Once in the kitchen, Dan gave them the complete story of how he ended up near Rolla in an RV and what his plans were.
Jonas said, “We've just made our last free food delivery to Rolla. We would have fed them all year, but if this is the way they repay our generosity, no more. I will see Mrs. Davis and her husband are fed, but no others. She's an old woman we met recently that is having hard times.”
“Do you really think that's fair?” Mike asked and then added, “Not all of them are killers and all of them are facing hard times, Jonas.”
“I'll not feed them, Mike, so don't bring it up again. We made two runs to town today to feed those people and we return to find our mother and aunt dead, with father close to death. I will no longer feed them.”
“Okay, I understand, but how do we know they were behind the deaths?”
“I can't prove they were behind it, but who else would it be? All of Dad's friends are farmers, so they'd not do something like this. They are like us and have food, and some are feeding folks in town too.”
“Well, maybe your father knows who the men were that did this.” Dan said.
“That's possible, because he knew a lot of men and women in town.”
Jonas thought for a minute and then asked, “Do you think pa will live?”
“I doctored him as well as I know how and the only reason he's alive right now is because who ever tried to cut his throat was in a hurry. They cut muscle and not veins.”
“I don't understand why they killed the women. There was nothing here that my father wouldn't give a person in need, so why the blood?”
“Why rape the women too? Both were in their sixties and surely not beautiful.” Mike asked.
“Rape is not about satisfying a man's lust with a beautiful woman, but rather a power and control issue. So the age and looks of the victim is not important.” Dan replied.
“If dad knows them they're dead meat, because I personally will kill them.” Jonas said and then moved to the coffee pot, where he made a fresh pot. As the coffee brewed, he said, “We need to dig some graves and get the women buried. I never dreamed my mama would be raped and then killed.”
As the young man spoke, Dan could see tears running down his cheeks and then falling from his face to land on his light blue work shirt. He gave a shudder, started to speak and then decided not to say a word.
Standing, Mike said, “I appreciate what you did for my father and we owe you a lot, Mr. Wolf. If not for you and Dave, he might have bled to death before we got home.” He extended his hand and they shook.
“Mike, we have to help each other and I'm sure eventually we'll be fighting the folks who lost everything. The sad part of all of this is I can see both sides. No, not like murderers like we had here, but I can understand fairly honest folks stealing and killing to feed their families. They feel they have to turn bad to keep their flesh and blood alive.”
Jonas said, “Why don't you go get your family and move here? We just lost our two helpers and most of our family. I don't think just the two of us can keep this place safe twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. We'll supplement your food and water and our combined numbers will help to defend this place, if we have a need to do so.” He looked at Mike and saw him nodding.
“We have long guns and side arms for all four of us and a few cases of ammunition, too. We have some medication, but not prescription meds, and all is over-the-counter stuff. Food we have, but had more before the earthquakes. When the earth cracked open, I lost an SUV filled with guns and ammo, and trailer filled with food.”
“Guns and ammo we have, along with four healthy bodies. Let me go get my RV and we'll return.”
Jonas said, “In the meantime, we'll dig a couple of graves by the barn for mom and her sister.”
“Sounds good. Son, let's go.”
They walked from the house and then Mike walked onto the porch and yelled out, “Wait! I have a four wheeler in the barn and it'll take you both there and then Dave can ride it back while you drive your RV. Save you both some time.”
They walked to the barn, Miked handed them the keys and said, “Be safe, because we know there are killers loose.”
“That's another reason I'm in a rush. My women, both of them, are alone with no man.”
“Good luck.” Mike said, and gave an ill felt smile.
Dan got in the four wheeler and so did Dave. Dave held both rifles while Dan started the beast and then backed it out of the barn. Dave then placed his fathers rifle between the seats and kept his in his hands. He had no idea when they'd need their guns, so he'd stay ready to fight at all times.
The drive back was rough, mainly because there was no road and the earthquakes had completely changed the ground surface. It would take many rain storms to make the ground flat again, and erosion would play a slow role over time. When they neared the RV, Dan saw June under the awning and she was cooking.
He pulled up, cut the engine and then said, “Gather up everything and I'll tell you why as we pack.”
When Jones showed Freeman what the beef had brought in trade the man grinned and said, “We share the woman.”
“I thought we might. She don't talk much though. I don't even know her name.”
Freeman, half drunk, popped one of the codeine pills, moved to the woman and ran his hands over her body as he asked, “What's your name, sugar?”
“I . . . I'm . . . Susan, Susan Wood. Can you free me, please?”
“No, you'll not be freed, sweetheart, but it's your lucky day because you just got two new lovers, didn't she Jones?”
“Oh, yeah, she surely did.”
“I just want to be left alone. Please, help me.”
“Matt, you need to go for a long walk. While you're gone, I'll clean our woman up and get her in some new clothes. She don't need much except some shorts or underwear. Be nice to see a woman around here for a spell.”
Jones shook his head and replied, “Sure, Issac, but don't hurt her too badly, please. I want some time to talk with her too.”
