Gordy took Jimmy’s interruption as a cue to break the conversation. “Excuse us for a moment, everyone,” he said. He walked out the door, followed by his men. Once the door was closed they could hear arguing from inside the house begin to rise.
“Ok, I know they sound nuts, but all that time cramped in a house with each other would drive anyone a little crazy. I know we said that the council should decide on new people, but I don’t think that works when we’re out here. Three of us are on the council anyway. I’m asking for your opinions.”
The men conferred quietly for a moment while Gordy kept watch around them. Mike chose to be the speaker for all three. “I know that we need to bring people in, Gordy, but aren’t you rushing this a bit? Besides, we don’t know if these people are even capable of doing what has to be done for the Camp overall. It sounds like that Rebecca girl is the one that’s kept them all alive.”
Gordy shook his head, thinking for a minute. “I know I may be moving a bit fast on bringing people in, but we need more bodies, to make everything work. I hate to say this, but maybe we should just ask Rebecca to join us.”
From behind them came Rebecca’s voice. “I don’t know about this Camp, but if you guys have food and a safe place, then I’m willing to join. But they come with me. I may not always like them, but I can’t abandon them to the Zoms.”
Gordy felt a flare of shame that he would even think about leaving people to fend for themselves in this diseased world.
They all went back in and explained the situation to the six people living in the filthy house. They stressed, several times, that everyone at the Camp worked to make it a home, and that laziness was not tolerated.
Rick and the others went into the kitchen area of the house, to let Rebecca’s group discuss the situation. They could hear every word, and knew that Rebecca was trying to get everyone on board.
Arianna was the only holdout, and they could hear every word she said. “We don’t know these people, and I know you can see all those guns. Who knows what they have back at this ‘Camp’, if they even have one.”
“Those guys saved my ass, Airy, and now they’re offering to save all of our asses. We have to take a chance, because staying just won’t work. With just us we can’t get enough food to keep everyone alive much longer. And if I die of starvation and come back as a Zom, I’m eating your face first Airy, I promise.
“I told them I wouldn’t leave without you guys, but I’m also not stupid enough to stay behind and let you get us all killed because you’re afraid of some mean looking men with guns. I think the big one they call Mike even has a tattoo.”
The men standing in the kitchen chuckled at Rebecca’s prodding; they could hear the sneer in her voice. It was obvious that the brash young woman was a natural leader.
“Don’t be glib, Becca. We don’t know anything about them, and all those…those guns.”
“Save your liberal ideals on guns for later, Airy, I’m not in the mood. If they wanted to do nasty things to us they could have walked in here, easily taken out Everett and the boys and had their way. I’m done talking about this, I’m going, and the guys want to go as well.”
The men in the kitchen heard footsteps, followed by Rebecca walking into the room. “We’re going, if you’ll still have us.”
“What if Arianna doesn’t want to go?” Rick asked.
“I’m not abandoning her if she’s been given a choice and chooses to stay behind.”
“Ok then,” Gordy said, “it’s getting late in the day and I’d like to be home well before dark. We can start loading up whatever you guys have to bring with you.”
“We don’t have much; I say we can be out the door in just a few minutes.”
Garett and Louis helped Everett out to the De Soto, which Dean would be driving back. Richard joined Everett in the back while Rebecca took the front passenger seat.
Gordy drove the Dodge, with Garret and Louis, while Mike and Rick took the battered Chevy that no longer had a windshield.
Just as the vehicles began to pull away Arianna ran out of the house, pulling a wheeled suitcase behind her. “Please, don’t leave me here!”
Gordy leaned out the window and told her that she could ride with Mike and Rick, causing her to get a look on her face like she had just taken a mouthful of coffee grounds.
Rebecca shouted out the window of the De Soto, “Come on Airy, you can squeeze in back with Richard and Everett. Throw your bag in the back of that truck and let’s go!”
Arianna hurried to comply. Gordy was glad to be heading back home; it had been a long day.
****
Gordy stopped in the middle of the highway and got out of the truck. He waved at everyone to stay in their vehicles as he walked up to Rick’s window.
He could hear Rebecca in the De Soto telling Arianna to ‘Shut up, no one’s leaving anybody in the middle of nowhere.’
“Cows are out again. I really think we need to make finding the person handling them a priority tomorrow.”
“I agree,” Mike said, leaning over to talk to Gordy through Rick’s window, “besides, I don’t want to be anywhere near the Camp tomorrow with that damn Harpy screeching all day.”
Rick and Gordy laughed in agreement.
“Remember, two honks from each vehicle when we get back.” Rick nodded in affirmation. Gordy said the same thing to Dean, who gave him a thumbs up.
Chapter 20
Dinner that evening was interesting, with eight newcomers to the group. New voices and faces at the evening meal breathed renewed life to everyone’s conversation.
Alex and Evie were talking archery with several people, including a few of the children. Alex Jr. got over his shyness quickly, walking around and chattering to everyone.
Everett, who was an avid reader, chatted about books with Jimmy and Gordy.
Arianna and Richard both sat well away from everyone, and shut down any attempts at conversation with a curt word or silent look.
