by Ron Foster
“We are always going to need gas and cans; hey, I got me an idea. Does Feng have any food coloring in her kitchen?” Farley asked.
“Uh yea, she has some, uses it for making cakes and such, why you asking?” Charlie questioned.
“Well, if she has some green coloring or dye we could add it to any gas we are trading and call it agricultural gas. The reason being is that we will then have an excuse for having access to all that gas we got in the underground tank. That is, of course, whenever I figure out how to get into those locked covers. I will tell the folks down at the bait store I got me a farmer with some agricultural or AG gas for trade. That will up my value as a trader and keep the heat off of me about where I am coming up with all that gas. We got to be very careful about being followed home when we are trading, anyone who thinks we are carrying anything valuable or have access to anything edible might try to follow us home or rob us on the way.” Farley said while contemplating if he had any use for a couple rolls of barbwire that he saw sitting over in one corner of the garage.
“What do you have in mind for those rolls of wire?” Charlie said noting Farley’s interest in the items.
“I am not sure yet. I was thinking about stringing a fence across the road with a restricted access sign on it and putting a short fence on either side like an inspection point. That would be a visual deterrent but if I drove the tractor in and out and mowed the lawn there occasionally it would be an even better visual deterrent indicating recent activity of the sort not normally occurring these days. Who else besides the military would have enough gas these days to be maintaining and mowing check points or for that matter part of the sides of the road? If a hunter or traveler that made it this far out ever saw me mowing it, so much the better.” Farley said contemplating how that would appear and if it was an excessive or frivolous waste of fuel or not.
“That idea does have some merit, Farley. On the other hand, what other message does it send to any would be observer or person that discovers it. Does it say we got stuff, come have a closer look?” Charlie said pondering worriedly.
“You got a point there, like I said I am still thinking on it. Oh, by the way on that point I can kick myself for not thinking about it already, but last night I looked out on the lake and could see here and there camp fires on the far shores. You can see those things burning for miles across the lake. That means building night fires or burning any trash around the lake cabins becomes taboo from now on. Of course on the other hand, lighting all them fire pits the resort so nicely installed for us over there and some of them other ones down by the RV camp sites would, if we ever needed or wanted to make it look like we had a slew of folks staying over here. I am not saying we need to do it any time soon, but it’s not a bad idea to pick up some fallen tree branches around those places and have some fires ready to go should we ever have a call to do a bit of decoy work. Tell the boys when they are out on their wanderings to start accomplishing that task for us, Charlie, if you don’t mind.” Farley said contemplating the notion of having several campfires going to possibly scare someone off in an emergency situation.
“Might not be a bad idea to stash some gas out in the woods around them so you could light them in hurry if you wanted to.” Charlie said considering the same idea and providing a rain or shine solution to igniting them.
“Good idea, if I get the time and materials I ought to try to rig us up some electric lights off a marine battery or something for those campsites, then we would have an instant “Folks are living here” look to it; course what would be kinda cool to get that same effect would be to find a bunch of those cheap Wal-Mart solar landscaping lights and have those suckers turn on and off every night.” Farley said envisioning dozens of small lights twinkling on a darkened shore or seen from the woods marking out numerous campsites.
“Farley, I am still trying to wrap my head around exactly what this place is supposed to be right now. The military abandoned this place after the disaster, why would you think the military would actually keep this place open other than that bullshit I told those fisherman about it being a rest and relaxation area for returning foreign deployed servicemen?” Charlie asked.
“Training maybe? Hell, when I transferred over from the Army Guard to the Air guard one time, part of Combat Crew training was playing escape and evade on the bases’ golf course at night in Oklahoma. The Air Force uses what it’s got, realistic or not, for training exercises; this campground would be a step above that and woodland skills like lashing together a lookout tower out of logs or something would add to the effect. That reminds me, Charlie, out here I guess you and me need to go back to wearing uniforms of a sort, I have some BDU,s and you wear whatever you got, not that dress uniform thing you got of course but something that looks like a serviceman wandering around at a distance.” Farley said thinking about how easy it was with just a pair of binoculars to make out people at a distance from one shore to another on the lake.
“I will find something, sounds like you don’t want very much going on close to shore is that it, Farley?” Charlie asked.
“Well, it’s not so much that, it’s just we need to be very aware of our actions and appearances sometimes. Light discipline or a lack thereof creates impressions, especially in a darkened world. I would suspect that drones or observation planes or helicopters are being used by the government to try to get a handle on the numbers and concentrations of survivors regardless if they can help them or not. Any type of military attached installation will probably have its own designation but I think that it’s doubtful a deactivated place like this warrants any particular attention. As for what we are or trying to appear to be or actually are, I just don’t really know.” Farley said thinking that just day to day surviving around here was going to take all his time and energy without worrying about any kind of psychological warfare actions or lack thereof.
