by Payne, T. L.
“They’ll find game, canned goods, or something today. It will be all right.” Isabella turned to put the lid back onto the soup pot. They had enough for everyone to eat today and maybe tomorrow. Someone would find something for the day after that, but eventually, there’d be nothing left to find. They’d be forced to move north in search of food, even if the war stayed away from them. Would it be too late? Would they be fit enough for the journey? Isabella feared not all of them would be.
“I was thinking we should butcher the remaining hog,” Savanah said, standing and placing her empty bowl into the dishpan sitting on the counter. She stared out the window. “That should get us by a few more days.”
Isabella knew how hard the decision had been for her to make. The sow was one of the last of her animals left. They’d eaten the goats and most of the chickens in the first few weeks. They’d butchered the boar and another sow two weeks ago, and at the time, it had seemed like so much food, but with so many mouths to feed, it hadn’t lasted long. They were using the last of the smoked jowls and hocks in the soups, were extremely low on beans, and the rice was all but gone. They had maybe a day or two before they had nothing at all, so it wasn’t a choice of whether to butcher the hog or not. It was just a matter of when.
“I’ll have the guys fetch the water for the hog bath,” Isabella said. She’d received a crash course in processing farm animals in the time she’d been on the homestead. Everyone pitched in. Isabella couldn’t imagine Savanah doing the task on her own and assumed that she’d taken them to a meat processor before the lights went out.
Savanah turned toward the back door. “I’ll have Karson and Keegan bring more firewood over to the outdoor kitchen and get the smoker ready.”
Isabella smiled. “I’m looking forward to pork rinds again.”
Savanah placed her hand on the doorknob and looked back. The corners of her mouth turned up in a forced smile, but her eyes displayed her true emotions. “Me too. I know Karson and Keegan will be thrilled. They love cracklings.”
They wouldn’t have time to cure the pork belly for bacon. That would take days just for the salt to pull the liquid out of the meat. They’d likely just roast the whole hog and feed everyone. Anything left would be put in the smoker.
“I’ll take some soup over to Mr. and Mrs. B and then come help process it with you,” Isabella said.
“Here.” Savanah reached for a jar on the counter. “I found echinacea and goldenseal to help with the congestion.”
Isabella took the jar from her and stuffed it into the backpack with the thermos of soup. “They’ll get better,” she said, forcing a smile. The last time she’d seen Mrs. B, she’d wondered if the elderly woman would make it through the night and been surprised when Kendra had sent word back that she was awake. Isabella pulled the neck gaiter down over her head in preparation for covering her mouth and nose when she reached the Bertrands’ home. The last thing she wanted was to come down with the flu as well. There were too many sick people to take care of as it was, and Will didn’t need any more to worry about.
Savanah pointed to the neck gaiter face mask. “Wear the surgical mask underneath it. We’ll have the search team look for more to replace it. We should take all the precautions we can.”
Isabella nodded and pulled a mask from the box on the shelf above the sink. The number of things they’d taken for granted before the lights went out struck her. Before, she’d hardly thought anything of entering a home where someone had the flu. She’d just keep her distance and remember to wash her hands. If she still managed to get sick, her doctor would prescribe something, and it would resolve without complication in a few days. Not anymore. All their bodies were worn down and immunity so fragile that something like that could take even the strongest person out.
Seven
Will
Event + Three Months
* * *
Will barely touched his soup at the group’s midday meal. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach as everyone was finishing up. He stood and cleared his throat. “Everyone, I have something that I’d like to discuss.”
Heads bobbed as Will described the scarcity of food, the ever-present danger from the marauders roaming the countryside in search of the same resources as they needed, and the looming reality of the war being waged along the Louisiana coastline. As he spoke, Will paid particular attention to Savanah’s body language. She was the main person he was interested in persuading.
“We’re all well aware of the challenges we currently face, Will. What’s your point?” Savanah asked, standing with her bowl in her hand. She was a very intelligent woman. She knew where Will was going with this.
