What Sydney had mistaken for three adult women were a woman in her late sixties, a girl of about twelve, and a young woman about Sydney’s age. They seemed nice enough, but after the incident with Lucy, Sydney intended to keep her guard up.
They heard the third explosion, and Sydney knew that Jeremy was heading out to the rendezvous point they had discussed earlier. So, with their new cargo intact, Sydney made a U-turn and sped away as safely as possible.
Making their way through the Turners that wanted to “make their way” through them was only difficult if they hit too many at a time. Even though the Humvees were stable, there was always the danger of overturning if Sydney drove too fast over a pile of downed bodies. So, weaving through the crowd instead of plowing through it was always a better choice. After all, Turners didn’t die if you ran over them, unless you ran over their heads just right, so there was no point in taking chances.
Finally, they drove out of the dense downtown area and could see a few blocks ahead. She spotted the Hounds Lodge on her left, where they were supposed to meet up with Jeremy, Christian, and Austin. She drove past it and around the block, to check the activity level. There was very little of it.
Backing into the parking lot so the Humvee was facing the road, in case they needed to get away quickly, she turned off the ignition. Everyone grabbed some extra ammo and the weapons that were available and headed inside. Sydney took point, since she didn’t know her new guests that well, and Mason came in behind her. The man and young woman followed Sydney, while the older woman and the girl stayed in the reception area.
The foursome split up to look for turned lodge members who might still be lurking around. Hearing a struggle, Mason and Sydney rushed toward the kitchen, where they found Joshua and Savannah standing over two decimated Turners.
Sydney looked at Joshua, assuming he was the one who had disabled them.
“I’d like to take credit,” he said, “but it was Savannah’s handiwork. I was looking through the cupboards and had my back to them.”
Sydney looked at Savannah, who was sporting a modest smile. “We’ve always got each other’s backs,” Savannah told Sydney.
A quick search of the cabinets yielded some canned meat and bottled water, which Sydney and Mason quickly tossed into their ever-present backpacks. They all returned to the lobby area to check on the two waiting there, and within a few minutes they heard Jeremy drive up. When he and the other boys came inside, everyone quickly introduced themselves and then Jeremy filled them in.
“I think we had better get out of Dodge before we’re sniffed out. I saw Turners about six blocks away, and they were headed in this direction.” He thought they should look for a place farther out in the country, where the population would be less dense.
With all in agreement, they did a thorough check out the windows and then hastily loaded into the cars. Mason, Christian, Rosie, and Leesa, went with Sydney, and the rest went with Jeremy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sydney was a little anxious to know about their new companions.
“Are you guys doing okay?” she asked.
“Sure ‘nough, but it was starting to get a little testy in that building,” Rosie replied. “Those things may not be clever or agile, but they do manage to get what they want if they’re given enough time.”
As they continued to talk, Sydney warmed up to Leesa right away. She was bright and curious and hadn’t lost her zest for life—even the one she had. She was petite, with big, round, brown eyes and thick, curly, dark hair that she had cropped short. Rosie looked like the grandmothers Sydney had seen on TV, back when the TVs were still working. She was plump and had an opinion about everything. She obviously adored Leesa, and together they had survived only God knew what.
Jeremy’s voice crackled over the radio. “Looks like there might be a good resting place up ahead.”
Just up the road, Sydney could see an old farmhouse. It looked deserted, but then again, Turners weren’t always walking. Sydney had seen them stand in one spot for thirty minutes or so at a time. Maybe smelling dinner or hearing a commotion that sounded like dinner was their only motivation for movement.
As the cars pulled slowly onto the dirt road that led to the house, Sydney’s hairs were standing on end. Someone—or something—was there.
20 The House
Sydney picked up her radio. “Jeremy, you there?”
“Yeah. You see anything?”
“No. At least not yet. But I’m feeling pretty creeped out. Not getting the vibe that this place is deserted, so be careful.”
