by Mark Goodwin
After feeding the dog, Danny and Alisa went back upstairs to finish getting ready to go on their mission.
Nana was up and brewing coffee when they came back down. “I want to pray a Psalm over y’all before you head out. Alisa, why don’t you run over to the RV and have Nicolas come to the house so I can pray over him too.”
“We have to leave in five minutes,” Alisa said.
“Then you best get to it.” Nana was not accustomed to negotiating.
“Yes, ma’am.” Alisa hurried out the door.
Nana poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Danny. “Have another cup before you go.”
“Thanks.” Danny took the cup.
“Did y’all get enough to eat for breakfast?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Who’s been eatin’ this rabbit?”
“I had a bite. I thought the protein might help give me energy.” Danny had indeed eaten a few bites, so it wasn’t a lie, even if it weren’t the whole truth.
“Alright then.” Nana turned in her Bible to Psalm 91 and looked over the text as they waited for Nick.
Alisa soon returned with Nick following close behind.
Nana asked, “Where is JC and his boy? I’ve got to pray over them too.”
Alisa looked confused. “You just said to get Nick.”
“I’m old. I can’t think of everything anymore. You’re still young. Young folk have to look out for us old people, think of things when we forget.”
Alisa huffed and started to go back out the door.
Nick said, “Hang on, Alisa. Nana, why don’t you walk down to the barn and pray over all of us?”
“I ain’t got no clothes on. I’m still in my housecoat.”
Nick patted Nana on the back. “It’s dark outside. No one will notice.”
“Well, let me get my snake boots on and get a flashlight so I don’t kill myself walkin’ back to the house. Daniel, you carry my Bible down to the barn.”
Danny smiled and took the Bible.
Once Nana had her boots on, the four of them walked down to the barn where the rest of the group was loading up into the truck.
Nana had Danny hold the flashlight while she read the Psalm. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”
Nana closed the Bible and bowed her head. “Lord, we humbly ask that you’ll watch over all these, your children. You know their hearts and you know they’re tryin’ to do the right thing. And you know they love you. Psalm 91 said because they’ve set their love upon you, that you’ll deliver them. I pray that you’ll remember that promise today. Amen.”
The rest of the group looked up and echoed Nana’s amen.
JC inspected each person’s gear, making sure their weapons were loaded, that their gear was secure, and that they had everything needed for the run. “Let’s roll out. Jack, you’re up front with me and Catfish. Everybody else is in the back.”
Danny held Alisa’s hand and pulled her up as she stepped on the bumper of Catfish’s old truck. “Last chance to back out if you’re afraid.”
“Not on your life.” She winked, then walked to the back of the truck bed and sat down.
Nick and Korey got in last and Catfish drove away.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the trailer sales lot. The lock had long since been cut and the gate hung open. The faintest glimmer of daylight allowed them to see without the use of flashlights. Catfish backed up to the first available trailer and the security team made sure there were no hostiles.
Danny set his rifle on the open tailgate of the truck and took out the bolt cutters, just like in training.
JC walked up. “Let Alisa hang on to the cutters for a second. I want to make sure nobody is living in here.”
Danny followed JC’s instructions, retrieved his AK-47, and followed JC to the door. JC motioned for Nick to be part of the entry team, leaving Korey and Jack as lookouts for the perimeter. JC opened the door and shined the flashlight on the front of his rifle into the trailer.
Immediately, the sickening sweet smell of a rotting corpse hit Danny, causing his stomach to flip. He gagged as he turned away.
JC looked a little longer, as if he’d developed some immunity to the scent of death. “Beer cans and liquor bottles all over the place in here. Smells like somebody had their priorities screwed up for surviving the apocalypse.”
“Or they decided to have one last hurrah,” Nick said. “Looks like a foot sticking out over there, behind the kitchen. Do you want to go see if we can determine the cause of death?”
“Nope. Doesn’t really matter. But we know we don’t want this trailer.” JC closed the door, and gave instructions for everyone as they did a perimeter sweep before looking through the rest of the trailers.
While the next two trailers didn’t have decaying cadavers, they had been ransacked by partiers who’d left beer cans and drug paraphernalia lying about. The fourth trailer was a smaller one; Danny guessed it was about sixteen feet long. It appeared new and unbothered by partiers or looters. Catfish backed up to the hitch while Danny worked at cutting the lock. It was soon secured to the back of the pickup.
Catfish called out to Nick. “I’d imagine they’ll have some fifth-wheel hitches around back or inside the warehouse. If we get one of them hitches, we can install it when we get home. We can run back over here in an hour or so. Get us one of them big boys over yonder.”
