Surviving Day by Day (Book 3): Still They Come

by Allensworth, Audra

  Niz let the screen door close, turned to the girls, “Do you have a pair of binoculars? I don’t want to worry you but we’re being watched…”

  Chapter 3 – Hills Have Eyes

  Charlie took a step back and motioned for Billy to follow him. Tonto actually crouched down and backed up slowly. Billy’s eyes went wide as he whispered to Charlie, “Holy shit dude did you teach him that?”

  Charlie shook his head, “Naw, I told you, that’s Alden dog. He was trained in the army and has been with Alden for a long, long time.”

  Charlie slowly opened the back door to the barn and they all slipped in. Ceara was sitting in one of the empty stalls playing with the puppies. Looking up, she started to squeal, “HI Char....” Charlie quickly put his hand over her mouth and placed a finger over his lips.

  Ceara stopped and looked at him letting him know she understood. As Charlie let her loose she whispered, “What’s up? Wanderers?”

  Both men shook their heads no. Tonto had moved to the front of the barn and was looking out the main door which was slightly ajar.

  Charlie walked to one of the saddles hanging on a rail and pulled an old Winchester 30-30. Handing it to Billy, “It’s not binoculars, but it does have a real nice scope on it.”

  Billy smiled, “That’ll do.” Billy moved to the main door and lay down in the dirt. He looked to Charlie, “Can you get Tonto to move so I can get a good look?”

  Charlie looked at Ceara and she smiled back, “Go ahead, you’ve seen him do it enough times.”

  Charlie snapped his fingers twice. Tonto’s head turned to him. Charlie snapped again and pointed to his feet. Tonto took one last look out the door then turned and walked over sitting right next to Charlie.

  Billy watched as Tonto walked over to Charlie. Shaking his head, Billy turned his attention back out the door. Billy needed to scan the hills in the distance. Since they had moved, he was no longer getting the glint from whatever the others were using. Suddenly a small flock of birds took flight and Billy started to scan the area.

  “Bingo.” He said quietly. “I got one moving along some rocks..... two more ducking up and down like jack in the boxes. The guy moving is the one with one of those old spyglass telescopes; the other two have rifles but no scopes.”

  Billy scanned a little more than whistled, “Well now what do we have here? Our visitors have a four wheeler and one dirt bike.”

  Charlie looked at Ceara, “More fucking bikers, damn it.”

  *************************************************************

  Tabitha walked over to the back door and looked outside. The leaves were barely moving but the sun was out in full force. “Sure Niz, I have a pair, they are in my room.” Beth turned and quickly went to go get them. Once she retrieved them, Beth came back in and handed them to Niz...

  Quickly Niz walked over beside Tabitha and began focusing the binoculars so that she could hone in on what she was seeing. “Bingo!” Niz pointed with her index finger then handed the binoculars over to Tabitha. “Look straight ahead up in the hills. Do you see where the sun is?”

  Tabitha nodded her head which indicated that she did indeed see the sun. “Now follow it over about five or so feet.... You see the light reflecting off the mirror of a bike of some sorts?” asked Niz very calmly and quietly.

  Tabitha didn’t see it right away but as soon as some birds moved above where she was looking, she lowered them just a tad and that was when she saw the light flicker again. “Yep and it looks like there is less than a handful right now but we don’t know that for sure. They could be scouts …. finding out what we are all about, what we are doing and most importantly what we have that they could take.” Giving the binoculars over to Beth, Tabitha walked over and retrieved her cross bow along with her hunting knife. “I don’t know what is worse..... damn zombies or rotten people trying to harm people like us.”

  Beth looked out up at the hills and saw exactly what both ladies had seen. Tabitha was gearing up and that was when Niz began speaking, “Now let’s remain calm. If we got out there and look like we are getting ready for a battle, I think that will do us more harm than good.”

  Tabitha smiled slightly, “I am not going out there looking to start war but more like to freaking finish it.”

