No Normal Day

by Richardson, J.

  On the other side of some Sunday School buildings, across the paved church lot, a small caravan rumbled along. This was not a happy circus caravan. There were only a couple of old motorcycles, but there were a couple of riding mowers, a four wheeler and an old truck that seemed to be on it's very last leg. The riders were a rough group, dirty and torn clothes, scraggly beards and long greasy hair. Jack could see plenty of guns. They moved directly towards the back fence perimeter of the compound. Wave two of trouble was roaring towards them.

  The four men moved as fast as they could in the cover of the rumbling motors, back to the War Wagon to get more guns and ammo. Before they reached them and could return to the church lot, they heard shots being fired, they ran back towards the trouble. The thugs had fired at the fence, they were confident, not attempting any stealth. Jack and the others moved as low as they could, up behind the Sunday School buildings. One of the invaders yelled at the fence, “Hey, in there, we have come to deal a little!”

  “F---king A!” yelled another and shot a rifle into the air.

  From behind the buildings, Jack saw a small hatch open in the fence and an AR muzzle poked out. A shot blazed out from the muzzle. Lee's loud voice floated over the fence. “You get the Hell out of here. We have nothing to deal with you about.” After the first encounter with intruders way back in the summer, the men built some hatches in the fence to fire out of. Another shot rang out, from another hatch and one of the men fell from his mower.

  “Dam-mit to Hell,” shouted the man on the lead motorcycle and several of the riders started shooting at the fence. There was a yelp of pain from behind the fence. Another hatch opened in the fence and two more riders went down. One motorcycle slammed to the ground, another mower was riderless. Jack, Jason, Eric and Dane moved out from behind the buildings and towards the partially disabled group of thugs, they were shooting as they moved. The motorcycle spun around and tried to run over Dane. He stumbled back but got off a shot, hitting the back tire of the cycle. The cycle went sliding across the paved lot, the rider rolled off. Jason shot him just as he rose to his knees. The truck came screeching up and the man on the four wheeler jumped in the back. It made a wide circle and shuddered, coughing and smoking, left the lot. As the truck swirled by them, Jack saw a young girl sitting in the truck seat right next to the driver, she threw up her middle finger at them. Eric shot out a back tire, they kept on gyrating along.

  Jack remembered the cry of pain from behind the fence and was filled with dread. “Jason, you and Eric go get the wagon and the mower and get them back in the garage. We will unload the wood and come back and move these bodies. Dane and I are going to check on everybody inside. Jack and Dane jogged back to the garage door, checked to be sure no one was nearby and rapped out the entry code. One of the boys, Matt pulled up the door. “Who got hurt?” asked Jack.

  Matt answered, “It's Tate, Poppa. He is bleeding a lot. We put him in the living room.”

  Jack hurried to the house. Tate was laid out on the common room floor, on some sheets that were soaked with blood. Beth was trying to clean off a wound in his side, Kat, sobbing but trying to help. She was beginning her nurse training, when things went bad, so she had some basic first aid knowledge. Jack had emergency training with the fire department and knew a little more, if I can remember a damn bit of the s---. He looked around and saw a ring of worried and upset faces, little BJ among them, he sobbed and looked with horror at his daddy on the floor.

  Jack took charge, “Mindy, you and Michelle take BJ and find the little girls. You go in the other room and keep them busy. It's okay, Tate is going to be fine.” Michelle reached down and lifted BJ and they went to find Nicky and Brook. “Kat, you are going to have to pull yourself together, I need your help.”

  Beth said, “I have already put some water on the cooker to boil. I brought all of our first aid supplies here. I have tried to clean up the wound. It is here in his side, he is in a lot of pain and I am afraid to move him much.” Tate moaned and he seemed to be pretty much in shock.

  “Good girl.” Jack removed the red soaked towel and sees a bullet hole still oozing out Tate's blood. He lifted him as gently as he could. Tate cried out. Jack is relieved to see an exit hole. The bullet went through the fleshy tissue, next to Tate's ribs. It might have nicked a rib, hopefully had not hit any vital organs. “Kat, go see if that water is boiling...go girl, I think he is going to be fine.”

  “But, Poppa, there is so much blood,” sobs Kat.

  Jack said again, “The bullet went all the way through and that is good. Just go get the water Kat.” He used the supplies to disinfect and bind up Tate's wound. They chose some of the pain medication and antibiotics and got them down him. Jack was not sure that these were exactly the right meds but it should help. Lee, who had remained watch at the back fence, came in and he and a couple of the boys got Tate into he and Kat's bedroom and onto the bed. He already seemed a little more eased. “If we can keep him from getting an infection, he will be good. He is going to be sore as hell, though. You have to be responsible for keeping that dressing clean” said Jack and gave Kat a hug.

  “I can do that,” she managed a small smile. “Thanks, Poppa”.

  Jack went to the living room, where Beth and the other girls had rolled up the soiled sheets and were scrubbing up. He sat down, exhausted, in a chair. God, I could have handled all of this a lot better, twenty years ago. He was thankful they had avoided being sick over the last few months. Maybe because they had made their small fortress and kept it as clean and squared away as possible. Infection and disease was much more of an enemy than any evil monsters, out there. He let himself hope that Tate would be well.

