by D Stalter
She used a ladle to scoop up some of the syrup. “When we pour our syrup into our jars with the berries, we have to leave about a half inch space at the top.”
She set the ladle back into the pan of hot syrup and picked up a plastic knife. “When the jar is filled, I take this plastic knife and run it around the inside of the jar to get rid of any big air bubbles.”
“I wipe the rim of the jar and then I place the lid on the jar. Then I grab a ring and screw it on. I don't want the ring to be too tight. Air has to be able to escape. That's what creates the vacuum seal.”
She turned to the group watching. “We do this for all the jars until we are out of fruit. Anybody want to help?”
Jaden jumped up. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
“Why don’t you lift the jars out of the hot water - be very careful - and put the berries in. Remember to leave about 3/4 inch of space at the top.”
Jaden filled the jars with berries while Mary added the syrup. When all the jars were filled, Mary explained the next step.
“Using the jar lifter, we carefully put the jars into the canning pot so they don't touch the side of the pot or each other. The water needs to be a couple inches over the jars.
“We're using quart jars here so we will process them for 20 minutes. If we were using pint jars, it would only take 15 minutes.”
Twenty minutes later, Mary asked Jaden to put a couple of towels on a shelf in the pantry. “We need to put these jars out of the way where they won’t get a draft or be disturbed for about twelve hours.”
They carefully moved the jars into the pantry. Mary wiped her hands on her apron. “After the jars cool, we’ll check to make sure they are sealed. We can either use a finger to press down on the top of the jar. If there is no give, the jar is sealed. Or, we can take the screw-on ring off and using the tips of our thumb and fingers, pick up the jar by the lid. If the lid stays on, it is sealed. We need to check every jar. If we find any that aren't sealed, we have to use them right away.”
She turned to Allison who was standing behind the kids at the door to the pantry. “If you want to bring paper and pens tomorrow, Jaden and I can get started copying my recipes. If we work at it for three or four hours a day after breakfast, it’ll probably take us a couple of weeks, but we really do need to have a backup copy.”
Day 4 - Riley Meets Allison
The walk from Phil’s to the farm north of their goal took just over an hour. Will had a rifle slung over his back and carried one in his hand. He’d cleaned up as much as he could and Phil had given him a fresh t-shirt. His long hair was tied back.
Riley carried a rifle and had a backpack with spare ammo and food and water. He had cleaned up as well.
Sherrie also carried a backpack and had borrowed a long sleeve shirt from Phil to hide the tattoos that covered her arms. Phil had also given her a holster for her pistol, which she wore on her hip.
Benny carried nothing. His small frame slumped against Sherrie as they walked.
When they reached the last curve before coming in view of the farmhouse, Will stopped the group.
“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble. I’m sure they’ll see us coming but, as long as we don’t look confrontational, they shouldn’t be a problem. Keep your rifle pointing down. Don’t lift it even an inch. And, Sherrie, keep your hands far away from your pistol. If they shoot, hit the ditch.”
“What should I do?” Benny asked.
“You just be you. That’ll be perfect. But, if there’s any shooting, you jump in the ditch.”
“Don’t worry, I will. It hurts to get shot.”
“Alright, are we ready?”
“Do you think it might help if you have your government ID ready?”
“I have it in my pocket. I’m not so sure people feel comfortable with the government right now. What do you think? Should I have it in my hand?”
“Maybe not.”
“Alright, let’s just keep walking. Walk like we know where we are going and don’t mean anyone harm.”
They rounded the curve and the farm came in to view. They were still 300 feet from the driveway when a man in his 30’s stepped around the side of the house. He carried a rifle and stopped near the corner of the house to watch them approach.
They reached the driveway and stopped. The front door opened. A tall, thin man stepped out. It was obvious this was the first man’s father because they might have been twins if not for the difference in ages.
The younger man stepped back and disappeared around the corner of the house.
The older man walked out to greet them. “Are you looking for something?”
Will stepped forward. “Yes, actually we are looking for a woman named Allison. She’s supposed to be an herbalist. I believe she lives in that house south of you. We’d rather cut through your pasture than go out to the highway.”
“What do you want with Allison?” He studied Riley, Sherrie and Benny.
“The boy, Benny, he got shot the day this all went down. We’d like to see if this Allison can spare some herbs. We’d also like to see if maybe we can help her out. We’re a long way from home and have a couple things to take care of locally before we move on.”
“Where’s your home?”
Will slid his hand into his front pocket and produced his ID. “My name is William Clayton Mead. Winnebago County SWAT Team Leader.”
“Long way from home, Mr. Mead. Are you familiar with Ryan Sturdevant with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department?”
“I’m familiar with James Sturdevant. He’s a buddy. He’s about six foot tall. Dark hair. Brown eyes. I was his best man at his wedding last year.”
The man visibly relaxed. “Yep, James is right. I was just testing you. James is my wife’s sister’s son. I think I do remember you from the wedding. My name’s Don.” He held out his hand which Will took and shook firmly.
Will stepped back and turned to his group. “This is my friend, Riley. His nephew, Benny. And his ex-sister-in-law, Sherrie.”
