Between the four of them they had a proper grave dug in very little time. Jonathan went into the house just as the last person was being helped out of the hole. He brought out a folded blanket; it was obviously old but had gotten much love and tender care from its owner.
“This was Martha’s favorite. Whether she was watching a show, or reading or just dozing on the couch she had this over her legs. I asked her once why she liked it so, and she just said that it made her ‘feel comforted’. I don’t even remember where it came from; I just know she loved this old blanket. I like the thought that it will make her feel,” Jonathan paused for a second, as that deep thickness returned to his voice, “comforted from now on.”
Jimmy took the folded blanket from Jonathan, and with the help of his friends, gently wrapped her in it. Once they had Martha’s body tightly wrapped, Rick jumped down into the hole they had dug. Jimmy, Gordy and Lisa carefully passed the body down to him, and Rick laid her as gently as possible in the dirt.
“Mr. Cambrey, would you like to say a few words?”
“Not much to say, Gordon. The Lord has her now, and that’s all my old heart needs.”
The group wasted no time filling the hole back in. Jonathan told them he would create a marker for the grave, and that they should be getting back to their families.
This time Lisa did give Jonathan a brief hug, and the other men shook his hand. “If I’m not around when you folks come back with your families feel free to use my house, and anything else you might need. I thank you all for what you’ve done for me and for Martha today. God bless each of you and yours.”
Chapter 7
“So, this old man that only a minute before had been holding you at gun-point invited you in for coffee and told you all about his wife and how she became a zombie?”
The incredulity in Jan’s voice was obvious to the others seated around the fire.
“Yep, that’s exactly it. I think the old man was scared, alone, and desperate. Plus, we may have been the first people he had seen since everything went crazy that didn’t want to take something from him.”
“Gordon, I still can’t believe you just went right in and sat down for coffee with this man. I mean, what if he had wanted to take something from you?
“Jan, we can talk about a sad and nearly broken old man or we can talk about moving everyone to this camp. Nothing happened and I wouldn’t have had anything to do with him if any one of us had felt that we were in danger.”
Everyone had been overjoyed to see the group return, and couldn’t wait to hear about what they had found. Gordy told them all to wait until dinner-time when everyone would be gathered around the fire.
Once the meal was ready and everyone served, Gordy and the others shared everything they could think of about the camp and what they thought could be done with it.
The size and defensibility of Oko Tipi was the most important topic they discussed. Rick outlined the camp in the sand they kept near the fire, showing locations and how he thought they could make a fence or wall around the camp.
A larger defensive wall could be built but it would take a long time by hand. A basic fence that would at least keep out any stray zombies could be easily erected, especially if they could find some fencing, or barbed wire.
The outline for the fence, and later a wall, would be nearly a mile in length, surrounding the entire camp. There was a securable gate on the road that led up to the camp, and they would build out from there.
With comfortable shelter already in place it was believed that the majority of their time could be spent in securing the camp, and ensuring there was enough food and water to get through the winter without any problems. They would still have to spend time filtering and boiling the water. Long term food storage would difficult, especially meats, without some type of freezer or refrigeration.
Based on the observations of the scouting party it was decided, as a group, that they would move everyone and everything to the camp over the coming days. Though they did not feel as hurried to get moved as they had when they were trying to escape Hannibal, time was a factor. There was a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
Their world, the whole world, had turned inside out and upside down in early August. The first week of September was only a few days away. They figured they had at least two months before cold weather set in, possibly three if they were very lucky. Though they had learned quickly not to stake lives on luck.
Conversations lasted well into the evening, with people dozing fitfully near the fire. No one wanted to turn in for the night, not when they had just been given news that to them felt as exciting as Christmas morning. Isolationism was now something to be sought out, not an aberrant mindset. To be set off from others, far back in the woods away from heavily populated areas would be a comfort. Spending less time worrying about zombies creeping up on them at every moment, while spending more time living, even if living was simply surviving, would be a wonderful thing.
Mike was still awake, while Lisa had fallen asleep leaning against him. He held her, both for comfort and to keep her from falling over.
“Tell me, do you guys really think we can make this work. I’ve been to the camp a few times, I know what it’s like, but can we really turn that place into a home?”
“Sure we can,” Gordy spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone sleeping. “Everybody is kind of high on the thought of it at the moment; they don’t quite see how much work it’s going to take. And it will take a lot of work. But yes, I know we can make it not only safe and secure, but a home, for everyone.”
Mike nodded, hoping his friend would say just that. “That “for everyone” brings up another question. Are we going to bring others in, or are we just going to keep it strictly us?”
Jimmy had listened quietly, half dozing, but perked up when Mike said, “I’m curious about that. We all know there is strength in numbers, but how do we trust anyone? Can we afford to risk bringing other people in? Can we afford not to?”
“Both are good questions,” Gordy said, “but I don’t think we can just decide ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on something like that. It would most likely have to be a case by case basis, wouldn’t you think? Which brings up something else.
