by N. C. Reed
Beef, beans, and cornbread might well be a staple for some time to come, supplemented with corn and other veggies grown in their gardens. Anything that added variety to their winter fare would be welcome.
Ben and Jerry managed to stake out a second hay barn sight before calling it quits. They decided against worrying with another one as yet, since they still needed to build the first two. As always, you did what you could, while you could, and then came back later to do more.
All in all, it was very good day, and a great deal had been accomplished, with more plans made, when the convoy from Columbia pulled into the community, with perhaps an hour to go before dark.
Willing hands helped guide the trucks into a spot at the Clifton House near the barn, while the trailer was taken to Billy’s for the time being. The women agreed to come and sift through its content the next day, to divi up the spoils.
It was tired but pleased group of people who bedded down that night.
*****
It took most of the next day to site the small trailer for the new security building. Elizabeth liked it, announcing that she and Howie could make do nicely with the small house. Putting down the septic tank would take a little longer, but by the end of the week, the two had all but moved into the small trailer, using one bedroom for the monitors, the other for themselves.
Howie decided to use the old ‘shack’ as his new shop, and was soon working on his projects. Billy often helped him, over the next two weeks, and the two made a good team. Soon, they were ready to start testing the water bugs, and Howie had sketched out a full-fledged wind mill, with Billy’s help.
Meanwhile, the double wide was stripped down, and turned into a community wide service center. One room was fixed as a laundry room, with three washing machines, and three dryers, although the dryers were only to be used in bad weather. A large, beefy clothes line was put up behind the place, for drying clothes in better weather. The kitchen was re-worked, three ranges, along with several sturdy home-made tables, for canning and preserving work. Billy’s propane generator, the one he’d taken from in town, was hooked to the house. It would only be run when necessary. If more PV panels and equipment could be found or traded for, then they would be added to the center as well.
The trailer had been parked across the road from Billy and Rhonda’s house, in an area carved out of some woods. A fire trail led to the open area, and grass was planted around the center, with the playground equipment left at Billy’s moved there as well. All in all, after nearly a full week’s work, if wasn’t half bad, everyone agreed.
Soon it became a social spot, as the women began to make preparations for canning. The time was really flying, it seemed, with June in swing, and July on its way.
That was when the men decided it was time to travel to Franklin.
*****
“I just don’t know,” Jerry shook his head. “We haven’t been in contact with anyone over there. We don’t even know what shape the roads are in. For all we know, there’s roadblocks all the way there and back.”
“I’m afraid that’s true,” Ralph nodded. “But the only way to know is to go see.”
“Why are we so hot to set up trade anyway, right now?” George asked. “We’ve been able to get a good bit of the stuff we want and need from Columbia, and from Cedar Bend itself. Why take the risk of heading over that way? Things were bad when we left. How much worse could they have gotten by now?”
“Again, that’s all true,” Ben nodded. “And we can’t know until we go see.”
“My point is, why go see at all?” Jerry asked. “There’s too little gain, and far too much to lose, if things are rough.”
“Gotta agree with that,” Terry nodded. “I’d like to know what’s happening, just so we’d know. But I don’t want to know so bad that we risk losing someone, whether it’s on the way, or there in town.”
“So we just sit here, and not try to open trade at all?” Howie asked. He had been working on things to make and trade with others. Things that others might need, and be willing to trade stuff he wanted. Ralph was the same way.
“Well, I don’t want to isolate ourselves like that,” Jerry sighed. “Sooner or later, we’ll have to come out of hidin’. Or someone will bring us out, either way. But I do question whether this is the time, that’s all. We’re doing good, right now. Is it worth the risk? I think that’s the bottom line, right there. Is the reward worth the risk?”
The others mulled that over in silence. Jerry had a point. They had to weigh the risk against anything else. It was Billy that spoke up first.
“We need a recon,” he said simply. Everyone in the room looked at him.
“We do,” he shrugged. “Instead o’ worryin’ about headin’ over there with a trailer load o’ cattle, or anything else, we need to just do a look see, and find out what the situation is. Maybe they need food, and maybe they don’t. Them that’s survived the winter is likely one of two things. Plantin’ their asses off, or been livin’ on others.”
“We know that several small places has been either took over or maybe wiped out. We been willin’ to blame the train for that, but fact is, we don’t know. For all we know, Franklin is the home of whoever is doin’ all that. See what I mean? We need to go and see under the hood, ‘fore we go decidin’ whether we even want to trade with’em.”
“I think Billy’s right,” Terry sighed. He seemed to be saying that a lot these days. “We need to just go and have a look. That’ll end all the speculation. We see what we can see, and then make our decision based on that.”
“Who goes, and how do they get there?” George asked. “I’d say drivin’ into town is out. That’s gonna attract a lot of attention. By now, their fuel is probably low, or gone completely.”
“We can take the Hummer you brought back,” Terry shrugged. “It’s armored. Even got a gun tub. We take three, maybe four at most. Hide the truck nearby, and recon on foot. Take three days or so, look the place over, maybe even go into town. Then we head back. The others can hear what’s been found, and then we can make an informed decision. We can take a camera, even a video camera, just in case.”