Don’s gaze lingered on Sherrie. “Are you from Rockford?”
“No, I’m local.”
“You’re that tattoo lady.”
“Yes.”
“My kid has a couple of your tattoos. Come on, I’ll give you a lift to Allison, but I gotta warn you, she doesn’t warm up to strangers real quick. And she had quite a run in with an asshole this morning.”
He led them to an old pickup. Benny sat in front with Don and Will. Riley and Sherrie perched on the tailgate.
They bounced over the pasture, stopping for gates. Will got out at each gate and opened it, waiting for the truck to pass through before closing it behind them.
When they pulled up next to the barn, several men and two women were sitting at a picnic table on the west side of the barn. Don climbed out of the truck and called out, “Hey, anybody seen Allison?”
“She’s in the barn. Want me to go get her?”
“Would you, please?”
A younger man, about 20, wearing cut-off shorts and no shirt stood up and took a few steps to the barn. “Hey, Allison. Don has some people here to see you.”
Riley exited the truck telling Benny to stay seated. He joined Will and Sherrie at the back of the truck.
Allison stepped out of the barn followed by her dog who eyed the new group. The dog slid in to a protective position, head swiveling, body tense.
Riley noticed that with each step the woman took, the dog matched, going so far as to touch the woman when she stopped in front of them with a quizzical look. He glanced at Will who was also watching the dog.
“That’s a well-trained dog you have. Where’d you get him?” Will asked.
“It’s a she - and she was abandoned at six months. I’ve had her since she was seven months old.”
“Who trained her for protection?”
Allison shrugged. “I trained her, but not for protection. She does that on her own. Now, what do you need?” She looked from Will to Riley.
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Riley said, “My nephew got shot the day this crap went down. Someone told us that you are an herbalist and we were hoping you had some salve or something to help the wound heal.”
“Can I take a look?”
He led her to the front of the truck. “Benny, can you show this lady your gunshot wound?”
Benny pulled his shirt up and turned in the seat enough for Allison to lift the bandage.
“This happened the day of the solar flare?”
“Yeah. My dad was trying to kidnap me and my uncle and his friend were trying to take me to my mom, but one of my dad’s friends shot me.”
Allison’s eyes widened. “Your dad’s friend shot you?”
“Yeah. He was aiming at my Uncle Riley.”
Allison shook her head. She bent over the truck seat to get a better look at the wound. Standing up, she turned to Will. “This actually looks pretty good. It’s healing. There’s no sign of infection. You did a good job.”
“Thanks. Is there anything you have that will help him heal? He’s in some pain and he’s pushing himself to get better so he doesn’t slow us down.”
“I’ve got a calendula salve. Calendula is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It will help with his pain while he’s healing. I’m sorry but I don’t have any containers to spare. If you have a container or even a baggie, I can give you a little. How far do you have to go?”
Will looked at the ground before raising his eyes to her face. “Well, that’s part of the problem. His dad has now kidnapped his mom and is holding her until we trade Benny for his mom.”
Allison gasped. “And, you’re going to trade him?”
“Hell, no. But, his mom is being held in LaSalle. We can’t take him with us to get her back. Actually,” he smiled, “we were hoping to leave him and his Aunt Sherrie here while his Uncle Riley and I went to get his mom back. Any chance of that?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but we can’t just take everyone who shows up under our wings. We don’t have the extra food to spare.”
“How about if we pay you?”
“Money’s not good anymore.”
“We can pay you in far better currency.”
“What’s that?”
“You look like you could use some extra hands. Riley and I could give you a big help in building or security or just about anything you need.”
“What do you mean ‘security’?”
“I’m a Winnebago County SWAT Team Leader. Riley and I served together and we are both security experts. We can identify and remedy any risks. I won’t bullshit you. We really need your help with Benny, but we can repay by helping you.”
Allison sighed. “Stay for supper. Meet some of our people. After supper we will discuss it and I’ll let you know what we’ve decided. That’s all I can offer.”
Will smiled. “That’s all I can ask for. We appreciate it.”
Supper was light. A pasta salad and a ground meat casserole. An older, large woman who Allison introduced as Mary, and a young girl of about 12, who Allison introduced as Jaden, went from table to table with large bowls. Jaden spooned a serving of the pasta salad on each plate while Mary served the casserole. A younger girl of about six came out of the barn carrying a basket heaping with rolls. She stopped at each person and asked “Would you like a roll?”
“Just like a fancy restaurant,” Riley said with a smile.
“Actually, it’s to ensure that anyone who wants a roll, gets a roll. And, more importantly, no one feels tempted to take two. It’s just a means to stretch our food a little further.”
When the young girl got the Riley, she looked at him shyly and mumbled. “Would you like a roll?”
“No, thank you.” He gave her a small smile which she returned with a broad grin.
“So.” James looked across the table at Riley. “There was some gunfire and explosions down the road earlier today. Were you involved with that?”
Riley nodded. “We were. Benny’s father had kidnapped him. We had gotten Benny back, but Benny had been shot. We found an empty house and got him fixed up. This morning the homeowner showed up.”
Conversation around the tables stopped as everyone leaned toward Riley to listen.
“You killed the homeowner?”