  Beth grabbed her gun then placed it in her front waistband. “Ok now Tabitha, remember what we just talked about? Planning and thinking before acting..... we can’t afford to make any more unnecessary mistakes.”

  Tabitha stood up as though she had just been hit by lightning. “You're right … I am sorry but what the fuck are we going to do?”

  Niz chuckled. She then looked over her shoulder at Beth and finally ending up answering Tabitha’s question, “We will go out the back door then head on over to the barn as though we are going to go see what the rest of the guys are doing. We will calmly tell them what we have seen. There is no need to alarm anyone right now. We have to stay calm because those people up there are scared, probably hungry and those two things alone will bring a man to do harmful things that he may or may not regret later.”

  After they had gathered their equipment, they all went out the back door making their way to the barn.

  Once they had all gotten inside the barn, Tabitha was quick to notice how Tonto was. The hair on his back was standing straight up as he was sitting like a statue. “I think the guys already know.....”, whispered Tabitha to the others.

  Ceara heard Tabitha and moved over to her, “Yeah, the guys saw them; sounds like you guys did too. I just don’t understand why they are there now? Do you think it’s just a coincidence that when we have someone leave that they are now making some kind of move?”

  Charlie looked to Ceara, “I don’t think that is any coincidence, I think they will see us as weaker now, but we have to wait to see if they make a move.”

  Ceara started to join Charlie but tripped over one of the puppies, “Damn it guys, you got to learn there is a time for play and a time to stay out of the way!”

  She got up brushing herself off and joined Charlie, “But they are going to realize we know they are there if we stay hidden in here, right?”

  Charlie glanced at Billy, “You think she’s right?”

  Niz didn’t give Billy time to answer, “Yes, she’s right but that could play to our advantage but this is your camp so you guys make the choice. Here is how I see it possibly playing out. If we stay in here we have blind spots. That would allow them to sneak up on us. We don’t know that they are bad or not. They could just be watching to make sure we aren’t bad. So we could offer up a white flag.”

  At that statement, both Charlie and Tabitha made a sound that could only mean ‘fat chance.’ Tabitha moved forward, “Niz, I know you don’t know Alden but we do, we hold up a white flag and it might as well be a red flag in front of a bull to that man.”

  Niz gave a small laugh, “Well, we could do an envoy, meet them in the middle to talk?”

  Charlie shook his head, “Nope, that just gives them the chance to take a couple of us out easily.”

  Niz shook her head, “Ok, then you guys throw out some ideas.”

  Charlie smiled, “Well, I don’t like being pinned down in here, so I say we go out back. I’ll saddle a horse and go straight back where our little spies can’t see me, then cut to the east to go find Alden and Colt.”

  Billy smiled, “I like that idea, until then, you girls act normal... hang out clothes or things. Make it seem like we never saw them. I will go with Charlie to lead the way.”

  Charlie shook his head, “Close but not good enough.” They all looked at him. “I agree someone needs to go get Alden, and maybe some extra help, but I don’t like leaving the girls here alone.” He glanced at the women, “No offense.”

  Tabitha smiled, “None taken. So what then?’

  Charlie looked at Billy, “You know the way, so you take a horse out the back of the barn and when you're clear and out of their line of sight you go for help. Tabitha you and the gir
ls go on back out.”

  He looked around and found an old wicker basket and some old rags. Putting the rags in the basket he placed the puppies in on top and handed it to Beth.

  “You guys take this and go back out then act normal or whatever. Ceara and I will move to the loft and hopefully we can get a bead on you and cover you till help gets here. Assuming that you three are the only ones they saw. This gives us the edge.”

  Tabitha smiled at Charlie, “Damn, you think like him more and more everyday”

  Charlie looked at her, “Like who?”

  Ceara smacked his arm, “Alden, you dumbass.” She laughed and looked at Tabitha, “We only have the one rifle.”

  Beth handed Ceara the pistol, “I’ll try to sneak another one in here in a little bit.”

