by N. C. Reed
“Not right on top of us, no,” Jeremiah shook his head. “But they’ve been within a hundred miles of us in the last week or so. Hit a little settlement down Beaver Lodge way six days ago. Know where that is?”
“‘Bout to the interstate?” Billy asked.
“That’s it,” Jeremiah nodded. “Had about twenty folks set up down that way, trying to make a go of it. They had some cattle, and were planning on harvesting as much of the corn crop around there as they were able. Been a boring winter food wise, but they’d have stayed fed.”
“Would have?” Billy asked.
“All dead and gone, save a handful. Five people left, one o’ them hurt bad two more just little ’uns. They’re in a right bad way, to hear it on the radio. Less mouths to feed, but almost no hands to do the work. They asked that bunch at Franklin to give a hand, but they aren’t much better off for manpower. Afraid to leave their own places for fear they’d get hit while too many was gone.”
“Anyone offer to help?” Billy wanted to know.
“Three fellas offered to come help get corn up and gather the stock. Help the survivors get better hid, and ready for the winter best they can. Want food and gas as payment.”
“Reckon food’s about the new money, right now,” Billy said quietly. “You folks set okay?” he asked.
“We’ll get by, don’t nothin’ bad befall us,” Jeremiah said carefully. Billy grinned.
“Yeah, us too. I hadn’t planned on feeding’ two people, but I was set to do it, anyway, thanks to the Lord.”
“How’d that come to be, anyhow?” Silvers smiled. The two had just told each other the same thing without telling each other anything. They would help each other if needed.
“Well, I went to town. . . .”
*****
“. . .and that’s when I realized who I was talking’ to,” Rhonda finished up. Emma shook her head.
“That boy is a plumb caution, he is,” she laughed. “He’s a good boy, Rhonda Higgins.”
“You ain’t got to tell me, Mrs. Silvers,” Rhonda grinned sheepishly.
“Are you two actually talking about Billy Todd?” Michelle looked incredulous. Rhonda turned flinty green eyes on her ‘friend’.
“We are,” she said quietly.
“Billy Todd’s a fine young man, missy,” Emma told her daughter flatly. “Pity that you can’t recognize things like that. If you’re lucky, you’ll find someone like him to take care of you. You certainly aren’t able to take care of yourself, or at least you aren’t very willing.”
“I can too take care of myself!” Michelle shot back.
“When was the last time you built a fire, or brought in fire wood, or cooked a meal?” Emma challenged. “Can you make bread, Michelle? Kill a chicken, clean and cook it?”
“You and daddy do all that!” Michelle protested.
“And what, pray tell, are you going to do when we’re gone?” her mother asked calmly.
“What?” Michelle was brought up short by the question.
“You heard me,” Emma bore in. “Your father and I aren’t spring chickens by any means. And with things so much harder now, we’re like as not to die much younger than we might have. When we’re gone, who’s going to look after you? Certainly not Tobias. He can’t look after himself either.”
Michelle Silvers opened her mouth to retort, but stopped as her mother’s words hit her.
“Things will be back to normal by then,” she finally said, although her voice was far from confident.
“Shelly, I think this is the new normal,” Rhonda told her softly. “Normal like we used to have, well, it just ain’t coming’ back, I think. Not for a very long time, anyway.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Michelle bit out. “Things will be back to normal someday. Probably sooner than you think, too. Once the government gets things straightened out, we’ll be fine, and back to good in no time.”
“The government?” Rhonda goggled. “Michelle, you do realize that most of the government died just like everyone else did, yeah?”
“They’ve got those bunkers!” Michelle was almost yelling now. “Once they come out, they’ll make things right! You’ll see!” With that she stormed out of the kitchen. Rhonda looked at Emma Silvers apologetically.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the girl said softly. “Maybe we oughta just go? I don’t want to stir nothing’ up.”
“Hush, child,” Emma scolded softly, wiping a single tear from her cheek. “She’s been that way, off and on, since things started. One minute she’s fine, the next. . .well, you saw.” Rhonda nodded. “She can’t seem to wrap her head around how bad things are.”
