Bittersweet Homecoming; Surviving the Black--Book 3 of a Post-Apocalyptical Series

by Zack Finley

  I stepped back into my cabin. "Tom is bringing Andy and Jules back here for a discussion."

  "Good idea. I need to talk with my team, too," Grady said.

  "Yeah, they will be on the roof once we are done here. I want to clear the air between our groups before we get too much farther down this road."

  "We can do that, as long as none of my guys is badly hurt."

  "I'm sure their ears are still ringing from the flashbangs and a few bruises, but not much else," I said.

  "Yeah, we didn't think you would act until tonight," Grady admitted. "I should have spoken to you sooner and avoided this showdown. I knew your guys were amped up after Razor got it. I was feeling guilty we hadn't cleaned up those thugs before you got there. I was too worried about stirring up the compound since our weapons are noisy. John told me you had suppressed pistols and rifles, so I waited."

  "Killing sentries can get noisy," I agreed. "We both know knives work best in the movies. I'm still surprised no one showed up after the shotgun blast."

  "I was, too, I underestimated the bargain those people made with the thugs. Before the crash, they were probably decent people, helped their neighbors, went to church. After the crash, they willingly gave up that same decency for the illusion of security. If those in the compound were fighters, my guess is the thugs would have moved on."

  Jules and Andy stepped into the cabin, cutting off the discussion. Jules clenched his teeth and glared at his brother. Andy just looked angry.

  At my gesture to sit down, I thought it was humorous that Jules sat beside me, and Andy sat beside Grady. Each one showing solidarity.

  I looked toward Grady, and he grinned. "Andy, everything is fine," Grady said. "I should have leveled with you and Jules a month ago. But after so much time passed, it no longer seemed relevant. We identified more with your group than any Army mission. Oh, I intended to report in, but only once we got to Breckinridge Valley with the group. And only if the Valley agreed. I might not think much of Oklahoma, but Tennessee seems a good place to live out the rest of my life."

  "They should have trusted you," Andy began.

  Grady cut him off, "No, I should have trusted you. If I told you and Jules more about my team and our original mission, Jeremy would have accepted us. His team is top-notch, they suspected something about us didn't add up. Jeremy hasn't fought beside us; you trust us because we've been to Hell and back together.

  “I even considered capturing his team, to make them listen to us. I discarded that plan because I feared someone would die. I should have called a group meeting first thing this morning and confessed over breakfast. Got everything out in the open. We could have left our long guns with Craig in the galley, accessible in a fight but not threatening on board ship."

  "Is everything good now?" Jules asked.

  "No," Andy bellowed.

  "Yes," Grady stated firmly at the same time.

  Andy turned his glare to Grady. "How can you be so forgiving?"

  "The mistake was mine, no need to have others pay the price," Grady said. "Stand down, nothing positive can come from pursuing this further. I screwed up, and I'm trying to make things right."

  Andy sputtered but took several deep breaths. As a teen, Andy had always been more of a hot head than Jules, mostly because he had the powerful body to back it up. I was glad to see that Andy tempered with age, gaining control after only a few breaths.

  "Are you really okay with them using explosives on your men?” Andy asked, his tone less accusing and more questioning.

  "They were flashbangs, by tomorrow I doubt their ears will even be ringing anymore. They are what you use when you don't want to hurt someone inside a room. I'm glad they used flashbangs instead of something more lethal. We need you to get over this, so the rest of our group can let it go," Grady said. "We can't afford for our group to fracture this close to the promised land."

  Andy continued breathing deeply as he listened to Grady's response. "What about your men, they are the ones who got roughed up?"

  "We are talking with them in a few minutes. Then I'd like to gather everyone together to hash this out. If my guys are okay with this, I'm hoping everyone else will be, too. I need you to let this go," Grady said. "I've already jumped on my sword, what more can I do?"

  "Sorry," Andy said. "I thought everything was good. I was finally starting to relax, and then this happened." Andy's voice got a quaver in it, and Jules immediately shifted to sit beside his brother. Jules put his arm around Andy and held him tight. Grady just patted Andy on the shoulder.

  I couldn't imagine the burden of guilt Andy was carrying. He chose not to come to Breckinridge Valley before things went bad. I knew Jules called him the same night I got the call. Jules never said, but I know Jules. Andy had time to drive to Breckinridge Valley before the CME.

  Then things turned deadly. He lost his wife, and his kids were in constant danger. Childhood training in weapons and survival could not prepare you for this type of harsh reality. Grady and his team were lifesavers, joining Andy's group at its darkest moment. Jules hadn't said anything about that fight except that someone ambushed them, killing Carol and Joe's wife and a bunch of others during it. I'd leave it to my mom to piece the facts together later. For now, we'd give Andy some time to get his feet under him, again.

  Hell, I was still recovering from the death of my wife, Irene. Even with the full support of my family and a year of therapy before the shit hit the fan. My girls were safe in the arms of my family in Breckinridge Valley. Andy lived for months with constant danger, thirst, disease, starvation, and grief, while trekking across more than a thousand miles of wasteland that was once America.