“I say we just let the weeds grow and keep our heads low.” Charlie said evidently as overwhelmed with all the tasks that needed to be done now as Farley was to consider taking on anything new that might end up being more harmful than helpful.
“You and I need to come up with something to use for a makeshift plow for these tractors but I am kind of short on ideas at the moment.” Charlie said studying the three point hitch attaching the lawn mowing bush hog on the back.
“I have been pondering on that also; eventually I can find me something to try to build us one out of maybe but for now I am thinking a harrow or drag of some sort will be the easiest thing to create.” Farley said and began describing how to accomplish this task using wood or pipe.
“That sounds simple enough, we put enough weight on it or figure out how to make the tractor push it down into the dirt with the hitch and we could turn over some dirt a hell of a lot faster than by hand.” Charlie said watching Farley draw the outline for one on the dust of one of the tractors hoods with his finger.
“Getting our garden in and planted is priority one, figuring out how the hell we will water it is another matter we need to be studying on. Hauling water as you know takes up entirely too much of our day already.” Farley declared.
“Maybe we can use the tractors to haul 50 gallons or more at a time?” Charlie said.
“We can rig up something suitable for that, I am sure, we got us a couple trailers parked out back for those things but filling or finding water barrels is another thing. Trash cans might work for that maybe but I need to get my hands on a water pump or at least a boat bilge pump or something to fill them with.” Farley said his mind traveling back to wanting to pilfer the marina once again.
“Farley, why don’t you ask down at the bait store if they know anyone like a contractor around here that has one of those pumps they use to empty rain water out of excavations?” Charlie asked, knowing where Farley’s mind was probably going.
“That’s a good idea, however I keep wondering how long that bait store place can or will exist. Not having food for sale in there reduces their chances of being t
argeted but evidently they are eating something and looking well so you got to wonder what they got most to rely on food wise that others don’t have. It wouldn’t take much to rob that place and there are plenty of people that might have some determination to give it a try soon and make them tell where some food is or just to swipe what beer and such that is left. It’s a world that pretty much exists as a world without rule of law for the most part, so you got to look at all angles and possibilities. They are also our canary in the coalmine, as it were, as to what the conditions are or will be outside this place. That’s sort of their protection, I guess you might say, it’s the only place you can get local news or a chance to maybe find some goods if you got something to trade with but that’s the lynch pin that is going to get them possibly whacked. A lot of people won’t have anything to trade at all and if they have a gun or a knife they might in their desperation give it a try. I tell you what I hadn’t considered though that is interesting, is all those churches organizing like they have. Close knit groups of believers bent on as it were to add the element of religion to a threat or assistance the same as all history presents to us is something to consider. If you add desperation and disaster to the mix, it is often times hard to figure out exactly how a person or a situation will pan out based on holier than thou and you’re an outsider for not participating in a political community or belief system.” Farley said pondering if such groups might spell trouble for them.
“For that matter, Becky was a pretty devout Christian that had taken to forcing everyone to listening to her say grace over dinner. It hadn’t been her usual routine or habit before the disaster and now Jeremy said she was also reading her bible quite a bit more frequently and longer than she had in the past.” Farley said speculating if that meant anything else other than seeking answers and support from her faith.
“Farley, not to mean any disrespect to her but since we are not very religious folks around here, do you think she will grow to resent us or want to go to one of those churches to seek others out that share her spiritual beliefs?” Charlie asked stopping Farley with that statement to quit going through a shelf of insecticides to see what kind of stocks they had of that all important item that he had forgotten might be needed in his long term preps.
“Damn, Charlie, you said a mouthful there. I don’t think she will start asking to attend church or push religion at us too much for awhile but it is something to consider. I am sure she understands our need to remain secluded from others but that gospel is based on followers. I am not somebody who does the congregation thing but I can quote you some scripture from when I was forced to go to church or Sunday school as a kid. Once I found the scripture in the bible that said ‘build me not a church and when two or more are gathered in my name so be it a church, I started looking down on those that built expensive structures instead of investing in the community. Why, if you took all the money they pump into those cathedral-like edifices they were told specifically not to build, I bet you could fix a lot of woes for the people that are too poor to even attend one. I never found me a reverend or a preacher that could give me a plausible answer to the “give my father not gold or silver” thing or an answer to why churches are built at great expense instead of being simple assembly halls.” Farley said pondering these meanings and reflections that influenced how he viewed his own beliefs in a higher power.
“Farley, you need to have a talk to her about talking any religion when you go trading down to the bait store. You are still going to try for some more stuff once you pick up those extra chickens they owe you, aren’t you?” Charlie asked.