Dean and Rebecca spent the entire evening talking, sharing their stories.
Garret and Louis hovered around Lynn and Anna, though they were too shy around them to talk much. Gordy new he wouldn’t have to worry about it. The boys were too timid, and his daughters were both very good shots. That is, if Cal and Dean didn’t get to them first.
“Listen up everyone,” Gordy said loudly, stopping the many conversations. “We have a lot of new people with us, and that means living arrangements are going to have to change.
“There are seven cabins spread around the property, and I think with our increased size we can start using those. I also think we should give the cabins to people with families, like Mike, Jimmy, or Alex.
“There are four families, including myself and Jan. We can all sit down and work out who will bunk with whom in the remaining three cabins over the next couple of days.
“We also have the Cambrey house, and I think it would be a good idea to have a group of at least three people there at all times. We will have at least one large garden on that property, and the residents of that house can work it, which means we always have eyes on the road leading in.
“There’s going to be plenty of work for everyone, just between the gardens and the continuing construction on the wall. For those of you that are new here, we will try to work with your strengths, but everyone will be expected to pull their weight. The work is hard, and the days are long, but with everyone working together we will build a safe home here, for everybody.”
Everett spoke up from the back of the group, “You have already witnessed that I do not walk well. I am not sure what I can do to help, but if you can find something for me, I am willing to do it.”
“Actually, Everett, I think I have the perfect job for you, at least for the time being. Can you operate a lawn tractor?”
“Yes, I certainly can.”
“Excellent. We’ll get together tomorrow morning and I can show you what the job is.”
Gordy answered a few more questions
before sitting back down with his wife.
Conversations began to die out as people went looking for places to sleep for the night.
Mike and Jimmy, along with their wives had decided long ago on which cabins they wanted when the time came to start using them, and they went there, to leave more space for the newcomers in the main house.
Early the next morning Gordy, Jimmy and Cal showed Everett the trenching tractor they were using to help build the wall. He took to it immediately, more than happy to be valuable.
Before Gordy and his men left he made sure to give everyone jobs, whether it was trimming the trees to use as posts, or handling the other riding lawn mower they were using to help break ground for the gardens. Everyone worked.
Rebecca asked to go along with the men returning to New London for another day of scavenging. Dean lobbied for her to go, but Gordy vetoed it, asking that she stay and get acquainted with the Camp and the other survivors. She agreed, though she was not pleased with it.
As they were leaving the men were discussing Ruba’s, the small supermarket that served New London.
“That place is crawling with Zoms,” Rebecca told them. “I got close enough to see that there were a bunch inside, as well as all the ones wandering around the parking lot. No one can get in there, so the place is still full of stuff.”
“Damn, the food in there would give us a break from scavenging for a week or two,” Mike said.
“Yeah, probably a months’ worth of food for the whole group just sitting there,” Rick told them.
“We can look at it, see if there’s a way to clear the place out,” Gordy said.
****
Rick and Mike were on top of a small brown and white house on West Street in New London. The house gave them a perfect vantage to the small complex of buildings that sat in front of Ruba’s.
“So, we have the gas station, the Subway Restaurant right behind it, that Health Department building across the lot from there, and the supermarket behind all of that. And the Dollar Store on a separate lot, also crawling with gut-suckers. Damn.”
“Someone’s tried this before,” Mike said, “a lot of dead bodies not walking around down there.”
“Whoever it was, they tried to ‘brute-force-it’. We, on the other hand are going to use finesse.”
“You really think we can pull this off? That’s a lot of gut-suckers to cut through.”
“It’s not a question of ‘can we’, Mike. That’s a lot of food down there, at least a couple of months between all of those businesses. We have to do this.”
They watched the distant buildings for a few more minutes, pondering what tactics they could use to clear out the zombies and empty the buildings of food and medicines.
Climbing back down they joined Dean and Gordy, who were waiting inside the house.
They spent a little time explaining the situation, but the four men agreed they couldn’t solve it standing here. They would return to the Camp and plan it out, getting suggestions from everyone.
Scavenging this portion of town was a waste of time, as Rebecca had gotten much of it already.
Climbing back into their vehicles, they drove out of town. Now they were on the hunt for the person or persons that owned the cattle.
After nearly an hour of driving around on gravel side roads, they found a large old white house, a thin man in overalls sitting on the front porch with a rifle across his lap.
As they pulled up to the house the man on the porch shifted his rifle, making sure that the men driving up saw it.
Gordy got out of his truck and waved Mike up to join him. Everyone else he motioned to stay in the vehicles. He did not want to spook the man with four armed people suddenly coming at him.
“Ya’ll just stop right there!” the man yelled from the porch just as Gordy and Mike made it to the edge of the yard, about thirty feet from the house.
“Sir, my name is Gordon Fletcher; we wanted to talk to you about your cows.”
“I thought as much, but I ain’t interested in talking.”
“Sir, we just want to know if it would be possible to trade with you for meat or milk.”
The man seemed to think for a moment, “You want to trade, you say?”
“Yes sir, we would like to trade.”
