He thought they had hit it off pretty well the first time they met, but after she came back with her daughter she seemed like an entirely different person. She had been so warm and caring, especially while they were tossed together when Bobby was so close to death. As soon as he regained consciousness and started on the road to recovery she suddenly pulled away. He didn’t understand the mixed signals, so he decided to just give her the time and space she obviously needed.
“You should catch her alone and talk to her,” Bobby said, as if reading his sons mind. “She’s a good woman with a good heart. You don’t want to let her get away.”
“I know she’s a good woman,” Jerry answered without diverting his gaze. “She’s too good for me.”
“Nonsense,” Bobby said. “You’re heir to one of the largest employers in Southeast Texas.”
“That really doesn’t mean a whole lot these days, does it?” Jerry asked, looking momentarily at his dad. “We all started over at zero the minute that solar flare hit the earth. Now we’re all judged by our hearts, our actions. In that respect, she’s way out of my league.”
“You have a good heart, son,” Bobby replied sympathetically. “You always have. That’s the one thing your mother was most proud of you for.”
Just then, Arlene stood up and said something to the girls that made them laugh. She closed her book, leaned over and kissed her daughter, and then turned and walked away from them. She placed her dirty dishes in the wash tub before refilling her coffee cup and strolling inside the Main House. She never looked in Jerry’s direction.
“Good grief,” Jerry said. “I’ll never understand women.”
“Finally,” Bobby said, “something you’re right about.” He chuckled softly as Jerry got up and stomped toward the shop.
As Jerry slammed the back gate shut, Squirrel walked over toward where Bobby was sitting. “What’s wrong with him, Mr. Jones?” she asked with a look of concern in her voice.
“Aw, he’s just not happy that he’s gotta’ go to work,” Bobby answered with a smile. “I thought you were gonna’ drop that sir thing, young lady.”
Squirrel smiled. “Yes, Sir,” she said. “Just as soon as my mama says I can forget my manners. She’s kinda’ funny about things like that.”
“You’ve got a good mama there,” Bobby replied. “If I was 25 years younger, I’d sweep that woman off her feet and steal her heart away.”
“I wish she’d let someone in there,” Squirrel sighed. “I know she misses Dad, but she’s got to learn how to live again. You’d be a great step-dad, Mr. Jones, but I don’t think my mom’s into older guys.”
“And I’m not a cradle robber either,” Bobby laughed. “The right guy will break down that wall she has around her heart soon enough.”
“I sure hope so,” the young lady replied. “She needs something to focus her attention on besides me. A girl’s gotta’ have a little elbow room, you know.”
Just then Beetle walked up. “You about ready to head out, Squirrel friend?” she asked.
“Where are you young ladies getting’ off to today?” Bobby said as he turned his attention to the girl who had just joined the conversation.
“I think we’ll go over to 418 and scout around there today,” Beetle answered. “We haven’t been to those parts in a couple of weeks. Arlene is gonna give us some antibiotics to take and try to trade for some Lyrica. We were thinkin’ about checkin’ out the FDC, too.”
“I hear it’s getting’ pretty crazy over there,” Bobby offered. “People from the big city are startin’ to make their way to the piney woods. It’s been hard enough on folks to take care of themselves in these parts and now they’ve gotta worry about strangers comin’ in and takin’ what little they have.”
“Yea,” Squirrel said. “That’s why we have to check it out. We’ve got to see exactly what we’re up against.”
“Ya’ll be careful out there,” Bobby said with concern in his voice. He was used to dealing with jerks and bad people. He knew that the two young scouts had matured a lot in the past month, but he was afraid their youthfulness and inexperience would cause them to make rookie mistakes and, God forbid, cause them to let their guard down when they needed it up the most.
“We got this,” Beetle smiled. “Besides, we’ve got our good buddies Smith and Wesson to protect us.”
“Take care,” Bobby said as the girls turned and walked toward the big house, chatting between them.
As they walked into the control room (formerly Harold’s mancave), Loretta spoke without looking away from the monitor. “There’s a couple of men on horses comin’ up the road,” she said. “Ya’ll go see who it is and I’ll let Harold know over the radio.”
Beetle looked at her mom. “Please,” Loretta added. Beetle smiled and headed to the front door. Squirrel went out the back door and silently walked around the house with her hand on the pistol that was hanging on her side.
Next door, Pam walked out of the store to greet the two riders. She obviously knew them. The men smiled and climbed off their horses to hug the lady walking toward them. In just a minute Harold joined them. Beetle and Squirrel looked at each other, silently communicating that they should return to their mission. Both girls turned around and went back inside to get the antibiotics.
Harold walked up and shook the first man’s hand. “Chief,” he said to his friend and Silsbee Police Chief, Shawn Whiteside. “Good to see you, my friend.”
He then turned his attention to the other man, Officer Josh Alexander, shaking his hand to welcome him. “What brings Silsbee’s finest out to our little Landing?”
“We’re just out makin’ rounds to check on folks,” Chief Whiteside said. “There’s been a lot of mischief in the area and we wanted to let folks know to be on the lookout for marauders and the such.”