  The gore was cleaned away. Jack was resting, Beth fixed him a cup of coffee with a shot of bourbon in it and the two of them sat in front of the fire. The others unloaded the firewood and then insisted that they could go dispose of the rubbish in the church parking lot. The far side of the church had become a graveyard of sorts and they added the four bodies. It seemed that fresh meat becomes food for the many animals that run wild everywhere now. Only bones remained of the bodies that got deposited there, months before. One of the boys, rode the four wheeler and they pushed the motorcycle into the garage. They had acquired three more guns, the man that escaped must have managed to scoop up the fourth. They now would have two four wheelers, the mower and a motorcycle...if they could find a tire...added to the War Wagon, in their transportation options.

  The short day quickly stretched into the dark. Jack and Beth had spent the last hours, sitting by the fire and checking on Tate. They were weary. The new and necessary physical activity had actually been good for them but the burden of concern for their family was a heavy weight that took it toll on their hearts. The others continued the daily routine. The soiled sheets soaked in a tub of water, they couldn't afford to throw away things these days. The children played, sitting on the floor behind Jack and Beth. The girls planned and prepared the evening meal, the watches were started. In the after, this had nearly became a typical day.

  Chapter Seven

  SURFING THE THIRD WAVE

  February remained cold but no more icy weather. March was windy like the norm, many days were warm and tiny specks of green showed on the trees and ground. Tate was young and he had healed well. Thanks to some quick care and antibiotics there had been no sign of infection. He liked to show off his scars to the family. Two of the youngest, Brook and BJ came down with fever, sore throat and bad coughs. The family, were all very concerned because any serious illness could be dangerous. There was no clinic on the corner to get care. On the book shelf in the common living room, there were several old medical books that belonged to Beth's mother, who had been a nurse. There was also a thick home remedy book and Beth had pages of material that she had printed out, before, that detailed the antibiotics and the best use of each. These books had been invaluable tools. Big Dog and Little Dog lay faithfully beside the little one's cots while they were so ill. Some children
's aspirin and tiny doses of the correct antibiotics, after about three days the little ones were running around again. Much to the relief of all.

  It would soon be a year since the event changed all of their lives. The whole family had survived to see another Spring. They were preparing the garden and trying to think of some ingenious ways to stay cool, during the upcoming hot summer. They tried to share, what they could spare of their supplies with the family of three and the teenage girl and her brother. The sixteen year old girl, Shawna and her fourteen year old brother, told David that their mother was Spanish and their father was black They had been good parents and they knew that they had met some bad end, while trying to provide for them.. David seemed to know a lot when it concerned the girl. She was very smart, very tough and she worked at making sure that she and her brother survived. She also, seemed to be a big reason why “the family of three” were surviving. It seemed that the father of that family did very little himself to protect and provide for his family. The neighborhood was still not completely deserted. Jack was sure that a few people were scattered around. Perhaps original residents or people who had moved into abandoned homes. It was rare to actually see a person out in the open, on the streets.

  It was a quiet, sunny day and the humidity, so common to this part of Texas was building. Eric, Dane and Cody were working on a solar battery system. All of them were very good at computers and such and they liked this challenge. Some more of Beth's printed material, gave instructions for using car batteries and solar panels to build a small power system. The batteries were no real problem to acquire. Fortunately, the instructions gave the directions for if you want to build your own solar panels. The components to do this were pretty easily located. Hopefully, these small solar units would power some fans, at least for sleeping.

  Lee and Tate were doing some maintenance on the War Wagon. The work around the compound had to be done, even though the humid warm days forced everyone to move a little slower. Jason, Matt and David finished the last watch of the night. After some breakfast, the boys went to their space in Beth and Jack's garage for a nap. Jason went to what they all, now called “Casa Dos”, to rest a while. In a short time, Jason came back out and went into the shop garage, to find Jack. Jack was watching with interest the solar project of the boys. The third wave of trouble swelled on the horizon.

  Jason, a worried look on his face, said, “Jack, I wasn't quite asleep just now. I think I heard something like trucks. Pretty far off but it is something with a big engine. Maybe outside the neighborhood, maybe on the far side.”

  Jack said, “We better check it out. Lee, you come with Jason and I. Eric, don't wake up the napping boys, yet. But, you and Tate, Dane and Cody be alert, until we are back. We will do a little re-con.” Jack, Lee and Jason slipped out of the garage door, Eric secured behind them. They moved with caution, crossed the street and stayed close to the houses, going around the corner into the neighborhood. Most of the houses had privacy fences, so they couldn't move between the houses and through back yards. They had to hug the houses as they moved down the next street, one block over from the Jack and Beth's street. Off of this street, several side streets branched. These side streets ran into a winding street that more or less bordered the neighborhood. They had stopped, crouched down and were listening. Lee said, “It's definitely engines, sounds like military trucks to me. It is closer now.”