  Andy straightened up, shrugged off Jules' arm, and tightened his visage. "Just one more crappy thing in a never-ending crap fest," Andy said. "I'll cooperate. If this is just some kind of macho soldier thing, I'll accept that, but I don't have any patience left for more intrigue. So, if anyone wants to wave more guns around, go ahead and shoot me. Put me out of my misery."

  He wasn't joking, and both Jules and Grady looked apprehensive. I hoped Dr. Jerrod had some background in psychiatry, I feared Andy would need a lot of therapy once he was finally back to safety. I recognized the classic signs of PTSD. Even with treatment, too many combat vets took their own lives after returning to civilian life. His mom and dad were all too familiar with its toll. I just hoped their support would be enough.

  ◆◆◆

  Chapter 10

  Grady's squad and the rest of Andy's group took the information in stride. Grady waved off the operation as a military exercise, saying it reminded his crew they still needed to train. The lack of serious injuries allowed everyone to overlook the incident.

  I just hoped Grady's squad was as professional as they seemed. No meat eater liked to lose, and I didn't want subtle or not so subtle retaliatory strikes, while we were still in the field. This kind of thing usually worked itself out during downtime. I hoped they would work through it at football or a marksmanship competition or even wood splitting. But I suspected it would be hand-to-hand combat during a training exercise. Working cooperatively over the next week should blunt the edge, but it wouldn't erase the insult.

  Nearly everyone gathered to eat supper, with Ben and Allie still at the helm. Joel returned to the noisy engine room, freeing Kurt up to circulate and help where he could. I noticed Jules spent a lot of time with Lois and Juanita, reassuring them that all was fine. I was confident Juanita didn't believe a word, but she put her butcher knife back in its rack. John came to sit next to me at supper.

  "I told you they were good guys," John spoke quietly to me.

  "John, we don't know any of you except for Andy and Jules. Trust must be earned. Grady and his crew could have escaped from an army prison. None of you knew, and they weren't saying. We are still taking a chance they are telling the truth now," I said. "Just like we took a chance on you. We sent Ben in, taking a chance on Dwayne's family, but that didn't work out."

  "
That is different," John said.

  "Those thugs probably seemed like a good deal when Dwayne's family took them in. Strange how no one would tell Dwayne what happened to his parents. I never met the uncle, but I suspect the thugs duped him. Once you invite the devil in, getting rid of him is damn tough."

  "Were you just going to kill Grady and his men if you didn't like their story?" John asked.

  "No, we'd have dropped them off on the Arkansas shore one at a time, like we did the pirates we caught in Memphis. Grady’s men earned that leniency by the way they helped your group."

  "Most of us would have demanded they be released," John said.

  "Then we would have left everyone demanding to stay with them on the Arkansas side of the river with all the corn you could carry. After that, if somehow your group made it to Huntsville, Tennessee we'd invite you to homestead one of the abandoned farms nearby," I said.

  "You wouldn't invite us into the Valley, even if we made it there?" John asked.

  "No, we don't allow people we can't trust to live in our main compound," I said.

  "That is harsh," John said.

  "Actually, it is quite generous," I said. "We provide much of the security for the area around Huntsville and are encouraging people to plant and farm. We even have seed packets for those who weren't prepared."

  "Why wouldn't you just let everyone settle in the Valley, I hear there is plenty of room," John said.

  "Do you remember Chuck and his family?" I asked.

  "I'd really like to forget them," John said, grimacing.

  "They are going to have trouble in their ranks soon based on what you overheard. Do you think those hired hands are going to leave Chuck or his sons alive when they get tired of being told what to do?" I asked.

  "Probably not," John said, his voice trailing away.

  "Chuck miscalculated," I said. "He thinks he still owns his farm. Post-crash the only things that count are possession, loyalty, and character. Even family isn't enough, Dwayne learned that. Will the person fighting beside you have your back or give you up?

  “After the shit hit the fan, Chuck should have knocked down the barriers between 'help' and family, so everyone was pulling together. Now he is in a critical bind and probably doesn't even know it. With no loyalty to him or his community, the 'help' knows too much. They will probably betray or overthrow him. Or, they might bug out when another group tries to take over."

  "Sounds like Chuck's farm is toast," John said.

  "Not necessarily. They still have it better than most people do now. Given time, fighting and working together against a common enemy can forge a strong team even from that bunch of misfits. I wish them well, but I wouldn't invite them to Huntsville," I said.

  "What does all this have to do with Grady and his men?" John asked.

  "They had one main thing working against them," I said.

  "What?"

  "They posed an acute security threat to my men and by extension my family," I said. "With my wounded, they outnumber us, they are dangerous, well-trained, and disciplined. With nearly 700 miles left to get to Breckinridge Valley, I didn't have the option to wait and see. You only let the other guy get in the first blow if you know you can take it. My guys are wounded, we are spread out trying to run the boat, and there are too many potential hostages to leave the outcome to chance."