“When you return, you can have her the rest of the night. Okay?”
“Sure. I have some meat to process anyway, so I'll be out in the garage working.” he said and then moved to the truck, pulled out the dead man and took him into his homemade butcher shop. Once there, he turned on the generator so he could use his power tools and in less than 2 hours he had the man cut up. He put the head, feet, hands and sexual organs in a black plastic bag and threw them in the rear of the truck. He then drove to the nearest bridge, stopped and tossed the body parts to the river. He then drove home.
He placed the “pork” in his freezer and laughed. Tomorrow he'd see if white “pork” moved well around hungry people.
When he entered the house all was quiet and he walked to the living room, where he found Matt watching television, but then realized it was an old movie and in the VCR.
“Where’s the woman?”
“Tied to the bed in the bedroom and I didn't hurt her at all. She didn't fight me, so all went well. She's been washed and cleaned, with a fresh pair of my dead wife's old undies on. I've been feeding her bourbon since you left and she's pretty drunk right now. I think it would be safer to keep her drunk most of the time too. I'll contact Franklin tomorrow and get his moonshine by the gallon. He makes good whiskey and he's cheap.”
“I know, I bought whiskey from him in the past, years before the asteroid struck earth. I was thinkin', when will we go back to the farm where we got the beef and get more stuff?”
“We'll need to plan the next trip, because I'd like to take the place over, which means killing those who are there now. That will mean no survivors, unless there are women there. We can trade or sell women.”
“What makes you think we can trade off women or sell 'em?”
“You got one, right? I don't think anyone has given thought of moving women as a marketable item.”
Shaking his filthy head, Jones said, “Ya sound like one of those men on the TV n
ews late at night, talkin' about what's marketable and what ain't.”
“I'm telling you, women are worth a fortune and even the one we have now is worth thousands of dollars.”
“Money ain't worth nothin' no more.” Jones said, and then scratched his tangled beard.
Grinning, Freeman said, “Okay, maybe not in dollars but her value is still high and the better the body the more women will be worth.”
“How will you take over the farm? There may be more workers there, well, more than just the two we stole the ride with and the ones we killed. I think they are all family anyway.”
Thinking, Freeman was quiet for a minute or two, but finally said, “I'll start an army of men. Say fifty, and take over this place. There weren't many folks here before the emergency and are even less now, so I'll have to screen each man closely. I'll feed them, provide them with a woman, and then they will take the farm for me. First though, you and I will check the place out in a couple of days. So, let me go round up a couple of men to watch Susan.”
“When will you and I go back to the farm?”
“Tonight, but actually early morning. I think leaving here at 3 will put us there in about 20 minutes or so. Does the truck still have gas?”
“Yeah, sure, it has almost a full tank.”
“Good, so instead of leaving it at some point we'll keep it. The garage here is big enough to keep it here with the door closed. We'll work the truck details out when we get back from the farm. You get some rest or visit our new woman while I go looking for men. I have to warn you, Susan is an animal when she gets hot.”
“I ain't been with a woman in so long, I can't remember the last time.” Jones said, and then laughed.
“If things work out like I plan, you and I will soon be powerful, rich and deeply respected.”
“I just want the goods and women. I don't care about power, money or respect. I ain't never had any power, no money, and as for respect, I have to say, I've never been respected either. I just want to live comfortable and not worry about where my next meal is coming from.”
“You listen to me and we'll be set for life. Now, get some rest or visit Sue. It doesn't matter to me which you do, but I'll be out looking for men.”
At two thirty the next morning, Matt Freeman woke Issac Jones and said, “Get up and get ready to go the farm. I want you to carry your rifle, two side arms, and ammo for all three weapons. I got five men last night and they'll be useful today. I'll leave two men here to keep Susan busy and take three with us. Rise and shine, it is our first day of a new future.”
Issac moved from the bed, opened a bottle of whiskey and took a long pull. He then wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand, capped the bottle and sat it on a desk. Putting his boots on and then his ball cap, he was ready to leave, except for his guns. If Matt had noticed Issac's guns were not in the room with him, he would have been angry. The dirty man had a bad habit of leaving his guns all over the house. No matter how many times Matt warned that their house could be raided by other men, Issac just couldn't remember to keep his guns near.
In the living room he saw five new men and Freeman was talking to them.
Smiling, Matt said, “There you are, Issac. These are our new men. Their names are Fred Joshua, Tom Lee, John Wilcox, William 'Bill' Moses, and Leroy Manny.”
Jones gave a slight wave and said, “Welcome.”
“Now if Issac gives you an order, obey it like I gave that order. He's the second in command and what he says goes. Moses, since you're the biggest and spent some time in the army, you're the leader of this group for now. I fully intend to get more men over time and when I do, each of you will lead your own group of ten to fifteen men.”
“How come ya don't have a bunch of men now?” Leroy asked, and Freeman had already labeled the man a mental case in his mind.
Freeman grinned and then said, “We just thought this whole situation up last night. We'll talk more about this later, because we're going on a mission to look a farm over. If things work out okay, we'll own the place by the end of the week.”
