by Carl Meadows
It reminded me of when we first got to the lodge, Freya. I remember you being a bit wild-eyed, and little old Particles seemed to bring you out of yourself. I swear that pug has superpowers.
“Your lodge is great,” Dean started, “but it’s small. It just seems like good sense to move everyone here. More safety in numbers, more space for expansion, plenty of power and backup power capability, clean water, a secure perimeter, maintenance area, tools, and other resources. The lodge is nice and out of the way, but it’s smaller. It doesn’t seem logical for us to remain split into two small groups that are so far apart. It’s what, about a ten-mile drive between the two sites because of roads we have to avoid? Not easy to respond quickly to if there’s a problem, and it will probably be the very edge of radio range, and maybe beyond it.”
Ah yes. I should mention that. When Dean cleared out the ‘locker’ as he keeps calling it, he took a case of ten secure channel radios that the specialist firearms unit used on operation when all geared up. Those ten radios are all on their own encrypted channel and can’t be listened into as they’re tuned to this encoded channel, but they have a range of between six and ten miles based on how built up the area is, so I’m informed. We’d be pushing it using those radios over two sites.
“I could set up the same camera system here as I did for the lodge,” offered Isaac.
“Have you got the extra kit?” asked Nate.
“Well, no, I’d have to re-purpose what we’ve used at the lodge.”
“Uh huh,” was all Nate responded with.
Nate isn’t a fan of moving, I can sense it. He’s not arguing against it, just that he seems to be gathering information and isn’t enthusing over a move.
“There are better facilities here for me to work with.” Mark seemed almost apologetic. “There’s a full workshop, maintenance garage, store for parts and tools, some lumber, more space to park the tanker and the loader truck.”
He said it all looking at Nate. I think everyone wants Nate to sign off on it from a tactical point of view.
“What about you, Erin?” asked Dean.
Talk about a rock and a hard place. Dean was all for it, Nate wasn’t convinced as yet, and now I was smack bang in the middle of the two most important male role models in my life. I owed everything to both of them. Dean, along with Maria, set my pre-apocalypse life on the right course. They straightened me out and saw the person I could be if I avoided the wall I was running headlong at.
But since the fall of the world, Nate has been my rock. He gets me, and few people do, and has this unwavering faith like when we rescued Dean. All it took was a look and an unspoken assertion that this was important to me and he had my back, with no argument or question. Just a nod and his eye behind the scope.
Nate’s also given me the skills to survive. He’s taught me how to shoot, how to make smoke bombs, how to hunt, how to gut and dress a deer, how to maintain weapons, building clearance tactics, vigilance… shit, I wouldn’t be sat in that room with a decision to make had it not been for Nate.
It was almost like asking me to throw my support behind one or the other, and I thought that was a bit unfair of Dean to put me in that spot. In fairness to him though, he’s only just met Nate and doesn’t know just how important the gruff old marine is to me.
“It’s a great place, Dean, it really is.” Dean started to nod, but I felt bad as I put the brakes on any celebration. “But the simple fact is that wherever Nate is, that’s where I am. If he thinks we should all be here, then I’m all in. If he wants to wait a little longer, then I’m at the lodge with him. Everyone is free to make their own choice, and I’ll not argue against anyone wanting to move here. But since all this started, Nate and I have been a team, and I won’t change that. Wherever we go, we go together.”
I glanced over at Nate and he seemed more relaxed in his chair, a little smile on his lips as he looked back at me. I think he was relieved, like he was unsure which way I’d swing on the issue, and my clear statement of support was a weight off his shoulders.
After all the weight he’s carried for me, like dealing with that awful scene in the apartment block and the pregnant woman, and taking the responsibility of your last request Freya, I wasn’t going to leave him because I thought it might be more convenient. If Nate says he’s going to find this bunch of cult nutters and take them on alone, he’ll have me chattering in his ear all the damn way.
