Merry's Marauders (Book #2 ~ Scenic Route to Paradise, refreshed 2016 edition)

by Andrea Aarons

  After their outburst to justify Merry, everyone was subdued, wondering what would come next. Merry perceived Mac as a pied piper leading everybody along. She wasn’t so sure if anyone else understood what he was attempting.

  He said, “Now since you people like to vote so much, we will vote for a new house mother. Junior, pass out those papers and pencils behind you... Yes, those.” The murmuring began again. Mac went on, “You don’t want to do what Merry says. You fail to appreciate that I have valuable goods here - Yes, like whiskey so we can trade for necessities such as food or weapons or like last night, medicines... Well, then Merry can step aside and we will put another mother in her place. Look around and then write your choice you voters. Lenny will tally.”

  This was not a good idea, Merry decided. She didn’t know she was “the mother” but she did feel very responsible for her friends and all the women, including Sarah and Mrs. Ortiz. While everyone was either receiving their papers - the blank side of a Bridge score sheet or scribbling a name, Merry put up her hand like a school student.

  Mac lifted his eyebrows and nodded at her. Merry said respectfully, “Um, I really don’t think we should vote on this, sir.” The papers were around and some of the women were looking up at her. Lyric was looking at Kelsey’s paper like she was cheating on a math quiz. Mac grinned at Merry. She went on, not looking at him but at the people gathered around the table. “I mean, I have no plans of bossing you about... I probably have but I love you all very much and I am learning to love everyone here,” she said this looking at Kelsey and Lyric. “I just want to say being the mother of the house as Papa Mac as labeled me is not really a job with a lot of perks. I guess what I am saying is that my title can be given to another but I will continue to help you and love you in spite of losing my job... Okay?”

  She looked down teary-eyed at her own paper. Patsy was the only other person she could think of to be “mother” but she didn’t have the heart to vote for Patsy as she knew the older woman well; Patsy would not relish the position. Rather than a mother, she should be called “Aunt” Patsy. Merry folded her paper, still blank and handed it off to Junior who was now gathering them.

  Mac sent Lenny to the kitchen sink area behind him to count while he explained that they would be having drills during the afternoon for the next few days. “Everyone needs to know his or her job when a crisis is upon us. Unfortunately, crises usually arrive wrapped in various ways... never the same but still we can try to be ready. Now, who does not want to be loyal and disciplined..? Just raise your hand and we will let you go from here - tomorrow or even tonight,” Mac asked but no one raised a hand. Lenny was at Mac’s elbow.

  “Oh, let’s see who these voters decided upon,” Mac announced. Lenny whispered and Mac said, “What? You give them a chance and they don’t want to choose someone new but they go with my high-handed and original choice? Fickle, fickle voters chose Merry again? Oh well, I tried.”

  Merry felt profoundly foolish as the table erupted with smile and claps and “hallelujahs.” Patsy felt relief knowing that she would have been their next choice.

  “Yes... Okay,” Mac said after a minute or more. “Two people on the roof beginning an hour before sunset. We have a simple list of names... and tonight Lenny will go up with the watchers for a briefing.” He nodded to Merry and she recalled her question about drills with Lenny in the early morning as they walked and watched together. “There is more. Nighttime is when we get our business outside of these walls accomplished. Lenny will be taking two women with him each time he goes on a... a task. Sometimes I will be taking a team with me, if necessary. I’ve told most of you already that there will be times when we will need to stay here and protect ourselves against looters or other monsters,” Mac told them.

  “The first rule of living in close confines boils down to respect, loyalty and discipline,” said Mac. He had everyone's attention and Merry couldn’t help but notice he had their respect too. “Rule number two: If anyone is caught stealing within the house, I will take their hands and Lenny will take their feet and we will throw them over the wall like a sack of rotten potatoes.” Mac demonstrated this maneuver as he spoke. “If anyone is caught sleeping during their watch, they will have watch every night for a week afterward. If you are found asleep again, over the wall!” He repeated his demonstration. “Having guests from outside is prohibited! If you have a family member or very close friend wanting to join, before they arrive you must get approval from me. If I am died... er, I’m dead you must get approval from Lenny. I will take no notice at that point!” Mac thought this funny and Merry decided it was D’Almatan humor.