“Would ya’ll like a cup of coffee?” Harold offered. “I’m sure there’s a couple of cups left in the pot.”
“That’d be mighty nice,” Alexander said. “I haven’t had a decent cup of coffee in weeks.”
“I didn’t say it was decent,” Harold said with a serious look on his face, “but it is real coffee.”
“We’ll take it,” the Chief interjected.
“Sorry we don’t have any donuts,” Harold said. “Maybe we can punch a hole in a Pop Tart?” Both lawmen peered at him, not even the hint of a smile on their face. Kay, who had been sitting just inside the doorway, thought “Oh. Emm. Gee. Donut jokes? Really?”
Harold grinned. Pam snorted a little. Chief Alexander shook his head and sighed.
Then everyone laughed. Loudly.
Jerry came walking up from the workshop to see what was going on. He saw the sweaty horses and walked over to them. “Would you guys like some water?” he asked as he patted one of the horses. The two lawmen turned and looked at the man.
“Looks like they could use a drink,” Harold said.
“I can take ‘em out back to the trough, if that’s ok?” Jerry offered.
“That would be mighty nice of you,” Chief Whiteside said. “I appreciate the offer.”
Jerry grabbed the reigns and started toward the backyard. Harold and the lawmen followed. Pam also walked with them. She told Kay she was going to go and get her four-wheeler where she could show her goods.
Once the men all had a cup of coffee, they sat around the fire pit. Bobby joined them.
“Pam was tellin’ me earlier that Indian Hills was attacked,” Harold said to the Chief.
“Yea,” Whiteside confirmed, “it was pretty bad. There were over 30 people in the community. None of ‘em survived. Not even the kids.”
“How could anyone kill little kids?” Bobby said.
“Sadly,” Whiteside said, “there’s more and more of that going on these days. It’s like there’s a total disregard for life anymore. Civility seems to be a thing of the past, for the most part. It’s like the people who work the hardest and have the biggest hearts are the ones who have to worry the most.
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br /> “I would have never imagined that people could turn so evil over such a short time. You know me; I’ve always been pretty cynical about the human race. Most police officers are either cynical to start with or become that way after getting into the business, but nothing prepares you for what’s going on now. We are absolutely seeing the worst in society.”
“There are still good people out there,” Harold said. “Not everyone is evil. We see good folks come and go all the time.”
“You’re lucky,” Officer Alexander interjected. “You can still see the good in people. The more I see, the less faith I have in mankind.”
There was a silence as the men let the comment sink in. Pam passed by on her four-wheeler.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Alexander said, “The people that we run into every day are mostly good, God fearing people. The different communities that have sprung up around here after the pulse are basically full of people trying to help each other. It’s the outsiders that have raped their own community and taken all they can from them and have moved on to other conquests that I’m talking about.
“They come to small towns and start taking from them. They sneak around in the dark and prey on those who have what they want. They don’t want to work for anything. They just want to take, take, take.”
“Well,” Harold said, “I know that the pulse brought out the worst in some people. It’s also brought out the best in others. Just look at you two. Both of you have families to care for, but you are still doing your job. I bet neither of you are getting paid. Why are ya’ll out riding horses so you can check on people? You think it’s gonna get you a raise?”
“We do it because we took an oath to protect and serve,” Chief Whiteside said. “It’s our duty.”
“Exactly,” Harold said. “Duty. We all have a duty to serve our fellow man and to protect those around us. It’s the right thing to do. It’s what we are taught to do as Christians. We are bound by our beliefs and our commitment to our faith to do good. To do the right thing.
“By the same respect, evil has been in the shadows ever since it raised it’s ugly head in the Garden of Eden. Evil has been around forever. It’s just easier for men to give into evil now than it is to do good. Some people are just lazy. It’s up to us to be strong, to bring them back to God and welcome them the back to the light.”
“Or to send them back to hell if they choose to stay evil and lurk around in the darkness,” Bobby said.
“Amen on that,” Officer Alexander said.
Again, there was a moment of silence.
“You’ve got a nice set-up here, Mr. Lindsey,” Chief Whiteside finally said. “You and the folks here at the Landing have done wonders for our city; ya’ll help people every day and that doesn’t go unnoticed. A lot of folks are grateful for the fresh water, the food, and the medical help they get from here. Ya’ll have the only school in the county, as far as I know. People in town look forward to the water wagon and that little store has quite a reputation.”
“Silsbee has been my home for most of my life,” Harold replied. “The people in this town have inspired me and made me the man I am today. They’ve cared for me and my family as long as I can remember. How could we not help others out when we can? We’re obliged to do our part.”
“That’s what’s got me concerned for ya’lls safety,” Whiteside continued. “Word has spread about Lindsey Landing. People know that this is the place to go for whatever you need. The bad guys know that, too. I worry that evil will find its way to this little paradise. Are you guys able to defend yourselves?”
“If it comes down to that,” Harold answered. “God’s taken good care of us up until now. I’m quite confident that He will continue to do that. He’s also given us the wisdom to gather weapons and the knowledge of how to properly use them. If it comes down to the need to protect our families, we have the means and the ability to do just that.”
“Good,” Officer Alexander said.