Remember, we’re Flint and Locke, action heroes. We’re the ultimate buddy movie.
Dean looked disappointed for a moment, but he doesn’t have it in him to hold a grudge. That’s just not his way. I think it also emphasised to him just how close Nate and I have become living and working so closely together. For those first few weeks, before we found the lodge, it was just me, Nate, and our lucky little pug.
“Fair enough,” he said, and didn’t push me any further.
As foreseen, Isaac jumped at the chance and was the first to state his desire to move. Maria was almost apologetic when she declared her intent to move, but we all understood. Her husband and goddaughter were here, so this is where she needed to be.
“I’d like to move here,” said Mark tentatively, his eyes still on Nate. “Charlie and I could take one of those houses down in the maintenance area. Having our own little house would be nice, and it is more secure here. Plus, although they’re all a few years older, there are kids here closer to his age, rather than just being stuck with a bunch of adults.”
“I resent being called an adult,” I chimed in, eliciting a laugh.
Nate nodded. “You do what’s best for you and your boy, Mark. You don’t need my blessing.”
“Actually Nate, I do,” said Mark, surprising everyone. “Nate, if it weren’t for you and Erin, none of us would even be at that lodge in the first place. We’d still be a slave to Jamie Bancroft, or likely dead from one of his rage tantrums. All of us owe the two of you everything, and I can’t in good conscience go anywhere without that blessing. If you want me to stay and help at the lodge, I will. You both pulled us from the fire, taught me how to defend my son, you took us in and gave us a home, and security, and purpose. You gave us a family. Without you and Erin, I wouldn’t even have a chance at a life with my son.” He laughed and shook his head. “So, honestly Nate, I do need your blessing.”
My already high estimation of Mark went through the bloody roof at that. I hold Nate in the highest esteem, and it was genuinely heartwarming to hear that from someone else so open and honest.
Nate was quiet for a moment, digesting Mark’s words. The whole room was silent before he sighed.
“They’re kind words, Mark, and I appreciate them. But Erin’s the one who takes the credit for that. I was against getting involved to begin with, but she fought so hard I had no choice.”
“Don’t you try and give me the credit, you swine,” I laughed. “You went through that building like a one-man army and the whole thing was your planning.”
“It doesn’t matter who did what,” interrupted Mark. “However it happened, both of you came through for us. Like Lockey just said, the two of you are a team.”
“If you want my blessing, then of course you have it,” sighed Nate. “Whatever you feel is best for Charlie, you’ve got my full support.”
Mark looked relieved. It was obvious he wanted to move to Crenshaw, but I think he was genuine in his promise to stay at the lodge with us. With Nate’s blessing though, it was like a weight had been lifted from him.
So, as expected, Maria, Charlie, Mark, and Isaac agreed to move. Just like that, half our little family was ready to go. Then I was doubly surprised as Norah chimed in.
“It’s nice at the lodge,” she said into the quiet, “but there are so many young people here, I think I’d like to come here myself. There’s a lot I can teach them, I think, and these young people have to face a future in this new world.”
God damn it. The logic was sound. Norah has so many useful skills and an absolute trove of knowl
edge for simple living. Having her pass that wisdom on to the younger ones here makes so much sense it’s painful. She’s in her early sixties, so people with her kind of knowledge need to pass it on, just as Mark does. He could teach one of the older kids his skills as well as passing that knowledge to Charlie.
So, we were left with just the three of us. Me, Nate, and Alicia. I’d already placed my marker, so all eyes were on Alicia.
“I’m still learning,” she said. “For the moment, I need to be where Nate is and continue that. It’s a skill that needs to be passed on.”
So, I was almost right. I called Alicia wanting to stay in Nate’s shadow, and the other four wanting to move. Norah had been the wild card I hadn’t considered, but I should have. With all the kids here and her natural maternal instincts, I shouldn’t be surprised she wanted to surround herself with young people and pass on her wisdom and knowledge to the new generation. Can’t argue with that.