“I take it you’re going?” George asked. Blaine nodded.
“I am. I want to see.”
“Who would go with you?” Jerry asked.
“Anyone who wants to,” George shrugged. “Pete, you wanna go?” he asked. Pete grinned.
“Sure, Kemosabe,” he joked. “I ride with you to white-eye town.” Everyone chuckled at that.
“Anyone else?” Terry asked. Billy looked at him, but stayed silent.
“I’ll go,” Toby raised his hand. “I mean, if you’ll have me,” he added.
“Toby,” Jerry started, then stopped. His son was a grown man. He had to start letting him make his own choices. Even choices he didn’t like.
“You do what I say, when I say, and no questions?” Terry asked.
“Yes sir,” Toby nodded, solemn. He was scared, but not allowing that to make him stupid. Terry liked that. A man that wasn’t scared doing something like this was a liability.
“Well, I guess that’s that, then,” Terry decided. “Let’s go take a look at that Hummer. Maybe break out a fifty to go on it. George I know you found a few.”
“I did,” his friend nodded, grinning. “C’mon, and let’s get you fixed up.” Pete looked at Billy.
“You wanna come, Billy?” he asked. Billy slowly shook his head.
“I don’t think so,” he replied. “I. . .I been goin’ too much, here lately,” he added. “Time I stayed home a while, and took care o’ my farm.” And my family, he didn’t add. But he didn’t have to.
“Appreciate it, you help George look after my Misses and the young ones while we’re gone,” Terry said quietly. Billy nodded.
“You can count on it, Terry.”
*****
Two days later, the three men piled into the Hummer, ready to make their reconnaissance. Pete took the back seat, where he could man the heavy ma
chine gun if necessary. Toby pulled shotgun, with Terry driving. They had food and water for a week, and plenty of ammunition.
“I figure we’ll take a day getting there, moving slow, and finding a place to hide the truck,” Terry said. “Then, we’ll spend three, maybe four days looking things over. After that, we’ll head home by a different route, just in case.”
“We’ll use the radio sparingly, but we’ll call once we’re set up. You’ll hear us say “Eyes to Base” and then we’ll give you a report. No names, and no locations. Good enough?”
“Sounds like a plan,” George nodded. Jerry looked at his son.
“Toby, you be careful, and do what Terry says, son.”
“You know it, Pa,” Toby smiled.
Pete and George took a few minutes to say good bye in private, and then the three of them were off. Jerry, George and Billy stood watching them out of sight, while Rhonda stood with a teary eyed Shelly, and a very stoic Maria.
“They’ll be back,” Billy broke the silence, his voice confident.
“Sure,” George agreed.
No one argued. No one wanted to.
*****
Despite their worry, there was work to be done. Everyone drifted back home to get to it. Maria would be alone, but she’d been there before. And George and Billy would be looking in on her regularly.
The March’s and Williams’ had been informed of the trip as well, and they would be on the other side of Maria. Thinking about that, Billy had decided that it was time to take the new folks out to the range. Rather than use horses, he decided to just drive the Ford, Rhonda came with him. Before going, the two had ventured into the barn, and selected a few choices for the new folks.
Since all of them were either middle aged, or approaching it, Rhonda made sure to lay in a few revolvers, as well as two twenty gauge shotguns for the women. Ruth Townsend carried one, and wouldn’t have traded it for the finest rifle in the world.
The foursome readily agreed to the training day, and Billy stopped to drop the March kids off at home, admonishing Mary an Danny to keep an eye on the two boys.
The women were a bit squeamish at first, so Rhonda took them to the side to work with them. Billy took the two AR’s the two men had taken from their dead ‘friends’ and looked at them.
“These things are about done in,” he announced. “And they ain’t user friendly, neither. Man usin’ one o’ these has got to know how to take care of it, and make sure the ammo is right, and so forth. I take it neither one o’ you has ever used one?” Both men shook their heads.
“All right, then,” Billy nodded. “Tell me what ya have used, and let’s go from there.”
*****
It took a while, but by the time they left the gravel pit, all four were armed, and knew how to use their weapons. The women both elected to use the smaller shotguns, opting for small revolvers as a side arm. Rhonda agreed it was a good choice, as both would use them only in self-defense.
The men had selected a pair of twelve gauge weapons, Mossberg pump actions, and had likewise decided to go with revolvers as sidearms, albeit larger ones than their wives. They had each selected a simple hunting rifle as a long arm. Neither was proficient enough to handle anything more, and they were both good shots with the auto loading 30-.06 rifles they’d selected.
By the time they had returned everyone home, it was getting late, so the two of them rode over to the ‘shack’. Howie was in his shop, and came out to meet them.
“Any word?” Billy asked. Howie shook his head.
“And I don’t like that,” he added. “I’d have thought they would have made it by now.”
“Well, remember, Terry did say they wouldn’t call until they were set-up. For all we know, they’re there, and just haven’t found a hidey hole just yet.”
“True,” Howie mused. “If it wasn’t so far, I’d expect him to use his own place, really,” he added. “It’s got an underground garage. Well, the whole house is mostly underground, to be exact. Things built like a bomb shelter.”
