As they prepared to leave the first barn, they heard the back screen door of the house open and a Scorpion with a rifle started across the yard toward the second barn. As he walked he called out, “Hey, Charley and Cece, it’s me, Hal. Don’t y’all shoot me now, ya hear. I’m coming to relieve you. Dave’ll be along shortly.” When he got no response, he said, “Hey, where are you? You aren’t in the barn havin’ some fun, are ya?” By that time, Colby had silently moved closer to the second barn, got down on one knee, and quietly said, “Psst, over here.” Hal turned toward the sound and received a hunting arrow through the sternum for his effort. Bud, who had followed his son, quickly ran out and removed the body to join his friend in the first barn. Then Dave exited the house and, without any hesitation headed toward the second barn, as well. He was more interested in smoking and looking at the stars than he was in where he was headed and walked right into a well-placed hunting arrow. Both arrows had been so perfectly placed that the only sound made by both men had been a sudden exhalation of air. Bud repeated his role and they both went back to the first barn to await Bishop’s signal, with four more rifles than when they had started.
Meanwhile, Bishop had taken the key from around the neck of one of the guards and quietly unlocked the padlock. They silently entered the barn and took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the dark interior, squeezing them tightly closed and then slowly opening them. They could see groups of people huddled together on loose hay throughout the barn; obviously, staying in close proximity to those they knew. Very quietly, but loud enough for those in the barn to hear, Jen said, “Shush, there is no need to be afraid, we are here to help. Please be quiet.” And Tess, repeated the same phrase in Spanish. Both repeated the phrase until everyone in the barn was aware of their presence. Bishop then said, “My name is Bishop. Please do exactly what we say and we will get you away from here.” Tess repeated it. Then Bishop, Jen, and Tess got all the people to their feet and told them to quietly follow them, leaving their belongings behind because they could get them later. They led them out the door and toward the then barren corn fields. When they got to the fields Bishop and Tess, in both languages, said, “Walk quietly out into the field at least 100 yards and then lie down. Do not move or make a sound, no matter what happens, until we come back for you.” One of the women told Tess that her daughter had not come back to the barn yet that night and was still in the house. It was obvious from her demeanor that she knew and dreaded what could be happening to her daughter.
It was at that point that Jonas Caldwell stepped up to Bishop and said, “You have a real knack for showing up at the most unexpected times, Bishop.” Bishop had expected to find Jonas and Cindy here, but hadn’t had time to look for them. He gave Jonas and Cindy, who was standing at his side, a big hug. “What can I do to help?” Jonas asked.
“You can help the most by keeping these people calm and doing what I said,” he responded. “Jenny and Tess, here, will stay with you until I come back. And, you, Cindy, take care of that little one you’re carrying,” he said, pointing at her enlarged belly, with a large smile on his face. With that Bishop turned and headed back toward the barn while Jen and Tess, with Jonas’ help, moved the people out into the field.
When Bishop got back to the second barn he saw that Bud had removed the second body. At that point he wasn’t aware of the other two guards that Colby had dispatched. He and Bud moved counter-clockwise from the second barn so they had an open, but sheltered, line of sight to the back door. Matt and Colby started some of the rags on fire, using matches they brought with them, and then threw lit rags into the corners where they had poured gasoline, and quickly lit the rags in some of the motorcycles’ gas tanks. They then ran to prearranged positions to the clockwise side of the first barn. Now, they had the house completely covered.
With a loud swoosh the barn exploded in flame, intensifying each time a gas tank exploded. It took only seconds before Scorpions began running out the back door. Some carried rifles, others barely had their pants on; others were in their skivvies. It was the women, in various stages of undress, who led the charge heading straight for the motorcycle storage barn. Their precious bikes were inside.
Six women and three men raced into the building and, almost as quickly, were consumed by a large explosion as bikes, gas cans, grease, and oil erupted in one large fireball. By now everyone was out of the house, or at least Bishop thought so, yelling and trying to figure out what was going on. Not one of them gave any thought to the people in the second barn which, fortunately was far enough away not to be ignited by the first barn. The wind was blowing away from the barn, which helped, though the paint on the second barn still blistered.
