I went back to my room and found Kat sitting at the desk writing on a pad. I walked over and bent to kiss her neck. She tilted her head to allow me to nuzzle a moment and moaned her appreciation. There hadn't been enough of this in a long time and it felt good to be intimate a few moments. I finally raised my head and asked her what she’d been working on.
She pointed out that I had forgotten a couple of issues when I handed out the group assignments—namely the law. With a group living in close proximity the way we were it was much easier to keep control. Once we moved to a location where people had more privacy that would become tougher. People start to revert back to their old habits when they think they aren't being watched as closely and some of those habits would not be in the best interest of the group as a whole.
So, we would need laws and a way to enforce them. We had been operating under a sort of Martial Law since the group started to form. Everyone’s too involved with trying to survive to be too uncooperative. I'm not saying it was perfect. We had arguments and fights but most disagreements were simple and were handled by separating the involved parties for a time. So far, there had been no major incidents because the threat of being turned out of the group to survive alone was too great a risk to do something stupid.
Besides, most of these people had been good, law abiding citizens before the Event and they were just continuing that conduct. I could see how it might change though, once we got to a roomier place. There hadn't been much me … me … me-type thinking because it simply wouldn't work in the close living situations we'd had. Once we spread out, that might come back and Kat wanted to find a way to minimize the problems that would surely arise.
I asked her not get too carried away. Too many laws can be just as bad as too few. I left her to her work and I went over and sat on our bed to make my own notes.
I wasn’t aware that I had fallen asleep until I awoke the next morning. I hadn't been sleeping well since the battle with the Road Gang and it had caught up with me. Kat was already up and gone from the room but I knew she had been there because her side of the bed was disturbed.
After slowly getting out of bed, I shuffled around the room still groggy and uncoordinated as I tried to get dressed. I eventually looked at my watch and couldn't believe it was after ten o'clock. I have never slept that late, even before the Event. I was finally able to get dressed and made my way downstairs in search of coffee. God, I dreaded the time when we would eventually run out of the stuff. As far as I was concerned, it might mean the complete end of civilization. Who would want to live in a world without coffee?
I was surprised when I made it to the main floor. On most days, the main warehouse floor’s a bustling place. Different activities going on. The children playing and laughing, but not today. It wasn't deserted, I could see several people moving from place to place but it was definitely not normal. I didn't immediately see any of the people I usually looked for in the morning. Dave and Jim foremost to get my daily update on what had gone on overnight and what needed to be done today.
I continued on to the kitchen area and found several of the women huddled together discussing something. They looked up at me as I came in and I told them not to let me disturb them, I was only there for coffee. One pointed to a pot and went back to their hushed conversation. I poured a cup and left in search of my two able bodied lieutenants.
Dave's room was empty and I hadn't seen Jim anywhere so I headed in the direction of the Aid Station. I did find it to be in normal activity and Kat was there as well. I went to her and asked why she hadn't woken me when she left. She explained that I needed the rest and there wasn't anything going on that the rest of them couldn't handle. Besides, if they needed me they could always come upstairs and get me. I couldn't argue with her logic but it still bothered me that I wasn't up and dealing with things in my normal way.
I checked on our two convalescing security guy's from the recent fight and they were doing better. I went to speak to Doc before I left and before I could say anything he held up his hand and said, "Busy. Go away." I thanked him for his time and told him that he eventually would have to cut down on the amount of time he spent in conversation and do some work or I would have to find a new doctor. He flipped me off and went back to whatever he had been doing. I smiled and left still in search of Jim and Dave.
I found Jim with his group sitting in a grassy area in front of the warehouse. They were doing exactly what I asked. Going over what was needed to make my idea work and alternatives to the problems we faced. I asked how things were going and Jim was upbeat, more so than I'd seen him in a long time. I gave him a few other issues that I'd thought of. Such as, would we need power and how much? Could we get it from generators and how big would they have to be? Also, how about fuel for the generators? Water, could we dig wells and, if so, how would we get the water up out of the wells?
I hated to keep laying problems on him but we would need a plan to deal with all these things before we could establish a new location. He agreed that these were genuine concerns and he'd get his group working on them.
Dave, I found behind the building with a group from his security detachment, plus a few others. I asked him how things were going and he replied that they were making progress. He also informed me that he had sent Bob and some security back out to get an accurate count on the T-walls. I asked him if this was smart and he made a good point.
He said it would have to be done, eventually. He pointed out that it would be a real kick in the teeth to work out all these details and get everybody spun up about moving to find out there weren't as many of the barriers as we thought. I had to agree with his logic. I asked if he would be ready by 7 p.m. and he said they would. They looked like they had it under control so I left them to it.
It was a beautiful day so I wandered around the perimeter, speaking to the people on guard duty. They all reported it had been quiet with no sightings of either Stinkies or Road Gangs. There wasn't anything more for me to do at this point so I went back to my room and sat at the desk trying to think of all the things that could go wrong with my plan. I was determined to leave nothing to chance this time. I hoped that the working groups would have already thought of everything I had come up with and would have solutions to them. If they didn't, at least I would be able to point out the shortages.
