Odd Billy Todd

by N. C. Reed

  “Well, guess we need to see if everyone else wants to,” Jerry mused.

  “Everyone else can, or not. We want to,” Rhonda told him. “We’ve got a lot to be thankful for. And Mary suggested asking you. This was her idea, really.”

  “I’m flattered, young’un,” Jerry grinned at Mary. “Well, then, say about eleven, Sunday morning?”

  “It’s a date,” Rhonda nodded. “See you then.”

  *****

  George had almost decided they were being paranoid when they heard a vehicle approaching. A battered truck pulled into view, and eased to a stop, not far from where George and the others sat concealed in the trees. Five men left the cab and the bed, standing in the road. All were rough and dirty looking.

  “You lost’em!” one yelled across the hood to the driver. “First vehicle we seen in how long, and you let’em get away!”

  “You was the one said not to follow so close!” the driver spat. “I was doin’ what you said!”

  “Shut up, both of you,” a third ordered. “And stop yellin’. Ain’t a soul in ten miles can’t hear ya screechin’ like monkeys.” Both men fell silent.

  “That was an army truck,” the man noted. “We ain’t seen no sign o’ the army since everything went to hell. I wonder why they’re here abouts, now?”

  “Maybe they’re comin’ to take what we got,” the driver suggested. “Like ole Willie alus said they would.”

  “Willie’s a crackpot,” the man in charge snorted.

  “Wasn’t for him, where’d we be?” offered on of the men from the back, who had been silent until now. “Willie might be strange, but he knows stuff. Just like he knew we needed to be out here, patrollin’.”

  “We ain’t patrolling so much as we’re fishing,” the leader reminded him. “Looking for things we can use. And that truck has probably got rifles, ammo, and MRE’s to eat, if nothing else.”

  “Reckon them soldier boys won’t be wantin’ to share, Josey,” the man from the back pointed out to the leader.

  “Reckon we’ll just have to persuade’em, Jake,” Josey grinned. “Can’t be more’n four of’em in there. We’ll make out just fine. C’mon, load up. They’re headed into town. Willie’ll have someone out watchin’, so if we stay on the road, we’ll be able to come up behind. There might be more where they came from. With more stuff we need.”

  “Hey, reckon they got any women soldiers?” the driver asked hopefully.

  “Rodney, do you think about anything else, ever?” The passenger across the hood asked, shaking his head.

  Rodney’s reply was lost as the old truck fired up again, and continued it’s way down the road. George counted to fifty before he leaned back, sighing.

  “We almost drove straight into a trap,” he muttered.

  “Sure did,” Dillon agreed. “They was all carryin’ M4's, too. If I had to guess, they found an armory and raided it. That means they’ll have some heavy firepower. Wonder why they didn’t take a Hummer?”

  “Fuel, probably,” George replied. “That old truck is probably burning home made diesel from the sound of it. Did you hear how it was knocking? It’s close to going. That stuff made from cooking oil is easy to get, but it fouls an engine something awful. If I had to guess, this ‘Willie’ they’re talking about it saving what real fuel he has, and the best vehicles, for when he needs them. Using beaters with that home made crap in the meantime.”

  “Well, whoever they are, they didn’t sound the least little bit friendly,” Toby put in.

  “No, kid, they didn’t,” Dillon sighed. “Damnation. Why does everyone have to go feral just cause they can?” he shook his head.

  “I don’t know,” George shook his head. “And not everyone has. We’ve not but really encountered three bad groups o’ folks. Most we’ve spoke to are fairly okay. The one’s the train didn’t get, or that bunch in Franklin.”

  “Well, now we got someone else to worry about,” Dillon reminded him. “Sarge, I say we head for the barn. This is a game changer.”

  “So it is,” George nodded. “We’ll check the rest of Toby’s ‘map dots’ on the way in. No sense in wasting the gas. But we’ll need a good group to come salvage anything we find.”

  The three were feeling a little forlorn as they pointed the Hummer toward home.

  *****

  It took two days of hard work, but by the end of the second day, the new ‘armory’ was all but finished. There was still work to do inside, but that would have to wait until the concrete dried.