“Will do,” he said, pulling up to the old house.
Getting out of the car, Jeremy walked slowly to the front porch while Mason, Christian and Joshua covered him. He quietly walked from one window to the next, peering inside. When he didn’t see anything, he walked back and got Austin and Joshua. Sydney guessed he already had a comfort level with Joshua. Otherwise, he would have signaled for Christian and Mason to go with him.
The three of them proceeded through the front door to check out the inside of the house. In Sydney’s opinion, it was better to have more living than undead if you found yourself in a confrontation. With that on her mind, she told Rosie and Leesa to stay in the Humvee with the doors locked while she took Mason and Christian into the house to provide backup.
The inside was dark because of the old screens on the windows and the faded paint on the walls. It smelled, but it wasn’t the putrid smell of decay. That didn’t mean Turners weren’t about, though.
Without calling out, Sydney made Jeremy aware that they were there. Luckily, this was a one-story, ranch-style house, which meant they wouldn’t have to climb any stairs. Sydney didn’t like stairwells. They were too confined, and Turners could just fall on you.
Sydney and Mason went toward the kitchen. Jeremy and Christian teamed up and went to the bedrooms. Austin and Joshua went to the back of the house and out to the barn. The bedrooms checked out okay, so Jeremy and Christian went to the kitchen, which also was clear of Turners. With the house cleared, everyone made their way to the barn.
Just as they were stepping off the porch, a gunshot exploded inside the barn. They ducked and rushed to its entrance, staying clear of the doors. Jeremy went low to try to get a look inside.
They heard Joshua yell at someone to hold their fire. Viewing the inside through a generous crack in the wood, Jeremy signaled for Mason and Christian to circle around to the back doors, which were slightly open. As soon as they had made their way around the building, Jeremy and the boys jumped in at the same time and yelled for everyone to drop their weapons. Surrounded, the men inside lowered their guns but did not drop them. All this time, Sydney had only her trusty fireplace poker. She hadn’t yet shot the gun Christian had given her because she really needed to become comfortable with it.
Joshua and Austin, who were caught in the middle, gave audible sighs of relief. Savannah stepped in as well, with her weapon pointed. Sydney found it encouraging that Savannah could handle a gun and seemed comfortable with it. She wanted to be like that.
“Who are you?” Jeremy demanded of the two men that had their firearms pointed at Joshua and Austin.
“We might ask you the same thing! After all, we were here first.” The old man speaking was gruff in nature but not physically imposing.
“We were just passing through and looking for a safe place to spend the night,” Joshua said. “We wanted to make sure this place was secure.”
“Have you been infected?” the younger man asked.
“No, we’re all clean,” Jeremy assured him.
That seemed to have a calming effect on the would-be assailants. Put in their place, anyone would have acted the same.
“Well, then, you’re welcome to stay a couple of nights,” the old man offered after mulling over the situation. “Come on, then,” he said as he headed out of the barn.
With that invitation, the rest followed him back to the house. Joshua went out front to the car a
nd opened the door for Rosie and Leesa to get out.
Earlier, Sydney had noticed the reinforcements on the windows and doors. It was apparent that these men had been here a while. There was ample canned food in the cupboards and jugs of water.
“Is this your home?” Sydney asked the old man.
“We’ve been here a few months. We found this place after our farm was infested by turned townsfolk. By the way, my name is Otto Kurman, and this is my son, Charlie.”
Jeremy made the rest of the introductions and let Otto know more than once how appreciative they all were that he was letting them stay.
Otto was generous with what he and his son had and fed his guests well. The farm had a well and a generator, so everyone was able to bathe thoroughly for the first time in days. They felt like they were given five-star accommodations.
Winding down that night, Sydney reminded Jeremy that he had said he would teach her how to handle a gun.
“First thing in the morning,” Jeremy said as he yawned. Within moments he was quietly snoring, and Sydney wasn’t far behind.