I completely lost track of time. I was aware when Kat came in and we briefly spoke. She could see I was concentrating on my task and sat down to work on hers. I didn't realize it had gotten so late until she asked me if I planned to go to the meeting I had called. I looked at my watch and saw it was five till seven. I grabbed my notes and headed to the planning room with Kat in tow. I knew something was wrong as soon as I stepped through the door.
Dave sat in the same spot at the table but his head was down, not a good sign. My first thought was that they had encountered a problem they couldn't find a solution too. I glanced around the room and realized someone’s missing. Bob Thompson was not in the room and he should have been. Now I knew. I didn't want to ask but knew I had too. "Dave, where's Bob?"
If it was possible he looked even sicker than he had before I asked. "They aren't back yet," was all he said.
I tried to keep my anger in check. "Has anybody gone to look for him?" Dave looked up at me and this was the first time I noticed the tears. He was in obvious pain. I tried not to make it worse but I need to know what had happened and what steps had been taken to correct it.
Dave finally spoke up. "No, I didn't realize he wasn't back until a few minutes ago and I didn't want to endanger anybody else by sending out a rescue in the dark."
I was pissed now. How could he have sent some of his own people outside the compound and not known they were overdue? "Who's out there?" I asked.
Dave turned away and lowered his head again. "Bob and four or five others. And Jenny, she was in charge."
Good Christ, not Jenny, I thought. This is a disaster. I tried to think, formulate a plan. I had to do something, but what?
The radio on Dave's belt saved me from doing something that I would have probably regretted later. The front gate called to inform him that they could see headlights coming. Dave asked if it was our people and the guard replied he didn't think so because they were coming from the wrong direction. They should have been coming from the south, the direction of I-40. These vehicles were coming from the north. I heard the guard tell Dave to stand by. Everyone in the room listened intently to the conversation, hoping.
It took only a few seconds until the guard came back on and told Dave it was our trucks after all. He said he had passed them through the gate and they should be outside momentarily. Dave jumped to his feet and headed for the door in a flash and I followed. By the time we got to the door leading outside, the vehicles were coming to a halt and the doors came open. It surprised me to hear laughing as the men and one woman dismounted from the vehicles. Jenny rode in the front passenger side of the front vehicle so she got out right in front of us. As soon as she noticed Dave and I standing there she gave a salute and said good evening in a very formal voice, then immediately giggled again. Her behavior made me think she’s intoxicated. Before I could say anything, Dave asked, "Where the fuck have you been? I've been worried sick."
Jenny turned to Dave. "Relax Dave, we're all fine,” she answered.
I saw Dave tense and I knew he was going to unleash one of his loud and colorful Marine Corp style ass chewing's. I laid my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He looked at me and I said, "Later." He nodded but I could still feel the tension in his shoulder. I directed my attention back to Jenny. “If you guys are okay, why are you so late?"
Jenny looked straight at Dave and ignored my question like she didn't hear it. From the expression on her face, I couldn't tell if it was anger or something else but they were definitely staring at each other. Bob noticed the awkward moment and came around from the other side of the truck. "We had a spot of trouble," he said in his best fake British accent.
"That's right. We got cut off on I-40 by a bunch of Stinkies and had to find an alternate route back. Nobody got hurt, it just took longer to get back than we anticipated," Jenny explained. I asked why they didn't use the radio to let us know.
"That would be my fault,” Bob said. “I grabbed radios but didn't check to see if they were charged. They weren't."
I nodded, not a good excuse but it had happened before.
Jenny spoke up. "It's not Bob's fault. I should have made sure the radios were charged before we left. I didn't and that's on me." Then she brightened again. Her smile was on full and the excitement was back in her voice. "We found it,” she said.
Now I was even more confused. They were going out to count T-walls, which we already knew were there.
"What? You found what?" I asked.
If it is possible for someone to actually beam, Jenny did. "Our new home,” she said.
Chapter 8
The Dell
It's been close to a month since the night of the council meeting and Jennifer Moss' late return. It's nearly June and the trees have completely filled out now. The days are longer and after five years of no industry the air quality is fantastic. You can see for miles with no hint of smog. Earlier today, I stood on a high hill overlooking the Cumberland River valley and was almost able to forget what had led me here and why. It amazes me and leaves me melancholy at how well the Earth’s correcting herself. It brings home to me how truly insignificant we humans are. All of the attempts we made to control our environment, all the work we put into making our world more convenient are disappearing. Nature’s an amazing and unstoppable force. After only five years nature’s reclaiming all that we stole from her. The roads we so counted on to move us around and that we complained so loudly about if we were inconvenienced by a pot hole are slowly being covered by vegetation. It won't be long until there is virtually no sign of them at all. Of course, for all signs of our existence to disappear, it will take thousands of years but the evidence is undeniable. The Earth’s trying to erase the past as if we were a failed experiment. I'm not a tree hugger by nature but there's a lesson here, I think.
