“Right now I feel pretty stupid for letting Ellen get close enough to do this.” He pointed at his nose. “I didn’t expect a tiger. I was expecting her to be in her eighties and feeble.”
“Well I’m not!” Ellen declared her hands resting on her hips. “Who told you that?”
“It doesn’t matter does it? I’d say I need to go home and take care of this and you guys look like you have your hands full right here.”
Ellen held her hand out in front of the guy, “No hard feelings?”
He looked at it for and instant and then took it. They shook long enough to seal an unspoked truce. “Okay, I’ll see you guys in the morning. We’ll talk then.” He got to his feet and turned to leave.
Before he went more than a few feet away Ellen asked him, “What’s your name besides…” She didn’t remember what was on the documents. “You do have one don’t you?”
He half tuned back to her, “Mike…or Michael Montgomery. Whichever suits you best.” He lifted one arm in farewell and walked up the trail to his house.
Ellen watched him until he was out of sight. She had so many questions for him she wanted to run after him.
She wanted to know how much exploring he had done, how long he’d been there; why he’d left his home in Renton; how he’d made it up there; had he tried her uncles radio yet and had he found the bunker. She shook her head; those would have to wait until the next day.
She sighed and turned back to her group only to find they must have all gone inside. Both carts were empty of their things and sat leaned up against the porch. The wagon sat beside them. She noticed the bottom was full of wood chips and she realized she must have watched their new neighbor longer than she’d thought.
She wasn’t ready to go inside yet because she had some thinking to do. She picked up the claw hammer and began removing the plywood from the back facing windows. The house wasn’t musty, but it had the dry dusty odor of something that had been closed up for a long time. Tomorrow would be soon enough to open windows and air it out. An hour later all of the bedroom and kitchen windows had been uncovered. She stood back to survey her handiwork. The glass could stand a good washing inside and out but that was for another day also.
As soon as she opened the door she could smell it. Someone had something in the oven. Everyone was sitting and eating from paper plates.
“I put a plate on the warmer for you Ellen. I would have called you but Rob said you needed some time alone.”
She looked at Rob and realized that he had been right. She had needed time to herself. After spending most of her life alone she felt like all of these people were suffocating her. She was glad they were with her but she had needed alone time too. She just hadn’t thought about it.
“We found your Mommas pantry and it was fully stocked. We thought things would be stale or dried out but she had flour and things that are good for twenty-five years. We had to open the buckets. Was that okay?”
“Maggie, you guys can use anything on this farm. This is your home now as much as mine. If you look in the basement, you’ll find a lot more than that. My folks always bought long term food. It’s the way we lived.”
Maggie handed her a warm plate. Paper wouldn’t have lasted on the warmer. She was the only one eating from her mother’s china.
“Oh my gosh. You may not know it but of all the entrées you could have picked this is my favorite.”
“I confess. I told them.” Alan said. He stood folded his plate in half, open the lid on the stove and dropped it in.
“How is Liza doing? She didn’t look good earlier.”
Hannah answered, “She had some of this oatmeal and powder milk. I think in time she’ll be fine. Angie is in just as bad of shape physically but her mental strength is what has been carrying her. They’re both in the end bedroom. Maggie and I figured those two, and Olivia, Dana, and Barbie can share that room. They can figure out their own sleeping arrangements. For now, they can sleep on the floor.”
Ellen held her hand up. “That’s fine but look in the closet in the end room. There should be a couple fold up army cots and I think there are a couple air mattresses too.”
“Rosa, you and Brad can have my parents room as long as your boys can use the floor until we can build some bunks for them. The rest of us girls can use my old room. There’s a set of bunk beds and a twin in there. Rob and Alan, you guys get the two sofas. Now, did I forget anyone?”
Ellen looked around and laughed. Every one of them seemed to be counting names off in their heads. Maggie was using her fingers to keep track of everyone.
“You don’t have enough fingers Maggie.”
“I have toes don’t I?”
Alan had already stretched out on one of the sofas. After much giggling and laughter, the kids were finally all in a bed that wasn’t on the hard cold ground. They didn’t have to worry about being cold or getting snowed on or have it sink out of sight under them.
Finally, it was only Hannah and Ellen sitting at the table. Hannah had been quiet all evening not saying anything more than she had to.
Ellen looked at Rob and Alan on the sofas. She thought they were both asleep but to be sure she asked Hannah, “I think I’ll take a walk outside. It’s been a long time since I was here and I’d like to get back in tune with it.” Hannah had looked interested until she said the part about getting back in tune. “Actually I thought you might want to walk with me.”
“I’d love to. Walking without a purpose will be nice.”
They grabbed jackets from the coat hooks. Ellen led the way to the bottom fence. In the moonlight they could see cows grazing in the pasture. They stood in silence listening to the occasional moo and the answering bawl from a calf.
“Okay…out with it.”
Hannah looked surprised followed by relief. “That obvious was I?”
“Maybe not to anyone else but it was to me. Now what’s up? You worried about having the baby?”
