We Go On (THE DELL)

by Stephen Woods

  I got everyone's attention and got started. Jim started off with a presentation concerning the water and living space available at The Dell. Judy Aikens followed his brief with the description of the agricultural resources and that the available pasture was better than she had anticipated. She said this would improve her previous estimate on how fast we could become self-sufficient for food from the livestock. The group greeted this news with general applause and she smiled radiantly as she sat down.

  Dave went next and explained that the slope of the land upward on either side of the road would increase the difficulty of setting the T-walls in place but was only a minor irritation and could be overcome. Aside from that, the only real concern he had was the steel beams that would be needed to construct the posts for our entrance gate.

  A few others made comments or asked questions, but the information part of the meeting ended and I knew it was now or never. "We have heard from our experts and they all think that a move to the new location is a wise choice. Before we go to the rest of the group and explain this to them, I need to know from you do we or don’t we attempt to move to The Dell?" I asked.

  I looked around at the eager faces. "All those in favor of this move raise your hand." The words were barely out of my mouth when every hand in the room shot up. I looked around to see if anybody wasn’t in agreement. It was unanimous in favor. I nodded and motioned for them to put their hands down. "I guess we’re moving," I announced.

  The applause and yelling were deafening in the small room but each person seemed to be as excited as the smaller group had been out in the valley earlier. It took several minutes to get all of them settled down. When the room was finally quiet again I said, "Over the next few days I want all of you involved with the working groups to come up with formal plans that we can look at and decide if they are right for our needs. Once that's done, I want a shopping list from each group for the supplies they will need for their respective jobs. Don't worry about it being too big. Put down everything you think you might need.”

  I laughed. “We don't have to worry about budgets, just be aware that whatever you want will have to be moved to the new site and transportation may be a problem. When all this is done, and not until, we will start the process of preparing the Dell to be our new home."

  Everyone around the table agreed and the meeting broke up. I caught up to Kat as they all filed out and we went back to our room. Once inside, I asked what she thought. She said it all sounded so ideal and she looked forward to seeing it herself. I told her she could go on the next trip when we started moving supplies. We got undressed and lay down to sleep. She lay with her head on my shoulder, curled up at my side. Neither of us went to sleep fast and she asked me to again describe how lovely the valley was. She finally fell asleep during my description and I continued to lay there thinking. I feared we had missed something and struggled to figure out what it might be. I finally fell asleep with visions of waving grass and little white houses in my mind.

  The next few days were a blur of activity as the working groups came up with the detailed plans I'd asked for. We also had a meeting with everybody on the main floor of the warehouse to tell them about our plans and to ask what they thought. There were a few questions and the only recurring concern was if The Dell would be secure enough. I let Dave handle that question and he assured them that The Dell would be more secure than anyplace we had been so far. This seemed to relieve everyone's fears and again it was unanimous for us to move as soon as possible.

  All we had to do now was work out the final details. Jim, Dave, and I had a meeting to discuss these issues. We decided that once work started we would have to leave a skeleton crew out at The Dell to make sure it stayed secure. We didn't want a rouge group coming through and take over our hard work. Some of the workers and a detachment of security would stay out there for the duration.

  Transportation of supplies would be an issue and we came to the conclusion that scavenging a fleet of trucks was the first step in getting started. Jim said he could organize a group of drivers to be ready to go the day after tomorrow and we could park the new vehicles inside the lot. There was plenty of room. He said the only things they would need would be a jump start box and some starter fluid. If they could get the vehicles started they would take them and fill them with fuel at the BP fuel transfer station in Lebanon. If they couldn't get them started, they'd leave them and move on to another. Dave and I both approved of this plan and Dave said he would send some security to make sure that they stayed safe.

  With all the decisions made the only thing left to do was to get started. I went to bed that night feeling better about our plan than I had since I’d brought it up. We had looked at every conceivable issue and had worked out a plan to deal with it. Kat kept telling me to relax, that everything would work out. I continued to worry, though. I felt responsible and now that the entire group had their hopes up I feared something would come along to dash them. It all seemed to be working out and I tried hard to be upbeat and not be full of gloom and doom. As I lay in bed beside my beautiful wife, I felt relieved the planning had ended and we were ready to get started. We were finally moving forward and the last thought I had as I drifted off to sleep was that this is usually when someone pulls the rug out from under you.

  Chapter 10

  The Big Shopping Trip

  I’m reminded of a phrase used during my old military days, Full Spectrum Warfare. This means attacking the enemy in every conceivable way. Not just Infantry, tanks, and planes but with psychological, civil, and special operations. So not only are you trying to destroy the enemy on the battlefield but you’re also trying to bolster a government and win the hearts and minds of the people. The comparison I'm trying to draw here is we were conducting Full Spectrum Survival. We were not only trying to stay safe and fed but now we were trying to re-establish some form of society. I hoped to provide a quality of life to our group that would make the effort to survive actually worth something. If the only reason I'm struggling to live is to see one more day and I have no hope of ever being able to relax again, well, what's the point.

