Alden walked back into the living room, “See anything interesting?”
Ceara jumped almost dropping the picture with the president, “We weren’t trying to be nosy, well ok, we were, but you never tell us anything about you.”
Alden sat down in one of the recliners and placed his coffee cup on a table. “That’s because those things are the past, and for me the past ended long ago. The picture you’re holding Ceara, is the President giving me the Medal of Honor.”
He took a sip and got up walking over to the group picture he picked it up and handed it to her, “I got it for saving and getting seven men in this picture out of the jungle alive.”
Charlie looked at it then back to Alden, “That’s something to be real proud of.”
Alden turned and walked back and sat down, “Naw, what I would have been proud of is if I could have gotten the other eighteen out alive.”
He watched as his last statement hit home. As his words sank in they all realized that every time he told them to be safe and not do anything stupid he was thinking of his old friends. Heath had taken the other green recliner and was looking at the photo’s then to Alden, “Can I ask what happened?”
Alden looked at him with a hard cold stare then eased back, “To the others? They died getting my ass out of there.”
Alden finished his coffee and got up walking over to the desk he took out a brown package and headed outside. Heath got up and walked to the window as Colt ask him, “Where’s he going”
Heath turned a moment later, “He went out to make a statement, that he is still alive.” Everyone got up and walked to either the window or the door. There in the front yard stood Alden, he was fumbling with a rope on a pole. As they looked up they suddenly realized what was in the brown package. Chills ran up and down their bodies as they stood and watched two flags unfurling in the wind. The top one was the Stars and Stripes, The one below was the P.O.W. Flag. Alden stepped back came to the position of attention and saluted the flags. Tonto was standing beside him. No one noticed as Heath walked out the door until they saw him standing next to Alden; he too came to the position of attention and saluted.
The sun’s rays shining through the trees brought shadows over the three. The wind died down briefly and the flags fell calm, only to be whipped back up in a frenzy as if to say “We’re alive and here to stay.” The rest walked out and joined Alden and Heath, standing behind them with their heads bowed in respect.
Beth turned around and looked back towards Alden’s place when a sound was heard. Turning her head slowly to where she had thought she heard the sound Beth found herself looking at Ceara, then to Charlie. The sound was a low gurgling sound and that told her that they were getting hungry. Beth knew the last time that they had eaten a decent meal was the night before. “So, Alden, I know we packed all of our supplies and to be honest I know I, for one, and I’m sure the others as well, have a few questions, so I will be the one to speak. How many nights do you all figure we will be staying here? Then secondly, do you want us to unpack some of the food and can cook us up a nice dinner since we are your guests?”
Tabitha turned to see Heath looking off in the distance as though he was still in some sort of shock of it all. “Well, here is my two cents…..I think a nice home cooked meal would be nice for a change.”
Alden turned and looked at them, “When we first pulled up I was thinking just the night, but now that we’re here, I figure two days to rest and make a plan, so go ahead and unpack what you think you might need.”
He started for the house then turned to go to a large shed covered in netting, “There’s no need for food. You’ll find canned goods in the kitchen and I can rustle up something out here after I get the generator started.”
Charlie followed Alden to the shed and watched as he opened the door. Inside was a large generator, “So Al, where do we put in the gas?” Alden smiled, “Off the Grid here son… no gas it’s solar powered. Alden flipped some switches and low hum coming from the machine started to get louder. Charlie watched for a minute as Alden turned and threw a main breaker. Lights came on in the shed. Alden walked over to a large freezer and opened it.
Alden took out two plastic ice cream pails filled with a frozen substance he set them on the ground then pulled out some white paper packages. “I kept it running for the freezers just in case I came back.”
He smiled at Charlie,” Pick those pails up, that’s supper for tonight. Its homemade beef stew; the girls can warm it on the stove. These packages here,” Waving the white paper packages are for tomorrow, bacon and steaks.”
Charlie smiled at him, “So I take it the stove is solar powered?”
“Oh hell no,” Alden said, “It’s propane with a wood back up.”