“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.” Will glanced over at Walker and then at Isabella. He’d spoken to Isabella only briefly about going north. She looked from Will to Savanah. He probably should have told her he was bringing the issue to the community. “I think we should be prepared to head north.”
Savanah’s eyes narrowed, and her lips twitched. She held his gaze.
“I think we should have a backup plan ready to execute should things force us to bug out.”
“Bug out?” Savanah asked, her pitching high.
“Yes. Like when we prepare to evacuate in advance of a hurricane,” Will said.
Jane, who was seated two chairs down from Savanah was nodding. “Luca and I have our go-bags packed and ready.”
Pete Ashby’s wife spoke up. “I agree. We’re all well versed in the need to be ready to evacuate. Usually, we have a few days’ notice as the Hurricane Center figures out where the storm will make landfall, but in this instance, we’re not likely to have much warning. My family is ready. We’ve been discussing and practicing bugging out. Everyone knows what to do and where to meet up if we’re separated.”
Savanah cocked her head to the side and stared at her. Will was happy to hear that others shared his thoughts on the matter. It wasn’t just him being paranoid. That would go a long way with Savanah. Besides, if the Ashbys and Jane and Luca left, it would put quite a strain on the group. It would mean longer hours on guard duty and less time for searching for food and taking care of things around the homestead.
“I get that everyone is well versed in evacuation planning, and we all should be prepared, but there is still much we could do to secure this place and to—”
Jason stood and placed a hand on Savanah’s shoulder. “Will’s right. We need to have this discussion. We’ve needed to talk this through, and I’m glad you brought it up today, Will.”
Savanah looked like she’d been slapped. Will was sure she felt blindsided. That hadn’t been his intention. Jason’s hand gently slid down Savanah’s arm. He took her hand in his and held it up to his chest. “I know you feel that staying here on your grandparents’ homestead is the safest and best option for the long term, but we must consider a backup plan.” Jason turned to Will. “Were you thinking of heading toward Shreveport?”
Will was so taken aback by Jason Blanchard that he stammered as he responded. “I, um… I was thinking of going farther north and pushing on to Texarkana actually. They have a shelter there that can sustain us until we can find a more permanent solution. I was considering using it as a base to push into Arkansas in search of somewhere with more natural resources and fewer people.”
Jason put his arm around Savanah’s shoulder. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and it pained Will’s heart to see her so troubled by the prospect.
“Migration has been used by refugees for survival for thousands of years. It would be difficult, I’m sure, but it might be our best option,” Jason said.
Will was relieved that Jason was on his side in the matter. He’d misjudged the man. It was clear now that he truly cared for Savanah and the kids. If she wouldn’t listen to Will, maybe she’d listen to Jason.
Savanah’s head dropped, and her shoulders slumped. She wiped a tear from her cheek and then nodded. “Okay. Okay. We can discuss a plan and prepare ourselves in
case it comes to that…”
“Savanah,” Jason turned her toward him and took her face in the palms of his hands. “Sweetheart. It has come to that. If we don’t leave now, we won’t have the ability or strength to go later. We can’t wait until we are all sick and malnourished to go. We have to be smart here. Look at you. You’ve lost at least twenty pounds since the lights went out, and you were thin to start with. You can’t keep giving all your food to the children and expect to walk two hundred and fifty miles to Texarkana. You wouldn’t make it ten miles before I’d be carrying you.”
“I’m sorry,” Savanah said. She turned back toward Will. “It’s just all the stories I’ve heard about your journey here and about how the refugees are being attacked as they head north. I’m scared as hell…” She swallowed hard before continuing. “For the children.”
Walker stood and made his way around the table to stand next to Will. “I can assure you that I, for one, will do everything within my power to protect those kids. We’ve been scouting alternative routes, ones not so traveled and hopefully not so attractive to the raiders. I feel confident that we can make it to Texarkana safely.”
Savanah wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “I appreciate that, Walker. I know you’re all correct. We need to do something. I just hate to give up on this place.” Her eyes scanned the house and the now nearly empty barn.