  “There’s more concrete,” Ben noted. “We can pour a floor, somewhere,” he suggested. “Got anything, or anywhere, in mind?” he asked Billy.

  “Well, several have asked about a community hall,” Billy told him. “How big a floor could we pour? And how fast do we have to do it?” Ben studied what was left in the truck, doing a mental calculation.

  “We can pour a twenty by thirty floor, four inches thick I’d say,” he announced finally. “And we can probably get by with lettin’ the truck run over night. I’d rather not, but for just a floor, it’ll probably work. Might crack, later on, though,” he warned.

  “We ain’t got the place laid out, yet,” Billy replied.

  “Well, we can set up a form in just a few minutes, with some help,” Ben shrugged. “Get it poured ‘fore we go to bed. But we’ll need some folks helpin’.”

  “Well, let’s go see about that, then,” Billy sighed. One day, he figured, he’d get to rest some. But this wasn’t that day, apparently.

  *****

  Twenty minutes later Ben was supervising twelve people laying out a form for the floor. They had picked a spot that was already level, sitting at the intersection not far from Terry’s house. At the last minute, Billy had suggested that the floor, and the building, be oriented along the main road, far enough off of it to allow additions to the building over time.

  “We can turn it into a blockhouse,” he told Terry. “Kinda like in the old days. Big old log house, maybe two walls with sand between’em. Be a good place to hole up if somethin’ bad was to happen.” Terry had readily agreed with that, thinking this would keep them from having to use the Clifton House for such a thing.

  It was well after dark before they were done, working in the glow of several floodlights.

  “She’ll cure in a couple days, I’d guess,” Ben informed them. “Then we’ll see about sketchin’ out somethin’ to start on.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Terry nodded. “You need any help with that truck?”

  “You can help me get’er filled with water, to wash out what’s left,” Ben nodded. “Make’s clean-up a lot easier. Might want to use it again.” The two left to go do just that. The rest headed home.

  “Thank you, Billy. For remembering,” Rhonda smiled, as the two walked home.

  “Sure,” Billy smiled back. “Course, we ain’t got nothin’ but a floor, yet. Still, it’ll happen.” Billy stopped suddenly, and drew Rhonda off the road slightly.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  “Truck comin’,” he told her. “I think it’s George,” he added a minute later. “Don’t sound like they’re runnin’.”

  Two minutes later, the Hummer pulled into view. Billy stepped out as the vehicle stopped.

  “Anything wrong?” Billy asked.

  “Well, not right at the moment,” George sighed. “But we did find another trouble spot. Place called Centerville.”

  “I know it,” Billy nodded, and Rhonda did too.

  “Well, they are hostile,” George sighed. “We decided to check on some of the larger places, just on the periphery, you know? Skirt the edges and see what was there. Before we made it into town, we all got the feeling that someone was watching us, so we pulled off the road and hid.” He went on to describe the scene that had played out in front of them.

  “Well, that sucks,” Rhonda sighed. “Just when we were hoping things might calm down.”

  “Well, they don’t know we’re here,” George pointed
out. “And, they thought we were Army, because of the Hummer. I think so long as we don’t have contact with them, we’ll be fine. I hate to say it, but I think our wandering and exploring is about over.”

  “I suggest we gather what stuff we’ve already located, and call it a day. There’s just too much risk involved.”

  “Need to know how many of’em there are,” Billy said thoughtfully. “Be great if we could get them interested in that Franklin bunch, wouldn’t it.”

  “That would require more luck than I think we have to spare,” George sighed. “But we should make the first priority gathering what we’ve found. It’s mostly fuel, but there are some other odds and ends.”

  “When you want to try?” Billy asked.

  “I’d say tomorrow, to be honest. It may take us two days, or even three.”

  “I guess we better get it put together, then. Once we’re finished, we can settle in I guess, and just take care of what’s here.”

  *****

  A small but well armed convoy started out the next morning, led by the Hummer. Once again, Pete and Billy stayed behind, along with Toby and Ralph, and Jerry. All the other men made the trip, along with several of the women, including Rhonda and Shelly.

