by AJ Newman
Mark finally caught his wind. “Mom, why did you shoot that horrible man? They were going to convict him and banish him from the town. We could have stayed.”
“Son, Ray would have snuck back into town and killed everyone who’d caught him and both of us. He’s a mad dog killer, and I think I scared him enough to stop bothering us.”
“Mom, where will we go now?”
Billie patted her son on the back. “Let’s see if Jan’s invitation still stands.”
***
A day later, Jan didn’t have any trouble deciding to leave for her property after the visit from her neighbors on the fifth day after the grid went down. She was busy catching her chickens in the backyard. She planned to leave the next day for their farm. She had heard gunfire during the night, and that morning, her next-door neighbor lady had told her that everyone was running out of food. There was to be a meeting with everyone in the neighborhood to get everyone to share their food.
Jan said, “That’s kind of like the ant and grasshopper story. The ants worked hard and put food away for a long winter while the grasshopper played around having fun. When winter came, the grasshopper wanted the ant’s food.”
The neighbor lady was shocked. “Well, it’s the Christian thing to do. You have chickens, and a lot of food here, and some people are hungry.”
Jan instantly knew they were going to come for her chickens and food. She accelerated her plans and prepared the old bicycle when she heard movement behind her. She grabbed her 12-gauge and turned around. “You’re not taking my … Billie, you scared the crap out of me. The neighbors plan to take my food and let me starve. I’m heading up to our property in the country to stay until law and order come back. Why are you back here?”
Billie said, “I’ll fill you in later. It was awful down in Murfreesboro. Can we go with you?”
Jan said, “Of course. We need to get another bicycle or two working. I know that blue one will be okay. Can you air up the tires while I check on one of the kid’s old bikes?”
Mark sat on a box, watching when his mom spoke up. “Mark, get off your butt and help us get a bike ready for you to ride.”
“Mom, I’m tired.”
“Mark, this is serious. Get off your butt and help us. I’m not kidding,” Billie, scolded Mark.
They soon had three bikes in working shape. Jan said, “We’ll have to stop every hour or so and pump some air into Mark’s back tire. We don’t have time to patch it.”
Jan hitched a garden wagon to her bike and a large kid’s wagon to Billie’s bike. The two wagons were covered with bed sheets, and Billie couldn’t tell what was the cargo. Then she heard hens clucking from the larger one that had the most significant load. Jan shoved the barrel of the shotgun into a homemade scabbard attached to her bike’s frame and was ready to pedal away. “There is a dirt path at the back of the property that ends on a dirt road a mile or so from here. We can sneak away and avoid a fight. Follow me.”
They had only pedaled a hundred yards when they heard a commotion back in Jan’s backyard. Jan stopped and pulled the shotgun from the scabbard and leveled it at the people pouring out her back gate. Jan fired the first shot, and the people kept coming. She fired again, and several dropped back, but the rest kept advancing. Jan cycled the pump action and said, “This will make them think.”
She aimed high and pulled the trigger. This time, several fell to the ground, and others stopped in their tracks. Jan said, “The first two shells were birdshot to warn them. The third was # 4 Turkey shot. They got stung a bit from this range but received my message judging from the way they turned tail and ran.”
Jan took off pedaling as fast as she could until they were safely away from the neighborhood. She stopped and motioned for Billie and Mark to join her. “I’m going to stick to back roads all the way to our property, but we will go through a few areas with several houses clustered together. I’ll ride fast through them and will not stop for anything.”
Mark asked, “What if they’re friendly?”
Billie answered. “Son, we can’t trust anyone now. People are running out of food and might want ours. Someone might also want these bikes. Listen to Jan and do what she says.”
Jan caught Mark’s eye. “Son, my husband, is one of those preppers, and while I didn’t think it would ever come to this, I did learn a lot from him. Hiding and staying away from other people is our best bet for survival during the first ninety days. We will have more than enough food, and the property is hidden inside a large forest.”
Mark wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but knew to shut up. He didn’t think the situation was really as bad as his mom made it out to be, and wondered if this was a short-term power outage.
The trip was uneventful, except a for bit of excitement when a man and a boy tried to get them to stop. “Hey, do you have any food or water?”
Jan spoke in a low voice. “Billie, watch behind us.” Then she pulled her shotgun from its scabbard and called out. “Sorry, we were hoping we could get some water from you.”
The man looked surprised. “We don’t have any.”
Jan placed the shotgun across the handlebars and began to pedal away. Mark and Billie followed and were soon out of sight of the pair. Mark asked, “Why did you lie to that man? We have plenty of water and food.”
Jan pointed to Billie. “I think you need to talk some sense into that boy. I think he has a good heart, but a slip of his tongue could get us robbed or killed.”
Billie rode beside Mark and reiterated what Jan had said earlier about keeping their food to themselves so they could survive, and about avoiding strangers. She could tell the boy just didn’t get the gravity of the situation they were in now.
They pedaled at a more leisurely pace and made it to Jan’s property before midnight.