  As Mac prepared to dismiss the meeting, Patsy spoke up. “Mac, what an enlightening night, weeeh coco! I think perhaps, all our well intentioned plans need God’s blessing. As the leader here, would you please ask God to bless our endeavors and keep us all safe?”

  Only a few of the women saw a flicker of uncertainty cross Mac’s brow. He said slowly, “I don’t know your God but if His hand spans the universe like your scripture describes, I know He must have the ability to do as you suggest.” He furrowed his brow and said, “How do you do it...? Oh yes, everyone get down on your knees. We need to humble ourselves before this Big One.” No one was going to argue with Mac now and so there was a commotion of moving chairs and grunts as Tom Biggs and the others shifted down to their knees.

  Merry’s glee was evident at Mac’s simple and transparent actions. She and Patsy were smiling at one another.

  Looking at everyone even Lenny on bended knee, Mac satisfied, began his prayer. It was a simple repeat of Patsy’s request and also, the recognition of God’s large hand and then he hesitated unsure of a conclusion. In his pause, all the women from the jail said, “Amen” as if on cue.

  Chapter 12 Red Alert

  By the time Lenny, Tina and Lyric had climbed the patio wall to do a midnight exploit, the snow was melted making a muddy mess which turned to a frozen slushy mess as the night cooled. At Mac’s instruction, Lenny spent about an hour with the nightwatch, Junior and Nikki instructing them on protective emergency procedure. They in turn were to instruct those who relieved them at 2am. Unlike the previous nights, there were people milling about the small neighborhood. The two-story across the street had people inside. Junior had come down and reported to Mac as he readied to do his own exploratory work beyond the Hacienda walls.

  As Junior spoke, Tom who stood nearby said, “I hope the garage door tactic works. I thought the girls did a superior job, by the way.” Three of the household vehicles were in the garage across the street but besides the big overhang doors which were locked with a weighty chain, the only other way into the garage was through the kitchen. Under Tom’s tutelage, Nikki and Connie had rearranged the kitchen to hide the door. Mac and Tom agreed the camouflage would work initially but eventually the cars would have to be moved or lost.

  Mac produced a high powered BB air rifle from his room. “Use this if they start messing with the chain and lock on the garage. Unless they are professional scavengers, this will keep them away... I would guess we have about three or four months before the professionals start working this neighborhood over,” he told Junior as he gave him the rifle.

  Mac asked him, “Who relieves you after your watch?” Junior told him it was Kelsey and Sylvia. “Hand the gun off to Sylvia and explain the procedure Lenny went over with you and... Who else is up there now? Nikki, right? You two stay alert. Make sure Sylvia knows when to pop anyone trying to get into the garage but not otherwise, understand?”

  Next, Mac gave instruction to Tom about stores for the well house and then, he climbed the ladder to the roof to take a look at the landscape before exiting the building.

  Merry and Luz were to go scavenging with Mac. There were a couple of abandoned houses that he wanted to have a look at before others had the chance.

  At the Hacienda, the front and south windows were made up of tiled glass blocks. These windows had not been covered yet as the gla
ss allowed in light but were insulated and integrated into the wall so as not to open. Mac explained that there would come a time when they would need to be sealed like the other windows. For now, at night there was to be no lights - candles, lamps or flashlights in the rooms with the cubed glass windows. “It will draw attention,” he had said. From the outside, the place needed to look empty but secure.

  Once Mac and his team, Luz and Merry were over the wall and away from the house, Mac had them stop. They were standing in the midst of three large Juniper trees. He pulled out binoculars and looked back at the house. After a moment he handed them to Merry. “Look at the Hacienda,” he said.

  Merry shifted the glasses about her eyes and finally closed her left eye to focus. The sky had cleared but there was no moonlight to speak of. The building was a black shape among other smaller black shapes. She didn’t see anything. There was no light and from the Juniper grove. The roof guards were not visible. She handed them to Luz and while she fiddled with them, Merry asked Mac what he was looking for and what she should have seen.

