Before the meeting came to a close, I stood up and took my turn at the microphone. ‘Good evening everyone.
‘Good evening, Jimmy,’ they replied.
‘I’m not going to take up too much of your time but after the notice that Stewart just gave us, I think now’s the time to ensure that we’re all as prepared as we can be. I know that most of us have managed to get our stockpile to the point where it’ll be able to last for a good year. However, we’ve got some cash left over from collections and I’d love to have some suggestions as to what needs to be purchased. I’ll be making a final shopping trip either today or tomorrow and so it would be great if I could have those suggestions in as soon as possible. There’s paper at the back of the room, so if anything pops in mind while you’re signing up for night watch, feel free to jot it down. If, however, you think of something between tonight and tomorrow, feel free to shoot me a quick email. Thanks guys, and keep safe.’
I was the last person to speak and so, after my few words, everyone rushed to the back of the room. I’d never seen so many people eager to stay awake longer than was normal. However, it was great to see just how enthusiastic everyone was about protecting our community. I spotted Jonathan, who joined our group not too long ago, and was overjoyed to see that we’d have some military skills during night patrol. Rather than joining the line to sign up for night watch, I hung around with mom, dad and Marge, until mostly everyone was gone. Seeing as I needed to collect the shopping list, I needed to hang around until the end anyways.
‘That’s horrific, isn’t it?’ Marge took hold of my hand.
‘Could have been worse. I’m just happy that she’s okay. Sometimes it takes a bad incident to get us all in the right frame of mind,’ I replied.
‘But gosh,’ Marge shook her head, ‘pick on someone your own size. I just find it so pathetic when these so-called criminals take advantage of the weak, you know.’
‘At least now, she knows that we’re all here for her and we all know that it’s time to really start looking out for each other.’
‘I’m not weak,’ dad chimed in, perhaps offended by the fact that I had insinuated that old people are weak.
‘I know you’re not, dad,’ I smiled.
‘I would have shot him right where he stood.’
‘With what gun?’ I chuckled. Dad losing his gun was, by no means, something to find humorous. However, the way he perched himself like a teenager and shot off rounds with his finger guns was a sight to be seen.
‘Damn it,’ he exclaimed. Remembering that his gun had been stolen.
‘I’ve got a weaponry cabinet. Well, not quite. I’ve got a spare gun or two in the safe,’ I whispered. ‘Maybe we can go to the shooting range with these guys.’
Dad nodded, seeming interested in something I had to say for the first time since he’d been in my company. I looked over to the auditorium door to see that the last person was jotting down their name on the list.
‘Okay, let me collect this list and then we can head home.’
I scanned over the list before folding it neatly and placing it in the inside pocket of my jacket.
‘Night,’ I said to Tommy who was standing outside the door, ready to lock up.
‘Night, y’all,’ he replied.
Chapter 6
The economy diminished in a shorter period of time than any of us could have ever imagined. Respectable citizens had rapidly transformed into vultures; posing a threat to whoever crossed their paths. There were no jobs, no laws, no order; just hunger, crime and death. Our Cul De Sac, hadn’t yet become the primary target of those around us but we all knew that time was our worst enemy.
‘You’ve got to speed things up a bit,’ Tommy said, realizing that my hands were by my side rather than smashing glass after glass.
With hardly any barbed wire left, we resorted to securing the grand wall around our Cul De Sac with broken bottles. Stewart and I were responsible for smashing glass and passing it to Tommy who stood on the ladder waiting to scatter the pieces on the surface. We knew that this wouldn’t keep the intruders out. However, if it slowed them down for even a few minutes, then we’d have a slight advantage.
‘I’m trying Tommy,’ I replied, rubbing my hands on my jeans as an attempt to keep them warm.
The weather was, by no means, in our favor and with a hand that already bled from the pain of one too many splinters, breaking glass was a job I no longer wanted to do. Smash. Smash. Smash. One glass bottle after the other was slammed against the cinder block in front of me, sending the pieces in a tub below.
‘Hold up!’ Stewart exclaimed, running to the side of the house and ducking down.
We followed his lead, not knowing why. ‘What is it?’ Tommy demanded.
Stewart’s voice grew softer, ‘don’t look just yet but the guy who broke into Anna’s home is walking in with a group of seven men behind him.’
‘Are you sure it’s him?’ I whispered back.
‘Positive.’
I peeked out from behind the side of the house to see that these men were armed, not only with weapons but also with a pissed off and determined look on their faces.
‘What do we do?’ I asked. ‘Do you think they saw us?’
‘I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like they’re headed in our direction,’ Stewart replied.
It wasn’t common knowledge that our community consisted of as many preppers as it did and thus, I doubted that the guys walking in were headed to just about any house. They seemed to have a purpose and with their guns dangling from their hands I didn’t doubt for a minute that they intended on fulfilling it, regardless of the cost.