***
The local doctor stitched what was left of Ray’s ears together and gave him painkillers and antibiotics to take. Later that week, Ray escaped and killed the men guarding him. He stuck around the area until he had killed every person who had been at his trial or involved in his capture. He stole food and other supplies to help him complete his mission. Ray was now focused on only one thing.
☆
Chapter 10
By the third day, the ladies had regained their strength and recovered from their gastrointestinal issues. We packed everything into the cart, and I called for MMax, so I could lift him into the cart. It was then, I noticed MMax’s original bandages were missing. I called him over and saw where the hair had been shaved around the wound. There was a narrow line of a scar, but no wound. I checked his fresh wound, and it was still healing. He leaped into the cart by himself. I knew the treatment of injuries had made considerable improvements in the last ten years, but this surprised me.
I took my plastic boot off and peeled my bandages back to see several similar fine lines across my foot and ankle. I stood on my foot, and while there was some pain, it was far less than last week. I said, “Karen, could you help me pull two of these wool socks on and place a boot on my wounded foot?”
I told Karen where to find my boot, and she took excellent care of my foot. I stood up and walked without my crutch. “Damn, this is great. Holy shit, it’s almost a miracle! I’m going to give my jaw and foot an extra week, and then I think I will be healed.”
“Watch the language. Even if you’re mumbling, the girls can hear you curse,” Karen scolded.
“Sorry, I’ve spent the last ten years with soldiers who curse like sailors.”
Karen asked, “Did you have any women in your unit?”
“Yes, even in combat teams. I think we had about thirty percent women. And yes they cussed like sailors too.”
Karen made sure the girls were out of range. “Did y’all err …?”
“I’m sure that happened more than the Army liked. Nothing like that happened while we were close to enemy lines,” I replied.
She didn’t ask if I had slept with any of my squad. I had, but I woul
d have lied. I don’t know why, but lie I would.
We continued working our way over to Murfreesboro Road on the back streets until we found it just below the old quarry. “We’re only a few miles from my mom and dad’s home. I want to race there, but we need to keep being cautious. I’ll get you a good meal, and then you can be on your way to Smyrna.”
Karen frowned. “Jason, could I talk you into helping us go on over to Smyrna?”
“I guess so, but only after I spend a couple of days with my mom and dad. I haven’t seen them in almost a year. I was worried about you and the girls, and I was thinking the same thing. I’d hate for you to travel alone these days.”
“Thanks, I’d feel much better about my girls’ safety.”
We camped for the night in a thicket about a mile from my home. As much as I wanted to rush home, I took the time before the sun faded for MMax and me to scout the area, and I didn’t like what I saw. Many of the homes I remembered had burned to the ground, and others had numerous bullet holes. There were freshly dug graves and buzzards circling in the air. There had been a running battle, and there was no way to tell if the good guys had won or lost. The burnt homes led me to believe the good guys had lost and got the hell out of Dodge.
You might have noticed I was able to walk several miles that evening without much pain. My foot and crotch were much better. This new bioengineering was just starting to revolutionize medical science just as the world fell apart. Now, we would be back to dying from an infected scratch.
On the way back, I sent MMax out to find a rabbit. He was back in just a few minutes with a plump rabbit, so I sent him out for another. He quickly returned with another fat, juicy rabbit, but this time, after dropping it at my feet, he begged to go hunting again. “MMax, go fetch a rabbit for Tina.”
MMax disappeared but caught up with me a few minutes later with a giant rabbit in his mouth. I hoped finding food would always be this easy. I hadn’t set any snares or even fished for food so far. I knew as the store-bought food disappeared, survivors would depend on wild game for meat. On the way back, I prayed this nightmare would end quickly when FEMA and the National Guard rolled in with tents, blankets, and food.
While I was gone, Karen searched the woods for more edible plants. Upon my return, I saw the girls had gathered wood for our fire, and Karen was busy making a salad and cooking some kind of greens. She saw the rabbits and spoke to me. “That MMax is wonderful. He singlehandedly is keeping us from starving.”
“I helped. I told him to fetch rabbits,” I said, and then noticed MMax wanted to go rabbit hunting again. “Stay, MMax.”
I cleaned the rabbits and threw half a rabbit to each of the dogs. Then I placed the remaining two on the spit and gave a chunk of rabbit meat for Karen to make my rabbit paste. The smell of the greens was inviting I have to say, but the memory of the horrible night came to mind. Karen saw my nose scrunch up at the sight of the greens. “I promise, these greens won’t make you sick.”
“I’ll eat some tomorrow after you ladies survive the night. It’s not that I don’t trust you …”
“Well, spit it out.”
“Once bitten, twice shy.”
Karen acted as though her feelings were hurt and began tersely telling me about the plants. “This is Poke Weed, and the tender spring shoots can be cooked like asparagus or cooked like greens. This one is Wild Mustard, and it can be used for seasoning, cooked as greens, pickled, or used in a salad. The last one is a wild onion. I think even you can see that it’s just an onion. Does that make you feel better?”
I cautiously smiled. “Yes, it does. However, the thought of having the sh …”
Karen made the time out sign with her hands. “Please use the words diarrhea or trots.”