  I think this had been going through a lot of our minds before we set ourselves the task of moving to The Dell and establishing a real colony. I hadn't realized I felt this way until I witnessed the renewed vigor of all our people as we made the preparations to build the little valley into our new home. The smiles on everyone’s face as they went about their tasks. The happy way we were greeting each other was proof that we were revitalized. Just watching the level of motivation shown brought a smile to my face. All the bad feelings and doubts I'd had were starting to be replaced with the 'can do’ spirit that I had attributed to the pioneers of old. The good feelings were catching.

  Over the last three days, we had been able build a considerable vehicle fleet. We had some very capable people and they had done a great job. Our group now had three semi-tractors, a big backhoe with front end loader, a couple of skid steer loaders, a truck mounted crane, and a whole slew of flatbed trucks at our disposal. We had even found four large tanker trucks full of diesel fuel. They had been parked at the BP transfer yard. I again raised the question about whether the fuel would still be good after being stored for so long. It turns out that it still works, not great but it works. The trucks and equipment don't run as smooth as they should, but they do run.

  Everything started to come together. Our newest time line had us moving the heavy equipment to The Dell the next morning and start moving the T-walls to the site the next day. I knew this would be a long hard procedure. I hoped everyone else saw it too. I figured we could move three loads of T-walls a day. With having to uncouple the dead rigs and pull them out of the way of trailers. Then hook up to the new tractors and drive the hour or so to get to the site barring any trouble from uncooperative equipment or interference by the Stinkies or Road Gangs. This process could take a couple of months. I mean, we’re talking about seven-hundred-and-fifty trailers, plus assorted other loads. I hoped
we could get moved by winter. If we could do that, I would be satisfied.

  A daunting task but with the level of enthusiasm I saw I was cautiously optimistic. I went to bed that night with all of my old fears and worries put to rest but they were being replaced with new ones. I was making my second trip to The Dell the next morning and, this time, Kat was going with me. She was excited about the trip and I looked forward to seeing her face the first time she saw our new home. If everything went right, tomorrow would be the first day of our future.

  Next morning Kat and I were up before the sun, getting ready for the trip to The Dell. It was going to be a long day and we had lots to do. Most of the preparations had been made the evening before but I wanted to be ready in case we got caught out there over night. Water wasn't a problem, Doc had checked the water sample Jim brought back and pronounced the water fit for human consumption. Food, however, could become an issue. I told Dave to ensure that an adequate quantity of MREs was loaded to provide us with food for a week. Just in case.

  All the people and equipment were loaded and the vehicles lined up for departure. We rolled out the gate at 8 a.m. and the convoy immediately split in two. The half that went toward I-40 was made up of the three semi-tractors, a pickup loaded with tools that might be needed, and two of the gun trucks for security. They would be responsible for hooking up and delivering the first load of T-walls to begin the construction of our enclosure. The rest of us headed for highway 70 and The Dell. We had with us all the heavy equipment and two trucks loaded with supplies. We also had the rest of the security detachment, the workers that would be staying and life support supplies for all of them.

  Kat and I were in the front gun truck and we chatted as we drove along the now familiar road to the valley. It was another warm beautiful day and Kat enjoyed the scenery along our route. Just like the first trip, we didn't see any Stinkies once we were out of Lebanon and if you concentrated you could almost imagine that nothing had happened. That this was just another springtime drive through the country side. You only had to ignore the fact that we were in a heavily armored and armed military vehicle with a driver and a gunner standing in the turret.

  We had been driving about an hour when we made the turn onto the single lane blacktop road that ran to the valley. There were no signs or anything else that gave an indication of what lay ahead, so I told Kat we were getting close. She sat up in her seat hoping to catch a first glimpse. As we made the final turn and started up the slight incline to the cut in the hills that signaled the entrance to the valley, I told the driver to slow down. I wanted my wife to have the same opportunity to see the valley with the little village at its heart that I had on my first trip here. As the truck topped the rise and dropped over on to the down slope, I heard Kat gasp. "You were right. It's breath taking," she said. I laughed and asked her if she thought she would enjoy living here. "Yes, very much." She was as taken by the place as everyone else had been.

  Our convoy continued across the valley floor to the village and I told the driver to pull over and stop in front of the General Store. One of the first tasks I wanted accomplished was the interment of the corpse sitting in the middle of the store. It didn't matter who he was or what his situation had been, he deserved a proper burial. A small cemetery sat beside the church and I thought that would be a fitting place. He may have not been a resident for long, but now that he was one of the Great Majority, I didn't think the other occupants of that small plot of land would mind.

  As the other vehicles came to a halt around us, I told John Hendricks, one of our equipment operators, that as soon as the backhoe was unloaded I wanted a grave dug in the cemetery. I also told him about the body in the store and would he please organize a detail to take care of the burial. He said sure and asked if I wanted to say anything over the grave. I declined and told him that could be the first official act of our two Pastors once we got fully moved. He nodded and headed off to carry out my instructions.