“One reason, I guess, is because we haven’t left the farm since things started. She hasn’t seen. Hasn’t been out there, like you have. I haven’t either, but I know what’s happened. I don’t have to see it.”
“Toby is almost as bad, but in a different way. He just doesn’t seem to care. He does his chores, does everything we ask of him, but shows no interest in learning how to take care of himself, how to make the farm work once we’re gone. I. . .sometimes I don’t know what to do. I always thought I’d raised my children better than that. I knew they didn’t want the life we have, and I accepted that. But now, there doesn’t seem to be a choice. And neither of them seem to realize it.” She looked up suddenly.
“Don’t mind me, sweetie,” she told Rhonda. “Let me get a friendly ear, and I’ll talk it to death. I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be,” Rhonda told her. “Heck, I’m glad I was here for you. You ain’t had no one to talk to about your troubles. I doubt you want to talk to Mister Silvers on it overmuch, on account o’ he has so much on him, the way things are. I spent a long time alone, except for my dog. I know all about how nice it is to have an ear to bend. I been talkin’ Billy’s head of for nigh on to two weeks!” They both shared a laugh, and both needed it.
“So, what about you and Billy?” Emma asked coyly, once she’d gotten her laughter out. “Is there a story there?” Rhonda blushed furiously at that, but smiled.
“I don’t know, just yet,” she admitted. “I gotta be honest, I always did like him. I mean, I know he ain’t maybe so smart as some, but like I told him, he ain’t near as dumb as he sometimes let’s on, neither. I know that for a fact, cause I done seen it the last two weeks, and he’s got a good heart, too.”
“That he does, dear,” Emma smiled. “That he does. His mother and father taught him well, I’ll have to say. Oh, I do miss Robbie so, sometimes,” she added wistfully. “I miss Robert as well, don’t get me wrong, but Robbie and I were very close. She was a dear friend.”
“I knew Mister Todd a lot better’n I did Misses Todd,” Rhonda admitted. “Mister Todd was always stopping’ by to see Daddy. But I know they was well thought of.”
“Yes they were,” Emma nodded firmly. “Well, if you’ll check the bread, I think we’re about ready to eat, here.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I’ve been thinking,” Jeremiah said, after the blessing had been given and the plates filled. “There’s a lot of stock around, Billy. Cattle, hogs, horses. They’re probably okay for the short run, but time’s running out for some. Especially the hogs. We should try and save what we can. No telling where we’ll ever find more. The problem is, where do we put them?”
Billy used the time he was chewing his food to form an answer.
“Mister Franklin’s place runs along behind ours,” he said after thought. “He’s got about two hundred acres in grass, but he wasn’t runnin’ stock when things got bad, I don’t think. We could drive the cows there. Be hard to spot back there, and there’s a gap in the tree line that’d let us get to ’em without using’ the road.”
“Hey, I’d forgot that!” Jeremiah nodded enthusiastically. “We could squeeze maybe two hundred head in there. A few more, if we can find hay for the winter.”
“Mister Franklin had a good pole barn. Be a good place for the hay. Might have to do a lit
tle work on it, but it’s doable,” Billy added. “This is right good eatin’, ma’am,” he told Emma.
“Thank you, Billy,” she smiled.
“What do you say, then, Billy?” Jeremiah guided the discussion back to the stock. “Maybe we can saddle up and take a look see tomorrow?”
“Can I go?” both Toby and Michelle asked at once. Emma looked startled, while Jeremiah just looked doubtful.
“Ain’t nare one o’ you two can sit a horse all day without complaining and belly achin’,” he grumbled. Both looked a bit shamefaced at that, but were undeterred.
“We won’t complain, Pa,” Toby said earnestly, and Michelle nodded her enthusiastic agreement. Jeremiah looked at Billy, recalling the younger man’s words. Billy just shrugged.
“Okay by me,” was all he said.
“I’ll go too,” Rhonda added, grinning. Billy looked at her.
“You ride a horse?”
