A Long Lonely Road

by Tj Reeder

  Now I sat down and leaned back against the side of the truck and waited. The sun kept doing it’s thing and soon the roosters was doing theirs. I heard a screen door squeak but no slam so I knew it wasn’t a kid.

  I heard a cough like a man will do early in the morning, like I do. I figured it was time for the next step so I lit the paper and dry grass in the kindling pile of the camp fire I’d laid.

  Not because I needed the fire but a man who’s up to no good ain’t likely to build a fire out in the open for all to see.

  Soon enough I heard somebody banging on something iron but not the dinner triangle and then the screen door went to banging and I was close enough to hear rounds being chambered. If this didn’t work then I’d know in a few minutes.

  I just sat there and after it got a bit lighter I poured a cup of coffee and with elaborate movements I doctored it to taste. By this time the sausage was making some good smells and the breeze was blowing it right at the house, not that I planned that part.

  Well it took a while longer then I thought it would but soon I saw a man walking out the road rifle in hand but not aimed at me. I wasn’t bullshitting myself one tiny bit though. I knew damn well there was at least 2 rifles on me if not more.

  After a bit the man was within talking distance and stopped, looked around and after a bit said “is that real coffee I smell?” “I said yep come on in and have a cup.”

  Which he did. He was looking over my entire rig and at last asked if the dog was a man eater? I laughed out loud and said “hell she a man licker.” He gestured at the door of the truck and I nodded.

  Molly shot out of there like a bullet and totally ignoring the man ran over to inspect the skillet. Then ran off to pee.

  The man looked at me so I stood up slow and offered my hand and said howdy “My names Johnny Walker” which got a smile and he said “I’d kill for a taste of that right now! But I’d settle for coffee “.

  He said his name was William Bremmer and this was his place and his daddy’s and grand daddy’s and his daddy’s. said they had been here since some time after the War of Northern Aggression.

  Well sir now I really liked this man. I swear I could hear a tiny bit of back home in his voice. But I knew it wasn’t.

  I got a cup and poured him some and sat back down pointing out the sugar and creamer, he shook his head and sipping the hot brew just kinda seemed to melt down.

  We both smiled at each other because we both knew the feeling. I offered him some sausage which he took on the paper plate it was on and we both sat eating and drinking coffee. Molly was getting put out because she was watching a stranger eating her share of the meat.

  The man looked at her then me and raised an eyebrow in question and I nodded and he fed Molly some of his meat. I did too and she was kinda ok but still felt she was shorted.

  I explained to her that the world had ended and she had to adapt. Which got a sad smile and a nod from the man.

  We sat and talked for almost two hours , Molly explored and then did her job, she crawled under the truck and went to sleep.

  Bill as he liked to be called had the first news I’d heard. He said all he knew was they woke up to a different world then they went to sleep in.

  He had no idea what happened but he knew it wasn’t gonna be good so he used a pair of horses to drag the logs in front of the gate and they built the watch tower on the barn right away.

  I told him about what I thought had happened meaning an EMP. He wasn’t too sure what that was so I explained as best I could and we both sat and thought about that a while.

  I told him about the three outlaws and the dead man. He just shook his head and said good riddance to trash. As I said before I was liking this man.

  He said come on up to the house since I ate your dogs breakfast yawl can eat with us, breakfast is waiting to see if we was gonna have a funeral first.

  We both laughed at that and I fired up the old truck and headed up the road behind him, he showed me the pathway thru the logs and thru the steel gate and pointed to a place to park under a tree.

  We washed in an old wash pan that looked like it came west with his great granpa twice removed. He said it had!

  While we was washing the other men folk drifted in and were introduced as Bills brother Bob and their boys both called Junior. Bob said it made it easier coz they both came running when they heard the call.

  Inside the ladies were setting the table with a feast for my eyes. Eggs and bacon and ham , fried spuds and a huge pile of biscuits.

  I looked around and asked to be excused and ran out to the truck and came back with a 3 pound bag of coffee beans. I just knew if these folks still used a 100+ year old wash pan there was a real grinder and there was.

  I thought Bob was gonna cry but he just kept smiling real big. One of the ladies which I couldn’t keep straight since they were sisters married to brothers and both looked like two peas in a pod. Anyway she started grinding beans and the smell just took over the kitchen.

  We went to eating while a big ol coffee pot started bubbling and by the time we were full it was ready. Not knowing the state of their supplies I got up and went out again and returned with 5 lbs of sugar and some creamer.

  One look at the wives faces I knew they were surprised by the gesture but both said thank you and we washed down that wonderful meal with coffee the first they had since just after the trouble started.

  After breakfast I offered to help out with their chores and we all trooped out together while the ladies cleaned up inside.