Tommy reached into his pants waist and pulled out his 9mm. ‘I’ve got an idea. I don’t know if they saw you guys, but there’s no way they didn’t see me standing on the ladder and they just didn’t care. My guess is that he’s headed back to Anna’s house, so let’s give her a call and tell her to make sure that she locks her doors and hides. We’re also gonna have to call some of the other guys and have them meet us, because as it stands, we’re outnumbered. For now, we need to follow them. We’re gonna have to be quiet, and try to get close enough to grab them before they can even think about attacking.’
‘Got it.’ I replied.
‘Got it.’ Stewart agreed.
We crawled to the left side of the house as the guys turned onto the road leading in the direction that Tommy had predicted. Tommy stuck his head out to ensure that we were safe to make a run for it, before whispering, ‘now’.
We got to our feet, hopped over the fence that stood in between us and took cover behind the next house.
‘Who’s there?’ one of the guys yelled.
‘Shh,’ Tommy pressed his index finger against his lips.
‘Who the fuck is there?’ another voice thundered.
I reached behind me, taking hold of my gun in preparation for the threat I knew we would soon face. I could hear as their boots stomped on the ground, moving closer and closer to us. Then, one of the guys said, ‘let’s split up’ and they all took off in different directions.
‘What do we do?’ I whispered to Tommy, who seemed to have run out of plans.
‘We stay here,’ Stewart answered for him. ‘As soon as one head pops around the corner, we shoot. Of course, the others are gonna come running when they hear the shots so we’ve got to prepare to move fast. Don’t peek out, let them peek in.’
Less than a minute passed and a firework of gunshots sounded through the air. Panic set in as the combination of gunshots and screams rang through my ear. I cocked my gun in preparation for the brave soul who dared to cross my path. Stewart and I took the right side of the wall, with me crouching, and him standing. Tommy guarded the left side of the wall, waiting, just as we all did.
‘Three of them are down,’ my dad’s voice sent me spiraling into a whole new level of terror. He was brave. He knew how to shoot. But he was my dad. He was the last person that I expected or wanted to play the
hero. ‘Where the hell are you cowards?’ his voice came again.
I wanted to get to him, to tell him that he should excuse himself from the chaos and get the hell inside but I knew that would just put the three of us in danger.
‘Shoot,’ boomed another voice that most certainly came from Edward.
We weren’t alone. The fact that we weren’t alone and that some our men had taken matters into their own hands allowed me to feel the slightest amount of relief.
‘I think we should make a run for it,’ Tommy said before sticking his head out to check if it was safe.
‘NO,’ I reached out to pull Tommy back noticing that a gun was pointed directly at him.
Bang- right through his chest. Stewart stepped up to the plate, sinking a few bullets into the shooter’s chest. Tommy’s feet gave up on him and he slowly fell back into my arms.
‘Fuck,’ I wailed. I unzipped Tommy’s jacket. He moaned in pain as I bundled his T-shirt and pressed it firmly against his chest. ‘Get the doctor. Get her now. Fuck, Tommy, stay with us man. Stay with us,’ I said, trying hard to sap away the great deal of blood that poured from his chest. ‘It’s not that bad,’ I lied as his eyes rolled back. His lips parted and a weak cough sent blood and saliva gushing through his mouth.
‘We’ve got all of them,’ I heard my dad pant. ‘You guys can come out now. We’ve got them.’
Moving wasn’t an option for me. My feet were numb from the shock; from the pain of knowing that Tommy was a heartbeat away from death. Edward glanced at us and I could see a tear squeeze itself out of his anger ridden eyes.
‘They fucking shot Tommy,’ he barked. ‘That fucking bastard just shot Tommy,’ he pointed to the dead guy on the floor.
Chapter 7
Ever since Tommy had been killed, more and more intruders tried to make their way in. Our preparation ensured that we kept the majority of them out but not being able to cover each and every inch of the wall allowed one or the other to slither their way onto our turf.
‘Surrender yourself and we won’t hurt you,’ Jonathan cried to the man who could no longer be seen but whose breath fogged the air. ‘It’s hard to hide on such a cold night. We know where you are. Now, get out of there or we’ll be tempted to take action,’ Jonathan threatened.
Realizing that his breath made his position evident, the intruder refrained from breathing. For a few seconds, the clouds of white didn’t hang in the air as they did only a few moments earlier. Outside of the panting of our breaths, there was nothing to be heard. No birds tweeted. No crickets chirped. Just silence. Complete and utter silence only to be ruined by the rattling of the bushes. We’d been chasing this figure for over a half an hour. Three men, Jonathan, Edward and I, were responsible for the east end of the Cul De Sac.
‘I think he’s coming out,’ Edward said in-between catching his breath.
