by N. C. Reed
“So they could have pups, then?” Clay finally allowed his excitement to show.
“If you had a boy Malinois, sure,” Newell chuckled.
“How about a boy German Shepherd?”
***
“Damn,” Newell said softly as she got a look at Bruce. “That is a huge frigging dog.”
“He is well fed,” Clay agreed. “We've got seven Kangal hounds too, and our resident animal expert has already put together a breeding program for them once they're of age, but they're all less than a year old at the moment. Be another year or so before she's ready to let them breed. Meanwhile, we also need non livestock dogs to help protect homes and children. The Kangals are great and are loving the attention from the kids at the moment, but they're already beginning to roam more like LGD hounds are prone to do, which is fine, that's why we wanted them.”
“But you wonder if good ol' Brucie there can help Bella and Petals give you a different kind of dog pack,” Newell said.
“Bella?” Clay asked. “And . . . Petals?”
“Yes?” Newell gave him a raised eyebrow as if to say 'is that a problem?', her tone indicating it better not be. Clay found himself liking the former MP.
“Bella, like short for Belladonna?” he guessed.
“Yes,” Newell drew the word out. “Most people assume it's for that vampire flick.”
“Vampire flick?” Clay was puzzled.
“Twilight?” Newell looked at him in surprise. “Cultural phenomenon among the more slow-witted around the world for the last ten years or so? Doesn't ring a bell? No pun intended.”
“Uh, I saw a vampire hunter movie with Jessica Biel when I was a kid,” Clay said hesitantly. “Blade . . . something? She was hot,” he added without thinking.
“Wow,” Newell whistled slowly. “You are really behind the times. But in this case you didn't really miss anything. Twinkly, teen romance angst disguised as a vampire movie complete with giant werewolves. Based on a series of books aimed at the angsty teen audience. Made a shit ton of money but sucked as a movie. Hadn't been for all those vampire loving teen angsty girls it would have flopped probably. Bella was a teen girl that was the central character and fell for a teen looking vampire and . . . you don't really care about any of this, do you?” she caught herself finally.
“Uh . . . ”
“Anyway, Bella is named for Belladonna,” she eyed him warily.
“Hey, we got a three thousand pound bull named Lancelot on this place,” Clay raised his hands, palm out. “Same girl that named him named one of the Kangals Gawain. My mom's favorite mare is named Buttercup. Belladonna is mild next to what some of the high priced cattle and horses around here are called. Petals isn't even that strange, really. Flower petals, I guess?”
“Got it in one,” Newell complimented. “Shame you're taken,” she teased. “You're pretty smart as well as decently cute.”
“Uh, thanks?”
“Yeah, but he ain't seen Twilight,” Shane sounded derisive. “What a loser.”
“Are you saying you have seen it?” Xavier asked innocently. Or at least as innocently as he was capable of.
“Of course not!”
“I haven't either,” Newell snorted. “Read all that on a website that makes fun of horrible movies. No way I'd see a vampire rip off like that.” She looked at Shane carefully.
“Though I am still concerned that you may have seen it.”
“I did not see Twilight!”
“Of course, Rat,” Clay was overly emphatic. “We completely believe you, buddy.”
“Loser,” Xavier stage whispered.
“Damn it, I did not see . . . ”
***
“Sure,” Jake shrugged. “That was always your plan wasn't it? If they come in heat, go for it. He should be okay for that. Other than a brief hungry spell when the lights first went out he's healthy so far as I know. Always has been. This is the first year he hasn't had his shots, for that matter.”
“And that will be a concern in the future, probably,” Clay sighed. “We’ll just have to let Dee Talbot deal with that. She either can do something about it or not. Either way it's out of our hands. Thanks Jake.”
“You bet,” his friend nodded. “So what's the story with these new folks?”
“Rest of my old team and the people they had collected,” Clay explained. “Got too hot out west so they headed here. Long trip. But apparently they picked up Mattie Simmons somewhere along the way and brought her home,” he remembered the tall girl from the day before and had asked about her later.