As the two got inside the girls were already fast at work. Ceara had figured out the stove and had it going. Beth and Tabitha were going through the cabinets looking for pans and dishes. Alden reached down under a cabinet and pulled out large pot, “Use this for the stew.”
He placed the rest of the food in a refrigerator that had come to life and was cooling down quickly. Ceara reached back into the corner of the counter and pulled a machine out that had a quilted cover that said ‘BREAD’ on it, “Alden you old goat, you have a bread machine?”
He smiled and tossed a package to her. “Yep and I got bread too.” Turning to Charlie he smiled, “Now I learned one thing from my Mother. When more than two women are in a kitchen men get the hell out.” He turned and headed to the front room.
Beth excused herself and went out to the Land Rover. After opening up the rear doors she found the box that she was looking for. Quickly she opened it and got out the box of tea along with a jar of sugar then returned back inside. Tabitha watched Beth and figured out what she was doing. She hadn’t seen anyone make sweet tea before and this was interesting as hell. “So how you do that Beth?”
Beth smiled while working, “Oh this is easy and since it’s still afternoon it won’t be that difficult.” Beth reached up into the cabinet and found two rather big size Mason jars and filled them with cool water then added about four tea bags along with a cup of sugar then tightened the lids. “That’s it. Now the sun on the front porch will do its work and for supper tonight we will have sweet tea.”
Beth walked out the front door and found a nice place where the sun was shining its rays down. After placing it there she returned inside and saw Colt resting on the sofa. Tabitha had made her way back into the kitchen to help out Ceara, Beth took this opportunity to squat down on the floor by Colt, “Beef stew for supper and sweet tea if you would like?”
Ceara leaned looking into the living room, turning back to Tabitha, “Hell, all they need is a football game playing and you would think this is Thanksgiving at my parent’s house.”
Tabitha leaned her hip on the counter, “Wouldn’t know about that, but it damn sure looks like the start of some of the parties I crashed.”
Ceara laughed as she tried breaking up the frozen veggies and meat in the pot. The juices were melting quickly enough but she didn’t want any of the frozen burning on the bottom. “The bread dough is frozen solid so it may be tomorrow morning before we can have that, but it’ll be great for breakfast.”
Two hours later they all had eaten and cleaned the kitchen, Colt leaned back on the sofa, “Man Alden, this is a little piece of heaven. Tell me again why we aren’t staying?”
Ceara scooted closer to Charlie but looked to Alden, “I thought the same thing, but I got another question too. If all these people are your family, why don’t we stay where we would have protection?”
Alden leaned back and rubbed his stomach then took a drink of coffee, “Well we have the same issue here we had back up in the park. It’s too easy to sneak up on us. These mountain folk have banded together but I doubt that they will last very long. They are related in one way or another but I was never much on the family reunion shit, so most of them don’t know me. Before I left, I was attacked by humans, I killed
all of them. I had cut those trees back a week or so before, but trust me when I say this. These creatures are like an army, and like an army, we need to know when they’re coming and how many we’ll be facing. That way we can decide if we want to fight or flee or hide. Here if they attack we only see the first wave we would have no idea how many are beyond the rise.”
Colt nodded, “Yeah, the creature comforts don’t mean shit if you can’t survive to enjoy them.” He glanced out the window and noticed the sun was down, “Ok, stupid question, but do you have an idea on how the guard duty will work? Are we getting on the roof again?”
Alden smiled a little, “No, you’ll get a good night’s sleep. This place is well protected trust me when I say we will know if they’re approaching. The road is the only place that is not wired or mined. Starting at the tree line I have tripwires waist high or about four feet off the ground. Those dumb bastards are too stupid to know not to walk right through one. They also have tin cans and pie pans attached about every three feet, which keeps the local wildlife from walking into them for the most part. If one gets tripped I’ll know it.”
Ceara sat straight up, “WHAT?! You can’t do that Alden! Maximus is going to get killed out there!!!” Maximus lifted his head at hearing his name, Ceara pet him but glared at Alden, “I am not letting him out there without a leash, do you have one?”
Alden smiled there’s a dog tie out run outside the back door, but if you let Maximus out with Tonto he’ll stay with him and Tonto knows where all the stuff is, That was one of his jobs, sniffing out IED’S.”
