Forsaken World (Book 5): Homecoming

by Watson, Thomas A.

  “Hi,” they said in unison, then Jodi caught up and stepped past them up to Kathy.

  “Hi, Dawn,” Jodi sang and held out her arms, and Dawn gave a big grin almost jumping out of Kathy’s arms to Jodi.

  Rhonda grinned and then turned to see Ian walk around the front of the buggy with his arm around Jennifer’s shoulders. “Everyone, this is Holly and her daughter Dawn,” Rhonda said, and then introduced Lilly, Jennifer, and the ladybugs.

  “Jennifer, Lilly,” Rhonda mumbled. “Can Holly and Dawn take a shower? She’s coming to stay with me, but she really needs one, like now.”

  “Me an Dawn wash’d yesturdee,” Holly snapped, and Rhonda turned to Holly with a small scowl.

  “Holly, you were sitting in my lap. If they say you can, then you will shower or I’ll take you in and shower you,” Rhonda informed.

  Lilly laughed and glanced at Lance who just shrugged. “Of course,” Lilly said, taking Holly’s hand.

  Rhonda walked over and took Dawn out of Jodi’s arms. When the ladybugs and Jodi looked up at Rhonda with scowls, Rhonda just returned one and the girls darted back, hiding behind Lance. “Rhonda,” Holly moaned as Lilly opened the backdoor. “I don’t want ta be puttin’ any trouble on these folks. They be right nice.”

  “Holly, they said you could. Now, do we need to duke it out?” Rhonda snapped, following Holly inside as Lilly pulled Holly’s arm.

  Letting out a long sigh, “No,” Holly grunted. “You be hittin’ hard. Last time you almost knocked my teef out.”

  “Lance, Heath called and left you a message. I wrote it down on the pad beside the phone,” Jennifer said, pulling Ian down and kissing him. Turning to the kids, “Okay, let’s finish up in the shop and then head inside to start supper,” Jennifer called out, pointing to the shop.

  Still trying to process Holly, Lance took off his mask and helmet before walking inside the cabin. Dwain and Kathy were moving to hug Jodi, but she took off with the other kids running for the shop. Kathy’s eyes got big seeing the small AR strapped across Jodi’s back as she ran off. They both looked over as Ian headed for the back door. “Ian, can we go to the shop?” Dwain asked.

  “Yeah, why are you asking?” Ian chuckled, pulling out his key.

  Watching Ian walk in, Dwain turned to Kathy who just shrugged. Reaching out, Dwain took his wife’s hand and they walked across the yard into the shop. They both stopped, looking at two partially complete battle bot frames and two complete battle bots. Jennifer and Lori were pushing over a hydraulic engine hoist with a large black metal box. Judging from the way the two were grunting, they could tell it was heavy.

  Before Dwain or Kathy could move to offer to help, Lori climbed up inside the body of the battle bot and pulled the chains attached to the box. As Jennifer let the crane down slowly, Lori guided the box into the center of the body. “I thought they were only doing three,” Kathy said, watching Lori grab a ratchet and bolts.

  “That’s what I saw the last time I came over,” Dwain responded as Lori bolted the box in and Dwain moved over, and realized the box was an electric hydraulic pump, a big one. Turning to ask Jennifer a question, Dwain saw her pushing the shop hoist away to another hydraulic pump and start to hook up the chains.

  Letting Kathy’s hand go to help Jennifer, Dwain jumped when he heard the ‘pop and hiss’ of a welding machine. Holding a hand up to shield his eyes, Dwain turned and saw Denny welding inside the body of one of the battle bots. Kathy moved up beside Dwain, shielding her eyes and looking at the frames all sitting on cinder blocks.

  Moving over to another frame behind the battle bot Lori was working on, Kathy saw the frame looked a lot like a boat hull. Knowing this wasn’t a battle bot, she turned back toward Denny. When Denny finished welding, they both dropped their hands to see Denny cleaning up his weld before grabbing another piece of steel. Looking over at a computer screen, Denny moved back and placed the bar across the back of the frame and grabbed the welding gun.

  Dwain turned away with Kathy as Denny went to work, and spotted Jodi sitting at the back of the shop with the ladybugs. Grabbing Kathy’s shoulders, Dwain steered her to the back of the shop and noticed the three girls were sitting on stools at a workbench.