“I know you guys have considered me the leader of our happy little family, but regarding important decisions I think we should have a council of five or six people that make decisions affecting the entire group. I would be a lot more comfortable with that, than one person having carte blanche.”
“Probably not a bad idea, Gordy. It might be a good idea to have one person in charge of security, one in charge of health, another in charge of food and water, and so on. The people that hold those positions make up the council. That way, the council will always be able to voice all concerns for the overall group.”
“Damn good thought, Rick. And thanks for volunteering for Head of Security.”
Rick laughed quietly. “What the hell, I didn’t volunteer for anything. But I’m pretty sure you’re going to say something like, ‘You’re the most qualified for the job’ and you would be right. Doesn’t mean I was offering myself up there, buddy.”
Gordy looked at Rick across the fire, could see his smile flickering in the low flames. “Yeah, but your also too smart to pass it off on someone less able than yourself, buddy,” Gordy said, smiling back.
“Yeah, you may be right. Ok, so I’m chief ass-kicker. Do I get a badge, or a nightstick maybe?”
“Your badge and your nightstick are that .45 you always carry.”
Jimmy and Mike agreed with Gordy, thus their first council position was filled.
****
Everyone was up early and eager to begin preparations for the move to the Camp. As the camp became fully alive, Gordy called everyone over to the morning fire and explained what had been discussed the previous evening.
Tamara felt uncomfortable with the idea of a council, as if the thoughts of the whole were being displaced for the judgment of a few.
“We’ve all known each other for years, and so far we have made every big decision together, as a whole. Why do we need a council now?”
“Everyone will still have input on everything,” Gordy told her and the group overall. “We need to consider several things, though. Once we begin the process of making Oko Tipi a safe environment many of us will always be busy. There’s a lot of work to be done. Because of that there may be times when decisions will have to be made without some people being involved.
“Also, there is going to come a time when new people, other survivors may want to join us. We will need to take every precaution if and when we allow new people in. When it comes to that, I think the council should have final say, no matter the case.
“But overall, the council will deal more with resource accumulation and allocation, Tam. People will have jobs, such as health care, security, water, food. The people chosen for those jobs, and we will all choose together, will also make up the council. That will be the biggest benefit of having a council, to police the resources, making sure there’s always enough, and that we always stay safe.
“Just so everyone knows, Rick has volunteered to be our Head of Security. Is everyone ok with that?”
When no one offered up an objection Gordy clapped his hands together and said, “Ok then, that’s settled. Tam, I hope you’re ok with the idea of a council now.” Tamara nodded that she was, though she still held reservations against it.
“We have a lot of work to do to get everything moved over the next couple of days. Since we don’t have the trucks everything will have to be moved by hand from the boats all the way up to the camp. This will take some time, and be very back breaking work, but it will be worth it in the end. Once everyone has eaten some breakfast we can get busy with packing things up and loading the boats.”
Once Gordy was finished, he got some breakfast for himself. After breakfast he went to his wife and pulled her aside.
“How’s Dean doing?”
“He’s ok, hurting a lot right now. It’ll be months before he’s fully healed.” Jan looked over to where he son sat propped up on a sleeping bag outside his tent.
“He’s strong, Jan. You don’t have to worry about him,” Gordy said, seeing the terrible look of sadness on his wife’s face.
“I know that, “she said, looking at her husband, “but I do, and I will. If I know you at all I know you will too.”
Gordy knew she was right, but said nothing.
“I’m giving him what pain medication I can, but he refuses to take it most of the time. He just tells me that we should save it for when someone really needs it. I’ve got him on antibiotics, but Gordon, we’re going to run out of those fast if we have any more injuries like Dean’s. Eventually we’re going to need more of everything medical.”
Gordy nodded, thinking that supply runs would have to be made into Hannibal, possibly even Louisiana. “I’ll do what I can for medical supplies. Once we get everything moved to Oko Tipi you should see about setting up a dispensary, and getting an inventory of everything we have and all that we’ll need. You might consider enlisting Lynn, or Tam to help you out with that.”
Jan nodded, and Gordy stepped in for a kiss. She put her arms around him, hugging him tightly for a moment, and Gordy leaned into the hug, needing her as much as she needed him.
Gordy spent a few painful minutes talking to Dean. It was painful for both of them, though for different reasons. It hurt Dean to talk, and it hurt Gordy to see his son in so much pain.
After leaving Dean, he found Jack helping pack up one of the jon-boats. “Hey, Jack, have you seen Calvin?”
“Yeah, just a minute ago, I think he was headed for the latrine.”
“You think you could spare a few minutes? Let’s go find him; I have a task for you two.”
They met Calvin a minute later, returning to camp.
“I’ll be glad when we have a bathroom, or at least an outhouse,” he said, “I hate using that dug out ditch.”
“You and me both, man,” Jack said.
“Calvin, I want you and Jack to take care of something, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, what’d you have in mind, Dad?”
