Dark Days (Book 2): Inquisition

by Dyer, Marcy G.

  "Wake up!" A hand shook her shoulder. "Must you scream like a banshee?" Gabriele stood over her. "Do you always sleep so loudly? If so, I must ask you to move."

  Randi swiveled to a sitting position on the sofa. "Get over yourself, lady. This was my home before you came. I gave you the bedroom. Be grateful. You can either deal with it, or there's the door." She pointed. "I don't care where you sleep, but if you don't like it here, leave."

  Gabriele crossed her arms. "You cannot expect me to live like a savage. I am a lady after all."

  "No, you're not. A true lady would never tell someone to leave their own home. Especially after they'd been invited in." Randi was getting sick to death of this woman. She wouldn't move into the house because of the nightmares, but doggone it, she refused to allow Gabriele to push her out of the RV. "Go away. I've got work to do. It involves your bedroom, so scoot." Randi rubbed her eyes and reminded herself that Gabriele probably processed fear by becoming more difficult.

  Her eyes went wide. "Where will I go?"

  "Aren't you on KP today?"

  "Well, yes, but I have not had a shower or--"

  "The sun is up. It's past time for you to be at work." Randi raised an eyebrow. "If you want to continue living and eating here, then go."

  Gabriele flounced into the bedroom as a knock sounded on the door.

  Randi opened it to find Mark on the other side. "Come on in."

  "Thought we could make this our mobile evac unit." He leaned against the cabinet. "If that's okay with you?"

  "Good idea. We need to move guns, ammo, medications, food, and water into here." Randi opened a cabinet. "We'll clean all of the cabinets and closets out. There should also be storage beneath the unit and under the bed, and under the dinette seat."

  Gabriele walked out. In a dress and heels. Randi resisted the urge to laugh at the woman. "Before you leave, your clothes, and personal items will be moved into the toilet tent when you get back."

  She paled. "Why?"

  "We have to prepare for a battle should someone breach our camp. The best way to do that is to have this unit ready to go if survivors need to evacuate. It's not up for discussion."

  Gabriele stomped out the door muttering under her breath. As she ranted and raved, her French accent gave way to strong Southern one.

  "Uncle Reg really had a thing with her?" Mark shook his head. "I don't get it."

  "I do. She's beautiful. When life isn't in the toilet, she's probably more composed. I think her bratty attitude has more to do with being in fear than it does with really being a witch." If she'd lived Randi's life, she'd understand she needed to fight for every breath.

  "You think?"

  "Yeah. I've caught a couple of glimpses of the scared woman beneath the façade."

  Mark stared at her for a while. "It amazes me you can see that in a rank stranger, but you struggle to see past Adriana's attitude."

  Ouch. The man packed a punch even though he used a quiet, soft tone of voice. She had been too hard on her sister. "Maybe it's easier when it's someone we don't know. Adriana and I have been at odds for years. A lot of baggage there."

  "I know." Mark sat by her on the sofa and put his hand on her knee. "I wasn't trying to be harsh, and I know she's been horrible to you. Maybe you could work on forgiving her. Whether or not she asks. Forgiveness isn't for her, anyway. It's for you, so you can move on."

  Randi laughed. "You sure you weren't going into politics instead of electrical engineering?"

  "Sorry. I hate it when there's animosity within a family."

  She hugged him. "It's okay. Some of the things she said to me, hurt, but I'll work on forgiving her." But how could she forget Adriana wishing she were dead? "We'd better get to work. Let's start in the bedroom. I think Gabriele has a ton of junk."

  She went into the bedroom and almost choked on the strong perfume. Guess the woman didn't want to stink. Randi opened the cabinets and dragged stuff out of them. "Wonder where she put her suitcases?"

  "There's a closet in the bathroom." Mark walked through and opened the sliding doors. "Yeah. Suitcases and lots of clothes in here. Are all of these hers?"

  Randi joined him in the bathroom. "A few of them were already there. Maybe they belonged to Cooper's stepmom."