  Each one was looking through a fluorescent magnifier mounted on a long arm that was clamped to the workbench. Stopping behind his daughter, Dwain’s eyes got wide seeing she was using tweezers and mounting computer chips, fuses, and other electronic parts on a computer board. “Hey, butterfly,” Dwain mumbled, leaning over and kissing Jodi on the back of the head.

  “Hey, Daddy,” Jodi sang out, but didn’t turn around.

  Looking down at the ladybugs, Dwain saw they were working on identical boards like Jodi was. “Um, butterfly, what are you doing?” Dwain asked.

  “Making a linear actuator control board for the battle bots,” Jodi answered, putting the tweezers down and picking up a soldering iron that looked like an ink pen. Dwain and Kathy leaned over their daughter as Jodi held the flux over tiny contacts and soldered each one in place.

  “Baby, you know what you’re doing?” Kathy asked, and Jodi minutely nodded her head.

  “Yes, this board regulates power output to the right drive motor,” Jodi told them and then would tap different chips and points on the board between each solder, explaining what they did.

  When Jodi finished, Kathy pulled Dwain’s ear to her mouth. “She learned that in the few days she’s been here?” Kathy hissed in shock.

  “Babe,” Dwain said, leaning back and looking at his wife. “She explained to me how an electric motor worked when we came over to eat. All I could do was nod.”

  Turning away from Dwain, Kathy put her hands on Jodi’s shoulders lightly as Jodi continued soldering. “Jodi, when did you learn what all the stuff on the board did?”

  “This morning,” Jodi answered. “I only had to do ten pushups for not getting all of them right.”

  Leaning down and kissing the back of Jodi’s head, “You be careful,” Kathy mumbled, but it seemed inappropriate somehow.

  “Hey,” Lilly said, coming up behind them and they both jumped. “Sorry,” Lilly grinned as they turned to her.

  “Pushups?” Kathy asked, cocking her head.

  Rolling her eyes with a look that spoke volumes, “Yeah,” Lilly sighed. “They’ve all watched when Ian or Lance punish themselves with pushups for missing something. Now we all do it.”

  “Lilly!” Carrie shouted, but never looked away from her work. “Ohm’s Law.”

  Narrowing her eyes as she looked at Dwain and Kathy, Lilly recited. “Ohm’s Law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points.”

  “Hey, I knew that,” Dwain said proudly.

  Kathy popped his arm. “You work putting in computers and stuff, and didn’t know what the hell Jodi was talking about.”

  “I put internet and phone service in. I can hook up a laptop and tell if something is broke, but taking it apart and fixing it isn’t part of my job,” Dwain popped off, rubbing his arm.

  “Carrie, don’t,” Lilly said, and Dwain glanced back and saw Carrie taking a breath to ask another question. “I can ask questions also. And I guarantee you, that you won’t get any of them right. You really think I’m not going to recite what Lance has taught?”

  “Finished,” Allie called out, putting up her soldering iron. Dwain and Kathy turned around to see Allie cleaning her area up, making it look very neat. When she was done, Carrie and Jodi called done and started cleaning up.

  “Go inside with them because I’m going to have to wrestle Denny to stop,” Lilly told them with a sigh.

  “I can help,” Dwain offered, picking up Jodi when she was done.

  Shaking her head, “No. Denny is doing very well and Lance and Ian praised his work yesterday, so Denny is trying to learn and do everything they can, but has taken them years to learn. I can handle that,” Lilly smiled. “Jodi, go show your mom and dad
your desk and dresser.”

  “We’ll start supper,” Allie said, grabbing Carrie’s hand and taking off. They stopped by the front door, grabbed their rifles, and headed to the house.

  In her dad’s arms, Jodi started jerking Dwain, wanting him to move. “Come on, Daddy, I have to do the bread,” Jodi whined, and Dwain headed out of the shop with Kathy.

  Walking out of the hidden shop, Jodi stopped to grab her AR and then led them into the woodworking area and showed them three L-shaped desks and three dressers. “That’s mine,” Jodi said, pointing to the desk and dresser at the end.

  Walking over and looking at the stained desk, Dwain’s eyes widened. “You did this?”

  “Well, Lance helped,” Jodi admitted. “But he made me, Carrie, and Allie do most of the work. They knew how, but Lance wouldn’t let them touch the table saw.”