“Ya’ll come on up here and have a seat. Those other fellas in the car can come up too.”
Everyone joined the man on the porch, each shaking his hand as they came up.
“Name’s Daniel Brenger, good to meet you fellas. Last time I seen anyone out here they were waving guns around, demanding I give them some of my cows. Hoped you weren’t the same kind of folks.”
“No sir, but we’ve meet a few people like that.”
“Well then, you say your name was Gordon?”
“Yes, Gordon Fletcher, but everyone calls me Gordy.”
“Well, Gordy, what kind of trading you talking about? What are you in the mind to trade for?”
“We would love to have milk on a regular basis, as well as meat. It all kind of depends on what you would want in trade.”
“I can’t really say as I need much, but let’s talk awhile.”
And talk they did. Gordy and the others sat on that porch for nearly three hours, talking over the various options available to them. Since his wife had died over the winter, Daniel was willing to relocate to Saverton, if they could find a way to get the cattle there.
Gordy said he would discuss it with everyone at the Camp, that together they should be able to find a solution.
Before they left, Gordy asked if Daniel would consider pasturing the animals in a different place, one that couldn’t be seen from the road, to which Daniel agreed, at least until Gordy returned.
Chapter 21
“Hey guys!” Jimmy said as everyone piled out of the vehicles. “Hope you guys had a great day, even though it looks like you didn’t get much,” he told them as he looked in the back of pickup trucks.
“Better than you might think, Jimbo,” Dean said.
“Sounds promising, what’s the deal?”
Gordy responded, telling him, “I’ll talk to everyone about it in a while. How’d everything go around here today?”
Jimmy stood there looking at his friends, just smiling.
“Oh hell, what happened?” Mike asked.
“It has been a day of drama today, gentlemen, and you guys missed it.” The men stood beside the vehicles, in front of the main house listening to Jimmy. “And here comes your wife Gord-Man, I’ll let her tell you about it.”
Everyone turned to see Jan striding across the gravel lot towards them. The scowl on her face was obvious, even from a distance.
“Gordon, I don’t think I can deal with that woman!”
“There are several new women, which one are you talking about?” Gordy asked the question, though he felt certain of the answer.
“That Arianna! You know me Gordon, you know that I can keep my temper, but that woman has pushed every button I have, and that was before noon! She’s lazy, and rude, and hateful to nearly everyone, not just Becca.”
“I see you’ve already started calling her Becca,” Dean said.
Jan shot him a look that he had seen many times over the years, and knew that it was a good idea to keep his mouth shut at times like this.
Gordy’s brow furrowed with concern, afraid that bringing so many people in so quickly could harm the cohesiveness of the group. He refused to let that happen.
“Tell me what happened.”
“First I caught her trying to get some of the kids to sneak her food, after I told her that we ate at meal times only, at least until we have enough food to last.”
Gordy nodded, as this was something that everyone had agreed upon, and he had spoken of it to every one of the new members.
“I tried to explain to her the reasons why we did it, and she starts popping off at the mouth, so I just told her to stay out of the food until lunchtime and walked off.
“A little w
hile later I heard yelling, and found Arianna and Anna in the pavilion having a shouting match, and I still don’t know what that was about. When I confronted the two of them Anna simply said ‘She’s nuts, Mom’ and walked away.
“Well, Arianna is standing there crying about losing her home and her boyfriend and everything she had. I tried to be gentle, told her that we’ve all lost things. She screamed in my face ‘What the fuck do you know about loss, bitch!’ and I…” Jan paused looking at her husband, “I smacked her across the face.”
“You knocked her on her ass, and gave the whine-baby a shiner to boot, Jan. I can’t say I feel too bad for her either,” Jimmy said.
“Oh damn,” Mike and Rick said in unison.
Gordy stood looking at his wife, knowing that this was one of those moments that if he were to put his arms around her it would only anger her more. “Ok, well, we’ll deal with it together, just like we’ve dealt with everything else.”
Jan nodded at her husband, keeping silent for fear of saying something horrible about Arianna. Jan wasn’t a mean-spirited person, but she, like anyone, could only take so much.
“Is that it? Jimmy let on that the day was filled with drama.”
“Richard spent the day starting at me, Lynn and Evie while we were working with the kids in the ball diamond,” Tamara said, coming up behind the group. “I don’t know which of us he was eyeballing, but it was damn creepy.”
“He’s close to the same age as Lynn, so that would be my guess,” Rick told them.
“I don’t know,” Tam responded, “I just know it was creepy.”
“He refused to help anyone with the jobs that needed done? Hell, he could have just helped bring up water and boil it, and I would’ve been happy.”
“Cal and I tried to get him to help us on the wall, Gordo,” Jimmy told them, “but he would pull away like we were trying to infect him with the sickness.”
“Tam and Evie had a bit of a fight,” Jan told the group.
“It wasn’t a fight; we had a disagreement, loudly.”
“About what?” Gordy asked her.
“We both have degrees in education, and we both have ideas about how to teach the kids. It was nothing major, and we both apologized after, it’s all good, Gordy, I promise.”
American Revenant (Book 2): Settlers and Sorrow Page 12