  They folded all of the hanging clothes and emptied the bathroom cabinets of all of Gabriele's toiletries. "You want to leave the towels, don't you?" Mark asked.

  "Yes. I'd hate to have to give up showers unless it becomes necessary." She'd done it before, but she loved the luxury of hot showers. At least until they ran out of propane.

  They emptied the bedroom, moved Gabriele's and Cooper’s mom’s stuff into the toilet tent, and returned to the RV. Randi emptied the contents of the cabinets and everything from the pantry except for the food.

  Mark grabbed a large stew pot. "You said the basement is full of those long-shelf life thingies, right?"

  "MREs? Yeah. Several cases. Why?"

  "We need to stock the pantry and cabinets in here with them. With this many people, if we have to evac, it won't take long to run out of food."

  "Good idea. Anyone ever tell you, you're a smart kid?"

  Mark gave her a playful punch in the arm. "Kid? You're only a year or two older than me."

  Maybe in years, but in experience she was ancient. They cleared out the cabinets except for enough plates for everyone and the stew pot to boil water. Mark motioned toward the bedroom. "Let's store the long guns in the closet. We can figure out a way to keep them upright. Maybe fashion a rack. We can store the medications in the bedroom. There are a ton of cabinets there."

  "Let's get to it." Randi walked out of the RV and headed toward the storage with Mark beside her. "Let's take the rolling bins for the long guns. That way we can roll them into the closet. If they'll fit."

  "It's a huge closet for an RV." Mark opened the door to the tower where they stored weapons. "What did Cooper's parents do, anyway? I've never known anyone who could afford something like that."

  "His dad's a chef. Not sure about his step-mom. Maybe it's family money?"

  By the time they had food, weapons, ammo, and medications stored in the RV, Randi was ready to drop. "Thanks for having my back." As naïve as he seemed, she figured Mark would be the last one to realize how tenuous their hold on the camp was.

  "Hey, you're the one who's drilled into my head that we're in constant danger no matter how safe this place feels." Mark smiled. "It's pretty obvious to me that you're the smartest person in our group. Otherwise, Candy would still be alive."

  Gray clouds dimmed the early morning skies. Josh shivered as he rounded up Tommy, Lori, Belle, Katie, Toni, William, Isabella, and Christopher. William, Belle, and Katie could help him keep an eye on the little ones as he and Randi worked with the younger children on shooting.

  Randi walked up as they all gathered at the ATV barn. Her mouth was set in a line, and she had her arms crossed over her chest. Was it because she didn't want them shooting or her discomfort in Isabella and Christopher's presence? She'd avoided the two children since their parents had died.

  Toni latched onto Randi's hand. "My daddy took me and Cori to shoot before."

  "He did?" Randi frowned. "Before things got bad?"

  "Yep." She blinked away the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "He wanted me and her to learn not to touch his guns, so he let us shoot." She swiped at the tears running down her face. "Will I see my daddy and Cori ever again? The preacher at our church used to say we could, but now I'm scared. They've been gone so long."

  Randi looked everywhere except at the child. "I... uh"

  Katie knelt in front of Toni. "Cori and your daddy went to be with Jesus in heaven. One day, you'll join them, but let's not rush it."

  Toni nodded.

  Josh ushered them all through the barn into the perimeter area. He didn't want to take them far enough out of the camp to need an ATV.

  "Okay. Here's how we're going to do this." Josh placed a rope on the groun
d in straight line. "Stay behind this line at all times. Do not cross it for any reason. Got it?" He waited for each child to answer. "When you're handling a gun, safety is the most important thing. It's more important than accuracy. It's more important than even knowing how to shoot, so today, we're going to spend a lot of time learning how to be safe.

  "The first lesson to remember, never point a gun at any person or animal unless you plan to kill them." He took a SIG .9 and unloaded it. He slid the empty magazine back into the gun and handed it to Randi. "Anytime you pick up a weapon, or someone hands it to you, never take their word for it that the gun is unloaded. Watch as Randi checks it."