“Yes, I can ride a horse!” Rhonda feigned indigence at that question. Billy wasn’t sure it was fake, so he just nodded, and filled his mouth again. The cornbread was really good, he decided.
“Well then,” Jeremiah stated, “what say we ride over to your place around eight? We’ll take a look up the hill at Franklin’s, and then scout around to see what’s what elsewhere. Sound good?”
“Like a plan,” Billy agreed.
“We also want to go over to Franklin,” Rhonda added. “We’d like to see the trade day, or post, if it’s every day.”
“Oh, can we go too daddy?” Michelle asked quickly. “I’d love to go and see it!”
“I wouldn’t mind that, myself,” Emma threw her oar in. “I’m interested to see what they have, and what they expect for it.” Jeremiah eyed the table warily.
“I reckon we can go over there,” he finally agreed. “But not knowing’ what they’re in need of would be a bit o’ difficulty in takin’ the right goods.”
“Could ask on the radio,” Billy spoke up. Everyone looked at him.
“What?” he asked.
“That’s a mighty fine idea,” Jeremiah laughed. “And the easiest thing to do. I been talkin’ to a fella over that way for the last month or so. I’ll give him a yell tonight if I can, and see what they got and what’s selling’. We might be able to take a few things and barter.”
“Yay!” Michelle and Toby both exuded. Rhonda resisted the urge to shake her head, while Billy just took another bite of his meal. He’d already known he and Rhonda were going, anyway.
“We should go together,” Rhonda stated firmly. “Even if we take two vehicles, we should travel together, and stay together.”
“Need to go and come back same day, too,” Jeremiah added. “I don’t relish being’ away from here overnight. Way things are, I’d be worried over it.”
“Good idea,” Billy managed around a mouthful of green beans.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Rhonda told him, nudging him with her elbow. He nodded, but didn’t repeat it. Eating took precedence for Billy.
“Well, I’ll find out tonight, if I can, and let you know in the morning,” Jeremiah said. Billy looked at the window, and drowned his last bite with tea.
“Reckon we better be gettin’ back,” he said easily. “Be gettin’ dark soon.”
“We’ll see you in the morning, Billy,” Jeremiah promised. Rhonda hugged Emma, and sort of hugged Michelle, then patted Toby on the shoulder. He was clearly expecting a ‘hug’ of his own, but Rhonda easily sidestepped it. Toby frowned at her, then realized that Billy Todd was watching him very closely. Swallowing his pride, and any comment he was about to make, Toby decided that a shoulder pat was okay after all.
“You kids come back,” Emma smiled at them. Jeremiah nodded.
“It’s right nice to have comp’ny.”
“Maybe we can start swapping back and forth,” Rhonda suggested. “We can have you all over, too, that way.”
“We can work it out,” Billy agreed. “But tomorrow. It’s coming on to dark, and I want to be home when it gets here.”
“All right, all right,” Rhonda waved him down. “We’re going.”
As they entered the woods, Rhonda could better understand why Billy wanted to be home.
“Lot darker in the trees,” she commented.
“Yep,” Billy replied. “We got lights, though, so we’re okay. But I don’t want to make a habit of being out like this after dark. No way o’ tellin’ what’s liable to be out and about these days.”
“Say what?” Rhonda pulled up short at that.
“There’s all kinds of critters out here, Rhonda,” Billy explained. “When there was folks about, and noise everywhere, they stayed away, deeper in the woods. Now, after all this time, and most all of the people gone, they’ll be more likely to be around.”
“What kind of ‘critters’?” Rhonda wanted to know, looking around her.
“Coyotes, for sure,” Billy told her, guiding her by the arm through the trees. “There’s a few cats around, too.”
“Bobcats?”
“Them too, but I meant big cats. Cougars. Ain’t all that many, but even one is too many, if he’s hungry, and we’re out here in his way. And that don’t even take into account wild dogs. Lot o’ dogs ain’t got people no more, they’ll be turnin’ feral, huntin’ in packs, and they ain’t scared o’ people. Been around’em all their life.”
“How come you didn’t say nothing’ ‘bout this ‘fore we went over there!” Rhonda wanted to know. Her red hair hid a fiery temper. And a sharp tongue.