It does leave me a little concerned though that the three top tier shooters from the lodge are all unconfirmed at the minute. Basically, it’s all Nate. If he moves, so do me and Alicia. If he stays at the lodge, so do we.
“Hey Charlie,” I said. “When you move here, will you look after Particles for me for a while?”
“Yeah, course I will Lockey,” he said. “But aren’t you going to come here? It won’t be the same without you.”
“In time, I’m sure,” I said, not knowing if that was true. “But until then, it might be best for him to live with you as I don’t want him left in the lodge on his own if the three of us are out and about. Can you do that for me?”
He leaned over, offering his fist. I obliged with the bump and subsequent theatrical finger explosion. And so, the ancient oath swearing of the exploding fist bump sealed our pact.
Obviously, we all came back to the lodge last night. Today the sorting of resources has begun and will continue for the next few days while everything is organised, vehicles packed, vehicles like the tanker and loader truck are moved, and sorting out what resources they take to the school. It’s pretty busy, so I probably might not write for a while.
Ooh, that’s a lie. We had a conversation about the cult nutters, but I’ll write that in the morning before we start the busy day of organising and packing. Right now, my heart is feeling a little heavy and the mood is a bit sombre in the lodge. There’s no real excitement as everyone digests the fact that our (relatively) happy little home is coming to an end. It’s a new start for many, and it means a growth in the community, but with just Nate, Alicia, and me here? Well, it will feel… empty. There’s been so many of us for a while and I’d gotten so used to it, I don’t know how I’ll feel.
Future Lockey’s problem. I’m a bit down, I’m tired, and while I still have him with me, I’m going to chill and snuggle down with my lucky pug.
I suppose for something new to begin, I guess we have to accept the end of what comes before. Not sure how long it will take me to accept this, though.
NOVEMBER 6th, 2010
SQUIRREL TURDS
Before I throw myself into the work of the day, I’ve risen early to summarise our discussions regarding these “Children of the Resurrection” that were about to cart Dean and the three kids off to their special asylum.
In short, they are loyal to someone calling himself the First Disciple, and they have a home base somewhere in the area with hundreds of people if the little group’s spokesman was to be believed. This place is called “Ascension” which just worries us right off the bat, because when people start throwing dramatic names like First Disciple, Children of the Resurrection, and Ascension around, you’re very unlikely to get anything resembling good sense out of them.
When Dean offered to be allies initially, they laughed at him and said they didn’t need to trade. He thinks they were going to take them back to wherever they were and possibly use them as slave labour, or maybe try and condition them to their way of thinking. From what the leader said to Dean – when his voice got all distant and his eyes got a faraway look in them – this First Disciple is their hope for humanity and wants to reclaim the world, building a new and better existence.
Sounds cool right?
But calling this bullshit the “Dark Resurrection” – which I’ll grant them does fit the uprising – and saying it was foreseen in prophecy by this First Disciple individual? That does not sound like a stable and rational leadership. It sounds like a cult.
Still, cults are always started and led by charismatic individuals, and those who buy into them are either vulnerable, lost, or just looking to be part of something. To get hundreds though, and to be well supplied with weapons and armoured vehicles, and have that many people all together at the end of the world? That implies preparation.
That last bit was Nate’s observation by the way, about the preparation. He’s right as well. We’ve cobbled together all the armaments we have mainly through good fortune and taking them from bad people who had them. It sounds like these nutters were actually ready for the end of the world. Not only ready though; it sounds like they wanted it.
And there’s nothing that worries me more than an Armageddon cult. It’s one thing an individual being prepared should the world shit the bed, but it’s something entirely different when a whole community is built on the premise of the fall. Anyone wanting the end of the world, I have said before now, is a complete turd of a person. Everyone wants change, but to actively wish and be prepared for the fall and near extinction of the human race, and gathered already in the hundreds? I will be my very British self and go with classic understatement.