Ceara relaxed back, “Ok, I’ll put him on the run, he don’t know what Tonto is avoiding and may go there anyway. I don’t want to risk that.”
Colt surprised everyone speaking up, “Ceara, I use to watch that military channel back in the day and one of the ways they train military dogs is to have it go out with another one. It’s strange but the one that knows there is danger snaps at the training one to teach him. It may be a good idea to let Max out there to kind of learn some of what Tonto knows.”
Tabitha perked right up, “Now that does sound like a great idea. You see animals that run in packs like wolves; well they know way more than humans. Often it’s said that they can hear and detect things before they happen, …like storms and other stuff. Shoot, hell just look at the dogs for the hearing impaired, those dogs are highly alert and can probably hear a flea fart on another animal a thousand yards away!!! So having the two of them together, that would be good training for both of them.”
Tabitha looked around and started to actually feel like she was in a home. Looking up at Alden, “I get why you wanna leave…. I mean there is a need to get closer to more resources and supplies, but I just wanna thank you Alden for letting us have a couple days here cause I can’t remember the last time that I actually had a full night sleep. The thing that I am actually worried about the most is once we get where we are going, we are going to have to try and find yet another place like back at the camp grounds, secure it and somehow ward it off from the rest of the zombies.” Tabitha lay back on the floor and crossed her feet at her ankles looking up at the cabin boards in the ceiling. “Whatever it is or where ever it is, I sure hope we can make it as nice as this cause this beats the campgrounds.”
Charlie nodded then got up and headed out the door, “I’m going to get our sleeping gear I’ll be right back.”
He stepped out on the porch and just stood there. The sun was low over a mountain and suddenly security lights kicked on. One shined up at the flags, one came on over the shed and one out at the edge of the tree line. They were not bright but more of an amber colored, giving just enough soft light for one to see. He stood there and listened to the wind blowing through the cedar trees gently. They swayed back and forth, the branches scraping against one another. Crickets started to chirp and fireflies came out blinking.
He stepped off the porch and walked to the van, opening up the back door he reached in and took out his and Ceara’s sleeping bags along with the two pillows he had taken from their cabin. He never heard Ceara come up behind him. He jumped when she touched his shoulder, “Need any help?”
Charlie dropped the bags, “Damn it, don’t do that.”
She smiled, “Sorry. I just thought I’d help.”
Charlie started to pick up the bags, “Sorry, I don’t think I’ll ever be calm again.”
Ceara took her bag and set it down then gave him a hug, “Sweetie we’re all on edge, we’ve had to be, and when we get to a place like this that seems safe; I think we all go on high alert. It’s not you.” She kissed his cheek, “C’mon let’s get inside before the mosquito’s figure out we’re not one of the Wanderers.” The two turned and walked back in.
Colt waited for Charlie and Ceara to come back in, “Ok, I know we are all happy with the cabin, but I have one more question if you don’t mind. Your traps are great for the Wanderers but what about the humans. I don’t mean any disrespect, but you yourself said that they attacked you before you left and now they know we are back. So my question is, are your traps for humans too?”
Alden smirked at him, “You want to go wander out there and see if you can see any of my traps?”
Colt had the good sense to lower his head, “No, but as you and Heath have both pointed out, I am not a woodies guy. The people that are here, well they are used to being out here. That’s all I’m saying.”
Alden got up and poured another cup of coffee then coming back from the kitchen, “Colt, that was in the beginning and the ones who attacked were not from around here really. They were ones that had summer homes here, or I would guess their parents or grandparents did. Anyway, I took care of them and now with the good ole boy network up and running… well think about it, if those men hadn’t recognized me as one of their own, where’d you think we’d all be right now?”
Charlie was laying his bag out in a corner with Ceara and chimed in, “I hear banjos.”
Alden turned and glared at him then smiled. “Not quite….. But then again, some of them boys might have swung that way.” Sitting back down and taking a sip of coffee, “besides Tonto will be on the porch. The only safe way in or out will be up the road we came and he’ll let me know someone’s coming long before they get here.”
