Seeking Sanctuary (Walkers)

by Davis-Lindsey, Zelda

  I see them too. Mason thought at me. We don't want to alert anyone right now so lets not say anything, yet.

  I just love the way they're so helpful, watching us do all the work while they sit up there with their feet propped up on their control console, sipping mint juleps. He actually laughed out loud but I wasn't trying to be funny. I put my back to the hovering disc and moved with the swaying horse almost falling asleep.

  It was a quiet, exhausted bunch that arrived at Hazels. Some had to be carried inside and examined by Joe and Sandy. The women wept while the kids dragged themselves inside, looked wide eyed at all the furnishings and wandered over to the table. The men just collapsed on the couches and chairs, obviously done in.

  Sarah's nose wrinkled up at the odor but she helped the ones that could settle at the table get some chicken soup. Mama always said if you're ill or tired, chicken soup was just what you needed. Seemed like Hazel thought so too. The kids got finished first and didn't argue about baths, so they must have been tired of being dirty. We had two kids to each bathtub and some in the showers. Since we'd already started an emergency trailer, we had sweat clothes for everyone old enough to walk. Fresh, clean children and adults lounged around the main hall softly talking among themselves until the last one settled into Hazel's rocker. I started to say something but she shook her head so I left well enough alone.

  “We'd like to say thank you but I don't think that would be enough for what you've done for us. We wouldn't have lasted much longer in those cars.” The spokesman was a man who appeared to be in his 40's. He was thin but then they all were and was clearly enjoying the coffee Sarah had served on a big serving cart. “Mr. Walker, the engineer, assured us that we'd be safe on the train and promised we'd get to Seattle safely but we didn't count on the bridge being out. Then he decided to back the train back up to Kalispell and something happened to the engine, although the horn seemed to worked quite well.”

  “I thought it would bring help and it did.” Mr. Walker said as he helped himself to another cup of coffee.

  “Yes sir, it did, not to mention all the walkers.”

  “Then why mention it. I saved your asses back there and as soon as we recuperate we'll go back to Kalispell just like we planned.”

  “No sir, we won't. You planned to return to Kalispell, not us. We like it here just fine.”

  “Just a damned minute,” Walker sat up, “I'm in charge of this group and I say we go back to Kalispell. I've got you this far, I'll take you the rest of the way.”

  “Well, now that's just a wonderful idea, Mr. Walker. You just go to Kalispell. We just found out there is no safe haven in Seattle so we've decided to stay here.”

  “Bullshit!” He said, looking straight at me. I raised my eyebrows at him more in wonder that whenever something goes wrong everyone seems to think its my fault. Before I could say anything, though, Hazel did it for me.

  “Mister Walker, I'll thank you to watch not only your tongue but your volume. They want to stay, they stay but you will not. As soon as you are able, you will leave here, never to return. Do I make myself clear.”

  He stood as if to attack Hazel, making the rest of us stand at the same time, ready to protect her. When he saw he was clearly not going to get any help, he walked out to the porch. Ken followed him to make sure he didn't do any harm to anyone, since a lot of the kids were playing outside. Flynn and Randy were already outside watching the kids since the security here was more of a problem than at the Fort.

  We're going to have to leave a couple of us here to protect Hazel from this fool. I don't like the way he's acting.

  Yeah, kinda reminds me of Sweets. Sweets was an ex military, national guardsman whose real name was Calvin Sweet and who had a major, no pun intended, problem with not being able to be in charge. He wanted to push everyone around and when we wouldn't let him he tried to fire a missile at us during his great escape. Duke had disabled the controls in the helicopter Sweets stole causing it to crash, killing Sweets in the process. Yeah, Walker reminded me of him.

  Mason causally strolled outside to talk to the men to see if they would be willing to stay until Walker left. I motioned to Hazel to follow me to the kitchen area.

  “Miss Hazel, we're concerned Walker may cause trouble so we're going to leave a couple of the guys here to make sure he doesn't, if you don't mind of course.” She smiled that sweet smile of hers, then patted me on the shoulder.

