“Sort of, but not entirely. You already knew his property backed onto ours, so we weren’t likely going to be able to avoid him. There was every chance we’d have run into him anyway. And he was a prepper. At least you knew he wasn’t going to come over here out of desperation, to try and take everything we had. If he’d been a psycho of some sort, we’d have been screwed either way. Well, except for the fact that we’re armed and all that.
“Speaking of security measures, though … I really don’t feel good about the motion sensors being on such a low sensitivity setting. Maybe if we had more cameras,” Cam said worriedly. Mac knew Cameron had been getting a little paranoid about their security, and assumed it was a consequence of the situation with Gerry.
Cam did a lot of walking now, too, and Mac had a sneaking suspicion she was patrolling the perimeter of their property. She was certainly gone long enough every day, and she wasn’t spending the time with Kirk and Leigh at Neil’s old cabin. She’d hated having to ask them about it, since she felt like she was checking up on Cam, but Kirk and Leigh were both worried about her, too.
“Neil and I will be doing some scavenging once the roads are clear. Maybe we can stop in at an electronics store. We’ve already used up the cameras I bought before the world went to shit. Since Neil hadn’t bothered with that kind of stuff, I ended up using our spare cameras over there to make sure Kirk and Leigh would be okay. Now there are some gaps, so you’re right. We can find some cameras, I’m sure. I just have to make sure they’re compatible with the software we’re already using, because it’s not like I can download drivers from a website now.”
“When did you and Neil decide to go scavenging?” Cam asked with a surly bite to her voice.
“Huh?”
“Nuh-uh. You know exactly what I’m talking about, so you’re not allowed to play dumb. I wouldn’t believe it anyway. We bought this property together, remember? I’m twenty-three, not some child who has no say in the matter. You should have discussed this with me, but now I’m suddenly hearing about what you and Neil have decided to do. You obviously weren’t intending to ask me to come along. Or Billy for that matter. He’s nineteen now, so I’m sure he would want to know what you and his dad are up to, don’t you think?”
Mackenzie let out a sigh. Cameron was right. She was so used to just making any decisions she felt needed to be made, without consulting anyone. Not even Neil. Now she was being called on it.
“Okay, you’re right. I’ll explain why Neil and I decided to do things the way we did, but it doesn’t change the fact that we should have talked about all this together.” Her statement was enough to mollify Cam for the time being, but Mac didn’t think it was going to be that easy. Cam was going to want to come with them, so she would have to convince her to stay behind somehow.
“There needs to be two of us to lift and move things, because we’re going to a summer home Neil knows about where they have some PV panels. With all the extra people we have on the farm now, we’re just barely scraping by on power at the moment – especially with so few daylight hours – so we need more panels. More panels are useless without the deep cycle batteries to store the power, so we plan to stop at one of the marinas, too. At least one person has to be knowledgeable enough to deal with the panels and batteries, which means me, Neil, or Billy.
“We don’t want any more than two people, because we’re planning to fill the truck and trailer with everything we can find. Things like mattresses, because we’ve currently got kids sleeping with their parents, and couples sleeping on single beds. It’s not healthy for the kids to be in bed with their parents at this age. Katherine is a teenager, for one thing, and Chuck and Kayla need their privacy. We can build them extra rooms, no problem, but that doesn’t help without beds to put in them. And Katherine should not be sleeping in the same bed with her brother.
“Aside from that, I want to get a few boxes of books from the library. Some of the topics are very specific, and the person going to get them has to know what they’re looking for. There isn’t likely to be anything in-depth about sustainable energy, or even permaculture, in a small-town library, but I’d like some stuff on diesel engines for a project I have in mind. Plus I need books on boating, the Great Lakes, and local geography. Mariner-type maps if they have them.
“In other words, I have to go, and Neil is really the best choice to come with me when it comes to muscle and knowledgeable assistance. We should have made it a group discussion. I’m just not used to working that way. Hell, you know what I was like with my business. You tried working for me for a while, instead of having to do factory work, but that didn’t work out so well for either of us.”
“Okay, I’m really irritated with you at the moment, so I’m not going to talk about it right now. Maybe you’re right about who should go, but the way you went about it makes me want to disagree with you just on principle. We’ll talk about it later,” Cameron said shortly.
Fuck, thought Mac.
“Alright, so how about we get back to the original point of this discussion. I told you about what happened with your father so you would know I understood what you were going through. He was the same sort of person Gerry was, too. I know there has to be a part of you that’s wondering if he might have straightened himself out if he’d had the chance, and I’m here to tell you that he would only have gotten worse.
“At least Brad had the excuse of being spoiled. He was used to getting whatever he wanted, so when he got older he continued to take things, whether people wanted to give them to him or not. That was another reason I didn’t tell you the whole story about your father’s death. I wanted to be sure you were old enough to understand that you didn’t inherit anything bad from him. He was just spoiled. He wasn’t really born evil. I completely blame his parents.
“I don’t think that was the case with Gerry, though. Apparently his family was really nice, but they didn’t spoil their kid,” Mac continued.