  That left Kat and I alone. I took her hand and led her over to the spring house and catch pond. She still had the wide eyed look of awe on her face and sighed as we neared the pond. I stood watching and let her explore around the spring. She walked over and looked in the spring house at the fountain of water that shot up from floor. As she backed out, I noticed her looking at a sign over the door of the little house. I hadn't noticed it before and joined her to see what it said. As soon as she was aware that I was next to her she read the sign out loud, "’Josiah Dell, the first settler to this valley. 1859.’ Did you see this the other day?" I answered no and went on to say we now knew how The Dell got its name. She nodded and smiled and we walked back over to the store.

  The equipment started moving and Jim Holley along with L.B. Davenport were getting the workers organized. I tried to stay out of their way; I was definitely not a construction worker. I don't mind hard work but this job was way beyond my handy man skills. If you needed someone to unclog a drain or hang a picture, I'm your guy. You want to build a fortress; well that's a little out of my skill set. I would be more help by not helping.

  Kat and I wandered over to the little church followed by a couple of the security guys and went in. I stood by the door while Kat slowly walked through the church, looking. I was still concerned that the roof might cave in due to my poor church attendance record so I stayed close to an exit. Kat walked to the front pew and sat. I ventured further in and nothing happened, not even a squeak from the rafters. I figured it was safe so I went to join her. She sat there with a peaceful look on her face as she gazed around her. I asked if she wanted to look around outside some more and she said maybe after a while. She just wanted to stay a while longer. I nodded and told her I would go see how things were getting on with the work. She smiled and nodded and I headed for the door. I told the two security guys to stay with her and they said they wouldn't let her out of their sight.

  As I exited the church I could hear the backhoe working in the cemetery and headed in that direction. John Hendricks was in the seat on the tractor and already had the grave dug. He shut the engine off and told me that a couple of his guys were in the process of bringing the body over. He laughed and said he didn't think they were too happy about the assignment but they'd get it done. I thanked him again and he said no sweat and went back to work.

  I walked back over to the store and asked one of the workers about Jim's whereabouts. He said that Jim and L.B. had gone to the eastern edge of the village to start laying out where the wall would go. I walked in the direction he'd indicated and it wasn't long before I saw them. Jim stood in the road and L.B. gestured toward the northern side of the valley. I was still too far away to hear what they were saying but I could tell they were talking about the construction of the barrier. As I got closer, I could tell they were discussing if there was a need for a back gate. I joined the conversation and told them no back gate. Yes, it would limit us to just one avenue of escape if that became necessary but I didn't plan to escape. The plan was for us to be untouchable inside the enclosure. If The Dell became surrounded by Stinkies or the Road Gangs, we could just hold out. Besides the gate was the weakest point in our defense. One gate meant only one weak point.

  With that decided, I asked Jim what his next move was.

  "I think we need a big shopping trip. There’s going to be all manner of supplies we're going to need and if we start stocking up now it will make it easier when they’re needed," he said.

  I agreed, and asked what he needed from me. He answered I should order the part of our group left at the compound in Lebanon to organize foraging trips and start collecting anything they could find. He would work on a list of specific items and when it was complete he'd get it to me. I told him I'd take care of it tonight after I returned.

  Our conversation complete, I walked back toward the church just in time to catch Kat as she was leaving. I told her I wanted to walk through the houses and asked would she like to come with me? She said yes, so we started on the north side of the main road. I
motioned for the security men to follow us and they stayed at a respectable distance but never let us out of their sight.

  Other streets ran from the main road both north and south at various places. They were not divided into equal length blocks and some had cross streets connecting them and some didn’t. There seemed to be no plan as to the lay out of town and houses were built both close and far away from their respective streets. Mature hardwood trees lined the streets and there wasn't a yard that didn't have at least one huge tree standing in it. Most were oaks but a few maples and beech with an occasional pine tree were evident. I even saw a couple of massive old cedar trees. It was a lovely scene.

  Several old tire swings still hung from trees to let us know that children had once lived here but were now long gone. We strolled along what had once been neat and clean streets lined with formerly well-kept houses that were now overgrown with out of control landscaping and weeds. Most of the houses on the north side were much alike. All had a driveway leading from the street. Some had garages that were built in the same fashion as the houses themselves. The few garages I checked were empty of cars. We didn't enter any of the houses; I wanted to wait until we were more secure. I would then organize a clearing operation to check for any Stinkies that might have gone unnoticed.

  Our inspection eventually brought us back to the main road and we proceeded to check the area to the south. This side of the road reveled more of the same, large trees, overgrown yards, and two story white houses. I noticed at the end of one street a barely discernible driveway that curved around a screen of dense oaks and scrub. We walked in that direction and soon found ourselves walking up the drive. Occasionally, through the trees, we were able to glimpse another white structure but couldn't determine detail. As we passed around the screen of trees Kat and I both noticed a much smaller house nestled in a stand of maple trees. It was a cottage or bungalow style; I always get confused about such things. Regardless, it was a nice little house in a very pretty setting. It had window boxes, now empty, under each window and a small front porch with a double rocker sitting on it. I immediately fell in love with it and Kat was taken with it as well.