  The three men moved down a side street, the rumbling noise closer all the time. At the end of this side street, they climbed over the fence of a corner house into the shelter of the back yard and peered over the top. “S---!” curses Jason, “Its military, alright.” They could see three big army green trucks about a block down. Seemed to be six soldiers, two per truck. They were doing exactly what they had observed them doing, months ago. They were going into houses, bringing out body bags...two of the trucks look like body carriers... and bringing bags loaded with plunder from others. They saw one man being loaded into the third truck. He was barely on his feet.

  “Let's get home fast,” said Jack. The men made their way as quickly and with as much stealth as they could muster, back to the compound. They immediately doused all the fires and gathered everyone in the common room.

  Jack said, “We have spotted military trucks. They are clearing the neighborhood.” There was a low murmur of fear. “Shssh! Everyone pay attention.” They had all become accustomed to this drill and they calmed down and got quiet. “Beth, I want you and the girls to take the children and go to the hall. It's not in the view of any windows, you know honey, just like a tornado warning. Take some blankets and pillows for the children and some water. Close all of the doors that enter the hallway. You girls, all get your pistols from the closet. The trucks are still five or six blocks over, working their way around the neighborhood. I am supposing that if some folks are surviving, they will want to go with them. When the men and I are situated, we will let you know and it will be very important to keep quiet.”

  “I understand,” said Beth, she and the girls begin to move.

  “All of you men and boys need to choose your weapons and get extra ammo. Eric, Dane and Matt go to the garage door that enters the patio and set up. Tate, Cody and David go to the kitchen and be ready. Jason, Lee and I are going to move around behind the SUV in the driveway. We also have the cover of those hedges. Tate, when we tap on that boarded up kitchen window, you tell the girls to get completely quiet. Everyone clear?”

  The boys and even Cody, all responded, “Yes, Poppa.” This made Jack's stomach tighten in a hard knot. These young men should be going to movies, driving cars, chasing girls, not preparing to fight. The older men all nodded and moved away. Lee and Jason ran over to Casa Dos and came back with their camo fatigue shirts on. Jason had a bag on his shoulder that was pretty full. He caught Jack's look of question, “Some things that might come in handy” he said.

  Everyone followed the plan. In far less than twenty minutes, each person was in position, just waiting. The girls decided to pretend it was lesson time and they worked with the children, read to them and let them color. Big Dog and Little Dog lay at the feet of Eric and the boys in the garage. Tate and company sat on the floor, against the kitchen cabinets. Jack, Lee and Jason had moved out to their hiding place. The afternoon was crept by and they heard the trucks move through the streets, closer and closer. They probably were not finding a lot of live people or supplies but were finding plenty of bodies. Jack's knees had quickly started to scream from squatting behind the SUV. He had eased up to a small section of brick wall that extended from the corner of the house and backed the hedges. He sat down in the corner, that the wall and garage formed. The trucks were sounding louder, within a block. Jack rose and tapped on the kitchen window, Tate tapped back. He said, “Tate, are you there? Don't shoot or move from your position, no matter what happens, unless we say go”

  “Got it,” whispered Tate. Jack went back to the big wooden gates, called to Eric in the garage. Eric opened the hatch that they had made in the tall gates. Jack repeated the orders to him. He returned and lowered behind the hedges. Lee motioned that he was checking to see how close the convoy was, he moved to see around the hedges.

  Lee could see the family of three trudging out and being loaded in the truck. The bag the soldier was carrying had very little in it. I knew they were barely alive. He then saw them move to the house of the teenage girl and her brother. Damn, David is going to go berserk, if they take Shawna and her brother. After a few minutes, the soldier came out of the house, with a bag that was nearly empty. No teenage girl, no brother. What the hell? I know they are alive. Knowing Shawna, they are hiding somewhere...GOOD.

  He edged back around the hedge, “They are coming, about three houses down”. Jason and Jack were at alert, their guns ready. Only six...thinks Jack...we can handle that. He was not convinced though, he had no idea what weapons they had. The next three houses were empty, it only took them a few minutes to clear them. They were spraying the big red X's on the
doors, just as they did before. They had arrived at the door of Casa Dos. The soldiers were pounding and shouting, “Open up, US government. We are here to help you.”

  Before the soldiers could begin to poke around the back of the house, Jason and Lee stood up, motioned for Jack to stay there and walked towards the soldiers. Jack was stunned, “Wait...what the F--- are you doing? Jason, wait”, he strained in his loudest whisper. Jason motioned, down, again. Jack's heart was pounding in his chest, rifle at his shoulder. He looked around the hedges and waited for the S--- to hit the fan.

  Lee and Jason approached the soldiers and Jason said with a loud voice, “Hey there, soldier.” The two soldiers stepped back from the door and raised their guns.

  “Stand down!” one of the soldiers shouts. Jason and Lee stood firm. The soldier eyed the camo fatigues and Jason's Staff Sergeant stripes. He didn't lower his gun completely but lowered it a bit and said with a question in his voice, “Sir-r?”

  “Soldier, what is your mission here?” asked Jason. The soldier responded some to the voice of authority.

  “Sir, we are to search, clear and rescue. We are removing all surviving citizens to a government camp. And we are removing the dead bodies, due to disease.”

  Jason looked without a blink at the other soldier. “Is this true, soldier?”