  “That won't be necessary, dear.

  “Why?”

  “He won't be here tomorrow

  “He...what?”

  “Are. You. Having. Trouble. Hearing. Again. Dear?” she all but yelled at me.

  “No. No I'm not,” trying very hard not to yell back at her. Geez.

  “I. Said...”

  “Please Hazel, don't yell. I can hear fine, I'm just confused about...things.” I waved my hands around not sure how to explain what 'things' entailed.

  “Well, dear, my friends will take him off our hands tonight. So you really don't have to worry about him. Although, it is awfully nice to have someone to worry about me for a change, I can tell you. Come along, dear, we have guests you know?” She left me standing in the kitchen with my mouth hanging open. I walked to the window over the sink and looked out. There, hovering over the tree tops about half a mile away was the silver disc. I wondered why they all had to be silver. Don't they have any gold or copper ones? Shaking myself, I took a deep breath and returned to 'our guests'.

  Mason came inside at the same time as I entered the room. I heard, he thought.

  So you were that itch behind my ear.

  No baby, that itch wasn't me. I was that low, heavy feeling below your belt. I don't know why your ears were itching. To prove his point, I felt a very warm, heavy feeling in my happy place.

  Behave. I said, and pay attention, I put my hand up to stop his next obvious statement. to what's going on. Frustrated, I shook my head and narrowed my eyes at him. He finally laughed and put his hand around my shoulder. We turned as one when Randy rushed in. “He passed out, just crumpled up in a ball in that rocker out there. We can't wake him up.” He turned and rushed back out again.

  “I hope not,” Hazel said as she gently brushed one of the new kids hair. I think her name was Sky. “I put enough Valium in his coffee to knock out a jackass. I didn't know if the caffeine in the coffee would keep him awake so I added a little more than I would've if he'd been drinking milk. Still it may have been too much. Or not enough, what with the expiration date ending two years ago. I just don't know.” she started humming while she brushed Sky's hair.

  My God, that woman is just a cauldron of conflicting thoughts.

  Yeah, and she confusing too.

  Mason turned and looked at me. I know what you're talking about. I guess we don't have to keep someone here tonight after all.

  I agree but I'd feel better if someone was here. We don't know these people.

  We could stay. I wouldn't mind staying just to help out some. Just until some of the people here were able to help.

  We'd walked outside by the time we'd finished 'talking'. Randy, Flynn and Ken stood over Walker trying to figure out what to do.

  “Where's Joe? He'd better take a look at him.” Flynn said.

  I put my finger at his throat and detected a slow beat there. “I wouldn't worry too much about it. Seems like Hazel was a step ahead of us and spiked Walkers coffee. He should stay asleep long enough for her friends in the sky to pick him up sometime tonight.”

  “That old woman scares me.” Flynn said. “and I don't scare easy.” He looked at us and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Lacy and I have decided to spend the night. It's just until some of the new people get on their feet.”

  “We thought about that too. Do you think we should all stay?”

  “No. I don't think that will be necessary. I want to get back to the fort and see how they're doing. I hate to stay away too long.” I said. I was missing the place already. “It's gonna be
dark soon, so we need to make up our minds. I think most of those poor souls inside are too tired to do much tonight. Maybe tomorrow they'll feel stronger.” “Especially after eating more of Hazels good cooking.” Clint said, still frowning down at Walker. “Are you sure he's still breathing?”

  I felt of his neck again and felt a bit of a heartbeat. “Don't worry about him, Clint. He's still breathing. He needs to have a glass of water next to him in case he should wake up later. I heard Valium makes your mouth dry. Maybe lace it with some of Hazels Valium to make sure he goes back to sleep.”

  Clint laughed. “You scare me sometimes, JD. I swear you do.”

