Without Law 4

by Eric Vall

  Tara hugged the ladies on the porch, waved to Dan, and jumped into the truck.

  Anna gave them all a smile and a wave before she jumped into the beat-up pickup truck.

  Rolly was just about to get in when Betty ran over to him, grabbed him by the shoulder, and leaned in to give him a long kiss.

  Tara and I looked at each other and grinned.

  “Alright, break it up you two,” Jenny called out.

  “Yeah, they need to leave,” Dan added.

  “It’s okay, they can have a minute,” I chuckled.

  Betty pulled back and fixed her hair.

  “Well uh, that was a good way to say goodbye,” Rolly muttered.

  “Just wanted you to remember me,” Betty said.

  “I don’t think I could forget you if I tried,” the old man replied with a wink.

  “Oh, get going,” Betty laughed, and then she smacked him playfully on the ass.

  Rolly climbed into the truck and pulled the door closed. As we pulled away his eyes never left Betty, and I could have sworn I heard him let out a small sigh as we slipped out of sight.

  “Well, that was eventful,” Tara said as we made our way back to the road.

  “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that,” Rolly said.

  “I was talking about the whole trip, but yeah, that was exciting too,” Tara teased.

  “After she prepared us that basket of food I thought I was done getting gifts from Betty,” Rolly said.

  “I noticed the basket, but haven't had a chance to look inside,” I said. “What all did she decide to send home with us?”

  “Well, we have tomatoes, carrots, a head of lettuce, a couple peppers, a whole bunch of uncooked bacon, a dozen eggs, and like four loaves of homemade bread,” Tara said as she rummaged through the basket.

  It all sounded delicious, especially the bread. I hadn’t realized how much I missed sandwiches until this very moment. All we needed now was some mayonnaise and mustard, and we were prepared for the perfect BLT. I doubted I would ever find a jar of mayonnaise that wasn’t expired, but at least we had some miracle whip back on campus.

  “We’re going to eat like kings for a while,” Rolly said.

  “I bet you’re feeling like a king right about now,” Tara chuckled.

  “Just a little,” Rolly said with a big smile. “That woman is amazing.”

  “Don’t worry; you’ll see her soon,” Tara said as she patted the old man on the shoulder.

  “Until then I guess I’ll just have to think about her while I enjoy the food she gave to us,” Rolly said.

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” I said. “There’s still work to be done.”

  “Right, the National Guard outpost,” Rolly said. “Couldn’t they just leave well enough alone?”

  “I wish they would,” Tara groaned.

  “It won’t be a problem much longer,” I said.

  “I hope you’re right,” Rolly said.

  “We have a couple days to figure out what we’re going to do,” I said.

  I drove off down the road in the big truck with Tara riding shotgun, and Anna and Rolly followed me in the rusted powder blue pickup. We went out of our way to pick up the ATV, and then we loaded it in the bed of the pickup, turned back around, and headed up the mountain to the school. It was a peaceful sunny drive up the winding roads, across the bridge, and back through town back to the campus. The massive truck was unwieldy at times, but nothing I couldn’t handle.

  I pulled to a stop in the parking lot and stepped out onto the familiar ground. After I stretched my limbs a grin spread across my face. It felt good to return to campus. It was going to feel even better to see all the girls again. There were not a lot of obvious changes to the area since I had left two days ago, but the greenhouse was already half full of plants and our garden had started to sprout.

  The girls were nowhere in sight, but that was what I had come to expect. I stepped out of the truck, stretched, and looked up at the bright and cloudless sky.

  “It feels good to be home,” Tara said as she got out.

  “Yeah it does,” I said. I cupped my hands around my mouth and called out. “It’s just us. You guys can show yourselves.”

  Bailey and Paige emerged from inside one of the buildings. They gave us a wave and then immediately started to run towards us. Both girls were dressed casually in jeans and plain color T-shirts, but they still looked beautiful. They each had a rifle tucked under their arms, and as they ran towards us huge smiles spread across their faces.