  Squeezing Jodi tight, “They look great,” Dwain told Jodi, then kissed her cheek. Heading for the cabin, Dwain saw Jennifer and Lori walk out with Lilly and Denny behind them.

  Walking inside, they heard Lance, “So Heath doesn’t know them?”

  “Lance, I told you, no,” Rhonda groaned, sitting at the table. “We knew their grandfather.”

  “That died two years ago,” Lance stated, looking down at a map and his notebooks.

  Turning to the door, “Lilly,” Rhonda whined. “Lance is being an ass.”

  Lance’s mouth dropped open as he jerked his head to the door. “I am not,” Lance objected.

  Walking around the table, Lilly kissed Lance’s cheek and then turned to Rhonda. “Sorry, but I’m taking his side because I need some smooches.”

  Giving a short huff, Rhonda turned to Lance. “Mr. Stanton talked about his grandsons all the time. He was good people and spoke highly of them. I knowd each one has been in the Army.”

  “You haven’t met them, so we assess them before giving them supplies or offering to let them move,” Lance said, trying to push the blush from his cheeks.

  Throwing her head back, Rhonda looked up at the ceiling. “Lance, you and this group gathered that stuff and scouted the houses. We don’t have a say in that. I was just telling you what Mr. Stanton, a man that I respected, told me. I just don’t want you kicking their asses.”

  Furrowing his brow, “Why would I kick their asses?”

  Lifting her head off the back of the chair, Rhonda turned to him. “I was just saying,” Rhonda moaned. “Lance, it wasn’t but a few nights ago, I watched you knock a full grown man out. A man that is six inches taller and eighty pounds heavier than you, and to top it off, you did it in one punch.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, “So?”

  Lilly stepped up to Lance and whispered in his ear, then stepped back. “Okay?” Lilly asked with a smile.

  Nodding with a grin, “Hell, I still have to listen to Ian because he didn’t get to knock out Dennis,” Lance chuckled.

  “I better get to knock out the next asshole,” Ian snapped, sitting at his desk and typing away on his computer.

  “Ethan isn’t really an asshole,” Lance pointed out.

  Stopping his typing, Ian turned around with narrowed eyes. “He was acting like one, and I couldn’t even goad Dennis into taking a swing.”

  “Brah!” Lance shouted out. “Dennis is smaller than Ethan. He knew you would break his ass.”

  Hearing that, Ian perked up and spun around in his chair back to his computer and started typing. “Oh, that’s okay then.”

  “Lance, will you treat the Stanton’s like you did us?” Rhonda asked.

  Looking back down at his notebook, Lance asked. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Jennifer moved into the kitchen as the little girls went to work, and Lilly sat down beside Lance and pulled him into a chair. “Rhonda, Lance treats everyone with courtesy and civility unless they don’t deserve it,” Lilly pointed out, leaning over and looking at the map Lance had spread out. “Hell, he treated Holly that way and she was half naked.”

  Lance cringed, closing his eyes and Rhonda scooted back from the table. “Lance, Lilly asked why you blushed so hard when Holly came out of the bathroom.”

  “Hello? She was naked!” Lance sang out.

  Sitting down at the table, Dwain was watching the little girls and Jennifer working at the kitchen island. “Holly knows how to use a shower,” Dwain chuckled. “What did she come out for?”

  “She asked if she could use the razor to shave her legs and-,” Rhonda stopped as Lance vaulted up from his chair.

  Throwing his hands up, “Okay!” Lance shouted. “I think everyone gets the point,” he added softly. “I didn’t know girls shaved that.”

  Reaching out, Lilly took Lance’s hand, making him jump. “Sweetness, you are a proud holder of a man card, seeing a girl naked shouldn’t bother you,” Lilly chuckled.

  Jerking his head, Lance stared into Lilly’s eyes. “Seeing a girl naked in real life is much different than on TV,” Lance snapped.

  Across the table, Lori nodded. “Yeah, Rhonda brought Holly over to our house last year for Fourth of July and spent the night. Daddy was sitting in the living room. Holly just finished taking a shower and walked through the living room naked, breastfeeding Dawn,” Lori told them and then grinned. “Daddy screamed out like a little girl, making momma drop her beer.”

  “See?” Lance sang out, bobbing his head side to side as he waved a hand across the table toward Lori. “A man must prepare himself to see a naked girl,” Lance declared, then added, “Even on TV.”

  Reaching up, Lilly cradled Lance’s face with her hand. “Oh, I can tell you for certain, I’m never letting you go,” Lilly smirked.

