“Why not?”
“The men who killed her would have taken her.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“Two years ago, there were men in the valley who ate the dead.”
“And they came here?”
“They blew the roof and the outer door. The holes on the front wall are from a machine gun. The damage to the cave wall was from a hand grenade.”
“And you survived the attack.”
“Barely.”
“The other side?”
“All dead.”
“Their bodies?”
“I suppose their friends came for them. May have had to fight wolves for what was left.”
“You lived here?”
“I built it. A friend did the cave.”
The man frowned and turned for the door. “This place has electric outlets, plumbing, and appliances. It was built long before the troubles. Long before the cave.”
Chapter 108
The man stretched out beside Karla on the bed where he had slept. Karla’s hands were bound over her head, tied to her feet by a rope looped through the simple metal bed frame. Seven days on the bed, by her count.
Marcus, the name he’d given, touched her rib in the darkness and ran a hand across her stomach. Karla flinched, but not from pain. He pulled on his boots and opened the front door a crack and let in light. A cold breeze followed it. Marcus sliced off a hunk of jerky and chewed it. Joshua stirred in his room. In a few minutes he brought in a bed pan and loosened the ropes to Karla’s hands. He stood by the door and waited. She used the blanket as best she could. She had mastered the routine.
Joshua left with the pan and Marcus returned. He had her 9mm. “You’ve healed enough for work.”
Karla waved her hands. “Pretty hard like this.”
“That gets us to the point, doesn’t it? Just what you’re good for.”
“You may as well shoot me now.”
He racked the slide and aimed the gun at her head. “This isn’t a joke. You want to eat, you work. You mess up, you die. Clear enough?”
“I’ll leave if you let me. Take Jessie and go. You keep the weapons and gear.”
“How do I know you won’t come back with help for whatever you left?”
“I’ll give you my word. Freely given, I don’t break it.”
Marcus huffed. “I have to take what you say with a grain of salt.”
Joshua returned and stood by his father. Marcus lowered the gun.
“We could use a woman’s touch. Can you cook?”
“Not well, even if there was something to work with.”
“Clean.”
“I suppose.”
“I haven’t laid hand on you. Unless you got something else to offer, that’s going to change.”
“I can hunt. Then nobody need go hungry.”
Marcus snorted
“Haul water and wood. You need both.”
“We can handle that.”
“With Joshua’s help, I can get light in here.”
“How?”
“There’s solar cells on the roof. More at the cave. I’m guessing enough can be made workable to put on a couple lights. Maybe a bit more.”
Marcus nodded. “Go ahead. But the boy don’t work for you.”
“I get that done, we coexist here?”
“I get your meaning. It will buy you time.”
“How about my hands?”
Marcus unhooked Karla from the bed and led her outside. He sat her near a large rock and produced a section of light chain. Joshua stood a few feet away with a rifle. Marcus wrapped her wrists and pounded links together with a rock. She could separate her hands a bit more than a foot. He gave her ankles eighteen inches.
“Here’s the rules. No second chances. You don’t go ten feet from the house, unless I say so. You don’t even try to get those off. Something happens to the chains, you tell me or Joshua and sit wherever you are.”
“Okay.”
“Today you’ll clean and wash. Tomorrow we’ll talk water. Not sure what use wood is. That stove throws more smoke than heat.”
“It can be fixed.”
Marcus snorted. “So can this whole country with a few more bombs.” He looked at his son. “Joshua’s staying with you. You know he can shoot, and he will. I’ll see about dinner.”
* * *
Joshua and Karla collected the solar panels from the cave along with pliers and screwdrivers. She told him where to find a ladder. She removed two shattered panels from the roof and hooked in the ones from the cave. Several of the originals appeared undamaged. She disassembled a breaker box in the house, made the connections behind it to the solar array and the wind turbine, then flipped switches. She sent Joshua to the storage shed while she removed an access panel, turned on the gas and set the generator to auto start.
Joshua returned with stove pipe. He lay in the wrecked section of outer roof, reached through a bent rebar grate and fished sand, and cement from a horizontal section of flue pipe. Karla fashioned a rag on a branch to help.
He cleared it, then laid in a one foot section of loose rock to form a vertical flue from the grate. They dropped in the new pipe and filled around it with dirt and rock.
“What’s that?” Joshua asked. The batteries had charged enough to start the generator. It had kicked on the water pump.
“The solar cells pump water, too. What’s left of it.”
Karla didn’t let on about the diesel generator, afraid Marcus would drain her car if he knew the fuel would keep the generator running. She was lost without transportation, and damned if she’d be his sex toy. Her usefulness would be her salvation.
Chapter 109
Ray ripped the notice from the wall and strode upstairs. Lamar sat with three of his former charges in the great room.
Ray waved the paper. “What’s this about?”
“Just what it says. We’re calling a meeting.”
“To form a governing body?”