  One of the Jr’s went up and relieved the youngsters to come eat which they did after staring at me and scratching Molly’s ears .

  After the morning chores were done we sat in the shade of the barn door and talked. I told them what I thought happened and it was pretty strange.

  I’d had plenty of time to think and I’d come to the conclusion that the only nation on earth who could do this was…… Us.

  Yep the good ol US of A. I had no proof but logic tells me it wasn’t a terrorist act. My thoughts were that with the mounting debt. The people damn near marching on Washington with guns and rope. The worthless bastards in Washington took the cowards way out.

  I think they filed bankruptcy in a big way and on the entire world. Would they do such a thing ? not only yes but hell yes in a heart beat. I figure they took the cowards way out. Can’t pay your bills find a way out!

  I figured they didn’t want to leave the doors open to others so they just closed everybody’s doors. I figured if anybody really knew the truth there had been big jets hauling the “Important” people out to some place safe from the great unwashed.

  And now a good portion of the world would die because of them and they were living in style while small kids died from starvation or much worse. I could be wrong but I don’t think so. And if I live to make it home, I’m gonna see if I can find a way to prove it one way or the other and if they can be found then I believe it’s rope dance time.

  But for now I had business to do. After the others went about their days labor I asked the brothers to have a sit. I told them about my family in Texas and that I was going home.

  Bill offered what he could in fuel since their newer trucks wouldn’t run and they had lots of fuel in their underground tank. But I told him I had another plan and offered to trade the truck and whatever I didn’t need for a good saddle horse and maybe a couple of pack horses.

  They looked at me like I was crazy and finely Bob said “ Johnny, no offence but ain’t you a tad bit old to be trying to ride across the whole damn country on a horse?” I had to laugh because he was right. But I had a plan and was gonna stick to it.

  I agreed with him but asked him what he would do if it was his family in TX? He agreed I had no choice. And one thing they had was horses and best of all several good mules they used for packing hunters during season.

  So we got down to it. And I ended up with a better deal then I ever expected. Bill brought out a big long legged line
backed Buckskinned riding Mule. And two red pack mules complete with pack saddles and packs.

  I gave them the truck and the weapons and ammo I got from the trash I took out . I asked if that was fair and they both said more then fair. Critters they had, wheels no. and the extra 30-06 ammo was a god sent for them as they all had one.

  I asked if all of them had weapons and found they were short for the younger boys and at that I smiled and started unloading the truck.

  I pulled out a 10-22 with a folding stock I had extra and a fifty cal can full of 22 LR ammo and 5 25 round Butler creek magazines. That left me my heavy bbl 10-22 I used to drop the three turds in the camp ground.

  I also had a Savage 223 bolt gun with a 12 power Leopold scope on it, I gave them that and a fifty cal can of Wolf FMJ’s which held 1000 rounds.

  I asked about their shotguns and they had three 12 gages but were low on buck shot, I dug out a can of slugs and one of controlled flight buckshot.

  They were looking at me like I was crazy and I laughed and told them that not only was I a 3 gun competition shooter I also had picked up stuff I had left in MT when I headed south to be close to Mom.

  I had more weight then even a mule would want to pack and these were good folks and I wanted to make sure they were able to defend their place.

  I kept looking thru the stuff and sitting things aside to get a count. I had way too much 45 ammo but they didn’t own one so that was out. I’d find a trade for it later I was sure.

  I also had more guns then I needed but I knew I would need trading supplies down the road. Bill and Bob were talking quietly and Bob left for the

  house , after a bit he returned with a sack which he said was for me.

  It had coins in it , what’s called junk silver. When I looked at them they laughed and Bob said “John we may live in the boonies but we didn’t come in on the last banana boat“.

  Seems they were preparing long ago but screwed up on the ammo thing, this caught them off guard and the dudes and hunters have been thin due to the economy. So we were saving each other.

  We gathered all the stuff I was taking and took it into the barn where they showed me how to pack it so’s not to rub the Mules raw and to not overload one side.

  These packs were the kind that looked like big sacks and could be hung on the cross bow of the pack saddle and loaded right there . After making sure I knew how to load them we headed in for lunch.

  It had been a long morning. I told them I was going to rest a while and to call me if they needed any help with anything. I went into the barn and laid out my bedroll in some clean straw near the 3 mules and with Molly there I went right out.

  I woke up When Bill’s wife banged the dinner gong and washed up at the porch and went in. The family were waiting for me to sit. So I did and we really put away the chow, it was wonderful.

  After the meal was done Bill asked the two youngsters to head up to the crows nest to keep an eye out and for one of the JR’s to come eat.

  After the lad had filled his plate Bill spoke up and asked if I was inclined to do some more trading? I asked what he had in mind. He said they were well stocked with food since they raised almost all they needed.

