Shortage (Best Laid Plans Book 2)

by Nathan Jones

  “But they've blocked all our sources of air,” April pointed out. “They don't have to burn us out, the smoke will do the job.”

  Matt should've considered that, even beyond the immediate danger of fire itself. The rain of flaming logs continued as they watched until it was stacked halfway up the door and smoke poured through the bullet holes in thin black fingers that didn't seem like much until you realized how quickly it added up over time. The refugees were taking wood from the woodpile, that was obvious enough, but where were they finding a flammable liquid to douse it with?

  He realized the answer about the time his dad got around to asking the question, so he spoke it out loud. “The shipping container Lewis uses as a shed. They must have cut the lock to get at the stuff inside. He had a tank with dozens of gallons of gasoline in there.”

  “Gasoline?” Terry repeated incredulously. “That's worth its weight in gold! Ferris just left it behind?”

  “It's old,” Matt said. “It won't run in vehicles, but it definitely still burns.”

  Sam caught his arm. “What if they pour it down the vents?” she asked worriedly. “Or into the stovepipe? They could set everything in here on fire!”

  Matt finally got his senses about him and began ripping up his undershirt to stuff into the bullet holes. That might not help much since the cloth would probably start on fire, but it would have to do until he could think of something better. “Even if it doesn't work for cars gasoline would still be valuable. They might be trying to save it since the fire should be enough to do the job.”

  She punched his arm, which wasn't like her. “Thanks for the reassurance. I think it's about time we used that secret escape tunnel, don't you?”

  “Yeah.” Matt felt his face flush. “I, um, forgot about that in the heat of the moment.” Which was stupid. If he'd thought of it earlier he could've used it to get out and try a sneak attack on the people attacking them. Maybe his resolution to keep it a secret for Lewis had been a bit too strong.

  He quickly led the way to the bathroom, where he pried up the base of the shower to reveal sturdy wooden supports covering a drop of about four feet to dry ground below. He pulled the supports out as well and motioned, and starting with his dad and Terry so they could secure the exit his family began dropping down into the hole and inching along it.

  Matt handed down Aaron and Paul to his mom, then ushered April into the hole after them, holding Henrietta's wire cage with a very ruffled chicken inside. Last of all he kissed Sam and held her tight for a moment, then watched her drop down and begin crawling away.

  Before following he took a last look around the shelter. If the door held and flames didn't spread inside then the worst they'd have to deal with when they returned was smoke damage and airing the place out, assuming they managed to get away safely. And even if the thieves got in and stole everything of value at least his family still had their lives.

  It was hard to be objective about that when they were starving, though: once he was sure everyone was safely away he was going to come back and see if he couldn't make these people regret attacking his home, or if nothing else at least delay them long enough for the others to bring help.

  He dropped into the hole, noting the plumbing pipes that ran along it a short ways to the septic system before the tunnel continued on to whatever exit Lewis had rigged up. In all his time wandering around the place Matt had seen no sign of any exit, but he was sure his friend had found a way to conceal it and still have it be easy to get out of.

  He pulled the supports back into place, then ducked down and pulled the shower base into position over his head.

  Just before finishing the task he paused, though, as he heard a hiss coming from the door. It was getting louder and louder as he listened, and he also heard shouts. Urgent shouts, but not angry or violent. Matt paused, then pushed the shower base back off the hole and climbed out, exiting the bathroom to look at the door.

  The bits of cloth he'd stuffed into the hole had burned away, but instead of black smoke white steam was pouring through. He also saw a few drips of water trickling inside from the crack at the bottom of the door. Hurrying over, he squinted through the highest bullet hole and saw shovelfuls of snow being flung down the ramp onto the smoldering logs in front of the door.

  Matt rushed back to the secret tunnel and poked his head down. “Are you guys still there?” he hissed in a low voice. No answer. He tried yelling louder. Eventually Sam crawled into view, dark hair sprinkled with dirt and a smudge on her nose. In spite of the situation Matt couldn't help but feel a sudden surge of affection, joining with his growing relief to make him laugh.

  Her eyes narrowed, and the look she gave him wasn't exactly affectionate. “What?”

  “If they haven't uncovered the exit yet stop them,” Matt said. “Someone's putting out the fire and it would be good to keep that hidden.”

  * * * * *

  A few minutes later the Larson family was gathered in the bathroom, ready to bolt through the tunnel again if necessary, while Matt stood in front of the door peering out a bullet hole. Even the steam had stopped pouring through the holes, and he didn't have to wait long before several people appeared picking their way over the smoldering logs. Someone began pounding on the metal outside with what sounded like the handle of a shovel. “Matt?” came a familiar voice muffled through the door. “Is everyone all right?”

  Grinning in relief and motioning his family to cover up the secret exit and come out, Matt hurried to the door and threw back the bolts, then unlocked the doorknob and pulled it open. Crammed onto the ramp behind the pile of smoldering logs the Mayor, Chauncey, Ben, and Tam all stood with worried expressions on their faces. “We're all fine,” he assured them.

