas shook his head wearily. “Long time between then and now. Life happened.”

  “Nothing too bad, I hope,” Trent said, looking genuinely worried. “I wouldn't have left for two months otherwise.”

  Tren
t's mother, Maddie, leaned around to give her son a reassuring pat on the arm. “We traded the cart for necessities in the refugee camp. As for the food we'd brought, we either ate it or gave it out to those who needed it more. We got along okay, and were blessed in many ways.”

  “Like reuniting with our son in a town that offers us a fresh start,” Thomas said, patting Trent on the back. He glanced down the street and brightened. “A town where some of you even managed glass windows on new cabins. Folks in those houses up ahead have their heads on straight.”

  Lewis felt a flush of mingled pride and embarrassment. The aforementioned cabins belonged to the shelter group. “Well thank you.”

  The older man turned to look at him, surprised. “Yours?”

  “His family, mine, Matt's, and one for the women and children from Jane's group,” Trev said, grinning. “Once you get to know Lewis you'll realize he thinks years ahead while everyone else is looking to tomorrow. He realized windows were going to be super valuable now, since they'll be so hard to replace. When we evacuated the town he pulled all the windows off the Larson home and got permission from Mayor Tillman to do the same for the city buildings along Main. He encouraged everyone else to remove their windows, too, promising them it would be worth the extra effort.”

  “He wasn't wrong,” Trent said. “Especially with the town burned to the ground. Those windows will provide free light in the winter, and a view outside to prevent people from going stir crazy. Not to mention providing easy controllable ventilation where needed. I was actually inspired by his idea to go find windows for our house.” He shrugged sheepishly. “I sort of succeeded. But, well, the windows are in pieces. We'll have to work on them a bit before we can use them. Maybe tape, or some sort of clear plastic wrap or paper.”

  Thomas squinted at the four shelter group houses. “Are there two window fixtures in each opening?” he asked.

  Lewis nodded. “This winter is going to be brutal, and one pane of glass just didn't seem like enough. It's sort of like having storm windows, I guess. I've also rigged boards for each window, to put up inside when it's dark or too bitterly cold. We'll stuff newspaper in the gap behind the boards for insulation.”

  “Smart.” The older man glanced at Trent. “Broken windows, huh?” His son nodded. “You know there's a lot of vehicles sitting around on roads. Probably even in that burned town down there. I bet a lot of those windows and windshields are still around.”

  That . . . was actually a really good point. Lewis couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it sooner. Although there was one obvious problem. “Those would be hard to remove.”

  “Maybe. But they're tougher, too, which means they'll stick around longer. Cars use safety glass.”

  Trent grinned. “You're right. They might look funny, but we could have nicer windows than everyone else!”

  “On the subject of home improvements,” Lewis broke in apologetically. “If you could give us a minute, since we're passing anyway it would be nice to put away our bikes and at least get the stove inside.”

  “Sure,” Thomas said, clapping his son on the shoulder. “That'll give us time to get the full tour of our new home.”

  “We'll see you there, then,” Trev promised, turning his bike towards the makeshift tarps they'd hung to cover temporary outdoor storage.

  It only took a few minutes to check in with the family, hand over the elk meat for their parents to get started cooking or preserving, and haul the stove into the Smith cabin. On the outside it looked rough and frontier-ish, but inside the carpet, furniture, lights, and soft music playing from Linda's phone made it seem far less primitive. Lewis had made sure his cousin's family had all the same amenities his own did, and while he felt a bit bad for the Larsons and Jane's group, what he'd had could only go so far.

  Uncle George and Jim pitched in to help Lewis and his cousin move the stove where Aunt Clair wanted it. Then while the rest of the Smith family started planning how to lay out the stovepipe, Lewis led Trev outside and grabbed the biggest tarp he had, unfortunately one with a few roughly patched holes after hard use for various purposes. After giving it a quick check to make sure it would do the job Lewis folded it enough that he could wrap his arms around it, then the two headed out to help their new neighbors.

  Like the rest of the town Trent had been storing up as much extra food as he could for the winter, and his family was digging into a quick meal as they rested from their journey. Trent had already gotten back to work notching logs, but at the cousins' arrival he came over to help spread out the tarp and inspect it. Lewis didn't mind doing it again, since in if the situations were reversed he also would've wanted to personally inspect it.

  As they worked Lewis cleared his throat. “You serious about going after car glass, Trent?”