  He was interested in trading more silver and some small gold coins for the excess stuff I had. I never even thought about it. Just said yes and we headed out the door.

  This time they all walked out to see what I had still in the truck. I took a tarp and started going thru it all. When I was done I had a small mountain of goods.

  I set one of the remaining 3 lb bags of coffee beans on the tarp.

  Also about half the sugar I had.

  All but 3 pounds of salt and half the pepper.

  The case of toilet paper less 9 rolls.

  I set my 10-22 HB off to the keep side and 5 of the Butler Creek 25 round magazines and all my subsonic 22 LR ammo as well as 4 bricks of ammo.

  I put 6 bricks on the tarp. Along with 5 more mags for the 10-22 I gave them earlier.

  I set my 308 and all the ammo I had for it on the keep pile

  I pulled a long case out and opened it, looked at my sweet Savage Heavy Barrel 300 Magnum with the 12 power Leopold scope I laid that on the tarp along with 300 rounds of hand loads.

  I stood there a moment weighing things in my mind and then laid my AR 15 on the tarp along with all the magazines and 2 50 cal cans of ammo. Bill started making sounds like he was out of breath and I smiled at him and opened my last gun case .

  There was my beautiful made in America Arsenal Inc Milled Receiver Ak-47 with the Ultimak gas tube scope rail… with a Eotech sight on it .this was going with me.

  I knew no matter how rough it got this AK would be right there at the end, still doing it’s job. That’s what these things do, they are just about bomb proof.

  I had 10 mags and 1000 rounds of ammo for it. I had kept my 308, AK, 870 10-22 and my Pare 45 and maybe a few other little surprises. Oh and my old Kbar I liberated from the Marines about a 100 years ago.

  All in all I had really thinned the herd but I had more then I could use really and had really lightened the load for the mules while allowing me to Pack more food which I was gonna need more then a ton of guns.

  I looked at the Brothers and their families who were looking at me like I was either crazy or crazy. Bill started to say something but I stopped him . I told them that I would have had to dump most of this before I ever saw home and seeing home was first and foremost in my mind.

  I told them to put their loot away and to decide between them what they could spare for it but to not go crazy as they would need everything they had plus more.

  After dinner I went out to the bags I had clothing in and removed a rolled up towel and went back inside, Bills wife jumped up and said she had towels and would show me the bathroom.

  I kinda laughed and unrolled the towel and set a quart of Johnny Walker on the table. Bill and Bob I swear had tear in their eyes.

  We spent the evening sipping the good stuff and talking about the past, the future and what we thought would shake out after the smoke cleared.

  None of us even knew what had happened and with this ranch being so far out in the middle of nowhere it was likely to be a long time before they knew.

  As much as I was enjoying their company I knew come first light I’d be moving out and I expected to be wore out by days end. I hadn’t spent a day on a horse in 25 years but I knew it would come back.`

  I needed to pack so I’d be ready early, the brothers came with me and we sorted thru the stuff and finely ended up with 2 pretty even loads.

  These packs wouldn’t need to be unpacked unless everything got soaked in a storm or crossing a river, just take them off at night and try to use evenly from each.

  I was worried about over loading the mules but the brothers assured me the load was light compared to the usual loads they packed.

  I decided to dump the extra ammo into canvas feed bags they had and leave the cans.

  After looking at it I could see I was over loaded with 12 gage ammo still so I cut it back to 100 rounds of each if buck and slugs.

  I still had plenty of trade good since I didn’t intend to shoot my way across the country.

  The Ladies announced supper which I must say was a feast, I won’t even bother describing it except to say that poor riding mule was gonna earn his keep for sure.

  After supper it was back to the barn to double check the loads. They used a old fashion method by hanging a cross tree from a rafter and a pack from each side making it easy to level the loads then weight all 4 against each other and soon they were even.

  Bill went in the house and returned shortly with 2 bags that contained more junk silver coins and then pulled another from his pocket which he poured into his had and it was small gold coins.

  I told his it was too much but both said no it’s not even close to enough. Bob said “ John, in truth we figure you saved our lives because while we have LTS ( long term storage ) food enough for a few years we
were really caught short on ammo and thanks to you we might make it now”.

  We just all smiled and shook hands and pulling up a stump so to speak we passed that bottle around a bit but we all sipped sparingly. Soon enough it was dark and time for bed, it had been one long day for sure.

  But a peaceful night wasn’t in the plan. Along about what felt like midnight or so I heard one of the lads on the roof say something followed soon by one of them moving down the ladder.

  I whispered to him asking what was up, he whispered back that he had heard what sounded like a car door shutting out by the road. He moved quietly on to the house to pass the word.