“It says to discuss forming one.”
“You wait till Karla’s away. That’s brave of you.”
“Ray, if you have something to say, bring it to the meeting. I’m just the messenger.”
“Yeah, right.” Ray walked to the bedrooms in back and knocked on Brittany’s door. She let him in.
“What do you know about the meeting?”
“Lamar’s been talking to people about an election. He called a meeting to get it done. He doesn’t like the way Karla does things.”
Ray snorted. “She’s really not going to like this.”
* * *
Ray walked into the dining hall of building three with Brittany. The room was nearly full and they sat on the far end from the lone table placed sideways where Lamar faced the residents. At six exactly, Lamar rose.
“Looks like we have a full house. Is anyone on duty, Ray?”
“Nancy Mueller is on the monitor. Davie Hamm in the tower.”
“Excellent. Then we can get started.” Lamar lifted a sheet of paper. “More than a few people have approached me and suggested we form a committee to bring more order to our community. I am a fan of simplicity, but as a founding member here, I agreed to chair the meeting to make that happen.”
“The first order of business, then, is a simple vote. Who present believes a representative committee would better serve our administrative needs—codifying basic rules, setting assignments and schedules, handling outside procurements, settling arguments, that sort of thing? Raise your hands, please.”
About half the hands went up.
Ray stood. “Is there going to be discussion, or are you going to railroad things through?”
“You can say your piece.” Lamar answered.
“I’d like to start with a question. “Why are you holding this meeting while Karla is away?”
“There are seventy one other people here. Is your quorum seventy two?”
/> “I think she basically put this community together. To purposely leave her out should require an explanation.”
“Do you think she would approve of this?”
“I doubt it.”
“What do you think she would do if she did know, put me out?”
“Not likely.”
“But if she decided to, you’d back her up.”
“She doesn’t need backing.”
“If I recall, in the last meeting she did and you provided it, clubbing a young man who didn’t like her decisions.”
“He attacked her. I broke it up.”
Lamar snorted. “Nevertheless, you are head of security. From whom do you receive your orders?”
“I am not the head.”
“Who is?”
“Karla and I decide most things security related.”
“So, you are co-leaders and in her absence, now, you are head of security. Who do you take direction from?”
“Me, I guess.”
“No one else?”
“Not while she’s gone.”
“The security force carries guns, like the police or the army. Do you think the police or the army should answer to no one?”
“You’re making more of it than it is. A small group has no need of the structure you’re talking about.”
“Let’s see.” Lamar raised his voice. “Who here thinks our security force should answer only to themselves?” Lamar waited. “Hands please.” None went up.
“How many here think security should be appointed by and answer to a resident committee?” Half the hands rose. Lamar pointed around the room and mouthed numbers. “Thirty seven. Passed.”
“How many think that committee should be composed of a representative from each housing block and one at large representative?”
“The older buildings have fewer residents,” A man pointed out.
“Okay. Buildings one and two count as a single unit.”
A voice rose from the crowd. “That makes a committee of four. Shouldn’t there be an odd number?”
“Try this,” Lamar said. “One representative from each building. A separate vote to pick a chairperson who will also act as a tie breaker. All in favor?” Most hands went up.
“Passed. Now I suggest we select an interim group to set rules and organize a full election. We should go building by building, nominate candidates, and vote by show of hands.”
The motion passed and Lamar called a recess. Ray met with Brittany and Rainy.
“Lamar’s group will control our building,” Ray said. “Our best bet is to nominate Karla at-large.”
“One of us still needs to run,” Rainy said.
Ray nodded. “You or me?”
“You’re more visible.”
Lamar reconvened the meeting. “Buildings one and two is open for nominations.”
Alexis Chandler stood. “Cameron Phelps.”
Lamar found a second. “Who else?”
Brittany stood. “Ray Bramlett.”
“Brittany, how old are you?” Lamar asked.
“Fifteen.”
“I guess the age of voters is an issue for the committee to iron out. I’ll take your nomination unless the floor objects.”
“Move on, Lamar,” Steven Rheinhold said.
Lamar continued, facing Brittany. “You have also introduced another interesting issue. A hallmark of democracy is a separation of the military and the civilian. An active duty general can’t take a seat in congress. A state police captain cannot also be governor. The functions are necessarily separate.” He rubbed his chin. “So we’re all clear on who is eligible, we’ll put it to the group. Do you want active duty security officers serving also as legislators? Show of hands for those in favor.” Ray, Brittany, Rainy, a few others.
“Motion failed. Ray, do you want to keep your security post or run for the committee?”
Ray considered for a moment and stood. “Keep my post.”
Brittany stood again. “Rainy Harmon.”
“Rainy, do you wish to resign your post?”
“Yes.”
“Second?”
Ray stood. “Here. I can still vote, can’t I?”