  “I am hoping to see zero... nothing coming from our house. It is best that way. Also, we do not want to leave them with a crisis on their hands nor do we want to walk into one as we return from foraging,” he told them, taking the binoculars back from Luz. “Always check on the house, coming and going. That way there are no surprises... Now, come on,” Mac went out from the Junipers after looking about again.

  They returned some hours later, Mac carrying almost a hundred pounds of dried and canned food. Merry and Luz carried much less although both women thought her bundle heavy enough. Mac had secured even more supplies from the three houses they entered and these things he hid for later confiscation.

  Mac gave the signal and eventually, got the response needed to come out from the trees at the edge of the property. Mac went over the wall first and then came back taking the women’s sacks. Merry climbed over last. She pulled the ladder up and over with Mac’s help. Luz had gone inside.

  “You did well tonight,” Mac said. “Especially at the meeting, I mean. I set you up but I thought you would catch on and I sensed that you did.” They put the ladder to the side. It would be needed again if Lenny and the others were not back yet. Mac picked up his heavy load while she slid the door open.

  Merry said, “I didn’t expect any of that... The meeting yes, but... but I realized what you were doing and why you were doing it.” She smiled at him as they went through the glass door. “You make a good leader,” she added. The sun-room was dark but ahead a glow from the kerosene lamp in the kitchen beckoned.

  “Thank you,” he said. In the semi-darkness, she saw him grin as he added, “I couldn’t persuade you to smell my collar again could I?” Merry didn’t answer but walked briskly toward the light.

  Only Nikki, Junior and Patsy remained awake besides the night watch on the roof. Luz was there too, sitting while the others looked at the acquisitions that she brought in from the patio. There was frozen and partially frozen food that needed to either be cooked or placed in the deep freeze. The generator had kept the frig and larger freezer box cold enough, although Patsy and Mrs. Ortiz stopped the women and Junior too from opening the refrigerator doors at their discretion.

  Nikki looked up from her sorting and said, “Hello Mama. Hello, Papa.” Junior and Luz looked at each other and grinned. Mac was smiling too. Patsy looked worriedly from one to the other although Merry remained poker-faced.

  “Junior, help with that stuff... go on!” Patsy urged him toward Mac. Mac set the sack down on top of the counter.

  “Is Lenny back?” he asked Junior. He shook his head.

  “No Mac, but there are a lot of people walking around. No one came close to the house though. They didn’t try the garage door across the street either. Good thing for them!” Junior reported. Mac, Merry and Luz had seen several others on the street but they themselves were not seen.

  Merry was talking low to Nikki. They were tired and both ready for sleep. Mac was heading back to his room when the sky light window popped open above the ladder. Kelsey looking down and seeing the women blurted, “Ladies, it’s a red alert!”

  Mac pivoted and sprinted to the ladder he just passed. “What’s happening?” He asked as he began to climb. Kelsey said, “Someone flashed from the bushes to come in. So, I told Sylvia but then as she was telling me what to do... some yelling and...” She didn’t finish as Mac interrupted her. “Merry, no Junior... you go put the ladder over. Hurry and pull it in as soon as Lenny gets them inside.” He disappeared through the skylight leaving it opened.

  Merry turned to Patsy. “Get the others up and don’t use any light up at the front of the house. Get them up. With shoes and clothes on... Tell them everyone needs to come in here - quietly!” Patsy with hands wringing, trotted down the darkened hallway. Junior had gone out to the patio and the cold air was pouring into the kitchen. “Come on you two, help me move this table against the wall. Put all the chairs on this side so we can use them,” Merry directed Nikki and Luz. “Connie, get that frozen stuff into the freezer and clear the counter top.”

  Tom Biggs was first to come in. Merry pointed him toward the patio. “Go help Junior and Lenny. There might be trouble,” she said and he didn’t slacken his stride but passed on through the kitchen to the patio with a nod.