Nick followed Catfish’s eye to the large fifth-wheel trailers near the back of the lot. He looked over toward JC. “What do you think?”
JC looked the lot over. “Let’s check around back. Danny, you and Alisa stay with the truck. Security team, follow me.”
The security team walked cautiously around the corner of the building. Danny waited quietly next to the truck with Alisa and Catfish, with his AK at a low-ready position, listening for sounds of trouble.
Minutes later, JC appeared from around the corner and signaled for Catfish to back up the truck to his position. Korey, Nick, and Jack put the large hitch into the bed of the truck, then everyone loaded up and Catfish drove away.
Danny breathed a sigh of relief. The mission had gone smoothly. He hadn’t been off the farm since Alisa’s rescue, so he wasn’t sure what to expect. They would be making more trips for more trailers that day, but he would breathe easier knowing that conditions didn’t seem overly hostile.
The sun had cleared the horizon by the time they returned to the farm. They dropped the trailer off at the compound then drove the truck to the barn, where the more mechanically inclined folks like JC and Korey worked quickly to get the fifth-wheel hitch installed. Once it was done, the team loaded up for another trip. When they arrived back at the trailer lot, Catfish backed
the truck up to a thirty-four-foot camper.
As they jumped out of the back of the truck, Danny asked Nick. “That’s almost as big as your RV.”
Nick nodded. “Almost. And, it’s brand new.”
JC breached the lock without tearing up the door too badly. He had a quick look inside, then said, “Looks good. Let’s get it hooked up and roll out.”
Since the truck bed was covered on the return trip, Danny, Alisa, Nick, and Korey rode home in the trailer.
Once the trailer was back at the farm and parked in a good spot, Catfish said, “Be ashamed to not go get another one.”
JC and Nick quickly agreed and the team was back on the road to get a third trailer for the compound.
When they arrived back at the sales lot, JC made sure the security team stayed vigilant. “Just because it went smooth the last two times doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. Everyone stay alert!”
Again, the trailer was hitched up and quickly moved to the farm with no complications. Nana, Cami, and Pauline had lunch waiting for the team when they returned. They had a quick bite and headed right back out, bringing back one more small, eighteen-foot trailer and two more large fifth wheels for a total of six new trailers. It was decided by the scavenging team that the extra space would be utilized for storage or for other people who would be a good fit to live at Fort Jennie.
The plan had proceeded with no complications. The mission had not been very demanding physically, but Danny was bushed from the high level of stress involved in being on constant alert. The sun was setting and he was ready for bed, but that wasn’t going to happen. It was his turn to take night watch.
After a late dinner, Danny packed his gear for his shift and headed to the barn. “Where are you going?”
Alisa was fully dressed and following after him. “To stand guard, with you. I’m officially a soldier now.”
Danny fought back a grin. “You’re not officially a soldier now. I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to sit up all night with me. You have to be as tired as I am.”
She shrugged. “Maybe we can take turns napping. You’ve had a long day. You’ll never stay awake all night by yourself.”
“Okay. I’ll take you up on that offer, if you insist.”
“I insist.” She grabbed his arm and kissed his cheek as they walked. “It should have been Steven or Rocky taking the shift tonight, since they weren’t out risking their necks.”
Danny pursed his lips. “I can’t complain. JC and Catfish volunteer to take a disproportionate share of the night-watch shifts.”
“Catfish takes them so he won’t be asked to do any gardening, wood chopping, or other manual labor.”
Danny chuckled. “He’s not lazy. He does a lot.”
Alisa rolled her eyes. “Catfish does what Catfish wants to do, not exactly a team player.”
“Yet, he’s an invaluable member of the team.” Danny opened the barn door and let Alisa climb the ladder to the loft first.
Alisa’s voice sounded surprised. “Catfish! I thought you’d be sleeping in your new trailer. It’s brand new. It has a bed, sheets, everything.”
Danny soon cleared the top of the ladder to see Catfish lying on his cot in the loft.
Catfish pulled an old dirty quilt up over his shoulders. “I ain’t in no hurry. Don’t know how I feel about livin’ in no shed on wagon wheels.”
Alisa stood with her hands on her hips. “But the loft is the security lookout post.”
“Ain’t no bother to me. Jus’ pretend I ain’t here. If somethin’ happens, I’ve got my shotgun right next to me. Give me a holler.” He covered his head with the quilt as a sign the conversation was over.
Alisa looked at Danny as if to ask if he were going add anything to the conversation, but he didn’t. Danny simply adjusted the radio and performed his comms check with JC, who was on call for the night. “Sweet dreams, I won’t call you unless I need you.”
JC’s voice came back over the radio. “Okay, I’ll be here. Over and out.”