Heath looked at Colt, “I don’t want to sound mean… but you seem to be an intelligent guy….at the same time you seem afraid of your own shadow. Didn’t you ever go camping or play army in the woods with your friends.”
Colt looked embarrassed, “I was in the cub scouts”
Heath gave a slight grin, as Alden chuckled and mumbled, “Well that’s something I guess.”
Heath went on, “Okay, I know Alden’s been in charge but if it’s alright with him starting tomorrow I want to give you all a little lesson of surviving in the wild.” He looked at Alden, “I used to give the same type of class to the local Boy Scout troops they brought up from the city. I can teach them all some simple survival techniques that might give Colt and maybe some of the others the confidence that should anything happen to you, they can survive on their own.”
Alden smiled, “You know what, I like that idea and with that I’m going to bed.”
He got up and headed to the bedroom. Opening the door he turned and smiled, “You kids behave with your sleep over.” As he closed the door he said, “good night.”
Chapter 11 – Boy Scouts
The sun came through the window waking Ceara, groaning she turned over closing her eyes again. She was just drifting back off to sleep when the yelling started, “EVERYONE UP… DAYLIGHT IS WASTING!”
Everyone was up and pulling weapons looking for the attack. Colt looked around ready for whatever was there but saw Heath standing there with Alden at his side; Alden was smiling as he drank his coffee. Colt stared at the two, “What the hell was that??”
Heath got a crooked grin, “Times wasting and you guys are sleeping the day away. I told you I’m going to be teaching you some survival tricks today.”
Charlie was climbing out of his sleeping bag, Ceara tossed hers into a corner, “Was that really necessary, we could have shot and asked questions later?”
Charlie shrugged, “Hey they could have shot off one of the guns and hid out to scare us, so it could have been worse, right?”
Ceara rolled her eyes, “My Charlie, forever the optimist.”
Charlie grinned but didn’t reply. Colt had waited for Beth to get up then folded the couch up and put the cushions back in place, “I need coffee!” With that he limped to the kitchen.
Charlie watched as Ceara headed to the bathroom, then turned and went outside. Walking around the house and looking, he soon found what he was looking for. There at the edge of the woods downhill from the house was another little house with a vent pipe out the top, “I knew that old man had an outhouse.”
Opening the door he saw several little pine tree shaped air fresheners hanging inside, along with one of those little cone shaped ones. He looked around. There was a fresh roll of toilet paper with a spare that hung from a coat hanger. A couple of magazines laid on the flat spot next to the seat. Lowering to it he found it was padded. “Hell the one in the house wasn’t padded.” He thought. Soon he was done and headed up to the house.
Out back was a small sink mounted to the side of the house with a small old red hand pump next to it. A mirror hung above it. Charlie worked the pump and the cold water splashed into the basin. Going inside he came back out with his little shaving bag and soon finished his morning clean up.
Colt walked out right when he finished, “Damn, I gotta go.” Charlie turned and smiled pointing to the outhouse, “Then go, fool. Hell, it’s got padded a seat and everything.” Colt suddenly realized that Charlie wasn’t going to wait on the girls to fight over a bathroom and now neither was he.
After getting up Beth walked around and poured herself a cup of coffee then went back over to the table. Pulling out the chair, she sat back and began reflecting on everything that had transpired over the past few weeks. Memories began fleeting through her mind like a rushing river flowing through the banks; her co-workers, the infection, the President, along with the government and all of its officials. Then her thoughts changed to those of her families and the families of her close friends. Taking a sip of coffee something out of the corner caught her eye. Over on the wall was an outlet and then she suddenly got up making her way out to the Rover. Quickly she retrieved her bag that contained her Dell laptop and then returned back inside, she powered it up and waited for it to boot up. It only took a few minutes and she was logged into her computer but she needed to be able to try to get on the internet and she knew that being out where she was that there would be no way of attaining service. That was for the normal civilian. Lifting up her computer she found her hidden compartment that contained her air card. Tabitha walked by and what Beth was doing made her stop dead in her tracks, “What do you got there Beth?”
Surviving Day By Day (Book 2): Fears, Flames, and Future Page 18