  Pete and Billy decided to take their horses and do a ride across of the valley, something they had taken to doing on a frequent but irregular basis. Danny begged and pleaded to come along, and Billy finally relented. Mary was at the Clifton House, along with Amanda, helping replace Ruth Townsend and Megan Johnson, the teen they had rescued in Columbia. She had recovered nicely with good food and safety, and was ready and willing to work, so both had gone along with the convoy.

  The three of them rode a wide circuit, checking on any and everything they could think of. They encountered Jerry Silvers along the way, out checking the crops.

  “Near to harvest time,” he told them, as the four relaxed in the shade of a tree. “I’d say another six weeks, and we’ll be full in the field, if the weather cooperates.”

  “Which it won’t,” Pete snorted, and Jerry chuckled.

  “No, probably not,” he admitted. “Still, I like what I see. Wish we could get one more good rain, ‘tween now and then, though. Might up the yields some. But we’ll have a good crop, Lord willin’, rain or no.”

  “Reckon we’ll be some busy gettin’ it all put by,” Billy noted.

  “Not as bad as you might think,” Jerry shook his head. “Remember, the corn is mostly for the stock, and the rapeseed is for the bio fuel. All we’ll have to do is store that. The wheat we’ll need to harvest, and let dry for everyone to be able to grind it for flour, and we set by that one corn field for corn meal. Sure wish we had a little mill,” he added wistfully.

  “Can’t we build one?” Billy asked. Jerry looked at him.

  “Well, yeah, comes to that I reckon we can. Hadn’t thought about it.”

  “Talk to Howie,” Billy suggested. “Man’s a pure redneck genius.”

  “Ain’t he gone with the convoy?”

  “No, he ain’t,” Billy shook his head. “I wouldn’t let him. We can’t spare him, ever. He gets hurt, or worse, and we’re in a world o’ trouble. I don’t want him away from where we can protect him anytime we can prevent it. And we can prevent it, this time.”

  “Well, reckon I’ll just mosey on over there, then,” Jerry nodded. “Be seein’ you fellas. You comin’ to dinner, Peter?”

  “Yes, sir,” Pete nodded. “I’ll see you this evening.”

  “Good enough,” the older man nodded, and rode off toward Howie’s.

  “Peter, you comin’ to dinner?” Billy asked, teasing his friend.

  “Shut up,” Pete growled, grinning. “Man’s gonna be my father-in-law. Reckon he want’s to call me Peter, he can.”

  “Be callin’ you son, next,” Billy grinned.

  “Can’t see that’s a bad thing,” Pete said thoughtfully. “That’s a right fine man, right there.”

  “He is that,” Billy nodded in agreement. “One o’ the best. He’s another we don’t want to let get too far away, comes to that. Him and Miss Em are a gold mine of information. We need them much as we do ole Howie.”

  “Yeah,” Pete nodded. “Jerry ain’t no young man, neither.”

  “Reckon he ain’t,” Billy agreed. “But he’s tougher’n shoe leather, Jerry is. C’mon, let’s get finished.” He looked at Danny. “Figure you need to head home. Imagine you got work waitin’.”

  “Okay,” Danny nodded. “See ya Pete!” he called before putting his heels to Thor and starting home.

  “Take care, kid!” Pete called after him. He looked at Billy.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked.

  “Obvious, huh?” Billy grunted. Pete just shrugged.

  “You notice that our two new friends were ‘reluctant’ to help with the convoy today?” he asked, speaking of Williams and March.

  “Yeah,” Pete sighed. “They’re always reluctant, seems like.”

  “They are,” Billy nodded. “Don't think our relations with them ain’t gonna end too well.”

  “I figure the same,” Pete admitted. “Thing is, what do we do? We can’t just throw’em out. They been doing pretty good on those places they took, and it’s comin’ on to winter anyway.”

  “Well, the way I see it is this,” Billy started his horse moving. “They can either get with the program, or they can go it alone. I don’t mind’em stayin’ on here, but they can forget gettin’ any help from us. They ain’t gonna help, and do it cheerfully, then we don’t need’em, and we ain’t gonna baby’em. That sit all right with you?”