  Leaning down, Lance kissed Lilly and heard a squeal. Glancing over the table, Lance saw a naked Dawn running for the table. Seeing a larger form coming, Lance jerked his eyes to the back of the cabin. “Is Holly dressed?” Lance whispered.

  “Yes,” Lilly chuckled.

  “Dawns,” Holly snapped. “You put this here pullup on befores ya makin’ water or taken a dump!”

  Lance turned to see Holly pull Dawn from Dwain’s lap. Dawn started kicking, and Holly put her on the floor and put the pullup on. “I dares you take it off,” Holly growled, and Dawn stopped kicking. “Now quit actin’ wild.” When Holly stood up, Dawn stood up and moved over to climb back up in Dwain’s lap.

  Like he didn’t believe Lilly, Lance timidly turned to Holly and saw she was wearing warmups and a t-shirt. He gave a sigh of relief and looked up at Holly’s face, and saw she was even prettier with all the dirt washed off and her hair brushed down. “Lilly let me put on some of her nice clothes while mine washed,” Holly said, noticing Lance staring. “She said ya wouldn’t mind.”

  “Oh, I don’t,” Lance assured Holly as he dropped his eyes to the map and then mumbled, “I don’t care who’s clothes you have, as long as they are on.”

  Laughing silently at the boys’ torment, “Lance, what are you studying the map so hard for?” Lilly asked.

  “Heath and Rhonda both agree there are four grandsons and they are married with kids, but neither knows about how many kids or others,” Lance mumbled. “They couldn’t get numbers when they delivered the meeting packet. Ian and I can only say for sure, seven people are there.”

  Patting Lance’s hand, “We’ll know soon enough,” Lilly told him.

  Pointing at the map, “If there are more than ten, I say we put them in those two houses in zone two,” Lance mumbled, and Lilly leaned over.

  She knew the spot just over the ridge from Bones’ burnt house. “They will have to put up a fence pretty fast,” Lilly noted.

  Scoffing, Lance shook his head. “They don’t even have a fence up now.”

  “So, it bein’ true you an Ian kilt them biker assholes?” Holly asked, sitting down.

  “Yeah,” Lance chuckled, looking at the map.

  “Had to run from ‘em a few times,” Holly nodded. “But theys easy to get away from. Now those nigger haters was hard ta get away from.”

 
; “White supremacist,” Lance corrected, shaking his head.

  Clearly not understanding what Lance said, Holly turned to Rhonda and Rhonda smiled. “They hate anyone not white. That’s why they call them white supremacist.”

  Shrugging, “Theys assholes,” Holly snorted. “Saw them do nasty stuff to white folks, but downright evil to nig-,” she stopped, seeing Rhonda shaking her head. “Black folks,” Holly finished.

  “Yeah, so did we,” Ian said, walking over. “That’s why we had to take them out by starting a war with the Devil Lords.”

  Slapping the table, Holly laughed. “You guys bein’ total bad asses.”

  “Holly, you said you knew where more survivors were hiding,” Lance stated.

  Leaning over the table, Holly looked at the topo map very confused. “What kinda map that be?”

  “Topo map. It shows the elevation,” Lance sighed. Getting up, Holly walked around the table and stopped beside Lance.

  Pointing at the town of Dewitt, Holly pulled her finger back to the southeast and stopped in a small draw well outside of the three mile perimeter. “They was still there two days ago. The other group here,” Holly said, moving her finger further east, “the biker boys got them a month ago.”

  “Do you know these people?” Lance asked.

  “Nope,” Holly answered, and moved her finger to the west following roads. “That group gots heart, but be stupid.” She stopped east of Bimble, pointing at another draw. “Theys people there last week. They be smarter than the first group, but not by much.”

  “Any others?” Lilly asked as Lance marked the two sites.

  “A few, but you don’t wantin’ near ‘em,” Holly said flatly. She pointed at a small valley south of Artemus. “These be rapists,” Holly growled. “Seed that with my own eyes.”

  “Why didn’t you join up with those other people?” Kathy asked as Dawn climbed from Dwain’s lap to hers.

  “They stupid,” Holly snorted. “That group by Dewitt killed a deer and didn’t even know how to skin it. What they left fed me and Dawn fur week afta I smoked it.”

  “You know how many?” Lance inquired with hope.