  After throwing her crossbow over her back, Tabitha looked to Beth, “I think right now it’d be best that we conserve our ammo until we know what is going on.” Looking around at the hills Tabitha continued, “I know I wasn’t thinking before, but I am now and if we bring out any other pistols, guns or even worse our supply of ammunition, then that is kind of pinning a bull’s-eye on our asses.”

  Beth smirked, “You’re right there. We must think about not only protecting ours but theirs as well. I know that the Indians have had this ground for centuries or that was what I read while in college and after seeing what we have all seen... history books are not far from the truth. Therefore we keep our ears and eyes open. If we need to defend ourselves, we go hand to hand and try not to use firepower.”

  Tabitha shook her head then continued, “I didn’t say we don’t use it, I just meant I don’t know how much these creeps have seen. Hell for all we know they might think we are fully locked and loaded and I don’t want to give them any further information that they don’t already know.”

  Niz smiled from ear to ear, “Now you’re thinking Tabitha, and to be very honest with you.... your mind is the most dangerous weapon that we have working for us. However, remember this..... with an up, there is a down and with a right, there is a left, so putting it simple... it is better to teach your mind to work for you then to have it work against you.”

  Standing still, Beth kept looking out at the hills. She knew they had to stay put but not knowing what those other people’s intentions were, just made her a bit more nervous.

  Tabitha continued speaking but in a casual voice, “Ceara, they are watching us and even if they are not, it is best that we think they are. We need to act as if nothing has changed or lead our visitors to think that we have no idea that we do know.”

  Ceara shook her head then looked at the basket of pups in Beth’s arms. One of them was jumping up on the edge of the basket and Tabitha quickly picked up the little pup.

  “Hey there!!” Petting the puppy calmed Tabitha down and when she finally raised the pup to meet her eyes he began licking her nose. Tabitha giggled, “Just like a man!”

  Ceara reached over and picked up her little guy and started loving him too. Niz sat down on one a stool. She was kind of curious about the relationship between Ceara and Tabitha. She could feel the tension between them, and Niz felt like giving some advice to hopefully help with their loss.

  Normally she kept her thoughts about passing of loved ones to herself but with the world the way it was now, Niz knew that if there was any tension between the girls that this too could lead to a mistake which could hurt all of them.

  “You know members of our tribe have passed on to the other world well before any of this going on. Missing them sometimes is the hardest thing that I have to put myself through.”

  Ceara held the puppy and thought of Maximus. How she missed him so much and would've traded anything to have him back.

  A tear came down Ceara’s face, “I loved Max. He was a good dog and tried so hard to protect the members of his camp. Sadly though, he wasn’t able to.”

  Tabitha didn’t like where this was going at all but decided to listen instead of reacting and that right there was a feat in and of itself because all she wanted to do was drop the pup and go to the hills.

  Niz continued speaking to both of the ladies but she knew from Tabitha’s expression that it was not a good thing so she tried a different approach, “We lost so many, dogs, friends, families, old timers...... boyfriends..... it doesn’t matter what type of loss it was ….. loss is loss and there isn’t any other way to get around it.”

  Tabitha still holding her pup suddenly and softly spoke up, “Heath was trying so hard to save Max and everyone else that was involved. Maybe if I would have not jumped out of the truck the way that I did ….maybe things would be been different now.”

  Niz smiled and from that moment on, she knew exactly what to say and how to say it.

  “Did Heath have family and friends that he lost, Tabitha?”

  Tabitha nodded her head slightly, “He had a son, he didn’t think that he survived. We did talk about it a little but not much, cause it just hurt him too much and I didn’t want to see him in pain.”

  “Well let’s say his son was attacked..... Something we don’t like to think about but if he was, then you have to have faith that they both are with the Great Spirit and are not having to find food, look for shelter and even worry about those onlookers that we have up there right now watching us.”

  Ceara looked at her puppy then looked over to Tabitha, “I am so sorry Tabitha, it was my dog that he was trying to rescue. If I could take all of my actions and words back that caused harm to you; I hope you know I would in a heartbeat.”