21 The Lesson
Sydney was up early the next morning, thinking she couldn’t remember when she had slept so well. Although she had made her bed on the floor, the hot shower, the food, and the feeling that she was safe for the night had worked their magic on her big time. She was thinking about waking Jeremy up so they could start her lessons, but she didn’t have the heart when she saw how soundly he was sleeping. Instead, she went to the kitchen to heat some water for tea or freeze-dried coffee and was surprised to see Joshua up and one step ahead of her.
“Good morning,” she said as she walked into the room.
“It is, isn’t it? What are you doing up so early?” Joshua replied.
“I seem to have slept so unusually well I didn’t need to sleep long. I was hoping to get a head start on some shooting lessons with Jeremy, but he’s still out cold.”
“If you want, I’ll give you a couple of lessons.”
Hmm, this could be interesting, Sydney thought. The boys and Jeremy seemed comfortable with him, so she guessed he was safe enough.
“Okay,” she said with a smile.
“I’ll go let Otto know what we’re up to so he doesn’t jump out of his skin if he hears us.”
A few minutes later, he came back with a handgun and an M-16 with extra ammunition. They walked out a little way from the house into an open field.
After the incident with Lucy, Sydney walked like there were nests of snakes in the grass. Luckily, the tall grass didn’t cover the entire area, and they quickly found a large plot of ground that was mostly dirt.
“The first thing you need to know is to never waste ammunition,” Joshua began. “It’s a precious commodity. The M-4 is designed to shoot one burst or full auto. For target practice, we’ll set it to a single burst.
“This is the safety, and this, of course, is the trigger,” he continued. “This is how you hold it … and this is how you brace it. Always leave the safety on unless you’re in an area where you don’t know what to expect.”
Joshua then handed the gun to Sydney and told her to aim for a tree about fifty feet in front of them.
“Okay. Now, hold your breath, and slowly squeeze the trigger.” Sydney did exactly as she was told. She expected a hard recoil, but having never fired a gun, she was surprised how little kick it gave. It felt empowering to shoot, and even better to know that nothing had to get so close to her anymore before she could defend herself, if she had any choice in the matter.
“Now that you know what it feels like, I want you to aim at the tree again and squeeze another shot.”
Sydney did much better the second time, and she really liked the feel of the gun. She took two more shots and hit the tree dead on the second time. The next shot was the same. Must have been all that aiming with the poker, she mused.
Joshua interrupted her thought. “Very good! I’m impressed! You have a nice, steady hand. Now we’re going to ramp it up a bit. I want you to switch to full auto this time, so you know what it feels like. Go ahead and aim at the tree again.”
Wow! Sydney thought. One shot felt good, but this was something else! She immediately gained a new respect for the power in this weapon. She couldn’t help but entertain visions of Sydney the Warrior.
“Remember, you only use multiple rounds if you have more than one foe, or you’re not able to take the time to aim and shoot. Also, multiple rounds allow you to sweep an area. Do you feel comfortable enough to use this on your own now?”
“Oh, yeah!” Sydney replied. Joshua took her through the routine three more times, from emptying to loading to shooting the rifle. He then pulled out the handgun and went over the basics of using it. After doing the entire sequence with the handgun this time, Sydney shot off a few rounds, extending her targets to twenty plus feet.
“Okay, enough ammo spent. Time to get back to the house,” Joshua said, much to Sydney’s disappointment. “Also, bear in mind that keeping your weapon clean is just as important as being able to shoot accurately. Jeremy can work with you on that.”
On the way back to the house, they talked easily. Sydney admired Joshua for not making a move on her. That was a huge plus in her eyes. He was also very respectful in the way he touched her. What a difference between him and the men who had been with her mother.