“Trots for three days still scare me a bit. That last episode used up all of our toilet paper. Thank God we found some in that abandoned home, or we would’ve been using corn cobs and leaves,” I replied.
Karen turned to me with her hands on her hips and moved a lock of hair from her face. “Just be that way. I’m trying to contribute, and you just make fun of my efforts.”
Both girls ran to their sobbing mother. Missy said, “Mom, he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’m scared of eating the stuff too. I felt like I was dying.”
Karen hugged both of her girls for another minute. “Okay, point taken. Each of us will eat a small sample of each type of plant and take notes. If anyone gets sick, we won’t try that plant again.”
I replied, “I’ll take the wild onion.”
“Chicken shit,” Karen barked back to me.
I said, “Language. We have young ladies present.”
“Asshole.”
“Mom!” Both girls said at the same time.
I carefully examined the plants, and she was correct. These were some of the plants found in my Army survival manual, so I scooped up a spoonful and began mashing them, so I could eat the slimy green paste. Karen watched, but didn’t say anything until later.
I taught the girls how to tend to the roasting rabbit and turned my attention to Karen. “I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. I recognized the plants from my Army training, but couldn’t resist picking on you.”
She looked up at my face. “That was mean of you to tease me after I poisoned everyone. I still feel bad about that.”
I wanted to tease her some more, but bit my tongue. “I’m sorry. My sense of humor can be an irritation to others, and for that, I’m sorry.”
“Okay, I’m over it. Let’s move on to supper.”
The next morning came, and as usual, when MMax wasn’t on high alert, he slept on his back with his legs in the air like a dying cockroach. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and I saw Missy walking up behind MMax. A twig snapped, and MMax levitated, spun around in the air, and looked Missy in the eyes. He growled that growl that said, “Surprise me while I’m sleeping again, and I’ll bite your silly ass.”
Missy was frightened and backpedaled until she fell down on top of Chrissy. MMax and I laughed at her. Well, I can tell MMax was laughing. MMax is a big goofball and loves to have fun scaring people.
We ate a cold meal and broke camp. Karen noticed that neither MMax nor I got into the cart and just walked. “Are you sure your foot is up to walking two days in a row?”
“I think so. I know this may not sound right, but I don’t want my mom to see me arrive as an invalid. She has probably been through enough by now.”
She answered, “Good Boy,” and MMax’s ears stood up.
Karen saw MMax and Tina walking along with them and said, “Can a female dog be trained to be a service dog?”
“Of course,” I replied. MMax is my second service dog. SSally was the first and was with me for several years before she was severely wounded and had to retire. I was close to SSally, but MMax is special.”
Karen asked, “Can you train Tina?”
I thought before answering. “I’m not a trainer, but I can teach her to be a good guard dog.”
We hid our cart full of supplies in the woods and took off walking to my home. I stuck to the woods as I took my merry band of survivors to my home. About every other home showed signs of damage or was burned to the ground. We finally saw the long driveway back to my home, and I asked the women to hide in the bushes with Tina, so MMax and I could scout out the area around the house.
I snuck through the bushes and woods on the north side of the property until I arrived even with the house. There were several broken windows, and many of my parent’s possessions were scattered on the porch and sidewalk to the driveway. I thought, “Crap, someone had ransacked my home! Where are Mom and Dad?”
There wasn’t anyone around. I peered into the windows and didn’t see anyone. I entered the back door and found that most food or other useable items had been removed. I was now scared sick for my parents. I walked back up the driveway and yelled for Karen and the others.
I sat on the porch with tears in my eyes as Karen approached. “Jason,
what’s wrong. Where are your folks?”
“They’re gone, and the place has been ransacked. I don’t see any bodies or graves, so I hope they left on the first day to our property north of here. My dad was one of those doomsday prepper guys, and has an isolated farm and old cabin several miles from here.”
Karen had tears flowing down her cheeks. “Jason, you need to go find your parents. The girls and I can make it to our home in Smyrna. Go now. We will miss you, Jason Walker. Be safe.”
I wanted very much to leave at that minute, but couldn’t leave this family unprotected. I stood up. “No, let’s get you safely home and only then, will I go find my parents. My dad can protect Mom. Stay here while I go get the cart. Look in the back of the closet in my parent’s room. There should be a false back wall. There’s a finger hole on the left side. Move the panel, and you should find some food and survival supplies. Please check this out while I’m gone.”
“Please go to your parents. I would love to have your protection, but your family comes first.”
“Karen, I’ll be back in less than two hours. MMax, stay!”
I walked out of sight and hustled on the way back to where we’d hidden the cart. In my haste, I took the road back north, which turned out to be a mistake. I wasn’t far from the cart when I saw some bushes move in the woods. A few minutes later, two men walked out of the woods with guns drawn. One of them said, “Who are you?”
“I’m Rex Horn, and I’m returning to Lebanon from a trip down to Atlanta. Have either of you been to Lebanon?”
“Well, Rex Horn, hand over that pistol and empty your pockets. Where’s your food and other supplies located? You’re traveling very light for such a long trip.”