One large biker, the one who had hauled the women back to the barn earlier, came out the front door, carrying a backpack on his shoulder and a double-barreled shotgun in one hand, and wearing a sidearm; dragging a young girl by her hair. She was whimpering and frightened and, in that split second, as they exited the house, Jason thought it was Tess. Without thinking Jason called out, “Hey, stop right there.” The Scorpion saw Jason and started raising the shotgun. Jason didn’t hesitate—he put a bullet right between the big man’s eyes, dropping him before he could fire the shotgun and freeing the girl. An expert shot, given that the only light was from the full moon. And the war was on!
The bikers in the back yard, not knowing where the rifle shot had come from, nor seen its results, began firing wildly and in all directions, to no effect. Bud, Bishop, Cole and Matt, all trained marksmen, from their concealed positions, aimed carefully and exterminated the remaining Scorpions. When there were no Scorpions left standing, Bishop and Bud ran to the house, burst through the back door and, removing flashlights from their pockets, quickly checked every room, closet, pantry, and bathroom. They went to the attic and they checked the basement. The nest was empty. By then the other three men had joined him and all began hauling the Scorpions’ bodies to the first barn. Colby found Jason, sitting on the front porch with the girl he had thought was Tess, but wasn’t. When Jason saw what he had done he turned away from the girl and vomited. He had seen dead bodies before, since the CME, but never one he had killed. He was obviously shook. Colby assured him he had done the right thing and maybe even saved the young girl’s life. He also assured him that Tess was alive and well with Jenny and the others. It took Jason and Colby to haul the large man from the front yard to the barn.. The heat was intense but, with the balaclavas protecting their faces, they quickly threw the body into the inferno and retreated. The barn had already begun to collapse onto itself, the voracious flames consuming everything—the consummate crematorium.
The men removed their balaclavas and jackets and sat on the back porch to let the adrenaline subside. There was no talking. Though they had previously discussed what needed to be done, but not in front of the women, they nevertheless were shocked at what they had done, even though some might consider it to be self-defense.
Bishop left the group and headed back to the field, where he called out to Jen, Tess, and Jonas, telling them they could all come back in. “There is nothing to fear.” Jason retrieved the young girl who was still sitting on the front porch where he had left her and took her around to the back. When she spotted her mother, the two ran to each other and embraced, both crying. When she reported to her mother that she was all right, that she had not been abused in the house, but had been terrified when the Scorpion leader had dragged her with him out the front door, and had been saved by Jason, Jason became an instant hero
◘ ◘ ◘ ◘ ◘
Those who could sleep managed to get a couple of hours before the sun came up. Tess stayed in the barn with the people she knew from the Hauptman farm, confirming that her parents and Miguel were dead. She told them how she and her brothers had been taken in by Mr. Bishop’s people and that they were living in tents on a mesa “somewhere,” not far from the bridge where her parents were killed.
Jenny and Colby decided to make a more thorough search
of the house and Jason joined them. Bud, Bishop, and Matt sat on the porch and dozed.
When dawn broke, it was clear and sparkling and was welcomed by the sound of a rooster crowing nearby. The barn was still smoldering but the breeze was carrying the smoke away from the house and the other barn. In the clear light of day they got their first view of how extensive the farm was, stretching about as far as they could see. The fields were clean and had been prepared for seeding, probably by the captives. In the far distance, cattle could be seen grazing. Down behind the second barn, where they hadn’t been seen the night before, was a large fenced pen with sheep and goats—and a chicken roost.
Jenny was excited as she approached Bishop. “This place is a treasure house of food,” she exclaimed. “The basement is like a super market with shelves loaded with canned and preserved fruits and vegetables, and bulk dried foods like beans, flour, corn meal, etc. There are cases of powdered milk and fruit juices—and a whole shelf of #10 cans of coffee! And, that’s just what’s in the basement. The kitchen cabinets and pantry were loaded, as well. These people could have lived well for many years, especially with the fresh vegetables they were also growing. They just needed meat.”