  “It is pretty nice to be home, but I wouldn’t have minded staying at the farm a little longer,” Rolly said with a smirk as he joined us in the parking lot.

  “I’m sure you wouldn’t,” Tara teased.

  “It’s so good to see you again,” Bailey said when she got close.

  “Yeah, for a minute there we were worried that we might never see you guys again,” Paige said as she ran up. “We were actually kind of thinking of going to look for you.”

  “I convinced her that was probably a bad idea,” Bailey said.

  “I’m glad you stayed put,” I agreed.

  “We expected you guys to be back soon though so when it got dark and there was nothing we freaked out a little,” Paige explained.

  “I tried to come back last night, but Tav decided it was safer if I just stayed put,” Anna replied.

  “It was dark, rainy, and we were exhausted,” I said. “I didn’t want to find her crashed on the side of the road on my way home today.”

  “Hey, you’re all back now, and that’s what’s important,” Bailey said with a smile.

  “You got hurt though,” Paige frowned as she touched the bandage on my bicep. “You’re not supposed to get hurt when I’m not around to look after you.”

  “I got it sewn up though,” I said.

  “Yeah, one of the people we ran into was a nurse,” Tara said.

  “Did she do a good job?” Paige asked.

  “She did a great job,” I confirmed. “Don’t worry though, I still need your help to make sure it heals up nicely.”

  “I’m always happy to help with that,” Paige said. She turned to Tara. “Did you get hurt at all?”

  “No, the National Guardsmen mostly just shot at Tav,” Tara said.

  “Who? What?” Paige asked excitedly.

  “Long story we’ll tell you later, but it wasn’t a bullet that got me though,” I said.

  “What did?” Bailey asked.

  “Caught some shrapnel from a grenade,” I said. “It’s just a scratch though.”

  “Holy shit, they had grenades?” Paige blanched.

  “Not a lot of them,” I said.

  “They didn’t use them a lot either,” Tara said.

  “We fought too close to their stuff for them to use them effectively,” I explained.

  “Well I’m glad you guys are safe,” Bailey said before she wrapped Tara in her arms.

  “Yeah, welcome home,” Paige said with a grin. She leaned in, kissed me, and rubbed my crotch. “I missed you for more than a few reasons.”

  “Me too,” Bailey said. She let go of Tara and gave me a kiss.

  “I missed you too,” I said and grinned as I looked at the two women.

  “It’s so nice to be home,” Anna said as she looked around and smiled.

  “Yeah it is,” I said.

  “How was the morning?” the blonde hippie asked.

  “It was relaxing,” I said.

  “Not for all of us,” Tara said with a smirk as she looked at Rolly.

  “What’s that mean?” Paige asked as she looked at the old man and raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

  “Things are more than okay,” Tara said.

  “Oh?” Bailey asked.

  “Had a nice morning with Betty is all,” Rolly muttered. He shrugged and started to turn red.

  “We pretty much had to pry the two apart,” I chuckled.

  “Yeah, they were attached at the mouth there at the
end,” Tara teased.

  “Aww, does Rolly have a girlfriend?” Bailey asked.

  “I’m not surprised,” Anna said. “They spent pretty much all of yesterday together.”

  “I just stuck close to help her feel safe,” Rolly replied.

  “I’d say you did a good job,” Tara said.

  “That’s so cute,” Bailey cooed.

  “Yeah, it’s so great that you made a connection,” Paige said to Rolly.

  “Thanks,” Rolly replied. “I just wish she lived a little closer.”

  “It’s not a long drive,” Anna said with a shrug.

  “No, but our gas won’t last forever,” Rolly said.

  “We have bikes,” Paige reminded him.

  “I guess I’ll have to learn to ride again,” the handyman said.

  “You never forget how to do that!” Bailey cheered.

  “So how did things go here?” I asked.

  “Good,” Paige said. “We got a lot done while everyone was away.”

  “All the dishes are clean, and we started to do laundry too,” Bailey said. “We would probably have gotten all the laundry done if it hadn’t rained yesterday.”