  Catherine vaulted the extinguished fire and pulled him into a hug. “Oh thank God. When Jane on patrol saw the smoke coming from your shelter we feared the worst. We came as fast as we could, but we were afraid we hadn't put out the fire in time.” She pushed past him to hug his mom and dad, then the rest of the family.

  Matt looked up the ramp to the cleared space between the two hills the shelter occupied. A dozen or so men and women knelt on the ground there surrounded by familiar faces from the town's defenders holding a mixture of rifles and shotguns, warily watching their every move. Off to one side three bodies were stretched out while beside them two injured men complained loudly and were ignored by everyone except Jane, but only because she was guarding them.

  He glanced at Tam, who had a rifle slung over her shoulder and a pistol at her hip. “What happened?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “We surrounded them while they were focused on the door and they almost immediately gave up. Only five of them had guns. As for why they attacked you in the first place, I was hoping you could tell us.”

  “They wanted food,” Matt said. “They seemed to think the entire shelter was stuffed full of provisions.”

  The auburn-haired tomboy gave him an uncomfortable look. “Oh.”

  “What do you mean, “Oh?” Matt demanded.

  Chauncey answered. “None of us have repeated it, of course, but there's been a rumor going around about your shelter. People heard how much stuff Ferris found in there when he cleaned the place out, and a lot of people are speculating that your family moved in there because you'd found more.”

  Well that wasn't exactly untrue. “If we did have any it's almost all gone now,” Matt said. “And we've been stretching it tight to make it last. You can see for yourselves right now if you want.”

  Tam held up her hands. “Hey, we haven't been spreading that rumor!”

  Matt calmed down a bit. “Sorry. I'm still pretty shaken up by the attack. Although it would be nice to know why nobody told me a rumor like that had been going around. If someone had we might've been more prepared for people to attack us.”

  “It's just one of those things that's been going around for months,” Chauncey answered. “Personally I thought nobody would be stupid enough to try to steal from y
ou since you've got that solid door that you keep locked every night. Not to mention you lead the town's defenses and you've got your reputation so you'd be the last one any sane person would want to cross.” He gestured over his shoulder at the subdued attackers. “I never expected anything like this!” Tam and the others within earshot hurriedly agreed, looking a bit shamefaced.

  Matt sighed. He could think of plenty of reasons why nobody would tell him the rumor was going around, but he didn't want to ascribe those sorts of motivations to his friends. More likely they were just afraid the rumors were true and if they mentioned them he'd confirm it. It would be hard not to resent him at that point.

  Either way he couldn't see any benefit from pursuing the matter. Especially not when they'd risked their lives to come help him. “Should we go question the attackers?” he asked.

  He jumped slightly when Catherine came up alongside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Well it's the biggest crime since Razor's attack. I for one would like to know more about what happened.”

  “I need a doctor!” one of the wounded men shouted as they came up the ramp. He was clutching his side, lips drawn back in a snarl of pain. Beside him the other wounded man had torn off the sleeve of his shirt to bind his calf, with blood already soaking through the thin cloth.

  Tam gave them a look of disgust. “You guys know exactly whose house you were attacking. You seriously think the doctor's going to help you after you tried to suffocate his family?”

  Terry made his way up the ramp, rolling up his sleeves. “I couldn't call myself a doctor if I decided to pick and choose the patients I treat. Besides, I suppose if nothing else I should make sure they live to see justice.”

  Matt turned to the man he'd shot through the calf. He'd also been one of those who'd gone with hunting parties. Without much luck it seemed. “You were speaking for your group. You want to tell me why you attacked us?”

  The man gave him a look seething with hatred. “No mystery there. You had food, we were starving. So kill me for trying to feed my wife, and while you're at it you'll probably kill her for coming along with us because we knew we'd have to leave afterwards. She's never hurt a soul.”

  Matt glanced at the handful of women among the attackers, who were all glaring at him resentfully, but directed his question at the spokesman. “Any accomplices?”

  “Aside from the ones you gunned down?” The man glanced at his dead friends, then spat in Matt's direction. “None of this would've happened if you'd just shared what you had.”

  “That's what Ferris claimed, but you'll notice not many people around here seem to agree with that line of thinking after the winter we've just had.”

  Catherine caught his arm and pulled him aside, over near the shipping container shed where they could speak privately. “You're not looking so good, Matt.”

  Matt absently rubbed at the graze on his arm. “Yeah well I just got shot at, smoked out, and I've got to deal with the fact that my family almost died because I let down my guard.”

  “I don't mean that.” She took his forearm, not having to squeeze hard to press against bone. “We thought you were doing the best out of anyone in town but you're skin and bone. I could pick Sam up and tuck her under one arm, the poor dear. And Paul should be a pudgy little scamp.”

  He did his best to control his temper. He was tired, hungry, and still practically shaking from the adrenaline of the attack. “What are you getting at, Madam Mayor?”

  Catherine gave a soft, tired laugh. “Do I look any better? Does Tam? Ben? Even the Watsons with their goats are looking like they've been skipping meals. We've lost 531 people this winter out of a population of 1,282, and we're not even to spring planting yet, let alone harvesting any crops. 9 out of 10 animals in town have been butchered for meat, even pets, and you've heard the same whispers I have about some of the most desperate among the townspeople resorting to something far, far more terrible than eating pets. Things are going to get worse before they get better.”