Will stepped toward his sister and touched her shoulder. “Maybe it’s not forever. When things get back to normal, we’ll come back, and I’ll help you rebuild.”
She smiled, and then her head bobbed slightly. “Maybe.”
“We’ll make it. Together we’ll all make it,” Will said, hoping he sounded convincing. In all honesty, he knew the odds of that were slim, but they had to try. What choice did they have?
“I’ll finish getting the kids’ go-bags ready,” Savanah said, wiping another tear from the corner of her eye.
Isabella pushed herself away from the table. Will’s heart nearly skipped a beat as she flipped her burnt umber-colored hair over her shoulder. “I’ll help you, Savanah. I’ll help Kylie pick her favorite toy.” A smile tugged at the corners of Will’s lips. He felt so very blessed to have her in his life—especially in these brutal days. Her kindness and giving nature was like a salve to his wounded soul—not just his, but Cayden’s as well. And now she extended her generous nature toward his sister and her kids. She glanced his way and nodded slightly—her way of reassuring him that everything was going to be all right. Somehow, he felt that it would. She gave him hope, not just that they’d all make it safely to Texarkana, but that they’d find a way not just to survive but truly live.
“I’m going to check on Mr. and Mrs. Bertrand. I found some books that Mrs. B might like,” Jane said, picking up a stack of paperbacks. She walked closer and leaned in. “You know there’s no way they’d make it even a mile, right?”
Will drew in a deep breath and let it out. He’d tried very hard not to think about them and at that moment, he resented Jane for bringing it up and spoiling his positive mood. His head bobbed twice, and then he turned away from her. What could he say? They couldn’t wait for the older couple to recover and grow stronger—that wasn’t likely to happen—not without modern medicine and proper nutrition. Mr. B was refusing meals and giving them to his wife. He’d been a slight man before the lights went out. Now he looked frail and gaunt.
No, they wouldn’t make it a mile. They wouldn’t make it to their front gate. As Will’s face contorted with the anguish of the thought, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.
“We can make a cart and pull them,” Walker said as he stepped in front of Will.
Their eyes met, and then Will looked away. “They’d never allow that.”
“Mr. B would. He’d do anything to save his wife. I am in awe of the love between them after all these years together. It’s a rare and powerful thing. Don’t underestimate it.”
“He wouldn’t put the kids at risk. He’s a very astute and proud man. He knows they’d slow us down which would put everyone in danger.” Will sighed. “He’s the real deal—he and Mrs. B. They’ve lived a true Christian life. They’re selfless.”
“Maybe I could—”
“You can try,” Will said, interrupting him. “Unless you can guarantee they wouldn’t put the others in danger, you will fail.”
Walker lifted his chin, and his shoulders moved back. “We’ll just have to find a way for them not to slow us down then. Leaving them behind to die alone is not an option.”
A pang of guilt stabbed at Will’s heart. Of course, Walker was right. He admired him for his fortitude and empathy. It was just that Will was so fatigued and suffering from brain fog that he couldn’t think of a way to do that.
“I’ll work on it,” Walker said. “I’ll come up with something. When I do, I’ll inform the Bertrands and help them get ready to leave.”
Will just bobbed his head and prayed that Walker’s mission succeeded. How would he explain leaving them behind to his son? He’d grown so close to them since they’d arrived and considered them as grandparents. There was no way his tenderhearted boy would understand that it was for the good of the community.
He looked around as the others picked up their dishes and went back to their chores. Traveling with such a large group would have its challenges, especially with several elderly and so many children, but Will felt they were better prepared than most of the folks heading out on the road. With the information that Jane, Luca, and the others would soon bring back, they could send out scouts and secure checkpoints ahead of the group’s arrival. They would make this trip as safe as possible. They’d learned a few things from observing the military movements. Will hoped it would be enough. It had to be.