  Tabitha really had never been on this side of an apology before and really didn’t know what to say. A few seconds passed then Tabitha continued with a held in sobbing cry, “It is what it is, Red and right now I just am still numb about the whole situation.”

  Tabitha looked over at Niz then realized that she may have sounded a little cold. “Ceara...... thanks...I will continue to keep trying and thinking before I act because if I would've done just one thing different then maybe we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.”

  Niz stood up, smiled at both of the ladies, “Our Forefathers always said that life is too short and too precious to waste over sorts of things that cause walls to go up. Sure it is easy to put up that wall but it is a lot more work to take it down. You all are great people and together we will work through this and hopefully survive to tell our children's children.”

  ************************************************************

  Up on the hill, four men were watching the scene below. One had stayed back watching the bikes and smoking a joint while the others moved forward to get a better look. They all had colorful nicknames. Dogbreath, was the biggest and leader of the group standing over six foot four and weighing around three hundred pounds. He wore the typical biker outfit of blue jeans and a torn black Harley Davidson tee shirt. The leather vest had held a patch from another club but it was long gone. Some of the others said it was a Hell’s Angel Patch but Dogbreath wouldn’t say and no one wanted to ask.

  Next was O’Griff, a six foot two black man who carried an Irish shillelagh; a three and a half foot stick, with a steel skull on top. He had said he belonged to the now defunct Black Panthers. The Panthers had tried to form a resistance against the infected but they soon found out that their gangland style of fighting was of no use. A bite here and scratch there soon dwindled their numbers. They disbanded and left the city.

  Lefty and Ponch, a pair of brothers, who showed up with a truck lot of supplies. Rifles, ammo, water and two old crack whores which the biker gang took as show of good faith. The two men were of average height and weight, six foot and around two hundred forty pounds. Even with the scarcity of beer, the two men had not lost their protruding bellies. None of the four were in great physical shape. They had brute strength but no endurance.

  Lefty had moved down the rocks with his spyglass. Whispering back to O’Griff and Dogbreath, “This is a gold mine. There are two semi-trailers. I see a barn and only three wom
en.”

  Dogbreath kept popping his head up over some rocks trying to get a look but couldn’t see much more than layout of the house barn and the trailers. “You sure there ain’t no men, I mean shit I can’t believe three women would be able to survive this long without help.”

  O’Griff was looking on from another set of rocks with a cheap set of toy binoculars. He saw Tabitha walking into the barn and blew a shallow whistle out, “Damn I’d like to take a few turns on that sweet ass.”

  Dogbreath tried to get a glimpse but could only make out the three women. Without binoculars he couldn’t see much. “I don’t know Bro, remember those guys who hit the Mormon camp, they thought that was going to be easy,”

  O’Griff chuckled, “Yeah they didn’t do good at all. Lost fingers and their nuts were cut off and fed to the geeks. Hell the whores won’t even go near them now.”

  Dogbreath looked at him then over to Lefty. “You wait here, me and Griff will go back and get some more guys.”

  Lefty nodded at them. As the two reached the bikes, they found Poncho half asleep on the ground laying back on a rock with the joint hanging out of his mouth. Dogbreath kicked his feet then slapped his head, “Wake your ass lazy ass up, fuckwad. We could have had geeks on us and you’d been sitting here with your thumb up your ass.”

  “OWW” Poncho cried out as he jumped up quickly, “What the fucks wrong with you?! I was catching a siesta while you all were up there watching pussy on parade.”

  O’Griff smacked him on his leg with the shillelagh “You ought to be glad we didn't just shank your puny ass. You keep your punk ass awake while we go back and get some help.”

  Dogbreath and O’Griff pushed their big bikes down the hill for a ways then started and rode off toward their camp.

  *************************************************************

  Billy had snuck the horse out of the back of the barn; he stayed low in the ravines till he was sure he was out of sight of the hills. Mounting up, he began to ride quickly back to his own people. The trip would be less than two hours at a gallop. He never heard the first shot as the bullet tore into his right arm. He felt the sting of the bullet as it grazed him cutting a chunk of flesh out.