“Oh yea, I am not going to be going around there as much as I might of originally thought about. However, if the world is continuing just like it always has after a disaster and folks are trying to rebuild, I sort of like us to stay in touch with the community and be part of it. Now, telling Becky to watch it about not talking religion is another whole can of worms I just as soon not open very soon, especially since she is focusing more on including it in her life. I just as soon not compare notes with her on any aspect of it but I will mention something about in the end days or end of times the bible warns us of following or believing in false prophets. Those fire breathing end time Southern Baptist preachers and Radio evangelists are having a field day at the moment. I never realized how many of those Christian stations must have their own generators and enough fuel to keep broadcasting. I had to force myself to listen to a few of them in order to try to gauge the messages or directions they were giving out to the listeners. One thing I am particularly concerned about is that for years FEMA has reached out to preachers as leaders of communities to help get government messages of submit to authority and surrender your guns based on biblical texts. So far I think for the majority of the spiritualists I have listened to fall into about three or four circles of thought. You got the doomsayers of the approaching apocalypse listed in Revelations, the few that remind us “no man will know the exact time when judgment comes, the love thy neighbors and support the weak and elderly and the FEMA inspired folks sending mixed messages of politically organizing grassroots support for questionable mandates with the “Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” so the farmers don’t shoot government officials appropriating crops and livestock on sight. Then you got some reverends quoting various parables about beating swords into plowshares or the opposite tact that if you don’t have a sword, to sell your cloak and buy you one. Anyway, that’s enough talk about religion, I will say something to Becky and we will just see how things develop. I guess we are about done here and should be getting back.” Farley said after grabbing a couple cans of bug spray to take with him.
“I suppose that door will be alright left open or you could lock it and I will leave one of the garage doors unlocked.” Charlie said speculating on how long it had taken Farley to get into the building and the chances of anyone trying the door.
“Just leave the last bay open and we will lock the access door.” Farley said agreeing to Charlie’s plan.
7
The Setup
“Hey, Charlie, where did the maintenance guy that had the keys to that shed go off to? Any chance that he would come back here if wherever he went got too hard to live around?” Farley asked.
“That would be Bobby; he lives about an hour from here. I thought about him awhile back but its been over 12 weeks since I have seen him last so I guess since I haven’t seen him by now or anyone in his crew they aren’t coming would be my best guess.” Charlie said not knowing Bobby had lost his life 4 weeks ago from a heart attack from lacking his medications.
“Ok, I was just checking. Anyone else that might show up around here that you know of?” Farley asked.
“Nobody I can think of, I don’t know any personal details about the lawn and maintenance crew people, the snack bar people, the boat rental folks and everyone else got told to report to personnel and I was told to shut down the facility. Then nothing more, everyone was gone, phone lines are dead and I didn’t go to the base, figured it was kind of futile.” Charlie said.
“I am kind of like you in thinking that if anyone was coming they would have already been here but you never know. Hey, day after tomorrow I think I will take a boat out and do a bit of reconnaissance around here and play fisherman; you got anything with an electric motor?” Farley asked.
“No, all we got is small gas engines or paddle canoes.” Charlie explained.
“Well, that will have to do, I guess. Tonight let’s try to see what time campfires start up and stop and observe from different vantage points and make us sort of a map of known inhabitants. That information will help me on my scouting some and if we try to make it a regular practice to observe that sort of thing we might get a better feel for the situation around here especially if some place always has a fire and suddenly doesn’t one evening.” Farley said trying to get a feel for what he now called ‘their’ neighborhood.
“I think there is some solar or battery lighted channel warning b
uoys on the far point of this reservation, do we leave them lit or maybe try to turn them off?” Charlie asked.
“We leave them lit, I guess. I suppose anyone that sees them has seen them before and knows what’s over here already. Hopefully everyone close by is short on gas and not venturing out much although someone who actually lives around here might think to come over here looking for supplies; I would have by now.” Farley stated.
“Well, just keep in mind a few people have already done that, Farley. We can’t be living in fear everyday and there are not enough of us to really consider standing any kind of regular guard duty. If someone actually wanted to try something it would probably be dusk or dawn anyway and we got that one covered by making sure we are all together at those times. Other than organized possible marauders, it’s just opportunists that hopefully will think twice about this opportunity.” Charlie stated.
“I agree, the longer the lights are out the less we need to worry about as people become less mobile and the population is further reduced. Let’s go down to the fishing dock and see if the boys are doing any good.” Farley said.
“Ok, we can do that, let’s get together after dinner for a beer and we can do some of that campfire spotting you were talking about.” Charlie said thinking that was a perfect excuse to sneak off from his wife Feng.
“I guess the evening assembly area for us is the pavilion, it’s inland far enough that the campfire shouldn’t be able to be seen from the lake. The only problem with that is it’s so far from the cabins and we end up with everyone carrying flashlights around if the moon isn’t up. I think we ought to blackout curtain one of those cabins for our club house or recreation hall but it’s so dang hot this time of year we would melt without having at least the front windows wide open. That would leak out some light but hopefully not enough to be seen easily from the lake much. I got to try and find us some old board games like monopoly or something, playing cards is going to get old by themselves in a hurry I think.” Farley said thinking that their occasional night time group get togethers were really going to get boring or aggravating but it beat going to bed early all the time.