  About that time Hazel appeared with a glass of water. “I fixed him up some more Valium. That stuff makes your mouth dry.” She carefully set it on the table beside Walker and put a blanket across his lap. “Temperature falls with the sun around these parts.” She winked at us and smiled. “Wouldn't want him to catch a chill now would we.” Then she patted Flynn's shoulder and went back inside. We all followed her with our eyes.

  “I take that back JD. She's the one that scares me.” Clint went to the truck we'd parked there this morning and got behind the wheel. Evidently he planned to wait on us there. Okay, I guess we say goodnight and head home. I knew from the thoughts flitting around in Masons head that a nice roaring fire, raspberry tea and me on the bed was in our near future. I just love the way that man thinks.

  Chapter 18

  It took another 10 minutes for us all to get loaded into the trucks. Duke lagged behind doing something for Hazel but we finally managed to get on the road.

  “Finally.” I said, “That ghost in the corner was making me nervous.”

  “You see him again?” Mason said, taking my hand. “I thought it was a bit chilly all of a sudden but I couldn't see anything.”

  “Yeah, well, I don't think he's dangerous or anything, I just hate seeing things through him. That and the way he just stares at me.”

  “Well, we'll be home soon and a nice long shower is just what we all need.”

  “I'll say...What the hell!”

  We'd just taken a sharp turn in the road and there was a big, silver UFO blocking the road. When I say big, I'm talking like a big house, big and it was sitting right in the middle of the damned road. Wasn't going around this thing either because almost half of it hung over the road, and on that side of the road was a big, deep ravine. Another reason we couldn't go anywhere was because the truck just plain quit. Everything had stopped working, even our watches. I was sitting sideways in the seat after throwing my hand on the dash to keep from going through the windshield. I could only stare, mouth hanging open at another strange event in our strange eventful lives.

  The fort was about a mile from Hazels, but because of the creeks, ravines and hill sides we had to travel about five miles to get there. There's a lot of bends and turns, and around one of the many bends in the road, there sat the huge UFO.

  It didn't spin like a top and had no markings that I could see. It hovered about 10 feet above the road and there were no windows or doors or legs, it was just a huge, fat disc. I'd always thought it was silver but up close it looked like it was more of a gun metal gray. A humming was just barely audible but it was vibrating all around and through me. I think my teeth was vibrating with it but then I was scared shitless, so I could have been wrong. It was just there staring at us. Mason turned and looked at me. I slowly turned my head and looked back at him and shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea what was up. We'd been seeing the thing at a distance for over a month and it looked well, not dangerous. Now it sat there in the middle of the road making a humming noise and still not dangerous. That was okay by me cause I was still spooky from the ghost back at Hazels. I didn't think I could handle little green men right now.

  JD, if a little green man gets out of that thing, I'm leaving you all behind and high tailing it back to Hazels.

  Duke wants to know what we do now. Ken said softly in my mind.

  Tell him I have no idea.

  With that thought a kangaroo jumped out of the trees to our left, hopped across the road between us and the UFO, over the steep embankment and disappeared from view. I think I blinked my eyes about a million times at that. When I was just about tired of the whole thing, the UFO gently lifted in the air and in a blink of an eye disappeared from view.

  Just then the truck started up on it's own and Mason came unglued. He jumped a foot, making me squeak like a girl and jump too.

  “Damn, Mason. You nearly gave me a coronary. Crap on a cracker.”

  “I nearly gave you...? What the hell was that all about?” He asked, as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “And where the hell did that kangaroo come from? Christ! I need a drink.”

  And I lost it. I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself. I do that when I'm really nervous and the whole day has been a mixed bag of nervousness. I had no choice or control, so I broke up while Mason just sat there and glared at me which didn't help a bit. I finally got myself together when Flynn blew the horn behind us scaring the hell out of me again. A drink was definitely in order. After one more glance at the sky, we slowly moved towards the fort, Mason hanging over the steering wheel and me staring out my window trying very hard not to laugh.