Joshua was taller than Sydney—he stood about six foot four—and she guessed he might be of Latin descent. Broad in the shoulders and narrow at the waist, he looked strong enough to handle just about anything. He was clean-shaven, and he wore his dark, thick hair parted in the middle and swept back. His brows were heavy and straight with only a slight downward curve on the outer ends, framing deep brown eyes that were hard to read. Sydney could tell he was a lot like Mason in that he didn’t readily warm up to people he didn’t know, yet there was a calmness and wisdom in his eyes that mesmerized her.
Little did Sydney know that Joshua had fallen hard for her the first time he saw her. His shyness kept him from opening up to her, but he had made his mind up that morning to never leave her side.
22 Peaceful Times
Sydney sat in a corner of the kitchen with a glass of herbal tea that Rosie had made for her. Savannah was busy making lunch and chatting away with Jeremy, who was clearly drawn in by the young woman’s spunk—as well as her clear blue eyes, thick dark hair, and athletic physique. Sydney couldn’t help but notice how relaxed they seemed with each other.
Rosie was rolling dough so she could make a pie with some canned pumpkin she had found. “Everyone used to come over when I would make my pies. I have to say, they were the best around.” Otto, who was sitting at the table watching her, smiled.
The boys were outside throwing knives with Joshua. Sydney could hear them through the window, kidding around with one another. She never tired of listening to them. When she finally called out to let them know that lunch was ready, they tumbled through the kitchen door, laughing and out of breath.
The meal was the best they all had eaten in a very long time, and everyone agreed that Rosie hadn’t exaggerated about her pie-making skills. Sydney couldn’t remember tasting anything more delicious. When they had finished, Jeremy got up from the table and said he’d be right back. He went out the door, and when he came back in, he was carrying the suppressors he had found.
“We need to decide which guns these are going on,” he said. After talking it over, they agreed that Savannah and Sydney should have the suppressors that fit their handguns, and Jeremy should have one for his. Since Mason already had one and Christian had his bow if he needed a silent mode, Austin got the last one for his .22.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Between enjoying the company of their newfound friends and Rosie’s cooking, Jeremy, Sydney, and the boys had two wonderful, restful days.
On the third morning, they got ready to head out after breakfast. Before they started packing up, they mapped out their plans for the day.
“Let’s con
tinue on to the Yuma Proving Grounds today. I’m really optimistic that we’ll find a safety zone there and link up with other survivors,” Jeremy said. He was dubious about bringing Leesa and Rosie along because of their ages, but he wasn’t about to abandon them. “Are you and Leesa up to it?” he asked Rosie.
“To be honest, young man, I’m feeling a little tired,” she told him. “All this drivin’ and not knowin’ what’s gonna be ‘round the corner has just plain worn me out. I was talking to Otto here, and he said he wouldn’t mind having us around if we wanted to stay.” She didn’t look too worn out to Sydney, though. In fact, Sydney thought she even had kind of a glow about her.
Charlie gave a low chuckle. He knew his dad was taken with Rosie, and he liked the new sparkle in his father’s eyes.
“Truth be told,” Otto said with a sly grin, “I kinda miss having an old lady around.” Rosie sniffed and then grinned. It was obvious she took the remark as a compliment.
“Okay,” Sydney said. “I didn’t see this coming, but I’m glad it’s working out for you.”
“What about you, Leesa?” Austin asked.
“Where Grandma goes, I go. Or stay. Besides, these guys could use a marksman, and although you haven’t had a chance to see for yourself, I do know how to handle a gun. Anyway, I like this place—it’s nice and open. I think we can do okay here.”
Sydney thought about how even though Leesa and the boys still looked so young, they had long ago become adults. The bottom line was that Leesa was devoted to Rosie and wasn’t going anywhere without her.
“Then that just leaves the two of you,” Jeremy said, looking at Joshua and Savannah.
“If you don’t mind, we’ll go with you,” Joshua replied. “I had my basic training there, and I’d been thinking about heading that way when we got pinned in by those Turners.”
Turners | Book 1 | The Beginning Page 6