  "So, I should just let it go?" John asked, the confusion on his face clear.

  "Talk it over with Grady," I said. "He understands the stakes. Some of his guys might be pissed, but they will get over it. I'm satisfied they will help get your group safely to Breckinridge Valley. After that, I'm not sure what they will want to do."

  "Will they be welcome in Breckinridge Valley?" John asked.

  "That will be a discussion for Grady and his men with the Valley leadership. There are other options, depending on what they want to do," I said.

  "What about the rest of us?" John asked.

  "We have plenty of options for your group. Jules and Andy can sponsor you in the Valley, and we have a new base in Huntsville. Some of you have sorely needed skills, like Lois, Juanita, and the seamstress. Dwayne can train our protection dogs; I suspect my uncle George would appreciate help with them. Jimmy sounds like a great mechanic. Jules would love to help his mom with the horses. My mom will find something for everyone else to do. Everyone has three or four jobs, but even the kids are expected to work a full day, every day."

  "I thought your people just soldiered," John said.

  "While we'll drop everything if needed for a mission or to defend our assets, everyone has other work and even a few hobbies," I said. "My guys usually get volunteered for big projects requiring concentrated hard manual labor, like clearing trees, splitting wood, or moving supplies around. I like it because it helps keep us in shape and sometimes hard physical labor just feels good.

  “Joel works as a mechanic most of the time. Tom works for Dr. Jerrod. I bounce around, sometimes helping Uncle George with the animals, sometimes my mom with planning, sometimes building stuff. A lot of assignments will change with the season. Everyone is eager to start this year's crops. We have some plants started already in the greenhouses, but our future depends on growing enough food."

  "Is the Valley safe?" John asked.

  "So far. A lot of people work to make it safer every day."

  "Thanks for talking with me," John said, rising. He located Grady and marched directly toward him. I noticed Grady was a lot more popular than any of my people. Jules sat with Craig, but the rest of the group treated us like pariahs.

  I slid in next to Jules.

  "What is the verdict?" I asked him.

  "Andy isn't talking to me right now," Jules said.

  "I just hope he doesn't demand we put him and his group ashore," I said. "I'm sure Grady will oppose him, but it will cause unnecessary strife."

  "I don't think he has lost his mind, but he is angry," Jules said. "He still wants to get the kids home where they are safe. Getting mad is easier than feeling guilty about the death of your man. Don't worry about people asking to get off. Grady has been running this expedition since the day he arrived. Andy just never figured it out."

  "I'm going to check on the wheelhouse and see where we are, and then I'm taking a long nap," I said, getting up and putting a hand on Jules' shoulder. "You might want to rest as well."

  "I'll eat my dinner and see how it goes," Jules said.

  I looked at Craig, but he just chuckled.

  "I'm doing fine sitting here, although I told Tom when we get to Hickman, he won't be babying me anymore. And I intend to shower before we leave this boat," Craig said. "These are good people; they will calm down soon and get on with it."

  Ben and Allie were doing fine. They had a sleeping bag on the floor and intended to swap off until we got to the Caruthersville bridge.

  I watched the sun slip behind the western levee. We just passed the dock where we parked days ago on our trip down the Mississippi River, near Randolph, Tennessee. The days just jumbled together, it seemed like just yesterday and yet another lifetime ago. At the current pace, we'd make it to Hickman before sundown tomorrow.

  The tangle of barges stuck on the bridge near Caruthersville was my biggest worry overnight. I just hoped the bridge was still intact and we could make it by. It was about 60 river miles away, and we'd reach it in about 8 hours. Navigating through that mess was bad enough during the daytime, but at night?

  We talked it over and agreed, we'd pull over and wait until daylight to get by. I left to apprise those in the galley about the expected stop near Caruthersville. Allie left the bridge to brief Joel in the engine room,

  I entered the galley, which now felt like enemy territory. I sat beside Grady. While he greeted me warmly, the chill from the others rivaled the cold outside. John was the only one nearby who didn't glare.

  "We expect to stop when we get to the Caruthersville bridge," I said loud enough to carry across the room but directed at Grady. "That will be abou
t 01:00 or so. It was tricky coming through there in the daylight, not sure we should risk it in the dark. If Allie decides to pull over, we'll need some help on deck tying up and making sure we don't miss something in the water."

  "What happens if we can't get by?" Grady asked.

  "Then we start back to Huntsville from there at first light. In some ways, it is just as good a place to start as Hickman. We will just need to scrounge replacement vehicles, and some of our recon is wasted," I said.

  "I'll make sure our motley crew is ready to leave by first light," Grady said. "Our adventure continues." Those around him laughed, apparently it was his signature phrase.

  "We have plenty of gas, but it is in barrels so we'll need to shift it into gas tanks. Fill all our water containers with clean water and gather up all the food we can bring," I said.