“No. Well yes but not why you think. Ellen, when you all first found me…you can’t imagine how grateful I was. Then Alan treated me like I was something special and I guess I went along with it because I was scared. Or foolish I guess would be more like it. I had never voluntarily kissed a boy before him.” She saw Ellen wanted to say something but she held her hand up, “Please let me finish.” When Ellen nodded she continued, “I love Alan…but not the way he deserves. He’s changed since we found out about the baby. Not in any way I can point out but he’s different. Or maybe he just feels what I’m feeling.”
“Have you said anything to him?”
Hannah laughed softly, “I did. He told me it was the right thing to do. He said that every child needs two parents, but I feel like he’s doing it for the wrong reason. I feel like we’re both doing it for all the wrong reasons.”
“It sounds like it to me too.” Ellen said with a sigh. “I thought something was wrong. He’s been so quiet lately.”
“I guess what I really want to say is that I don’t want to get married right now. If I married him now I would be making a big mistake for both of us.”
“Is there someone else?”
Ellen saw the blank look on Hannah’s face. Then her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Oh my gosh no!” Then she looked puzzled, “Who?”
“Never mind I had to ask. You want me to talk to Alan?”
“Oh no. This is something I have to do. I want him to be in my life. I just don’t want a husband. I’m thinking that male companionship is not something this baby is going to be lacking.”
“I think you’re right there.”
They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes. The night sounds were crisp and clear. The sky seemed to be resting right above them.
“This must have been a great place to grow up. It’s so quiet and the stars are so bright.”
“It was lonely too. I swear if I hadn’t had my uncle I think I would have left long before I did.”
“Can I ask you something?”
El
len said, “Sure go ahead. Can’t promise I’ll answer but you can ask.”
“Was Frank the one? Was he the person you had always waited for?”
“I honestly don’t know. We never had the chance to find out. He had feelings for me and I did for him too, but I’m not sure how it would have worked out. Now I guess I’ll always have to wonder.”
“I’m sorry about that. He was a good man. I think we’ll all miss him.”
“We will, but you know, I’m not sure he ever got over losing his wife and if he’s right, he’s with her now.”
“My Mom always told me when you find the right man, you will know immediately. She said it hit her like a freight train when she met my stepfather. I guess that’s what I’ve always waited for.”
They turned to walk back to the house, Hannah poked Ellen in her side, “I saw the way the new guy was giving you the eye.”
“He was probably afraid of me…. not interested in me.” They laughed together. For the first time in a while they were somewhere they could laugh out loud. A place they considered safe. Having no guard shift to stand was the first indicator just how safe they felt.
“Come on let’s get some sleep.” Arms linked they walked back and into the house.
Tomorrow was waiting and there would be plenty to do.
Chapter Forty-three - The bad guys are coming!
Scrambled powder eggs and canned ham for breakfast. For Liza and Angie, it was thin oatmeal and apple sauce. Hannah had promised that if they stuck to her recommendations for a week they could have anything they wanted after that. Both girls had agreed but it didn’t stop them from watching the others eat. Olivia, ever the diplomat chose to eat the same as them.
After the kitchen was clean and water had been brought from the hand pump for drinking, and enough wood to last the day the kids were told they were free to play until lunchtime.
It was decided that Rob, Ellen, Brad and Rosa would walk to the other house. Hannah had asked Alan to walk with her and they had already started down into the back pasture.
The air was cold but the sun was out and not a cloud in the sky. The trail to Jerry’s was overgrown but you could still see the indent in the ground.
Mike was just shutting the door behind him when they came over the hill. He watched as they got closer and waved. “Morning neighbors.”
Ellen saw her Uncle Jerry’s old patio set was sitting to the side of the walk. It was made out of wrought iron and he and Ellen had built it when she was twelve. She had spent three days painting it white. Now the white was flecked with black and rust. She felt her eyes trying to water when she looked at it. He was the person she missed the most.
“Sorry about the eye and your nose looks painful.”
“I’ll live I guess. I should have introduced myself before you had a chance to attack me.”
“Well I couldn’t have done anything different. I thought you were going to hurt Jesse. He’s just a boy.”
“Well I’m just glad he didn’t follow your orders and shoot me.”
“Well I admit I am too.”
“Look I know you didn’t expect me to actually use the house and live in it. But when this all started we had nowhere else to go. My first thought when the power went out was to head up here.”
“We? Who else do you have with you?”
“Chelsey, can you and Donna come out please.” He looked at the door as if he expected them to come out.
The door opened and out walked one of the prettiest woman Ellen had ever seen followed by a young girl who looked exactly like her. They both had the same olive complexion and dark brown hair with just a little red cast to it. When they smiled they both had dimples. They stood smiling at Mike and then Ellen. Their smiles reached their eyes showing they were sincere and not just for Ellen’s benefit or to be polite.
Ellen felt her heart drop. She would never have believed it, but she actually felt it drop. She gave herself a mental kick and smiled at the woman and girl.
Mike turned to her and said, “Ellen this is my sister Chelsey and her daughter Donna. This is Ellen, she owns all this property and these are her friends…I’m sorry I don’t know your names.” He looked at Ellen to continue the introductions.