  She dropped the magazine. "Keep the gun pointing somewhere safe. Drop the magazine and check for shells. While it's still out, rack the slide." She grasped the slide and pulled it back. "Just because the magazine isn't loaded, doesn't mean the gun won't fire. Always check the chamber." She tilted the gun up where they could see the empty chamber."

  Isabella raised her hand.

  "What's your questions Isabella?" Josh asked.

  "Mom always called me Izzy. My stepdad was the only person who called me by my full name, and I hate that man's guts." She crossed her arms. "I'm glad you killed the lousy jerk."

  Randi blanched.

  Josh's heart leaped into his throat. "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to save your mother." He didn't realize Mel was Izzy's stepfather. Was he the boy's biological father?

  "Me, too." She lifted her head high. "I understand how we make sure a gun with a clip is--"

  "Magazine." Randi held it up. "A clip is totally different and not used in handguns."

  "Yes, ma'am. What about a gun with the circle thingy?"

  "A revolver?" Josh held up a Ruger Bearcat .22. "Like this?"

  "Yes. What's that thingy where the bullets go called?"

  "It's the cylinder. How you check to see if it's loaded depends on the type of revolver." He opened the latch on the side and showed the children. "This one, you rotate the cylinder to load, unload and check it, but some revolvers, the cylinder flips open to the side."

  "Izzy, come here." Randi reloaded the .9mm. "Remember, all guns are loaded. It doesn't matter what anyone says to you. They are loaded and ready to fire. Never, and I mean never, trust someone who hands you a gun and tells you it's not loaded. Not even Josh or me. Okay, Izzy, check it out."

  Izzy took a deep breath. Her hands shook as she pushed the button to release the magazine. It dropped into the dirt, and she reached down, but Randi put her hand on her arm and stopped her. "First, check that there isn't a bullet in the chamber, then you can pick it up. It's fine where it is."

  "Yes, ma'am." Izzy tugged on the slide, but it wouldn't budge. "It ain't going nowhere."

  "Isn't. Not ain't." Josh gave her a wink.

  "Yes, sir, but I still can't make it work."

  "Hang on." Randi repositioned her hands. "Don't pull the slide. Hold it while you push the gun forward."

  She struggled and fought with the gun and slide until sweat popped out on her forehead, but she finally got it back. "Whoo hoo! It worked."

  Randi grinned. "You'll need to practice on it until you can rack it without any problems."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Izzy?" Randi sighed. "Can you call me Randi instead of 'ma'am'? I know you're being respectful, honey, but it makes me feel old."

  Izzy nodded. "Yes, ma'...yes."

  Randi taught her how to load while Josh worked with Christopher. They went through all of the children and allowed them to shoot after teaching them safety. They allowed the younger children to shoot the .22, then Josh shooed all of them except for Belle, Katie, William, and Izzy back inside the compound.

  "We're going to practice until you four are confident, you know how to clear jams, and can demonstrate utmost safety with weapons." Josh put his hand on William's shoulder. "William is accurate and can help. He understands gun safety, so after today we’ll allow him to carry one. I don't like it, but you need to be safe. Once we're confident you won't accidentally shoot someone or yourselves, you'll each get a gun. Do you understand?"

  "Are we going to practice on the long guns, too?" Belle asked. "I've been more accurate when I've practiced with those."

  "Yes." Randi handed William the .9mm they shot earlier. "You've done well with this one, so it's yours. The girls will get revolvers since they're easier to load."

  They stayed in the perimeter for several hours working with the kids. Izzy struggled to hit the target, but the others improved quite a bit from the last time Randi and Josh worked with them.

  Randi dug through a box of several holsters. She grabbed one and tried it on William's gun. It worked, and she handed it to him. "If you don't maintain safety at all times, you'll not touch another weapon. Understand?"

  He jammed the weapon into the holster. "I promise I'll do everything you've told me."

  The girls weren't quite ready to have handguns to carry around, but Belle and Katie had improved on their rifle skills, so they would be allowed to ride with Josh or Randi on perimeter checks. He would work with them until he was confident they could be safe. Izzy was going to take a while. Her nerves overtook her every time she picked up a weapon.