“Didn’t want to scare ya,” Billy shrugged.
“How ‘bout next time you scare me a little! Instead o’ lettin’ me wander around out here with. . .with dogs, and coyotes, and lions, and who know what all!”
“You ain’t wandering around,” Billy told her. “I know exactly where we are, and where we’re going. I just don’t believe in takin’ extra chances, especially not now.”
“What’s that mean? Especially not now?” Rhonda demanded.
“Know where the nearest doctor is?” Billy asked, starting to get exasperated. “Nurse? How ‘bout a paramedic? No? Nearest one I know of is in Franklin. Little over two hours drive from here, if the road ain’t blocked. Now days ain’t no time to get hurt like that cause you wasn’t thinking about what you was doing.”
Rhonda didn’t reply as they continued to walk along. She was impressed with what Billy had just said. Everyone always underestimated him, and yet, here he was, going over so many reasons for his decisions. Just more proof that her opinion of Billy wasn’t off. He might not be a genius, but he was smarter than people thought. And much smarter than he let on, despite whatever confidence issues he might have. She’d just have to work on that confidence.
If the cougars, dogs, or coyotes didn’t get her, anyway.
*****
Billy was up early the next morning. He was already outside when Rhonda woke. By the time she was outside, he was leading the horses out of the barn.
“Which one’s mine?” she asked brightly.
“The mare,” he nodded to a gray mare with white socks. “Name’s Mabel. My mom’s old horse. She’s gentle, but got plenty of bottom. Sure footed, too.”
“She’s nice,” Rhonda noted, patting the mare gently on the neck, after stroking her nose. She watched Billy clean the hooves of the mare, then check those on the gelding he was going to ride.
“He got a name?” she asked.
“Samson,” Billy replied, still working. “Good horse. Had him a while. Ain’t rode him much till late. Been using’ him to ride the fences when it was good weather. Was using’ the Ranger, but decided it wasn’t fair not to get the horses some work, since we’ll probably be depending on them more and more. Gas won’t last forever.”
“You have a stallion?” Rhonda asked. “Gonna need to raise some more horses eventually.”
“We don’t, no,” he shook his head. “But there’s a few around. Maybe we can find one.” He looked up.
“Yep,” Rhonda smiled. Billy was thinking ahead, now. With only a little prompting. They heard the dogs barking, and turned to see the three Silvers coming through the woods on horseback.
“Rommel!” Billy called.
“Dottie!” Rhonda called at the same time. Both dogs immediately stopped barking, and came to their owners. Dottie had had time to get used to horses being around in the last two weeks, and Rommel, finally, had adjusted to the fact that he wasn’t the only animal around.
“Mornin’ folks,” Jeremiah called.
“Mister Silvers,” Billy nodded. “We’re about ready to go, I reckon,” he added, placing the two kits he’d made for himself and Rhonda on their horses. Water, food, first aid, and ammunition. Both were wearing pistols, and Rhonda slid her shotgun into the scabbard Billy had mounted on Mabel. She was also carry a Bushmaster Carbon-15, a lightweight AR model that she could handle easier than the heavier rifles.
Billy placed a Remington 700 model bolt action in his own saddle scabbard. The rifle was chambered for .308 Winchester, and sported a 4-12x40 scope. He was carrying an M-4 rifle from Bushmaster as well.
“You folks expecting trouble?” Jeremiah asked in amusement. Toby was staring at the rifles, especially seeing Rhonda with one. Michelle looked disinterested.
“Better to have and not need, Sir,” Rhonda shrugged, mounting Mabel.
“I carry mine everywhere,” Billy shrugged, also mounting up. “Rommel, Dottie, lead!” He pointed to the hills, toward the gap they would be using. The two dogs started off at once, Dottie basically following Rommel’s lead. She was still a pup, basically, just over a year old. Billy didn’t know how old Rommel was, but he guessed he was about three. He was mature enough to follow orders, but still had some play in him.
“Dogs get along with horses?” Jeremiah asked.