Ellen stared at him until Chelsey cleared her throat. “Sorry, I was thinking. This is…” she turned to see who was with her. “Um, Brad his wife Rosa and Rob.”
She realized how stupid she must sound and sat down. “We actually came to talk to you about all of this. We’re going to start building in some of the outbuildings. We have too many people for our house and we need to make some space for everyone.”
“You’re welcome to make use of anything here. I know it all belongs to you anyhow, but we don’t have anywhere else to go if we wanted to.”
“Well I feel kind of bad for hitting you so hard. So I guess you can use the house.”
Chelsey and Donna began to laugh and Mike’s face turned bright red. “This is the tiger you were talking about? Oh Michael, we both thought it was a guy that hit you.”
“Can you just drop it and go and find us something to drink? Please.”
“We only have water.” Donna said, “We ran out of everything else.”
“You can’t have gone through all of the food and supplies yet. That would have been impossible. Uncle Jerry started stocking long before my parents did. The cellar couldn’t hold any more.”
“The cellar? What cellar?” Mike looked blank faced, his eyebrows pulled down in a frown. “We didn’t find a cellar.”
“Then you didn’t find the shortwave either. How long have you been here?” Ellen asked. If it had been her she would have torn the place apart looking for anything to help her survive. She didn’t understand why they hadn’t found the cellar. Every time you walked across the kitchen floor you couldn’t mistake the hollow sound.
Ellen jumped up, she went to go in the house but paused with her hand on the doorknob. “Do you mind?”
“No go ahead. Like I said it’s yours.”
She opened the door and went in. Then she saw why they hadn’t heard the hollow sound that walking on the floor always produced. Someone had taken the carpet from the back bedroom and fitted it on the dining area floor.
“Who did this?” she asked as she reached down and picked up the corner. She flipped it over and counted the boards from the wall. She went to the mantle and picked up a flat piece of metal. It looked like a miniature pry bar. She went back and recounted the boards. She put the metal bar in an almost invisible slot between two boards and pulled up. A two-foot by four-foot section of the floor lifted out. She grabbed it and set it aside.
“Candle or lamp please.” Mike lit one of the candles and handed it to her. He was trying to see into the hole.
“I’ll be damned. I didn’t know this was here.” He followed Ellen down the steps and stood silently as she moved the candle around. Totes and buckets sat on an extensive shelf system. The room was ten feet by twenty and every inch was used to store something.
Mike was speechless. He followed the candlelight with his eyes.
“Oh my God, I thought we were going to have to live on weeds and some of my beef until spring. After what we went through to get here.” He hung his head and cried.
Ellen pretended she didn’t see and walked to the back wall. She knew the radio and anything with electronic parts in the room would work. The whole room was a giant faraday cage. Helping her uncle build the room was one of the first projects they worked on together. She had been in first grade when she learned what a faraday cage was.
Mike had composed himself by the time it took her to get the radio.
“Thanks.” He said as she went past him.
“No problem. If it was like anything we saw during our trip you deserved to shed a tear or two. You can’t be tough all of the time. Can you bring the battery and the black case too?”
“Yeah. You want this big radio too?”
“Later. That’s the base station. We�
�ll set up the receiver first and see what’s out there, but first we’ve got to get the battery charged up.”
Mike grabbed the black pelican case and the battery. There were other boxes holding more equipment. He peeked in and saw smaller radios still in the original boxes, and hard plastic encased walkie-talkies, he counted three sets of those. On one box he read 2-meter band and Kenwood on one and knew what it meant. At one time he had wanted to learn the basics of amateur radio but had never taken the time. He found the concept of talking to and listening to people from all over interesting and knowing how to use the side-band radio would be a worthwhile skill to have. He followed Ellen up the short staircase to the kitchen.
“As soon as we have the batteries charged up we can use the receiver to keep track of any transmissions made by other operators. We know there are others out there. We met some people in Eureka California who talked to someone up here on his ham. If we can hear what’s going on we can prepare accordingly.”
“Do you think there’s a chance we can talk to the guy back home?” Rob asked. “Frank told me of the soldiers in Panama. He said they gave you guys a couple of handhelds for communication. What happened to those?”
Ellen felt her stomach sink. Rob was right. She hadn’t thought of them and she had burned them along with the Annie-C. She hadn’t been thinking clearly when she’d burned the boat. Now for many other reasons’ she had been kicking herself and now she could include the loss of the radios as well as the frequencies inked onto the backs of them. She had no idea which channel they would use to make contact if they ever did.
Ellen took the black pelican case from Mike and went outside. She wasn’t exactly sure how to set up the solar array, but there were instructions that came with the setup and she did know how to read.
It took a while but between them, they figured out how to set up the solar panel and the trickle charger with the battery.
There were so many preparations to made to increase the security of their property, but Ellen wanted someone else to step up and either help or take charge. Her plans hadn’t extended beyond getting to the farm.
Dangerous Shores: Book Three; The End of the Road Page 33