Now I'm not a Puritan either and I occasionally like to have a drink. I used to really enjoy a cold beer on a hot day. Can't seem to find much of that now but when the Event occurred, liquor stores were not high on the places people hit for those last minute survival needs. You can walk into most any liquor store left standing and find a bottle of your favorite poison. I'm a bourbon drinker and my personal favorite is Booker's 126 proof. I have a case stashed in my room. Kat doesn't mind me having one or two in the evening, she says it mellows me out. At 126 proof, it would mellow a bull moose out but with our situation being what it is; I can't afford to be drunk. Just wouldn't look right trying to direct the defense of our compound while sloshed. Kat said it would be unseemly. She's probably right.
But I'm feeling particularly gloomy tonight and have had three, maybe five, drinks. The fact that the human race, well at least the living version, is on the verge of extinction and our planet could give a crap has left me hurt and disillusioned. At least that's the excuse I'm using tonight. It's just that standing on that hill today, overlooking one of the most beautiful valleys I've seen in a long time, and realizing that there’re no cars moving on the few roads I could see. There’re no vapor trails cross hatching the clear sky above me. The only sounds came from the slight breeze disturbing the new leaves on the trees and bird song. Even after five years the silence is a little disconcerting.
On the survival front though, things are going quite well. I should fill you in on what has transpired during the last month since Jenny’s statement about finding our new home. Once we had gotten things settled down from their late return, Jenny and Bob were able to tell us the story. They’d had a busy day. After leaving the compound they’d gone straight to where Bob had found the T-wall convoy. Their mission was to count the T-walls and come back. They accomplished that mission but were cut off from returning west on I-40 by a group of a couple hundred Stinkies. I didn't like hearing that news. After the Event, the Stinkies were all congregated into large groups and they were hard to get away from. After a couple of years, these big groups started breaking up and the Stinkies we’d been encountering since had been in small groups or alone. After the group had helped us in the battle with the Road Gang, I had hoped it was a fluke and they had been attracted by the noise. After the encounter, Jenny's patrol had with a two hundred strong group of Stinkies, I wondered if maybe they were starting to converge again. It wasn't a disaster but was definitely more of a problem than if they'd stayed in small groups or individuals. We would have to keep an eye on this.
When Jenny's team had been cut off from moving west, they went a few miles further east to the highway 141 exit at Shaver Town. Their plan was to come back to Lebanon on 141, however an accident left over from the days immediately following the Event had the road blocked. They then intended to cut north through Flat Rock to highway 70 and use it to get back. Either of those roads would have put them back in Lebanon within a mile of the compound. Instead, they got lost in the hills bordering the Cumberland River between Lebanon and Carthage, Tennessee. After a couple of hours of backtracking, they finally made it to highway 70 near Bellwood and back to Lebanon and the compound. During this unintentional foray into the hill country west of Carthage they made a fantastic discovery.
Jenny said they were trying to find a place to turn around and pulled into an unnamed single lane country road. She explained that it headed in a generally western direction and something told her to just go with it instead of turning around. I'm not much of a believer in voices or spiritual guidance, of course I didn't believe in zombies until a few years ago either. So, I don't know but I'm glad she listened.
The road went up hill in a gentle slope and after about five miles went through a cut between two steep wooded hills. Jenny described as they went through the cut the road dropped downhill into a valley about three miles long running east and west. This
valley was more or less an oblong bowl with another steep set of hills and a deeper cut that the road followed out on the western end. Thickly forested hills surrounded the valley and a stream ran out beside the road in the west. Jenny said that when they first glimpsed the valley in its entirety she told the driver to stop and they sat admiring the view. According to her, she and Bob came to the realization at the same time. She turned in her seat to look at Bob and he said the Promised Land. Bob, who had stayed silent during her description smiled and nodded his head. Jenny continued with her story and described a small town or village located near the center of the valley. She explained that about thirty or forty houses clustered around several community buildings with the road running through the middle. She described a church and what looked like a country store and an old Post Office. She also described a long single story building that might have been a community center or lodge of some type. Best of all, the stream they could see running along the road and exiting the valley to the west originated at an artesian well in the center of the village. Bob finally broke into the conversation with his description of the well.
Bob said it was a large artesian well and water flowed out like a fountain. He said sometime in the past a spring house and catch pond had been built there and the overflow was the origin of the stream that ran along the valley floor. Jenny chimed back in and in chorus they said it's beautiful. I had listened intently to their narrative and my mind raced with the possibilities. Dave took this opportunity to ask if they had seen any survivors or Stinkies during their inspection. Jenny answered no and Bob further explained it was deserted. He added he felt kind of weird looking at the place. “It’s like it was waiting for us to find it,” he said.
I asked them if the place had a name and Jenny nodded. She said there was a small sign just before you entered the village that said, 'Welcome to Dell, Tennessee.'
We Go On (THE DELL) Page 9