“No kidding!” Jake smiled at good news. “That's good to hear. I bet Dan and Betty will be glad to see her!”
“If we can find them,” Clay nodded. “Do you know where they lived?”
“Not exactly where, at least not to give you an address, but they lived off the highway between Peabody and Jordan. That I do know. I think the road . . . ” he paused, then shook his head. “I'm sorry man, I can't recall. One of those things you know when you see it. Greg probably knows.”
“Surely she’ll know where she lives,” Clay shrugged. “I just hope her folks are still there and okay. You don't know what they did, do you?”
“Dan is a stone mason if I recall right,” Jake's brow furrowed in concentration. “I think Betty worked for the school board, maybe? Secretary or something for the Supervisor of Schools? Not sure about that, though.”
“Well, assuming they need help, we could definitely use a skilled stone layer,” Clay mused.
“He built fireplaces, chimneys, half-walls, all kinds of stuff,” Jake nodded enthusiastically. “No idea how he'd make mortar.”
“Old timers used mud,” Clay shrugged. “Probably won't matter anyway. Thanks, Jake.”
“Anytime,” the big man replied. “I'm gonna take a look at those armored rigs later today. They sounded rough when those guys arrived yesterday.”
“Check with Newell to see which one she thinks is worse,” Clay told him. “She's experienced with them more than the rest.”
“Will do.”
***
“It's time for everyone to meet,” Clay told Shane. “We need to assemble everyone we can and let everyone introduce themselves and mingle a bit. We’ll do it at lunch and let everyone visit over a meal. Call it two hours. That should give your folks time to get ready, yeah?”
“Sure,” Shane nodded. “Sorry about Thatcher,” he added, this the first chance he'd had to speak to Clay alone. “She's been like that off and on for the whole trip. It's like it runs hot and cold. One minute she's with the program and the next . . . well,” he held up his hands to his sides. “To be honest, if she wasn't a doctor, I wouldn't have brought her along. And there was a time or two that even her being a doctor almost wasn't enough, ya know? But . . . I didn't know what I'd find here, or even if I'd find you at all and if I did, would you have medical personnel other than Doc. And while he's a damn find medic, that's a far cry from being an actual doctor, as he himself has reminded us on more than occasion.”
“Don't sweat it,” Clay clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Far from the first problem child we've had here, I promise. Long as she gets the job done, we’ll deal with her other issues as they come. What's her husband like?”
“One of the nicest guys you’ll meet,” Shane nodded. “Wonder sometimes how he ended up with her, to be honest. I would say something 'devoid of class' as X would say, but . . . I'm trying for a kinder, gentler side these days.”
“I'm sure,” Clay rolled his eyes. “See you at lunch.”
***
Clay had let the current residents introduce themselves first at the suggestion of Beverly Jackson. Her recommendation based on the theory that the newcomers would be more at ease introducing themselves before a group of strangers if they at least already knew their names and something about them.
“Now that's done, I’ll let Shane get started with his group,” Clay rose to speak to everyone. “We did this in hopes to make you fe
el welcome,” he told the new arrivals. “I know what you've been through has been tough. We don't want to make it any tougher for you by not getting you acquainted with the group and getting an idea of what you're letting yourselves in for,” he grinned and got several chuckles in return, including among the new folks.
“Well, I'm Shane Golden,” Shane stood. “Ex-Army and for better or worse the leader of this little expedition. I prefer to think it was for the better of course,” he added with a fake sniff of conceit, which drew laughter. “Basically, me, Stacey, Xavier and Kevin decided to stay nearer to what we all considered home when this began to play out. None of us had much in the way of family responsibilities and all of us were comfortable in that kind of climate and terrain, so it just made sense to us.”
“Unfortunately we weren't the only people who thought that, and pretty soon after the flare we decided that our plan wasn't going to work. We rolled out just as things began to get spotty and headed this way. At the time we didn't know if we could make it or what we'd find if we got here, but our position was untenable. Anyway, most of you don't want to hear all that,” he waved it away.