  “I guess,” Pete shrugged. “I don’t know of anything else that will do. And they have worked,” he reminded Billy.

  “They have, and as long as they keep at it, I’m pretty okay with their attitude, long as it don’t get no worse. But I figure it’s gonna get worse. I know that March was mumblin’ ‘bout how me and you wasn’t goin’.”

  “Someone’s got to watch this place,” Pete shrugged, riding alongside Billy. “This time it was us. Them two ain’t gonna be much use protecting the valley.”

  “I think it had more to do with the fact that we wasn’t workin’ on the convoy, than that,” Billy shook his head. “Way I took it, he figured we should be goin’, stead o’ him and Williams. See what I mean?”

  “We done our part, and a few others as well, Billy,” Pete protested. “You got shot, too.”

  “I know that, and so do you. So does everyone, ‘cept them two. Their women ain’t much better, and they don’t allow their young’uns to ‘associate’ with the rest, neither. Times I wish they’d just missed our road altogether. Wasn’t for them kids they brought with’em, anyway.”

  “Yeah,” Pete agreed. “That was a good stroke of luck for the kids. Things might not be ideal at the Clifton House, but it’s got to be better’n what they had.”

  “And they’re safer, too,” Billy nodded. “Well, anyway. Just be thinkin’ on it. I don’t know what to do with’em either. And it ain’t gonna be up to just us, noway. Ever body’ll have a say in it.”

  “So they will.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

  Days turned to weeks. Work was done. Preparations for winter were under way, despite the fact that winter was still some months away. August gave way to September, and some of the leaves began to change. The weather cooled. Jerry got his rain. The armory was finished, and all the weapons and ammunition not issued or stored at the houses was placed there, and the building disguised.

  The blockhouse had walls, and a roof, along with openings cut for windows. The roof was constructed to allow for a loft, and plans were already being drawn to add another wing, this one with a basement for long term storage. Water lines were placed, septic tanks buried. Rough but serviceable bathrooms, along with showers, were added. If worse came to worse, then the blockhouse would make a good last stand position.

  Everyone hoped that wouldn’t happen.

  A week of hard w
ork saw to it that everyone had firewood for the winter. A brief discussion with March and Williams saw the two of them and their families being more friendly, and more open to group efforts, since they, too, profited from those efforts.

  Jerry announced that harvest would start in the next two weeks, give or take, depending on the weather. That sent a flurry of work at storage, preparations for the wheat to be ground, the corn to be ground, and the rapeseed to be pressed into oil. Ralph and Howie had taken over the bio fuel project now, with help from Jon Kelvey, and they had found an old roller machine that had once been used to bend and roll sheet metal they had ‘pressed’ into service to press the seed, and collect the oil.

  Danny’s friend Trey had been helping with preparations, and one night had returned to the house with Danny and Billy, intending to spend the night, as he did every so often. Danny had invited him to play X-Box, but the boy had declined, sadly.

  “Miss Regina says I can’t play when I’m here. It’s not fair to the others, cause I get more time than they do.”

  “What’s that?” Billy sat up a bit straighter.

  “It’s the rules,” Trey shrugged. “I got to follow the rules when I’m here, just like if I was there.”

  “Reckon I make the rules ‘round here,” he said flatly. “You want to play, play. Just don’t tell’er. You was on your best behavior and did as what you were told. Keep your own business private from now on.” Trey considered that for less than a minute before he was down, controller in hand, and ready to help Danny trounce Toby.

  Billy lay aside the book he’d been trying to read, thinking on this. Seems like they might need to pay a little more attention to what them kids at the home was being taught.

  Facts was, maybe they all needed to take a hand in teaching the kids the lay of things, nowadays. Most of them were of age to start learning at least some things, already. They needed to get an early start. Trey and one other, a girl of fourteen, were already big enough they should be helping with chores away from the Clifton House. They weren’t simply because the others thought having the two working at the House would take some of the pressure off the women who were responsible for so many children.