“Then there was me. If you knew I had been the one to kill your father, it was possible you would wonder if both your parents were psychos, and you were destined for the same. You had to be able to understand the whole self-defense thing, and that I wasn’t the type to go around killing people without a damn good reason. It’s not like I make a habit of it.”
“Well, I’m sure Neil is relieved to know that,” Cameron said with a laugh. “Assuming he knows, of course.”
“Yeah, he knows. I probably should have told you first, but I wanted his advice. If I hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have said anything to him. After all, it can’t be very comfortable for him to know that his wife has killed one of her previous husbands. At least the second one survived marriage to me,” Mac joked, but then sobered quickly.
There was every chance that Mitch was dead, since he hadn’t made it out of Hamilton when things went south. She had tried to help him a couple of times, but he’d screwed up his chances and she’d finally given up on him. She didn’t feel good about the likelihood of his death, but there was only so much she could do.
“You don’t know he’s dead, mom,” Cameron said abruptly.
“He probably is. Still, he made his own choice. I’m not happy about it, but I’m not going to kill myself trying to help someone who won’t even help themselves.”
“What about Ian?”
“Ian’s different. He tried to help himself, but his insulin will only last for so long before it turns toxic. I figured out a way to help him with that, so I’m going to help him. He’ll be okay for now, at least until I can figure out how to pilot one of those boats down at the marina. Then I just have to get down to Cleveland.”
“Ian could have done what you did, and found someone to make the insulin. He could have set himself up the way we did, too. You have a rescue complex. That’s what it is. You run around saving people all the damn time. We have, what, over twenty people living here now?”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. We won’t be so stretched for food and power next year so it won
’t matter. It also means you don’t have chores to do every damn day either, so be grateful they’re all here, Cam.”
“I am, actually. I’m just saying you’re compulsive about saving people. I just hope you don’t take it too far and get yourself killed. Not only do I not want to lose my mother because of someone who can’t take care of themselves, but I also don’t think anyone else wants you out of the picture either. Not one of us has done what you managed to do, and things could fall apart here without you,” Cam said soberly.
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to be stupid about it. My big risk was trusting Neil, and that’s completely out of character for me. You know that. Besides, everyone is expendable to some extent. You and Billy have the knowledge between the two of you to run this farm if you have to. In fact, Neil and I will be counting on you to do just that when we head to Cleveland in the spring.”
“I’m thrilled,” Cam said sardonically.
“It doesn’t have to mean a bunch more work for you. Everyone is already sharing the load. The planting will be done before we go, and we’re only planning to be gone a couple of weeks. I have an idea about using something with an engine, but I’ve got to work it out first. Neil and I don’t know how to sail from a practical standpoint, and I’m not real comfortable with what I’ve learned from reading about it thus far. Most of those boats run on diesel engines, so it’s possible we can use one of those. It would sure as hell make things a lot easier if we can pull it off.”
“Yeah, but where are you going to get the diesel from?”
“We’re looking at a completely different alternative, actually. I’ll explain it to you later if we can make it work. Diesel’s still an option, though I’d have to calculate how much fuel we’d need in order to get there and back. Or we’d end up going into various towns to scavenge more on the way. A bit more of a risk that way, though.”
“No shit it’s more risk that way. You did say that you would have to pass between Detroit and Windsor, right? Isn’t Detroit a really rough city? Or will that matter now?”
“I honestly don’t know. I’d think Detroit would be pretty much wiped out. Maybe not entirely, but people were already desperately poor there. I mean, the city went bankrupt six or seven years ago, I think, and they never really came back from that. Some people would have had gardens, but then a lot of people had guns, too. The ones with the guns will probably have killed anyone with food in order to take it from them. The question is, would they have known how to continue growing it? I doubt it, but it’s possible people are still alive there.
“To be on the safe side, we’ll try to avoid any of the big cities. There are plenty of small towns along the way, and we’ll stay pretty close to the shoreline so navigation isn’t so risky. I’m not sure if the GPS will still be working. It depends on whether or not the US Army is still functioning and maintaining ground communication with the satellites. And then there are storms and stuff, where we’ll want to be able to get to shore if things get dicey.”
“Well, that’s just great, mom. You’ve really boosted my confidence now.”
“You and me both.”
2 ~ CONFRONTING DEMONS
Cam sat in her bedroom, completely pissed. She didn’t really understand why, since she’d agreed that it was for the best that her mother go with Neil for the scavenging foray. In fact, she’d agreed a couple of weeks ago. But for some reason she didn’t understand, she was really angry that she hadn’t been able to go with them. Adding to her anger was the fact that her dad was disappearing for days at a time, going on supposed camping trips. Like they weren’t already living rough enough.
She stomped around her bedroom, grabbing the things she would need for her usual hike around the property, and decided that this time she would definitely be doing the whole circuit. Just circumnavigating the property she’d bought with her mother a few years ago would take her at least an hour, and that was at a pretty fast clip. Adding Neil’s to that would mean she’d be gone all day. Perfect, she thought. It was just what she needed to blow off steam.