“I don’t think that was a problem,” Bishop responded, as he pointed to the cattle grazing at the far end of the field. And, a rooster crowed this morning,” he added, “so there must be chickens.” He hadn’t yet seen the sheep, goats, and chickens.
By this time, the captives, led by Tess, Jonas, and a man Bishop did not know, had exited the barn and joined them on the porch. Tess said, “I forgot to show you on the map where the goats, sheep, and chickens were. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not a problem,” replied Bishop. “Good thing they weren’t behind the other barn though,” chuckling, “or we’d have lots of roasted goat meat, mutton, and chicken.”
Without being asked, Cindy and some of the other women entered the kitchen and began preparing a very large breakfast. Though they were used to cooking large meals for the Scorpions, the captives got very meager rations—so they outdid themselves this particular morning, whipping up pancakes, fresh eggs, and beef steaks they found in a freezer in the basement. Rafael, the leader of the Hauptman farm group, having replaced Tess’s father, turned on the generator so the freezer could refreeze. The stove and ovens operated on propane from a very large tank Bishop’s group had not seen the night before, having been blocked from view by the myriad of pickups and cars parked beyond the house. Now, they could also see a gasoline storage tank, at least equal to the one at the Ranger Station, on stilts beyond the vehicles; and they discovered the farm had a large water storage tank supplied by a windmill, as most farms in the region did.
The ladies kept cooking until everyone had had their fill before finally sitting down to join them. It was the best meal most of the captives had eaten, some of them in almost a year. Sated, they all sat on the porch, some in chairs and a porch swing, some on the floor with their backs up against house, and others with their legs dangling over the edge. It was Bishop who grabbed attention away from the myriad of conversations, in two languages, that were occurring.
“The Scorpions,” he said, and Tess translated, “have apologized for how poorly they’ve treated you people and have moved on. They won’t be coming back,” he said, with a finality that needed no translation.
“So, I have a proposal for you to consider. My friends and I came here yesterday to negotiate with the Scorpions to let us take our friends back to Pine Valley and to gain the freedom of the rest of you. This farm now belongs to all of you, so you can stay or go, it’s your choice.”
“Speaking for those of us from Pine Valley,” said Jonas, “it would be hard for us to ever have the food supply that this farm can provide and I think we’d like to stay.” The Pine Valley group all nodded in support. “However,” he continued, “we’ll need to take some of the trucks and go back to Pine Valley to bring the rest of our friends here to join us.”
“No problem,” responded Bishop, “if that’s what you want. I’m sure Riley will be pleased.”
“That’s right,” Jonas said, “I’d almost forgotten you’ve met Riley. Did you know he was originally a farmer until they decided to sell the farm to a big commercial outfit? He made some big bucks but decided to settle in Pine Valley and just live the simple life. He really knows his farming, though, and was leading the effort to build the big garden there before the Scorpions ruined it with their bikes.”
Rafael, who spoke good English, said, “We’d like to go back to the Hauptman farm and restore it to what it was before Mr. and Mrs. Hauptman left and we were taken by the gang. Tess and her brothers are welcome to join us, if they wish,” to which Tess shook her head but said, “Thank you, but we’re happy with the Duwanians.” She then realized they didn’t know who the Duwanians were and had to explain it.
“I guess that leaves my group,” said a man Bishop did not know. “My name’s Frank, Frank Sheridan. We were taken from the Full Moon Saloon. We killed one of the bikers there, but they overcame us. We paid dearly in beatings for having killed him. We didn’t know where we were going when we left our homes in Sky Mountain Ranch; we were just going, because there was nothing for us there. We were just spending the night at the Saloon when the Scorpions came. So, if you and Jonas don’t mind, we’d like to stay here and help make a go of this place.”
It was Jonas who spoke up immediately. “We’d consider it an honor to have our groups join together to run this farm, Frank. I think we should call it Scorpion Meadow Farm, lest we forget our benefactors.”