“Good,” Chief Whiteside said at precisely the same time.
The men sat and sipped their coffee as Ray Lynn and his group headed out toward town with the water wagons. Beetle and Squirrel caught a ride into town with them, since their plans were taking them to Hwy. 418, which was near Pine Plaza.
The noise from the tractor had just faded away when Tommy and John came walking up carrying a pole between them. Hanging from the pole was the deer they had killed earlier in the morning. A small crowd gathered to welcome them home and to admire their kill.
Ashlyn and Bea gathered the kids up and herded them to the small building that housed their school while Allie walked around and gathered the breakfast dishes that were left strewn about the backyard. It was hers and Shiela Mae’s turn to wash dishes. They were going to work together on the garden when they were done with that chore.
The two lawmen filled their canteens with fresh water before walking to where their horses were tied. Harold joined them.
“You think the Indian Hills massacre has anything to do with the Kirby-Hill house being burned down?” Harold asked Chief Whiteside as he mounted his steed.
“Didn’t know you knew about that,” Chief answered. “We don’t know for sure, but we suspect they’re connected. If they are, that would mean the perpetrators are headed east, which would put Silsbee and Lindsey Landing along their projected path.”
“I understand,” Harold said. “We’ll add another watch at nighttime.”
“Good idea,” Chief said. “Maybe even two more.”
The lawmen then rode away toward the pipeline to the west. Harold stood there for a moment and prayed for the men’s safe travels.
Chapter 4
Hidden treasure
By the time the little convoy reached Pine Plaza people were already lined up with their buckets, waiting to get fresh water. It didn’t take but a few minutes to detach the rear water wagon and set it up for service since there was extra help today.
Once the water began to flow, Bruce jumped on the tractor and headed toward City Hall with the other water wagon. It had become routine to fill the city’s water tank every Tuesday and Thursday. Mayor Willis had been very good about making sure the city continued to operate and provide as many services for the citizens as possible.
City Hall served as a central location for water distribution in the downtown area. After the pulse, the first major task had been for Mayor Willis to get a staff together. Then the city workers had to create access from one side of the city to the other. It had proven to be easier to unhitch and separate the cars on Third Street than on the main drag, so that put City Hall on the main road.
Bruce enjoyed these days more than others. He got to see a different group of people and, more importantly, the mayor’s wife always had a bag of the best cookies on earth waiting for him. His mouth watered just thinking about them.
Squirrel helped Dewey and Melisa with the water wagon while Beetle walked the line asking people if they had any Lyrica they were willing to get rid of. Of course, nobody did. One lady said she might have some Lasix and codeine she would be willing to trade for some of the antibiotics. Beetle agreed to walk with the lady to make the trade after she finished getting her water.
In the matter of about fifteen minutes the line had become more manageable. Beetle and Squirrel accompanied the lady about a half-mile down the railroad tracks and then to a small house on Bonner Street. There was another woman at the house, as well as several children. One of the kids, a cute little snaggle-tooth girl who must have been about five or six years old, had a runny nose and was running a little fever.
The girl scouts talked to the kids while their mom retrieved the meds they had discussed. There were about 30 Lasix and several Hydrocodone tablets. They made the trade. The woman immediately gave her daughter one of the capsules. Beetle also had included a small bottle of Motrin in the deal. She knew that they would help the little girl’s fever.
Reluctantly, the young scouts left the little family and were on their way
back down the railroad tracks. Just before they reached the farm-to-market road, they jumped off the tracks and made their way around the house at the top of the hill. They then walked into the woods and made their way parallel to the roadway. This had become habit; walking in the woods instead of on the roads. They figured it was a little safer to do it this way because most bad people were lazy people and would take the path of least resistance.
In less than an hour the pair of girls were close to the tent city near the FDC. “You ready to do this, Squirrel friend?” Beetle asked as she knelt next to her traveling companion.
“We’ll just go around to the people on the outskirts, right?” Squirrel responded. “I don’t like being around so many people that I don’t know.”
“Amen, sister,” Beetle said. “I don’t trust people, either. If we don’t find the Lyrica before we get to the high school, we’ll check around there and then go toward City Hall after that. We’ll stay on this side of Hwy. 96 so we won’t have to get too close to the FDC people.”
Squirrel exhaled audibly. “Sounds like a plan,” she said. “Guess we should get to it.”
The girls walked out of the woods and crossed over the railroad tracks, into the beginning of Tent City. People had set up tents and other makeshift dwellings along the edge of the road that ran alongside the tracks. Beetle was amazed at the changes this little area had gone through in the past couple of weeks. There used to be very few houses down this road, but now there were more people living here than she had ever imagined possible.
She kept picturing the scenes she used to see on tv whenever there were immigrants camping out along the borders or people seeking refuge from overseas wars. It was surreal.
Squirrel was also taken aback as the scenery stretched out before her, but she had no point of reference for the way this street had been before the pulse.
As they walked, the girls would ask people they passed if they had any Lyrica. Most often they were just answered with a nod of the head. Once a young man asked, “What’s that?” Beetle gazed in his direction and answered, “If you don’t know what it is then you sure ain’t got any.”
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