When she grabbed her pack from the walk-in closet she glanced at her bow. It was hanging on its rack, untouched since they had finally managed to get the main house put up. In fact, she hadn’t even moved it into her room. She was pretty sure her mother had done that. Cam had cringed even at the thought of touching it. Thankfully the fatal arrow was no longer in her possession. It had still been lodged in Gerry’s body when it had been removed from the scene.
Thinking about her bow made her even angrier. She’d allowed that little pissant to take away something from her that she really enjoyed. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she got.
It felt good, she suddenly realized. Like she could breathe fire. And right then she wanted to be a tornado of aggression. Not to destroy, but to cleanse the cobwebs from her veins. Her mind felt awake for the first time since August. That was months ago, and now she was furious with herself for the time she’d wasted. She knew the rage wouldn’t last, but she was going to put it to good use in the meantime.
Cam pulled on her arm guard, and with a violent gesture she grabbed the bow from the rack. The compound bow had a mounted quiver, so the only other thing she needed was her glove caliper release. She had to rifle through her pack to find it before she could put it on.
It was habit now to carry her Glock 22 with her on her treks, so she made the usual checks to be sure a round was chambered and then slid it into the holster at the back of her jeans. Her knife went in another holster beside it. She tucked in the tail of her shirt, but threw her coat on over it. At the moment she really wished she had a shoulder holster, because there was no way she would get to her gun in time if there was a need for it, but she’d have her bow this time. She’d have to remove the coat anyway, if she was going to get in any archery practice.
She was just about to head downstairs when her laptop beeped. An outer perimeter sensor had gone off. The dual-technology, microwave and passive infrared sensors rarely gave off false positives, and were currently set to a fairly high body weight, so rabbits and squirrels wouldn’t set them off. A jolt of adrenaline lit up her already overactive nervous system. Without thinking twice about it, she checked the location of the breach and left the room. This was just what she needed.
Tromping through the brush in the most direct path possible, Cam was wishing she had some training in bush tactics. She knew she sounded like a bull in a china shop. Her mother could move like a cat when she wanted, but then she’d grown up in the boonies. Cam’s only experience with moving quietly had been walking around their Hamilton apartment in her sock feet. Not exactly aboriginal tracker material.
She could have brought the sling for her bow, but knowing there was a possibility of an intruder made her glad she was keeping it in her hand, ready to draw on whoever it might be. Granted, it really wasn’t likely to be anything more than a deer, and there were no cameras to cover this area. The only way to find out was to physically check. That was fine with her. Cam was much too agitated these days to just sit at her laptop and watch things on the screen.
As Cam approached the area of the offending sensor, it dawned on her that she might have made a really big mistake. She hadn’t told anyone about the potential breach, much less where it was, and if Gilles or Chuck weren’t keeping a steady eye on their own computers, Cam knew she could find herself in a bad situation very quickly. Her adrenaline spiked again, and fear began inching its way through her body.
Stupid! You giant, fucking idiot, she cursed herself silently. It was too late for that, though. If something was going to happen, she would need to deal with the situation as it was, and not worry about her regrets. Those could come later, assuming things didn’t go terribly wrong in the meantime.
When Cameron picked up the sound of a branch snapping, she automatically drew back on her bow.
“Drop the bow,” the voice said behind her, and in her semi-panicked state she interpreted it as a warning. Since it
had been drilled into her to do exactly the opposite, Cam didn’t follow that order. Instead she spun around and slipped sideways so she had cover behind a tree. She aimed automatically at what she considered a threat, and drew back on her bow until the pulleys took over the work.
“Who are you, and what the fuck are you doing on our property?” Her demand for answers was met with empty, raised hands, and elevated brows. She was relieved to note that the older man standing in front of her did not appear to be armed. Telling her to drop the bow had probably just been his way of saying she had nothing to worry about, but she wasn’t stupid enough to assume he wasn’t dangerous.
“I’m not here to hurt anyone, or steal anything,” he responded softly.
“Answer the questions,” she ordered. Cam realized she was in a bit of a predicament here, since she wasn’t going to walk this guy back to the house. She had no intention of letting him see the farm. How the hell she was going to get him to leave, and have any kind of guarantee he was gone, however, was the real issue. She needed some sort of backup here, and since no one knew where she was, she wasn’t going to get it unless she did some fast thinking.
“My name is Brian Newman. Maybe you knew my son, Gerry.” Cameron’s heart started racing. Gerry’s father. The very last person she wanted to meet up with.
“What makes you say that?”
“You look like you’re about the same age, so I thought maybe you went to school with him, though I don’t recognize you. I thought I knew everyone from around these parts. There’s only a couple hundred people around here. Or there were anyway,” he finished dryly.
“Okay, you told me your name, but that doesn’t tell me what you’re doing around here. I know who belongs in this area and who doesn’t, and you sure as hell don’t belong on our property.”
Tipping Point (Book 2): Ground Zero Page 2