If they only knew, Bishop thought to himself, how the Scorpions came to be their benefactor. I think they’re just willing to forget the gunfire they heard. And, it’s probably best not to ask when you’d just as soon not have the answer.
“Well,” said Bishop, “it looks like it’s settled. Jonas, you can take what vehicles you need to go back to Pine Valley to bring Riley and your friends back here. Rafael, you can take a couple of vehicles to carry your folks back to Hauptman Farm.”
Tess broke in, “The Hauptman truck and car are here, but there was never any sign of them. Do you think the gang did something to them?”
“It’s quite likely,” responded Bishop, “but we’ll never know. Why don’t you take those vehicles, Rafael,” he suggested.
Tanner, who had been quietly standing by, interjected. “You may not know this Rafael, but there are old salt mines across the river from the Hauptman farm. At some point we’re all going to need salt, so it will be really helpful if you’ll keep an eye on that area. In fact, now that we’ll have three distinct villages: Scorpion Meadows Farm, Hauptman Farm, and Duwa, we have the makings of a good trading community, where we can help each other out. Even if we run out of gas, it’s only a two-day walk here from Duwa and, at most, a half day to the Hauptman farm. I would hope we can all count on each other when help is needed.”
“And, I know we’ll have need of the cotton Tess said you were growing at the Hauptman’s,” added Bishop. “We’re going to need to do some weaving in the future, unless we all want to be wearing animal skins,” he added with a chuckle.
Everyone nodded as Frank, Jonas, and Rafael expressed their strong support of the idea. “We just need to know how to get to Duwa,” they said in unison.
“We’ll arrange that later,” Bishop responded.
“I think I know another group that will be interested in joining our trading group,” Matt said. “I just haven’t talked with them about it yet.” He, of course, was thinking of the Stenton Farm.
Jason had left the group for a minute or two and returned carrying a shotgun, handgun, and backpack. “This was left behind by one of the Scorpions,” he said. “Looks like I’ve got myself a new shotgun and handgun. And the backpack is full of neatly wrapped bundles of money, mostly hundreds.”
“Well,” said Bud, with a big smile, “looks like maybe he thought he needed lots of toilet paper.”
Bisho
p chuckled at the quip and said, “I’d like your permission, Frank and Jonas, to take some food supplies from the basement. We won’t take much, but there are some we really could use. We’ve got plenty of money,” he added, to the laughter of everyone.
◘ ◘ ◘ ◘ ◘
At Bishop’s suggestion, Jonas selected two men from his group to each drive a truck pulling a utility trailer. Bishop’s group, who had brought their trucks back to the farm, were now following Jonas’ trucks back toward the Village of Oak Creek. One of Rafael’s men, who spoke English, and Jonas drove an SUV, following Colby. They would show the two men how to find Duwa, and then the men could take the SUV to Pine Valley. They left the SUV at the entrance to the Ranger Station and got in the truck with Colby and Bishop.
As agreed before they left, Bishop called Tara on the two-way radio as soon as they got back into range, to let them know they were coming back, that they had two guests, and all was well. Tara followed the caravan with her binoculars as they crossed the bridge and was waiting for them when they reached the summit of the mesa trail.
At the village, everyone was out to greet them, expressing their relief and wanting to hear stories about what had happened. Bishop introduced their two guests but deferred any storytelling until after dinner that night. Colby took the two guests on a tour of Duwa and then took them back down to the Ranger Station to get their SUV and trailer. Each man agreed that they could find Duwa in the future and would keep its location secret except for those in their groups who needed to know. They agreed that using a trail along Dry Beaver Creek to the bridge at 195 and then taking the highway to the Ranger Station was the best way to come, if the trip had to be made on foot, but they’d use highway 17 and 195 as long as they had vehicles. Colby made it clear to them all that in the future they should use the Woods Canyon Trail and access the village on foot rather than trying to bring their vehicles in. Of course, with the gates locked and the maintenance yard fence closed and blocked by the big truck, they wouldn’t have any choice, would they?
Sinagua Rising: A story of survival after a worldwide catastrophe Page 45