I’m not too fond of that idea.
Here’s the real kicker though. None of us could figure out what they meant by their First Disciple being able to command the dead. This Tucker guy, the asshole leader with the revolver that Dean and I perforated between us, boasted that their homestead of Ascension was free of the dead, that they “couldn’t roam there” and their First Disciple must have done some kind of display to ‘prove’ this magic trick. Dean said Tucker referred to that as a “miracle” he had witnessed.
There are two options here. Number one is that this First Disciple is a clever illusionist and con man to pull off this miracle. That would be pretty difficult to maintain over time though. The longer the undead menace continues, the more likely your lies are to be discovered.
The second option is way more unsettling. My mind drifts back again to the change in the undead for that short time. It was brief, almost like the flex of a muscle, like a test, or trial run? Don’t know. It does suggest that this isn’t just a plan of Captain Evil to raise all the dead, then sit back and chill, scratching its celestial butt crack while it waits for the zombies to kill all humans slowly, over time. There’s more… agency to it.
Here’s my unsettling option. Is it possible that Captain Evil has made this leader of theirs into some kind of Evil Jesus? I know, that’s throwing it out there and overreaching a little, but something’s just not right. There has to be a purpose to all of this somehow, it can’t all be random. I just don’t see why this little slice of rural northern England would be the epicentre for the end times though, and I still don’t believe that.
The world is a big place, and we’re a tiny little piece of it. I can’t see the coming of any Evil Jesus in such a sparsely populated county of England. Still, we need to investigate the truth of these weird powers and figure out if their guy is playing some exquisite game of misdirection, or Captain Evil is at play in some way.
We’ll figure that out over the next few days while we all let it simmer in the back of our minds. Today, and over the next few days, it’s all about moving people out and settling them in. I’m going to have a private chat with Nate as well at some point over the next few days. I want to see where his head is at. The more I think about these Children of the Resurrection, the more I think they’re nuttier than a fat squirrel’s turd. Safety in numbers in a secure, remote location like Crenshaw seems like good s
ense now. As much as I love this lodge, and that you’re buried here Freya, we might have to be sensible about it.
This place will always make a good fallback, or safehouse to run to, but there doesn’t seem any sense in just three of us staying here with those lunatics out there.
I won’t push him though. I just want to see where his thinking is. I meant what I said. Wherever Nate is, that’s where I am.
Right, shitloads to do for the next few days. Lots of back and forth moving stuff, transporting vehicles back and to. There’s going to be a bit of fuel usage, so I guess we’ll have to think about a fuel run, and also, it’s time for more hunting. We’ve been so busy we haven’t been back to the deer park in a while, and I’m hankering for a venison orgasm.
And so, the exodus begins.
WE WILL RISE
John Maddock was a fraud.
His entire adult life had been empty, devoid of meaning and direction, as he stumbled from one dead-end job to another, adrift on the sea of life with no sight of land. Always wanting something more, some meaning to his existence, Lady Luck had never been his ally, only a spiteful trickster that toyed with his existence for her own twisted amusement.
Maddock was intelligent, quick-witted, and charismatic, able to make his life anything he desired if he just possessed the drive and determination to apply himself. However, this was the root of all his trouble, for there was one undeniable truth even he could not refute.
John Maddock was lazy.
He wanted the get-rich-quick scheme, the big win for a small investment, or the long odds gamble for that one big score. For all his intelligence and charm, John Maddock wanted the world to give him what he felt he deserved, rather than using the tools he had been given and applying them.
Every career ladder remained unclimbed, even though he knew he was smarter than his managers, his arrogance too overpowering to keep the obvious disdain for his superiors concealed. He wanted the world around him to see his gifts, to recognise that charm and intelligence in all its glory, but the narcissist within prevented him from holding back. Not content to be the whispering power behind a throne, he wanted to sit upon it, revelling in the glory he felt was his due, but the doors leading to every throne he pursued were slammed in his face.