Catfish’s heavy snoring provided a steady noise to keep Danny awake while it was his turn to keep watch throughout the night, but unfortunately, it did the same when it was his turn to nap.
The night progressed without incident, and the first break of dawn finally appeared. Danny roused Alisa from her sleep, and the two of them went back to the house and slept through the morning.
CHAPTER 16
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
Isaiah 24:17
Tuesday afternoon was spent getting the Reese family moved into their new fifth-wheel trailer. JC, Melissa, and Annie took another of the fifth wheels, leaving Jack in JC’s old trailer all to himself. Alisa conscripted Dana into helping her move Catfish’s things into the sixteen-foot trailer while he was feeding the hogs.
Danny followed JC as he walked the perimeter of the compound with the new layout. While not a fortified citadel, the close proximity would allow for all the shooters to be in one place in the event of an attack.
“What are you thinking?” Danny asked.
JC shook his head. “Just trying to come up with a plan to make this place a little harder.”
“We’re supposed to go get some fence, right?”
JC nodded as he continued to survey the compound. “Fence is good, but it doesn’t stop bullets.”
Danny looked at the two lines of trailers running between the house and the barn, forming a well-defined courtyard. “What do we have that will stop bullets?”
JC thought for a moment then smiled as he turned to Danny. “Dirt.”
Danny looked at the ground. “Yep. Plenty of that. What are you going to do with it?”
“Dig a trench around the compound, maybe eight feet out from the trailers. Rocky has that front-end loader for his tractor. That will help us get it done pretty quickly. We’ll pile the dirt up on the inside perimeter of the trench which will give us shooting positions all the way around the compound. If we can get a two- or three-foot trench, that will provide a two- or three-foot wall of dirt for protection on top. Maybe even top that off with another two feet of sandbags.”
“You have sandbags?”
“Yep. Bought them after I heard about your dream. They cost next to nothing, but if they save our lives, they might be the most valuable thing we own.”
“So we can start on that tomorrow, right?”
JC furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. We’re getting low on gas. That’ll be a big job for the tractor. Catfish thinks he knows where some more fuel might be stashed. We’ll probably have to make a gas run first.”
“So that will be similar to yesterday’s operation”
“Yep. You up for it?”
Danny paused. “I’m up for another run, but I’m not up for going through it with Alisa. Any chance Steven or Rocky will come?”
“No chance on Rocky. Steven is your buddy. What do you think?”
“Not a chance.” Danny stuck his hands in his pockets. “Speaking of Rocky, is he moving into a trailer tonight?”
JC shook his head. “Not yet. Pauline needs to go through some things, decide what to bring, what to leave.”
Danny held his hand out toward Rocky’s house over on the adjacent hillside. “Their house is on the other side of the creek. It’s not like they can’t go over there ten times a day if they forget something.”
“I know. I think she’s stalling. I hope they get their act together before it’s too late.”
“When will you let me know about the gas run?”
“Let me look at the place on a map with Nick. If it looks good, I’ll let you know before we turn in tonight.”
“What’s the place?”
“School bus depot, up in Pumpkin Town. According to Catfish, it sits back off the road a ways and probably wouldn’t be found by looters. Either way, all we need is two or three buses to still have gas on the lot, and we’ll have more than we can haul back.”
&
nbsp; “Is that far from here?”
“Thirty miles or so. Near Pickens.”
“Pickens! We should try to contact Ranger Dave while we’re there. Our radios should be able to connect with his if we’re within a few miles.”
JC shook his head. “It depends. If he has a really good antenna, maybe. Even so, we don’t know how Ranger Dave will feel about us taking resources from his area of operation. It might be best to stay anonymous.”
“We wouldn’t have to say why we’re there. We could say we’re just passing through and that we appreciate his broadcast. It might be a good idea to make contact with him. We never know when we might need his help.”
JC furrowed his brow. “That sounds great, Danny, but in reality, there’s probably not much Ranger Dave could ever do to help us and vice versa. This is a tough world.”
Danny lowered his head in disappointment. “Still, we could just say hi.”
“We’ll see. I’ll talk to you later tonight.” JC patted Danny on the back and walked toward Nick’s RV.
Alisa and Dana walked up as JC was leaving. “What was all of that about?” Alisa asked.
“Nothing. JC is thinking of some ways to make the compound more secure. How did it go with Catfish?” Danny had no intention of telling her of another potential mission.
Dana rolled her eyes. “I think he’d be happier in a cave than a nice new trailer. I think he’s part raccoon.”
Later that evening, Danny got cleaned up and ready for bed. It had been a short day, since he’d slept all morning, but he was still tired from the scavenging mission and night watch the day before. Alisa sat on the bed reading her Bible by candlelight.