“As I said, I'm Shane Golden. I served with Clay for a long time and we came home together after . . . well, after. I'm afraid other than my martial abilities I don't have any real talents like some of you do, but I have a strong back and a weak mind so I'm perfect for hard labor at least.” This drew laughs all around as a grinning Shane took his seat. The man across from him stood next.
“I'm Kevin Bodee,” he introduced himself. “I served with Clayton as well, though not as long as Shane did. My folks died in a car crash during my first deployment several years back and I didn't have any siblings, so it was just me after that. As for talents and hobbies, about the only thing I can add to my military background is archery. I make bows and arrows, the old ways, and the occasional knife. Hopefully that will be useful enough that I don't have to join 'strong back and weak mind' here on the labor line,” he motioned to Shane. Another round of laughter rolled down the tables as he sat.
“My name is Xavier Adair,” the man seated next to Shane stood as Bodee sat. “I am very much afraid that there is nothing whatsoever about me that most people find interesting. I am somewhat knowledgeable in two disciplines of the martial arts, which I am glad to teach to those with the interest and discipline needed to learn them. I will make myself useful in whatever way I can.” And with that Xavier abruptly returned to his seat, though his movements were in no way hurried. While most were caught by surprise with the abrupt introduction, the next man was not and stood even as Xavier sat back down.
“My name's Stacey Pryor,” he smiled winningly at everyone. “Nice to meet you, though I admit the circumstances could have been better,” he got laughs for that one. “That said, I'm really glad to be here, and to hook back up with Bossman. It was a rough trip to get here, to be sure, but looking at you all and this place you've done made for yourself, I can see that it was worth it. I look forward to adding to it any way I can. I’ll prob'ly have to join Shane in the “strong back, weak mind' category, but I don't mind that at all. Makes the day go faster. I'm glad to be here and meet you all.”
“Well said,” Franklin George nodded, raising his tea glass to the younger man, who smiled in reply. Beside Franklin, Marcy George looked at Pryor with keen interest. Malitha George did not miss that and frowned ever so slightly, but said nothing.
The next to stand was Thatcher. Captain Thatcher that was, her pinched face showing her apparent irritation not only with the whole situation, but also at having others go before her.
“I'm Captain Jaylyn Thatcher,” she said, her voice just short of haughty. “This is my husband, Roddy,” she indicated the man seated next to her, who smiled and waved but remained seated. “I'm an Army doctor who was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, when I encountered Sergeant Golden and decided he had a good plan. Things were quite literally falling apart, even in the Army.
“While I am a trauma specialist by trade, I can also serve as a general practitioner as well. I truthfully haven't had time to develop any real hobbies or additional skills, between school and my duty in the service. Roddy is a truck driver. When I'm deployed, rather whenever I was deployed, he would work over the road, then work locally when I was home. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have a husband who understands what it means to have a military spouse, and I'm grateful that he has always been there to support me,” she smiled down at him, and Clay noted it was a warm, sincere smile.
“I feel sure both of us will be able to contribute meaningfully to this community in the days ahead,” she concluded, taking her seat. Next up was Ledford.
“Hi,” she waved, getting several waves in return, particularly from the single guys in the room. “I'm Kandi Ledford, and yeah, that's my real name. Parents with a sense of humor, what can I say.” Laughter deflected anyone saying something about her name. “I was a lieutenant in the Army, part of what we call Sustainment Command. My old CO said that was a glorified term for Supply Clerk, so I suppose he would know,” she laughed. “While I've actually had a great deal of training, my skills in organization and computer programs landed me in the supply business pretty much as soon as I got out of training and that was that. I learned about this trip from my roommate,” she indicated Newell, “and decided to throw in as well. I managed to make myself useful to Shane and in return he let me tag along. As far as useful hobbies, I doubt that reading romance novels will be of any real use nowadays,” she blushed slightly, but smiled at the chuckles from down the tables. “But, my mind is strong even if my back isn't, so hopefully I can make a good contribution somewhere. Oh, I can at least cook,” she added as an afterthought. “That might be useful.”