  When we pulled up to the gate, I got a good look at the area in front of it. It was a nice sized parking area, wooded all around with picnic tables placed here and there. A little creek ran along the side of the fort to the front and along the road to disappear God knows where. A concrete outhouse sat secluded to the far side of the parking lot. I'd already checked it when we returned from our hunting trip a few days earlier so I know it had a concrete floor. When you sat on the toilet there was a breeze from hell coming up through it, almost making you forget why you sat down in the first place, especially in winter. The outside was speckled with tiny rocks so it almost blended in, almost. The grass was taking over so we needed to do something soon. Mostly to prevent snakes and skunks from taking up residence in the tall grass. We needed a goat, or two.

  “We need to get some goats to take care of the grass. It gets much taller and we could hide a mountain goat in here.”

  Mason looked around. “Yeah, I see what you mean. Snakes would just love this stuff and it would look better if it was mowed down.” Then he stopped talking so he could help pull the gates open. I wondered briefly when they planned to fix them, then pulled the truck through and parked it in its spot near the garage where Howard and Samantha lived. Howard was there to greet us along with a whole bunch of kids.

  The rest of the evening was filled up with telling the story of the rescue interspersed with tales of UFO's and kangaroo's. Afterward, we sat on the bench in the park like area and watched the moon rise.

  “I can't imagine a better place to be right now.” Mason said, as he stared at the stars.

  “Me either. I can't believe I never knew about this place, or I'd have brought us here instead of to the lodge.”

  “I'm glad we got to live at the lodge, JD. Nothing will ever take that memory from me. Everything and I mean everything that happened there will be a memory I will enjoy till the day I die. Mostly because you were a part of it but also because I've made some wonderful friends and learned a lot about life and what I was missing before the walkers arrived. Peace and quiet beats the nightly news and rush hour traffic any day.”

  When it started getting too cool to be out, we headed for our room. I was pleasantly surprised to find a fire lit in the fireplace sending out shadows to dance all over the place. No telling who thought of it but I was grateful anyway. I opened the window curtains and got us a bottle of water from the small fridge finding several of Sarah's apple tarts waiting for me. We drank our water and ate a tart on the floor in front of the fire then proceeded to make love like two teenagers until we fell into an exhausted sleep. Sometime during the night we moved to the bed. I was getting too old to sleep on the floor and still be able to walk upright the next day. Comfort is starting to be my mid
dle name.

  We had a quiet few days with the biggest excitement being the phone system Duke set up between us and Hazel. It rang into the main mess hall but was diverted to Lacy and Randy's apartment during the night. Mikey had his own room and wouldn't be bothered with the phone ringing if it did ring during the night. Joe and Sandy spent two days at the ranch seeing to the worst of the people from the train. They would be okay. As promised by Hazel, Walker disappeared that night. The only thing that told her what happened was all of his clothes were left behind. Even his watch was laying on the floor near the chair he had slept in. No one seemed unduly upset by his disappearance and after a brief moment of wonder his name wasn't mentioned again.

  It was nearly the Fourth of July and we had a big picnic planned in the fort. It would be for all the people at Hazel's as well. A get to know ya dinner so to speak. We went hunting the day before as we had nearly everyday since we arrived. The freezers were full and the pantry was fatter than when we arrived. We'd been working on Hazels kitchen getting it set up for a large number of people. Her pantry was looking a lot better and the big walk in freezer was looking great. All of the men that were on the train could hunt and loved to fish. They went out every day hunting and we combined our efforts on occasion. One man was a tech wizard like Duke and they had their heads together nearly all the time. The security at the ranch was starting to improve drastically.

  We'd been raiding outlying ranches and farms for durable goods with several trips into town for as many clothes as possible. A game room on the second floor was made into a closet and the trailers used to transport the stuff were used as a fence around the back of the ranch allowing room for the kids to play without worry. It also protected the livestock including the five cows that had been found wandering around the countryside. Things were looking up. They had several members who were cooks, one a chef from a fancy restaurant in Kansas City. A surgical nurse helped set up the new clinic and a young man who had a knack for fixing things, set up a place for himself in one of the outbuildings.