  “It got pretty bad there for a while,” Tara said. “My outfit’s still a little wet.”

  “Well we have a big clothesline set up out behind the buildings,” Bailey said. “I’m sure you both have some clean and dry clothes out there.”

  “We didn’t just clean stuff, though,” Paige cut in. “We got a few rabbits, caught several fish, and even started to fill the greenhouse.”

  “Oh yeah, we also boiled like a hundred gallons of water,” Bailey added.

  “Damn, you guys were productive,” Anna said.

  “Not like there was anything else to do,” Paige said with a shrug.

  “Yeah, turns out when the rest of you aren’t here things are pretty boring,” Bailey said.

  “Well things aren’t going to be boring for long,” I said.

  “Oh yeah, do you have something for us to do?” Paige asked.

  “Yeah, we have a new problem,” I said.

  “What is it this time?” Bailey asked with a frown.

  “We took out the convoy and got Jenny back, but there are more National Guard in the area,” I said.

  “Yeah, they had set up a base in some old elementary school,” Tara said.

  “We have to get rid of them, don’t we?” Bailey asked.

  “Of course we do,” Rolly said. “You should have seen what they did to Betty and her family. These guys are not good people.”

  “He’s right,” Tara said. “These guys are using civilians like slaves. Jenny was just going to be the latest in what sounds like a large pool of sex slaves.”

  “Okay, yeah, fuck these guys, I’m in,” Anna said.

  “We’re all in,” I said. “The only way we stand a chance is to work together.”

  “Do we have a plan?” Paige asked.

  “Not yet,” I said as I shook my head. “We have a couple days, and I think we should take a moment to celebrate yesterday’s victory.”

  With what came next I knew I needed to keep morale up. I couldn’t promise that no one would get hurt while assaulting the Guard outpost and seeing such a depraved place could easily damage their calm. I couldn’t put off the attack for very long, but a couple hours to enjoy the food Betty gave us, and laugh with each other would do us good in the long run.

  “I’m all for that,” Tara said. “I can finally bust out some of the booze I brought back from the cabin.”

  “Sweet, did you grab anything good?” Anna asked.

  “I grabbed a lot better stuff than you did when you were there,” Tara teased.

  “Hey, I didn’t hear any complaints,” Anna replied.

  “Go light on the alcohol,” I ordered. “I’m fine if you want to loosen up, but let’s stay on our toes alright?”

  “Yes Sir,” Paige said with a smirk.

  “I need to take a shower, but how about we all meet up for lunch after that?” I asked. “Betty gave us some fresh food that I’m sure we can put to good use.

  “I could use a shower too,” Tara said. She looked over at me and grinned. “Wanna share?”

  “Hey, no fair,” Paige said. “You just got him for a full two days. Let the rest of us get some time in,”

  “Alright, I suppose that’s true,” Tara conceded.

  “I don’t think the stalls are big enough for me to share anyway,” I chuckled. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d really love to get out of these clothes.” With that I started off towards the dorm.

  “Want us to do anything while you shower?” Bailey asked as I walked away.

  “Unload the truck,” I replied. “Keep the ammo close though, I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

  I went up to my dorm room and was surprised to find the bedding, and the pile of dirty clothes were gone. The girls had worked a lot faster than I had anticipated. I pulled a fresh flannel and some relaxed fit jeans from my pile of clean clothes, dropped my backpack on the bed, grabbed the soap and a towel, and returned to the courtyard.

  It felt amazing to strip off the grimy and moist outfit that I had worn for way too long, but the hot water shower felt even better. I closed my eyes, stood there a moment, and just enjoyed the feeling of the dirt being stripped from my flesh. The moment was interrupted by a stinging pain in my shoulder as the hot water ran along the stitches.

  I winced and opened my eyes. With a sigh I grabbed the soap and started to give myself a scrub. I wished that I had the luxury of time to let myself heal, but the longer we waited to move on the Guard the better prepared they’d be, and we had to strike before they got worried about the missing caravan.