  Merry went through the front hallway passing Mrs. Ortiz and Sarah. “Go to the kitchen and have a seat,” she told them without further explanation.

  Merry returned a few minutes later with her .32 stuffed in the back of her jeans and a long heavy sweater over top rather than the jacket she had been wearing. Earlier she debated taking her gun outside with Mac but settled on pepper spray - two canisters so Luz carried one, as well.

  Patsy came down the hall as she returned. Merry sent Sarah out to help Tom and Junior, after all she was a nurse and she might be needed. Mac had indicated he didn’t want Merry out on the patio but he hadn’t said anything about the roof.

  “Patsy, you and the girls pray. I’ll be back down in a minute,” Merry said trying to sound in control but Patsy saw her gnawing on her lower lip. Patsy knew Merry was either uncertain, afraid or both. She nodded at her as Merry crawled up, closing the skylight behind her.

  Crouched next to the skylight, Merry accessed the scene. Kelsey was behind her, sitting on a box of some sort watching the back of the property, a baseball bat in her hand. There was a low fence that encircled the back yard but it would be easily breached if someone wanted to approach the Hacienda from the rear. All things considered, the yard was filled with natural foliage including dozens of spiny cactus. Mac and Sylvia were squatting behind the roof wall at the front of the building. Merry assumed a boisterous bunch were out front in the street. She heard laughter and shouting and arguing mixed coming from below. Moving to the left in a stooping gait, Merry approached the patio side of the roof. Stopping short, she cautiously peeked over. It was dark but she could see the top ladder rungs poking above the outside of the wall. Someone was still outside. There were three figures standing below but Merry could only make out Tom Biggs.

  The bushes where the housemates hid and signaled the nightwatch was beyond her view. She decided to move to the front and see if Mac could use her help. Before she executed her plan, the patio came alive. Turning back to see what was happening, Merry made out two people struggling at the top of the wall. Tom stood below with his arms outstretched as he helped someone off the wall. A moment later, they disappeared from view going inside and Merry decided the last person still balanced on the thick edge of the adobe wall was Junior. He pulled the ladder up behind him and shifted it to the front of the wall. Climbing down, Merry watched him lay the ladder aside.

  Bent over, Merry moved quickly to the front of the roof. Sylvia saw her coming and then Mac turned, the silhouette of the BB rifle mounted at his shoulder.

  Squatting between them, Merry whispered, “Junior came over the wall and pulled the ladder in behind him. Everyone must be in
.”

  Mac said, “Not everyone. That is Lenny down there. His ascent is distinct... It’s him.” Lenny had a New Yorkers ascent although not a heavy one. Mac turned back and used the limited scope on the rifle to view the rowdy group below. “I think I see him... He is all in black and wears a black cap when he goes out at night. I’m sure it’s him,” Mac whispered as the three peered over the parapet.

  Merry strained to define individuals below but the distance and darkness only frustrated her. It sounded like they were going to stand there cavorting all night because of the laughter. Another few minutes went by and Merry guessed they were discussing something among themselves as their voices were barely audible now.

  “Mac, what are they doing down there? Why doesn’t Lenny leave them?” Merry asked.

  Mac turned to her and then just as quickly back to his gun scope. “Quiet. He would leave if he thought he should. When he does, I will help him with this pop gun,” he told her in a loud whisper.

  “Can I help? We have the household assembled in the kitchen awaiting your direction,” she said just above a whisper, not obeying his command to remain “quiet.”

  He said softly not taking his eye from the piece, “I am wondering why Junior brought the ladder in. Send him up but you stay below... looking lovely like you do until I come down.”

  Merry had bent close to his face to hear his words but now she reared back and looked guiltily at Sylvia. The other woman had her hands on the low wall, resting her chin on them, not paying any attention to Mac or Merry. Moving away silently, Merry went through the skylight.

  “Junior, where’s Lenny?” she asked him.

  Junior replied, “He’s outside but he told Tina to pull the ladder in after Lyric was brought in. So, I did.” Merry told Junior to go up top and tell Mac this information, as he wanted to know. He scrambled up.