Lo and behold, the chase was finally over. Equipped with flashlights in one hand, and guns in the other, the three of us assumed a ‘ready to attack’ position, waiting for the figure to approach. However, what we saw, wasn’t what we’d anticipated, at least not in my case. We’d been chasing someone tall, someone muscular, someone who wasn’t the boy who stood before us. I looked at the other guys to see if they too, felt as though we’d missed something. The only person whose face- in the darkness- showed the slightest brim of confusion was Edward. Jonathan was ready to attack. Not for a minute did he pull his eyes away from the five-foot-five figure that crept out of the bushes and slowly rose to his feet.
‘I’m…I’m… I’m sorry,’ said a shivering little boy, no older than fourteen years old.
‘Boy,’ Jonathan said in a harsh tone, ‘don’t you realize that in these times, your actions could very well get you killed. Where are your parents?’
The boy’s eyes flirted with the sky which either meant that his parents were now with the stars or that he was trying to avoid the question.
‘Were you alone?’ I chimed in. Not for a moment did I believe that this kid was alone. This was partially due to the fact that I was certain the figure we were chasing was much taller and much wider than the one who stood there now.
‘Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore someone when they’re talking to you,’ Jonathan’s fierce voice rung in my ears.
Jonathan was really intimidating. Not only did he have the size to overpower just about any and everyone he came in contact with, but he also had the voice to match. Hoarse and untamed, he knew just how to instill fear into those who he believed should feel his fury.
‘I wasn’t sir. I just…’
‘Jonathan,’ I interrupted, ‘I’ve got to talk to you for a minute.’
‘Cuff him,’ Jonathan said to Edward before allowing me to pull him to the side.
‘I’m thinking he wasn’t alone. I feel like in the beginning, we were chasing someone much bigger than him and then this kid was used as a diversion.’
‘You think so?’ Jonathan asked puzzled. I could tell that he thought the chances of this happening were low but also that he had no intentions of risking our safety. ‘Well. I guess we’ll just have to find out?’
I could tell, by his tone, that he meant business- though each time he spoke, he did so with a sense of urgency. To our right, Edward had the boy seated on the ground, his hand behind him, secured in handcuffs.
‘What’s your name, son?’ Jonathan perched himself in front of the kid.
His legs were spread slightly apart and he crouched enough to be able to look the boy in his eyes without having to tell him to stand up. Rather than using his hand or fingers to point, Jonathan allowed this job to be done by his gun. I felt intimidated even though I wasn’t the one Jonathan was interrogating.
‘I’m going to ask you two more times,’ Jonathan waved his gun as he spoke. His other hand contained his flashlight which was pointed directly into the boy’s eyes. ‘But after those two times are done, then you won’t be treated like a child. You’ll be treated like an intruder and I’ve got to tell you, that’s not something you want to experience.’
I watched as the boy’s pursed lips parted themselves and it seemed as though he was ready to spill the beans even before Jonathan had asked the question.
‘One. Were you alone?’ Jonathan asked.
The boys lips moved but no words came.
Jonathan didn’t wait. ‘Two. Were you alone?’
Again, the boy didn’t speak.
‘Okay,’ Jonathan grunted before making his way to his feet.
‘Hold on,’ I interrupted, shoving away Jonathan’s hand that was undoubtedly about to grip the boy and show him just how much of a rough time he was in for. ‘I think he’s just scared.’
‘He was brave enough to come looking for trouble,’ Edward spoke. ‘I think it’s about time we make an example of him. They need to learn that our turf is our turf and if they don’t stay away then there’ll be hell to pay.’
‘He’s a kid, Edward,’ I stood in between Jonathan and the boy. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Th- Th- Thomas,’ the boy stuttered.
‘Okay Thomas. You’re going to have to tell us if you were alone. Now, be honest, because as much as I don’t want to see anything happen to you, these two guys are a little bit more pissed off and I won’t be able to protect you if you lie.’
Thomas looked from Edward to Jonathan and then focused on me. His eyes were weak and sad and I just couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Though we’d all refrained from peeking over the other side of the fence to see what was going on outside of our little world that we’d created, there was no doubting that it was worse than chaotic.
Thomas shook his head.
‘So you’re saying that someone else was with you,’ I asked, just to confirm. Again, he nodded. ‘Can you say where this person is now?’ I asked calmly.
Thomas’ eyes filled with tears and then I noticed that he was no longer staring at me. His mouth was dropped wide and he inched backward, as though he wanted to run right
back into the bushes he had crawled out of. I followed his eyes with mine to see that a tall figure was in perfect position to hammer Jonathan over the head with a piece of wood.
‘Duck,’ I yelled to Jonathan, but it was too late.
Edward caught wind of the situation and pulled out his gun before I could reach for mine, pumping two bullets into the guy. On the floor, Jonathan groaned and rubbed the back of his head where the wood had struck him.
Prepper Central: A Prepper Fiction Novel (Prepping - Together we will Survive Book 1) Page 5