  The man gave him a surprised look. “Well yeah. Our house could really use it.”

  “It could also be a good way to make a living,” Lewis suggested. “Maybe not immediately but long term. Would you give us a chance to talk to you about it? Me, Trev, Matt, maybe a few others.” His cousin gave him a started look at that, since like Trent this was the first he was hearing about it.

  Trent smiled wryly. “You want to go into business? What if I wanted to do it on my own, or just get enough for the house?”

  Lewis shrugged. “It's your choice. But I could read up on how to remove the glass easier. Or maybe we could get Chauncey's help finding a mechanic to talk to. And you'll probably want help hauling the glass, even if you just wanted enough for yourself. We've got our handcart, and the town would be interested in having extra even if we didn't make a business of it.”

  By reading up on it Lewis was referring to the terabytes of videos, music, and books he'd accumulated on portable hard drives, which he'd brought with him out of Aspen Hill. He'd done his best to include a massive variety of informational and instructional material, on every conceivable subject as well as general knowledge, in addition to the more entertainment focused files on the drive.

  The slightly older man frowned. “I'll admit, if I could sell glass it would help provide for my family, if not this winter then next winter. I'm guessing more people in Aspen Hill are going to want windows, and so will everyone else once the refugee camps start turning into more formal towns and cities.” He gave Lewis a careful look. “You're willing to let this be my thing? If it's a great opportunity I kind of expected you to go for it yourself.”

  “I'd like to take part,” Lewis admitted. “Safety glass to use or sell would be really nice. But I've got other irons in the fire that I can focus on, and it was your dad's idea.”

  “What irons would those be?” Trev asked. Right, first his cousin was hearing of that, too.

  “Stuff I've been thinking about. All early stage.” Lewis turned back to Trent. “Take some time to think it over.”

  His friend nodded thoughtfully, and they worked in silence for about a minute. “Why do this?” he finally asked.

  Lewis gave him a confused look. “It's a good opportunity?”

  “No. I mean, if all you're interested in is having a bit of extra glass to use or sell, why push me to make a business out of it?”

  “Because then you have a living, and Aspen Hill has a source of glass,” Lewis answered. “It's a chance to benefit a lot of people, and if I'm not using it why not hand it off to someone else?”

  Trent shrugged. “I guess that makes sense.”

  Lewis smiled. “And that's not all I can hand off. There are a few people in town who're better situated to survive the winter, and one or two of them have asked me about putting in windows for their houses, too. But between our four houses we're using up most of what we took from the Larson house. The rest of the windows are the town's property, and not many townspeople took my advice and packed their windows with them. Between all that I can't really help them out, and I doubt anyone else could, either. But maybe you could. They'd probably be willing to pay in food.”

  The man cleared his throat and abruptl
y offered Lewis his hand. “Thanks.”

  He returned it firmly. “What are friends for?”

  Chapter Two

  Windfall

  There was a spring in Lewis's step as he finished up the morning work, caring for his and Jane's chickens and rabbits in their cages and their sheep in the pen, along with all the other chores allotted him by the family.

  Normally that would just be the beginning of an exhausting day, same as every day had been since coming back from fighting the blockheads. Aside from when he'd taken a break for the trip up to the hideout four days ago, which had been exhausting in its own way. Not to mention increasing his workload afterwards catching up.

  After morning chores he'd spent his days helping build and weatherproof shelters, chopping wood, gathering food and other necessary supplies, and taking the odd shift as one of Trev's far lookouts for a couple hours, giving early warning of anyone's approach. If he was lucky he might snatch a few hours for one of his other projects, most notably building a small one-room extension on his family's house with its own connecting and outside doors, for him and Jane to move into.

  Not only would the privacy be more than welcome, but he knew his wife was having a harder and harder time being around so many people with no space to herself when she wanted isolation. Which was why on top of everything else in the day, he did his best to find times when she was also taking a break and spend it with her off on their own. Often just being with each other without a word said, like they had when first going out on patrol together.

  He and his wife tried join up to do whatever work they could, but unfortunately that wasn't usually possible. The work Lewis was doing was the backbreaking sort: felling trees, dragging them around, digging holes, lifting logs while constructing cabins, things of that nature. Besides, with Jane's skill hunting, trapping, and foraging, as well as her talent for reading the land to determine where game could be found, she was far more useful out there finding food.