  Instead of asking her what she was getting at for a second time Matt simply waited. He didn't wait long before Catherine finally got to the point. “I want you to find Trev and Lewis and get any food they have.”

  Matt wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but not that. “You want me to do what?”

  The Mayor gave him an impatient look. “Come on, Matt, I'm sure you've worked this out. Trev and Lewis lost their shelter and everything in it when Ferris confiscated the structure. And then before he left your friend gifted you with hundreds of pounds of food. If the cousins had nothing and were desperate to survive the winter they would've gone after that cache themselves. Since they tossed it away without a second thought that means they have more. Probably lots more.”

  “Which they'll have taken with them to eat over the winter.”

  “Two men, hiking up into the mountains? They couldn't have carried all they had.”

  He wasn't so sure of that. “Even so, you want me to hike up there to find them and ask? Assuming they're even still alive.”

  She looked into his eyes calmly. “I'm sure you don't think those two are dead.”

  Matt hesitated. “Well no, I think if anyone could survive up there they could.” He rallied. “But they trusted me to keep their location secret, along with everything else about them. Besides, I thought you said Aspen Hill was done with confiscating food!”

  The Mayor's expression hardened. “Do you honestly think that's what I intend to do?” she said, sounding almost hurt. “I'm sending you up there to buy the food, Matt! However you can manage it.”

  “But what could we possibly offer them that's more valuable than the food itself these days? You've run into this problem with every single negotiation for livestock you've done on behalf of the town.”

  Catherine threw up her hands in exasperation. “And I've always managed to make the purchase! These are your friends, I trust you can talk them around. Offer them whatever they're willing to accept. We've got ammo, which they'll probably want. Or we can look at it like a loan and offer them future payments of food or other necessities.” She stepped forward and caught his arm. “But we need those supplies, Matt. Whatever they have. We've run out of canaries in the coal mine if even your family is starting to go hungry when you had Trev's cache. Think of Sam.”

  Matt did think of Sam, and constantly worried about taking care of her. But he didn't appreciate the Mayor using that as a point of debate. Sure the plight of the town was some justification, but it still rankled. He sighed. “They've got no reason to love the town. I'm pretty sure they were up in the hills somewhere watching as Anderson directed the group that looted their shelter, and they definitely had to notice how everyone was celebrating their misfortune.”

  “Well we'll just have to make it up to them.” The hand on his arm tightened. “Can you convince them?”

  “To give up all the rest of the food they desperately need for stuff they can do without, or at best a tentative IOU?” Matt shook his head. “I can try. I suppose we don't have many other options.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Reunion

  In a way it was a relief for Matt to head back into the shelter and leave taking care of the attackers to Catherine while he packed up for his trip. If he was gone he wouldn't have to deal with whatever punishment was decided for them.

  The thought may have been a bit selfish, but at the same time they'd attacked his family and Matt felt too close to the issue to be fair and unbiased. Even though he'd taken part in the executions of Razor's captured gang members their crimes had been something that affected the entire town, and in that situation finding unbiased hands to carry out justice would've been impossible so he'd done what was needed.

  Sam wrapped her arms around him when he came back inside, burying her face in his chest in relief now that it was all over, and Matt took a moment to clutch her tight as his own relief swept over him. Arguably the situation had never gotten out of hand as long as they had the escape tunnel, but thing
s could go wrong in any violent situation and he could've ended up losing what was most dear to him.

  Looking down at her eyes, liquid pools of brown in the dim light in the shelter, he felt bad that he had to tell her he needed to leave, and even worse that this time he wasn't about to let her come along. Spring may have been trying to claw its way through winter down here, but up where he was going this sort of weather was still months away. In her condition Sam didn't have the strength to make that trip.

  To be honest he wasn't sure he did either.

  She accepted the news stoically and offered to help him pack, although when he tried to cheer her up by mentioning that the town would be providing provisions for his trip so the family would be able to split his usual share among themselves that didn't seem to help. But if it provided no comfort for her, the thought that she might be getting even a mouthful more each meal of food she desperately needed was a comfort to Matt. He hoped the warm weather came soon so they could start planting.

  They'd nearly finished packing his cold weather gear, weapons and ammo, a hatchet and firestarting gear, and other necessities into a backpack he'd borrowed from the storehouse months ago for patrols when there was a light rap on the open door and Jane and Tom ducked into the shelter.

  Matt left the packing behind and went over to shake their hands. “Thanks for seeing we needed help and calling in the cavalry,” he told the redheaded woman, who simply nodded. He turned to her companion. “How are you, Tom?”

  “Starving,” the older man said with a shrug. “Otherwise can't complain.”

  A somewhat uncomfortable silence fell as everyone waited for the other to say something. Finally Matt glanced back at his backpack. “So, uh, did you need something? I was about to go on a trip for the town.”

  Jane jerked her head at Tom. “That's why we're here. Mayor Tillman wanted someone to go with you and we volunteered.”