Eight
Will
Over the next few days, following the community’s discussion regarding finalizing preparations to leave and head north, Will had spent less time at the roadblocks and looking for Jason’s kin, and instead gone out with the scouting teams to reassure himself of the soundness of their proposed route.
The plan was to stay off the main highways that were used by most refugees and had become the prime feeding grounds for the bandits and evildoers seeking to prey on the innocent and helpless. Instead, the group would travel the back roads, only crossing major highways under the cover of darkness when they were less likely to be spotted. Two teams of scouts would go in advance of the group, hopefully, to steer them away from any trouble spots.
They’d picked several places in which to camp. Abandoned farms with large barns, a grove of cypress trees near a canal just south of Perkins. A warehouse in Roseville. They’d even pre-positioned some supplies along their preferred route and one alternate in case they needed to sit tight for a day or two or if they were attacked and lost supplies. Pete Ashby had been thorough in his planning and Will admired the man’s survival skills. It was as if he’d been preparing for something like this disaster all along—maybe he had. He had seemed well supplied for it at least.
After hearing the plan and seeing the route—at least the beginning section, Will felt better about their chances of actually getting the majority of their forty-plus person troop safely to Texarkana. He was still very much concerned about what they would find there. The idea of entering an overcrowded government-run camp was not ideal. They’d be disarmed. He was certain of that. They’d be separated for sure. They might be able to keep families together, but not all the families and not everyone together in one shelter. It would make coordinating their planned scouting missions outside of the FEMA run camp more difficult. Would they even allow them to leave? Once they did, could they return to their families? There were just too many unknowns for Will to feel okay with that part of his plan.
Finding somewhere for the group to go after the shelter was imperative to their long-term survival though. It absolutely had to happen, so they’d have to make it work somehow, even if the whole group had to leave the safety of the shelt
er to push farther north into the wilds of Arkansas. Will was certain that life at the shelter would be unsustainable, if not physically—mentally.
The two-man team ahead stopped. One of Pete’s brothers turned and flashed hand signals which led Pete to signal the rest of the six men and women following him on this scouting mission to stop in their tracks. Luca ran up to Pete’s position. The two men spoke in hushed voices before Luca ran back to the group. “Team Alpha spotted movement on the road. Six men, two women. All heavily armed and carrying large packs. It could be marauders or well-stocked travelers. In any case, Pete wants to let them pass before pushing on.”
Jane nodded. “Copy that.”
Will glanced over at her. This wasn’t Jane and Luca’s first scouting mission with Pete and his team which had mostly comprised his family members and close friends. It appeared that Jane had picked up on their lingo and Luca seemed to understand the hand signals. They were motivated. Will could understand why. They had a child to think about. The baby growing inside Jane propelled them to find a route to Texarkana that would present the least risk to the unborn child and lead them to the safety of a camp with a doctor and supplies for a baby.
Will wanted to see his family out of harm’s way as well. He wouldn’t rest until he had but he was a pragmatist. He knew the road ahead would not be easy—not by a long shot—no matter how much they planned.
Jane relocated to a well-shaded spot beneath a tree and leaned against its trunk, pulled out a protein bar, just one of the supplies Pete had shared with the team before they headed out, and unwrapped it. She ate while they waited. Will was saving his bar for when he really needed a pick-me-up. So far, pure adrenaline had sustained him.
Within fifteen minutes, the group on the road had passed and the advance team had signaled for them to continue forward. They crossed the highway and into a gully before reaching an open field. Will searched the faces of those who’d traveled this section of the route before, looking for any sign of concern. They seemed relaxed. Pete and his son Beau were ever vigilant as usual, with their rifles scanning the woodline and the way ahead. Will pulled his rifle closer to his chest as they walked through knee-high grass. It wasn’t just people that concerned him. Who knew what kind of threat crawled the ground concealed in the weeds? It would so suck to get bitten by a snake. He just hoped that the bug spray Isabella had found would ward off ticks and chiggers. Those two tiny creatures could also cause a world of hurt and carry debilitating disease within their saliva.