  Before I knew it, the water started to slow and then stop completely as the tanks became empty. I reluctantly stepped back into the courtyard. The shower had been exactly what I needed, but I wished it had been just a little longer.

  “Oh my, it’s my lucky day,” Anna said from where she stood a couple yards away.

  “Nothing you haven't seen before,” I chuckled as I grabbed for my fresh pair of pants.

  “Is Tav naked out there?” Tara called out from the shower next to me.

  “Yep, nude as the day he was born,” Anna said with a smirk.

  “I’m getting out!” Tara shouted.

  I chuckled and pulled on my pants right as Tara burst out of her shower.

  “Aw man,” she pouted.

  “Again, it wasn’t anything you hadn’t seen before,” I said.

  “Yeah, but you’re really good looking,” Tara said.

  “She’s right,” Anna agreed. “It’s always a welcome sight.”

  “I guess I get that you want to wear pants, but could you at least go shirtless the rest of the day?” Tara asked.

  “I don’t think so,” I said with a smile.

  “You’re no fun,” Tara pouted.

  “Look, we still have some work to do today,” I said as I pulled on the flannel.

  “I guess I’ll just have to get those clothes off you later,” Anna purred.

  “Sounds like a good way to end the day,” I said.

  “The best,” Anna agreed. “Now come on you two, we got the truck unloaded and Baily’s started to cook us up some lunch.”

  “Go on without me,” Tara said. “I’ll catch up once I’m dressed.”

  I nodded and followed after Anna while Tara got dressed behind us.

  Chapter 15

  Anna and I joined the others by the firepit. From the sounds of it the girls had been grilling Rolly about his time with Betty. The old man had turned a deep shade of red and chuckled at the ladies.

  “I told you, I don’t kiss and tell,” he said.

  “So there was kissing then?” Paige asked.

  “Yeah, I got a kiss goodbye,” Rolly said.

  “It was a pretty long kiss,” I said as I took a seat.

  “Well, it sounds like you ended up having a pretty goo
d trip,” Bailey said. “Good for you, Rolly.”

  The air was filled with the smell of frying bacon, and some fresh lettuce, bread, and tomato sat on a plate nearby.

  I licked my lips at the thought of enjoying a BLT. It had been far too long, and Betty’s homemade bread looked amazing.

  Tara joined us a moment later. She had pulled on a clean outfit consisting of a short black skirt, cute black flats, and a low-cut purple shirt. Her hair was mostly dry and bounced around her head in those soft waves once more.

  “I didn’t miss lunch did I?” she asked.

  “No, we’re still a couple minutes out,” Bailey said.

  “We were just talking about Rolly’s new girlfriend,” Paige said with a smile.

  “Fun,” Tara said. “Did he tell you about the kiss he got before we left?”

  “We just heard about it,” Anna said with a grin.

  “Alright, that’s enough ladies,” I chuckled. “If he wants to share more he’ll do so, but don’t force it out of him.”

  “I guess that’s fair,” Paige said.

  “Yeah, sorry if we pressured you a little,” Bailey added.

  “It’s okay, I get that it can be a bit exciting,” Rolly said.

  “Speaking of exciting,” Anna said. “Tell us about what happened with that National Guard caravan.”

  “Yeah, it had to be a pretty intense fight,” Paige said. “We just saw the stuff you took away from those guys. One of those guns was pretty big.”

  “That’s a M249,” I said. “Most people just call it a SAW.”

  “Oh, is that because it cuts things down like a saw or something?” Bailey asked.

  “Not quite,” I chuckled. “The M249 is the squad automatic weapon, or SAW for short.”

  “That’s a lot less exciting,” Tara said.

  “It's good to have though,” I said. “It uses the same rounds that most of our rifles use, but it can shoot a lot more of them a lot faster.”

  “That’s cool and all, but tell us about the fight,” Anna said.

  “It was pretty intense,” Tara started. “We ran into a small group of them at a nearby farm first.”

  “The place had been abandoned, so we hid in the barn and waited for them to head our way,” I said. “We took down most of them with our knives, but things didn’t go perfect so we got into a small firefight.”