“No. While we were getting acquainted, some other guys showed up to rob him of his guns and ammo. They just happened to be the same guys who shot Benny. They started shooting. We finished.”
“What about the explosions?”
“Well, a couple guys ran into the sheds. Turns out Phil had them wired and he blew them up.”
“Phil?”
“Yes.”
“You know, the big joke around here is that he watched that movie Tremors a couple time too many. He’s got a beautiful place there, but it’s full of booby traps. I wouldn’t be caught dead there. He’s over the top when it comes to prepping. Now Allison...”
Allison glared at James who closed his mouth and looked away.
She looked across the table at Will. “So, what are your plans if we agree to let Sherrie and Benny stay here?”
Will cleared his throat. “Well, the guy that kidnapped Benny has his mom, Riley’s sister, in LaSalle. One of the guys from that skirmish yesterday said that he’s keeping her tied up in a bedroom until we make the exchange.”
“Where is the guy who told you this?”
“He’s dead.”
“You killed him?”
“Actually, Phil did.”
Allison’s eyes widened and then closed. “What have we become?”
She drew in a breath and then looked back at Riley. “How long will it take you to get your sister?”
“I’m not sure. When Phil blew up the shed, our bikes were in there so we are on foot now. LaSalle is 35 miles away. We’ve hiked that far before, but it’ll take us a good part of a day to get there. Another day to get back - unless Denise is injured - then it could take longer. Then add the time it’ll take us to scout and get in to get her. Maybe three or four days.”
“Your bikes?”
“Motorcycles.”
“I knew it!” Allison jumped to her feet and stabbed a finger in his face. “I saw you two on the day of the solar flare. You were just down the road. You were stopped on the corner. You had guns. But you didn’t have a kid or a lady with you. What kind of bullshit are you feeding us? I don’t think you are who you say you are. I think we are done here. Please leave.”
Riley scrunched his brows. “Of course, we didn’t have Benny or Sherrie. We had just come from Wilson’s house in LaSalle. We had picked up the guns from there. We were getting ready to ride into Kasbeer just up the road from here and had no idea what to expect. We knew Wilson had no intention of handing Benny over. But, we didn’t know what kind of reception we would get.”
Allison crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “I just can’t get the picture of you sitting on the side of the road in the middle of chaos, calmly adjusting your guns. You scared the shit out of me. I don’t think this will work.”
James reached up and put his hand on Allison’s shoulder. He gently pulled her back down to her seat. “Don said that he knows who Will is. Will is a cop and a good friend of Don’s nephew. I’m sure they are who they say they are. They just need a safe place to leave Sherrie and Benny. I think we can give them that. Benny is just a kid, and most of us know Sherrie.”
Allison looked from James to Riley. “Sherrie and Benny can stay for now. But, there’s something off about you. I’m not comfortable with you staying here.”
Will laid his fork on his empty plate. “Fair enough. We will take off first thing in the morning for LaSalle. Once we get Benny’s mom, we will swing by here and pick up Benny - and Sherrie if she wants to come with us - and head back to Rockford. Is it OK if we camp down by the creek tonight? We can be gone by sunrise.”
Allison used her fingers to rub her forehead. “That will have to work. Sherrie will have to help out while she’
s here. I’ll probably assign her to the garden.” She looked at Sherrie. “Will that work for you?”
Sherrie nodded. “Of course. I’m happy to help out where ever you need me.”
Allison frowned. “And you can take that long-sleeved shirt off. I know about your tattoos - half the guys here have tattoos that you’ve given them.”
Sherrie grinned. “Thanks. I didn’t want to offend you, but this long-sleeved shirt is a bit too warm.”
“I don’t offend easily, except when I’m confronted by a couple guys on the side of the road with guns.”
Sherrie stood up and removed the long-sleeved shirt. “Can I offer to do dishes?”
“Yes, you can. It will give Jaden a break. I’ll help you gather the dirty dishes and show you our set up.”
They stood together and started gathering plates and silverware from the five tables. There wasn’t any food left on any of the plates. All plates looked like they’d been licked clean.
Day 4 - Allison
Steam rose from a stockpot sitting on top of the wood burning stove. Allison pulled two large plastic tubs from the shelf.
She slid each tub under a five-gallon water jug that sat on a shelf above the counter. After filling both tubs half way, she carefully emptied the stock pot into the tubs, added a small amount of dish soap to one tub, and loaded the dishes into the soapy water.
While they soaked, she pulled clean towels from under the counter and laid two out, keeping one in her hand. “You wash. I’ll dry.”
Sherrie dipped her hands into the hot water and started washing. As each plate was cleaned, she dipped it into the second tub of hot water and handed it to Allison.
“I just want to tell you that Riley and Will are exactly who they say they are.” Sherrie cast a sideways look at Allison. “They are both good men. They may look a little scary, but I’d trust them both with my life. In fact, I have - and they didn’t let me down. Riley has every reason to hate me, but he has kept me safe. You can trust them.”
“What reason would Riley have to hate you?”
“My brother was married to his sister. My brother was the one who kidnapped Benny and brought him to my house. Will and Riley found Benny at my house.”