“Wonder he came here, then,” Billy mused. “Sounds like he had a good set-up where he was.”
“Oh, he did,” Howie assured him. “I think he and Maria decided this was a better place for their kids than keeping them under ground.”
“I can see that,” Rhonda nodded. “And they’re adorable.” Just then Elizabeth came to the door.
“We just heard,” she announced. “They’re set up.”
“He add anything else?” Billy asked.
“No. But he wouldn’t have, unless it was important. He gave me a sheet of code words he would use, if he needed to relay anything important enough to risk the radio again.”
“Well, sounds like they made it, and are okay, then,” Howie let out a long breath. “Now, we just have to wait and see what they come up with.”
“Well, I think we’ll wait at home,” Rhonda replied. “It’s been a long day, and I need a shower. And I’m hungry.”
*****
The next day passed without event. Billy and Howie managed to get a working waterbug installed in a creek behind the shack. It was tedious going, but after three hours of work, Howie was satisfied it was going to work.
“How much power can this thing make?” Billy wanted to know, as the two of them rested, eating their lunch.
“Well, it depends,” Howie replied. “On several things. First, how fast is the water moving. Second, how big the generator or, in this case, alternator, the bug can push. Another is how many batteries you can co-ax together, how many the generator or alternator can handle. And finally, how far you have to run the power. For every hundred feet or so of line, you lose some power.”
“How much?” Billy asked.
“Depends on the line, the power source, there’s a lotta variables,” Howie told him. “But, so long as we can make them, and this proves we can, we’re okay. There are a couple things we should try and come up with, though.”
“Like what,” Billy took out his notebook.
“Well, if we could find a place that used battery powered forklifts, or even better, that built them, we could take those batteries. They’re pretty strong. Lot better than tying car batteries together. We could run two or three bugs like that one,” he pointed to the creek, “to one of those, and probably keep it charged pretty good. I mean, it still won’t be enough to run a whole house or anything, but it’s a lot better than this little rig.”
“But this is just a test, right?” Billy asked, clearly thinking ahead.
“Sure,” Howie nodded. “I wanted to make sure I had my plan workin’. Now that I know, I can build as many of them as I can find parts for.”
“Well, there’s a ton o’ cars settin’ out there right now, all with batteries and alternators on’em,” Billy pointed out. Howie grinned.
“Hadn’t thought of that. Some of those batteries will be beyond saving, of course. But some will work, at least for a while. Even those that won’t hold a charge will serve to pass the current from the alternator along the line. Not the ideal set-up, but it’s doable.”
“What will we do when the batteries run out?” Billy asked. Howie shook his head.
“I don’t know, yet,” he admitted. “I got a few ideas, but I haven’t come up with anything that’ll work so far. I’ll keep at it, though,” he added.
“You do that,” Billy nodded. “We need to find a big ol’ library, that’s what we need to do.”
“Huh?”
“A library,” Billy repeated. “There’s all kind’s o’ stuff in a library, Howie. Lotta information in them books. Seems like one of’em would be able to show us how to build a battery. Even a big’un.”
“Well, yeah!” Howie started getting excited. “It would. Even better might be a college library!”
“Just so happens there’s a community college in Columbia,” Billy mused.
“And they probably had a public library, being a pretty good sized town,” Howie added.
“We, Rhond
a and me, took a lot of books from the little library in Cedar Bend, but it was mostly stock books and the like. Might be we could find somethin’ there, was we to look.”
“Sounds like a good place to start,” Howie nodded in agreement.
“We’ll head in, once Terry and them git back,” Billy promised. “Meanwhile, we can keep workin’ on these,” he pointed to the creek. “If nothin’ else, we can use’em to power cameras and motion sensors near creeks and the like.”
“Good idea. Let’s get back to the shop. I need to sketch up my idea for the lift batteries anyway. Before I forget it,” he added sheepishly.
“Good plan,” Billy agreed.
They worked for another four hours, stopping once in a while to discuss things. Howie knew that Billy had some disabilities, but for the life of him, he couldn’t see them. Billy’s mind was sharp. He knew what he knew, but more important, he knew what he didn’t know, and that wasn’t always the case.
He figured he and Billy could keep the Farms going for a good long while, together.
*****
“Billy, George, there’s a vehicle coming in the back way.”
Billy sat up straight from where he’d been lounging in his living room. He picked up his radio.
“Just one?”
“All we can see,” Howie replied. “Light’s on, no attempt at being subtle.” It wasn’t quite dark yet, but it was dusky. Billy gathered his gear, and headed outside, motioning for Rommel to follow. With a bound the large canine was out the door, and starting for the truck.
“You tell what kinda vehicle it is?” he asked, walking to his truck. Terry and the others had been gone five days.
“Not yet. Headlights are making it hard to see.”
“Billy where are you?” George called.
“I’m headin’ down that way in my truck,” he replied. “Reckon they don’t need to get in here.”
“I’ll be right there,” George promised.
Billy drove a slight ways past the Silvers’ driveway, then parked his truck sideways of the road, sitting on the small bridge that covered one of the main creeks in the valley.