Picking up his rifle and buckling his pistol belt on, Issac said, “I'm ready. We need to move too, if we want to be in place by sunup. What is the weather like?”
“Heavy snow about 30 minutes ago. I listened to the Emergency Broadcast station and it predicted twelve inches or so of the nasty stuff. Fred and Leroy, you two stay here. I want you both to keep an eye on Susan. If you get the urge, you can both spend some time with her. Just feed her about four small cups of whiskey before you touch her and she'll be agreeable. I don't want her hurt and that means if you get the urge to poke, don't turn mean. I come back and if she's been injured, someone will die. Do you both understand me?”
“Yes, sir.” Leroy said, and he wanted the woman.
“I hear ya.” Fred said, not the least bit interested in the woman. If the captive had been a man, his curiosity would have peaked. Fred was gay and had no use for women, except as friends.
“Tom, John, and Bill, you three pick up a shotgun from the table and a box of shells. On the counter you'll find pistols with ammo, but no pistol belts. We'll trade for belts in the future. Let's go, we have a farm to look over.”
The snow was about three inches deep on the truck and after clearing the truck, the three new men got in the back as Issac and Matt crawled in the cab. The truck turned over with the fist twist of the key. Issac sat for about five minutes to allow the truck to warm up. He then moved the stick to first gear and they were off and moving. When he shifted into second gear, he laughed because not many people these days could drive a stick shift vehicle. He'd grown up in the country and all the cars and trucks he'd driven were stick shifts.
“What you laughing about?”
“Not many people can drive a stick these days, just you and I as far as I know.”
“More than us can do the job, but I'd guess only about 20 to 30% can drive a stick.”
“The current generation can't even write or read in cursive as far as I understand.”
“Different times mean different needs for the society. Right now everyone is trying to survive until the government is back up and running. I don't think that will ever happen.”
“I have no idea, but if the government gets going again a lot us will hang for what we're doin' right now.”
“True, but I don't see that happening. Our country is gone, and while small areas might pull back together I don't think a big government will ever come back. So, relax, because we'll never see a day in jail for what we're doing now. Everyone is doing illegal things now and not just us. We all want to stay alive.”
They continued to drive and Isaac was in no hurry, not with the roads in the shape they were in, and covered with snow. The pickup was the only vehicle they had and if he wrecked it they'd be doing a lot of walking. He was driving a slow 15 miles an hour.
“The farm is on our right, see? Go about two miles down the road and then park. We'll get out and check things over.”
Thirty minutes later, they were in some brush about a hundred feet from the front door of the farmhouse. It was snowing harder now, so the amount they predicted would probably come true. They were on the west side of the farm and the sun was coming up slowly in the east, and the bight light would not be in their eyes. All knew the sun would soon be blocked by the clouds.
Jones whispered, “It's almost five in the morning, so do you think they're up this early?”
“I do, because farm people get up real early because everyday they have work to do. If you look closely, you can see smoke coming from the chimney.” Tom Lee said.
“Do you see the RV there? That wasn't there before.”
“I see it. No, it wasn't in the barn either, so someone is visiting them.”
“We'll watch long enough to know who or how many of them are there now. I suspect the men will come out to work in a bit, while the women will stay inside.” Freeman whispered.
“Why do you think the women will stay ins
ide?” Bill Moses asked.
John Wilcox said, “The women will keep the house warm, cook breakfast, which they probably have not eaten yet, and care for any babies. They all have work to do but the women will usually work inside, unless they are gathering crops, and then everyone works. Right now the cows need milking and most of the animal will be fed. Then, they'll go in and eat. After the meal they should come back out to do more work.” Freeman whispered in reply.
“I have no idea how they'll work. All I know about farms is the owners get up early and go to bed early. That, plus they ain't never hungry.” Jones replied.
“Hush, and keep your voice to a whisper.” Freeman said, his tone close to anger.
“The front door is opening.” one of the men warned.
“No shooting unless I give the order.” Freeman warned.
Dan, Jonas and Dave walked from the house to the barn and then they fed the animals as Jonas milked four cows. Dave was interested in the milking but figured he'd learn how the do the job over time.
As if reading his mind, Jonas said, “Dave, tomorrow I'll teach you how to milk. Do you think you'd like to learn how?”
“Sure, anything to help. I suspect in the future there will be times for me to milk, when y'all ain't around.”
“Listen you two, as we were walking out here something to the west of us flashed a bright light. I suspect we're not alone.”
“Probably sunlight off a barrel would be my guess.” Jonas said.
“What is was doesn't matter, just the fact that someone is there. Anything out that way made of metal?”
“Not that I remember.”
“Okay, we'll treat this as a visit by people who are not our friends. Dave, I need you to take two buckets of milk into the house, tell them we are being watched and then come back out here. I don't think they'll move against just one man.” Dan said.
“Okay, I can do that.”
“You get fired on or have things turn ugly, son, drop the buckets and hide. We can always get more milk.”
“Oh, I'll do that without being told too. I have my pistol on and I know how to use it too.”
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