“She can more than just 'cook',” Newell said as she stood next. “Hello. My name is Sienna Newell, and as Kandi said, she and I were roommates. Have been for about three years now. Kandi is holding out on the 'I can cook' card. She's been taking chef classes for over a year. I needed extra PT thanks to her cooking,” she snorted even as Kandi turned beet red. “I was an MP, and served three tours overseas, two in Iraq and another in Afghanistan. While I've never been a civilian law enforcement officer, I do have civil government training in order to fill that role when needed. Likely not of much use now, but just so you know. As for any additional skills, I'm actually a decent mechanic, can weld and do some basic machining.” She saw a very large man wearing overalls perk up at that information and made a note to seek him out when this was over.
“I am very glad to be here,” she continued. “I was extremely fortunate to encounter Shane and his group, and we were able to help each other. I'd like to think that we all gelled a good bit on this journey and became something of an extended family. They're good people who don't shirk work or responsibilities, and in this new world, that means a lot. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, and I look forward to the opportunity to get to know you.”
“Virgil Wilcox,” the tall, lean man next to her was next. “I've been Army since I graduated from high school, longer ago than I like to think on,” he admitted to several laughs down the table. “I've had several assignments, but the longest was Third Cavalry, which is where I met up with Shane and the others. I'm sorry to have to tell you that my skills as a soldier are pretty much all I have. I did manage to help out a bit on getting things going once we were ready to leave Hood, but otherwise, I'm afraid I'm just a grunt. I've had combat billet’s my entire career and have deployed seven times in total while serving two other tours in non-conflict theaters. I will do whatever I can to make myself useful in whatever way is needed. Thank you for having me.” He sat down and no one immediately took his place as the civilians looked at one another. Finally the shorter woman in the 'couple' Clay had noticed the day before, stood up, looking much put upon.
“My name is Trudy Leighton,” she sounded as if she were permanently angry. “I'm Shane's second cousin and owe that for being able to make this trip. This is
my girlfriend, Gwen,” she indicated the taller woman to her right. “If that's a problem, it's your problem, not ours. Make sure you remember that,” she glared at everyone. Several people stirred but no one spoke, the hostility catching them by surprise.
“Dammit, Trudy,” Shane hissed. “You bring most of the 'problems' on yourself with shit just like this. If you can't be polite even at first meeting then sit your fat ass down and shut the hell up!” Leighton flushed red at that and was about to retort when her girlfriend grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down, standing in her place.
“I apologize for her,” she said, nearly slapping Leighton when she began to protest. “My name is Gwendolyn Paige, but Gwen is fine. Trudy and I have been together for five years, and she can be a handful even for me, so please don't take offense. She's used to being defensive, and she does that by taking the offense first. I'm afraid at this point it's habit.”
“I'm a seamstress, working . . . well, I did work, I should say, for a tailoring service that altered custom suits and dresses to fit. Exciting, huh?” she smiled and was relieved to see smiles in return, hoping she had undone some of the damage that her aggressive girlfriend had done.
“Trudy was an ad manager for one of the largest papers in Texas,” she said proudly. “Before that she was a dental hygienist, despite her chair-side manner,” she threw in. “And despite her attitude, we really are not only fortunate to be here but also grateful. If not for Shane, we'd be stuck in Austin Texas with no way to help ourselves. I don't know how effective we can be here, though as I said I can sew quite well. We will do whatever we have to in order to be part of the community.” She sat down to a glare from her girlfriend and the two spent several angry seconds exchanging words only the two of them could hear.
“I'm Kurtis Montana,” the whipcord thin youth across from the arguing couple stood. “I was a predator hunter for the Fish and Wildlife people, and a seasonal fire jumper. I met Shane when he was looking for a place to hole up, though I didn't know that at the time. We got to know each other and when things got real he offered me a place with them. I, uh, can shoot really good and can fight wildfires. From the look of the land as we came through you could have used that a while back. If there's a next time maybe I can be of some use. In the meanwhile, I've spent a lot of time working part time on ranches out west, so I can handle horses and cattle fairly well, and I've driven many a fence post and pulled a lot of wire. Reckon I can do that here, too, if you need it. Thanks for having us.” With that he took his seat.