* * *
“Okay,” Lamar said. “We’ve got our building reps. Now, we move on to the at-large. Nominations, please.”
Ray stood. “Karla Becker.”
“Second,” said Gail from building three.
Lamar frowned. “We voted earlier to prohibit active security from taking a seat on the committee. Karla is certainly an active member.”
“We can elect her, and she can choose which she wants,” Ray said. “You know what she’ll do.”
“She needs to resign first. We said that. The rules apply to her the same as anyone else.”
“I vote we rescind the rule,” Ray offered.
“Fair enough. Who is in favor of allowing active security people to also head the government? Remember this is an interim committee, meeting now. Karla is not present of her own choice. She will have her chance to resign her post and run in the general election when she returns.” Half the hands went up.
Lamar pointed and counted. “Thirty four. Failed.” A murmur followed. Ray, Brittany, and Rainy walked out.
Chapter 110
Marcus opened the door to low lights from the LEDs. Karla had turned off the generator, though the batteries were by no means fully charged. He eyed a pan of cornbread cooling on the rack. He handed her a rabbit.
“What can you do with that?”
“Stewed, pan fried, or roasted.”
“Your choice.”
“The oven’s warm.” Karla dropped the rabbit in the sink. “I’ll need to use a knife to prepare it.”
Marcus pulled a chair across the room and rested a gun on his lap. “Go ahead.”
She selected a knife from a drawer, skinned the rabbit, cleaned it, and placed it in a roasting pan with pepper, rosemary, and basil. Herbs and spices had remained available after food vanished.
“How much power those cells put out?”
“Maybe five kilowatts on a sunny day. The batteries need to charge for the system to work right.”
“Will they heat the house?”
“You won’t freeze, but you’ll need to cut some wood.”
“What’s with the water?”
“The tanks are built in. I filled them. We’ll need to haul more.”
“The toilet works?”
“And the shower. But no hot water for a while.”
Marcus watched as Karla pulled out plates and set the table. “Smells good. Thought you couldn’t cook.”
Karla shrugged. “My résumé lists more valuable skills.”
* * *
Karla cleared the table and washed dishes. “I’m going to test the plumbing in the bathroom, then lie down.” She waited for an acknowledgement before stepping across the room. It was hard to stop at every move and request permission. Better with Joshua. He simply watched with hard black eyes.
She lay on the bed with the door open and fell asleep. Marcus woke her when he came in and connected the chains to the bed.
Chapter 111
Rainy brought Ray the notice. Cameron Phelps was their building’s representative. Lamar was the at-large winner.
Ray whistled. “Slick. Cameron’s his girl, now he controls the committee. Lamar just took over. Karla’s going to be pissed.”
“What can she do?”
“I don’t know. But it might include tossing him over the front gate. . . . If I don’t do it first.”
“I hope she hurries.”
* * *
The committee met in open session two nights later. Lamar opened the meeting and picked up a paper. “The committee has selected five group leaders. They will manage their areas and report to the committee weekly or as we deem necessary. Those leaders are: Security: Danny Vallen; Food: Gail Hardin; Procurement: Dusty Rector; Medi
cal: Jill Asbury; Maintenance: Ray Bramlett. The leaders will submit a list of personnel needed and the names of their preferences. Others, feel free to speak to the leaders about particular jobs. The committee will clear up conflicts and approve assignments. Any questions?”
Lamar fielded several. Ray kept his to himself. He would talk to Danny Vallen before he resigned his post in maintenance. Lamar was slick again with that one: putting him in charge, pushing him out of the way.
“No more questions. Then we can move on to the Rules of Conduct.”
Lamar’s rules read like high school handbook meets the Ten Commandments.
Among many others: No violence of any kind. No stealing, or cursing other residents. No immodest clothing outside resident’s rooms. No unwanted sexual advances. Separation of male/female sleeping quarters except for the married. No disrespectful behavior toward authorities. Penalties would be appropriate for the offence and determined by the committee.
* * *
Danny Vallen was more than happy to keep Ray and put Rainy back on Security. He thought Brittany too young at fifteen, despite her experience. Ray sought out Lamar ahead of his scheduled meeting. He was the committee.
“I’ve spoken with Danny. He’s fine to keep me on security. I’ll resign the maintenance post.”
“You sure you want to do that?”
“Yes.”
Lamar shook his head. “I was trying to find you an easy position. I think you’ve earned it. If you don’t want it, submit a written resignation to the committee. As soon as possible please. We need to select someone else.”
Chapter 112
Morning brought snow—four inches and still falling. Karla hauled wood from the cave, carrying a log or two at a time, stacking it on a full wall in the kitchen. Joshua brought down a couple, but mostly watched, a gun always at hand. Karla lit the stove after they finished and flicked the breaker for the shower water heater. The solar was useless in the snow, but the batteries could handle the short drain.
“I’d like to take a shower and wash off the sweat,” Karla said.
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