  Bryan watched as a group headed toward the barn where they kept the vehicles. He moved until he was parallel with where they set up for target practice and settled in to watch. If they were teaching kids to shoot for fun and sport, it would be one thing, but the thought of these little ones having to learn to shoot in order to survive in this world gave him a headache. This life was no place for children. His sons were proof of that.

  Vixen hadn't told him Reginald had allowed families to move into his place. Either that or they'd rescued more children like he'd done with the girl. What else had Vixen omitted when she told him about Reginald?

  The woman with black hair taught one of the little girls how to handle a semi-auto. She then showed her how to focus on the target. The girl tried but shot way wide, so the woman demonstrated how to shoot. She hit the mark each time. She was deadly for sure. He jotted some notes on his notepad. If he helped Vixen invade, she would be on his list to watch. Her and the blond guy with her. They worked well as a team and complimented each other in a lethal way.

  He watched until they completed their tasks, took a four-wheeler to make rounds, and returned to the inner fenced area that contained the house. The house wasn't visible from his vantage point watching part of their outer fenced area, but he could see how often they made rounds, what kind of animals they had on the property, and decide if this might be an attack point. He'd already determined a raft on the river might surprise the group, but destroying the gates would slow them down and give Reginald's crew a time advantage.

  Movement in the open area below caught his attention. The black haired girl and a muscular, dark-skinned man with a mass of short braids roared along the fence line on an ATV. He pulled to the side and stopped. The woman used binoculars and looked out over the hills. Bryan dropped his body as flat as he could and hoped she didn't see him tucked into the trees. She surveyed the area outside of the fence for a while, and they took off toward the next fence.

  Several hours later, a young Latino man and a blond woman drove around the fence, but they didn't stop to look at the land outside of the fence. This was a weak area for sure. From what he could tell, they made rounds three times a day, and sometimes looked at the area outside of the fences, but not every time.

  The sun dipped low in the sky, and the noises from the camp slowed. He waited until darkness had covered the land, then he climbed down near the fence to inspect it. Razor wire. Electric array on the inside? Why would they do that? If anyone wanted in, that electric fence wouldn't stop them. They would've been better off putting it inside the fences that surrounded the house area. The outer fenced area was so large, they couldn't even see the ends of it from the observation bridge.

  He crept along the fence until he could see the inner double fences. No
electricity on them, but they did have razor wire. The place appeared secure with all of the razor wire, electric fencing, and moat, but a determined group with enough manpower and firepower could still breach it. The moat posed a problem.

  A flashlight beam moved closer to him. He scrambled up the hill and hid. The light disappeared for ten or so minutes, then it returned heading the other direction. He let out a huge breath, and his muscles relaxed.

  He settled in for the night while he watched the camp. Everything was still and quiet. So far he'd seen nothing from this group to cause him even the slightest concern.

  Chapter 6

  Josh walked into the kitchen as Belle and Katie were talking. His cousin looked up at him. "Josh, do you think our dog will find a home?"

  "Your dog?"

  Katie nodded. "We found him in a house we stayed at on the way here. We had to leave him behind when we ran from Vixen."

  "That's not true." Belle shook her head. "That weird woman stole him. I know she did."

  "If she took him, I'm sure she'll take care of him." From what they said about the woman, did she care about the dog or was he a pawn to punish the girls? "Either that, or one of the other families took him."

  "I hope so. He was so sweet. A little German shepherd pup." Belle dashed at the tears in her eyes. "He loved to play chase. We called him Fritz."

  A dog in the camp might be good for the children, and even the adults. Animals tended to bring families together. Too bad they didn't get to keep their pup. Maybe he and Randi could find one the next time they had to go on a run. Unless she thought another mouth to feed was too much.

  "Your puppy'll be fine." Josh hugged Belle and walked out the door. His breath came in white puffs in the cool night air. Clouds hung low in the sky and the dampness of the air seeped into his bones. The slight breeze carried the scent of rain.

  Randi had duty in the front towers tonight. Mark was in the back. He hadn't had much time with Randi lately, and he looked forward to spending the evening with her.