“Gather up a couple of long guns, and handguns, a box of MREs and some bottled water. Get about two hundred rounds of ammo for each gun, too. Find something airtight if you can, then take the whole thing to the center of the island, and bury it there.”
“Leaving behind an emergency cache?” Calvin asked.
“Exactly. Just in case someone ever needs to come out here, whatever the reason may be, I want there to be something out here for them. We’ll tell everyone about it once it’s done.”
Jack and Calvin went right to work on their project, and Gordy rejoined everyone else in packing.
Chapter 8
The first boat went over at mid-day, carrying Jack, Gordy, Jimmy and Sam, but very few supplies. They tied up at the same location as before, leaving the boat while the four men walked to Jonathan Cambrey’s house.
Gordy was a little surprised to find Jonathan alive when they got to his house. He had felt certain that the old man would have simply lain down and died after what he had been forced to do with his reanimated wife.
The four men declined the offer of food and coffee, begging off due to the amount of work they had to do. Jonathan understood, and offered his home as a place to rest if anyone needed a break. The men were pleasantly surprised when the old man also offered the use of his truck to help them move
“I’ll even drive it for you. Might be a good thing for me to get out of this old house for a bit,” he told them.
The men agreed that instead of using the jut of land where they had been tying up the boats, they would push right up to the shore. This put them about fifty feet from the curve of the road where Saverton Drive became Oko Tipi Drive. By tying the boats to a tree a few feet from the water and using a long plank they found in Jonathan’s workshop, the unloading process would be much faster.
It only took a few minutes to unload the small amount of gear and supplies they had brought on this first trip and stow it in the back of Jonathan’s Dodge. As they were getting into the boat to head back to the island Jimmy pointed out a large pile of railroad ties beside the tracks.
“I didn’t even notice those before; there must be a hundred or more there. They look to be eight or nine feet long, maybe two-hundred pounds each. They would be great for a wall if we could get them in the ground.”
“Yeah, they would be,” Sam agreed, “if we could put up something like a palisade wall with those it would be able to withstand quite a bit of punishment.”
Raising their voices to be heard above the wind, waves and roar of the motor, they continued to discuss the palisade wall idea on the way back to the island.
“How would we get them in the ground, and right up against each other? Digging post holes would take forever,” Jimmy shouted.
Jack thought for a moment then said, “What about a ditch? Dig a ditch about a foot wide, maybe three feet deep so that we get them in the ground securely. We drop each tie in, pack dirt in any gaps and keep going down the line like that. A couple of guys with shovels could do a ditch like that pretty easily.”
As Jimmy guided the boat back into the inlet Sam said, “We should at least think about it, for the long term.” Everyone nodded, agreeing that it was worth contemplation.
When they were back with the group, Gordy pulled everyone together, even those who were on watch, to explain to them the change in plans. Because they were going to tie off at the shore right below the road up to the Camp, and using Jonathan’s truck, they may be able to get everything moved today.
With six or seven hours of daylight left it was very possible that they could have all gear and people ferried across and unloaded before nightfall. Everyone was excited about going to the new camp, some for the adventure of it, others because they were already tired of sleeping outside.
****
Five
hours and a few aching backs later the group unloaded the last of the supplies from the final pontoon boat. Everyone had formed a line, passing buckets and boxes across the railroad tracks, all the way to the last man who loaded each into the bed of the pickup-truck.
Once the bed of the truck was full two people would hop up onto the truck’s tailgate, and Jonathan would drive up to the main house of the new Camp. Two people would be waiting there, and the four would unload everything, placing it on the ground. The two that had been waiting would go back down to the unloading line on the truck. The two that had come up with the truck would stay, take everything that had just been unloaded and place it inside the gathering hall.
Everyone was pleasantly exhausted from the long day, and gladly accepted when Jonathan offered to provide that evenings meal.
Inside the house, Jonathan hustled back and forth across his kitchen, getting out his largest stock pot, setting spices out on the counter by the stove, getting a pot of coffee brewing on a back burner.
He refused all offers of assistance, entreating his guests to rest themselves. Only once did he ask for any help.
“Gonna take me a bit to remember everyone’s names, so forgive me if I have to ask. What’s your name again, son?”
“Jack, sir, Jack Addams.”
“Enough with that ‘sir’ business, you all call me Jonathan. That goes for everyone,” he said, looking around the room, “even the youngsters.”
“Yes, sir, uh, Jonathan,” Jack said with a smile.
“Would you mind giving me a hand bringing a few things up from the basement? Too many trips up and down those steps will play the devil on my knees.”
“Sure, happy to help.” Jack followed Jonathan and his flashlight down the basement steps.
Directing the light at a wooden crate sitting next to the foot of the steps, Jonathan said, “Grab that box, and follow me.”
Jack followed, and found himself to be impressed by the multitude of jars filling nearly every shelf in the cool darkness. Shelf after shelf was packed tightly with jars of every size. Though it was dark, he saw countless jars of green beans, various liquids, jams and jellies, as the light passed over them.
American Revenant (Book 2): Settlers and Sorrow Page 4