The Event Trilogy (Book 2): The Gospel According to Matthew, Margo & Lance

by Larson, Thomas

  Mom has told me that she is not happy with my going, and that she is worried that I will meet G’s or some group and we’ll be killed. I tried to explain to her that I don’t believe that will happen and that we will be back in time for the spring planting, with Henry gone it will fall on me. Kind of ironic that not only am I planting the seeds for our life with God, I will be planting the seasons for our continued life on Earth

  March 28th

  (Margo) Alarm bell this morning, it was a surprise, we have not had that go off for a while. My first thought was to get out there as quick as possible and just as I almost got to the door I remembered about the Hunters. I tossed on my helmet just in case, Code was coming across toward my cabin, and he did not have his helmet.

  “Hey, where is your helmet?”

  “I am trying to get to it, it is in our cabin”

  “Oh”, I turned and looked inside, grabbed it and tossed it to him.

  “What have we got?” I asked, I was scared.

  “Don’t know.”

  We saw Del running toward the flag pole. We followed. As we came around the corner of the dining hall we saw it, 25 or 30 Zoms.

  “What the….” Exclaimed Code as he drew his sword.

  “Yea, right, looks like early sword drill today,” I answered.

  Between Del, LJ, Langley and the rest we ended the threat quickly.

  “That was weird, we haven’t seen Zoms in months, what happened, why now?” asked the Major.

  I think it was the same thought on everyone’s mind. It was a small horde and we have not seen that, well, ever here at the camp. Why hadn’t we picked up on them sooner, with the cameras and all. Why were they able to get so close.

  After the attack we collected the remains and started to burn them. One of the things that was frightening is that the Zoms were mostly military, looked like National Guard or Army uniforms. After cleaning up, many of us went to the dining hall to talk about it. We all were still on high alert and shaken by this sudden attack.

  E was there with us. “I’m sorry but I don’t know how they got into the area without our knowing it until the last minute. I mean usually the Zoms are moving slowly enough that we had plenty of warning before they hit the fence line. But this is different; I have to look at the playbacks.”

  “I think we need to look at the tracks to see where they came from. It is kind of clear that they aren’t from the Albany area. That means that there may have been another base, or camp somewhere close by. Westover maybe?” tossed out LJ.

  “I doubt they would have traveled that far in this weather, it has been cold, so they have been dormant, I mean it could be that they were on their way and froze up over the winter,” suggested the Major.

  “What should we do?” Asked Teckla, it was clear that her decisive nature was gone.

  “I think we need to get some trackers out and see what we can find.” said LJ.

  Ron looked up, he had been in deep thought, “Why didn’t the Hunters find and kill them?”

  “Major, there are a lot of questions and we need answers, I want to take Code and Margo and go out to do a little looking around.” said Del.

  “I think it is too dangerous, we should stay put!” exclaimed E.

  “No, she is right, we need to get boots out of camp and on recon, we can’t be sure of what is happening”, said Ron, “I should take a team out too, Fred, LJ, you’re with me?

  Both nodded.

  “But the Hunters….” started E.

  “The Hunters are not to be an issue right now, because the horde was not attacked by them. If there were Hunters, they would have been on the Zoms.” said Charlene.

  “I agree, we need to look around,” Matt said with a look that was both distant, and yet resolved.

  “I’ll pack up some rations for you all,” Nick jumped in, “How many of you are going?”

  “I think we start with two teams of three, Code, Del and Margo on one, Ron, Fred and LJ on the other.” Said the Major, he had clearly taken charge of the situation. Del, lead your people and retrace the route that the Zoms followed to get here. Ron, take your people and do a circle about a mile out of camp, see if it shows any other incursions. You should be ready in 30 minutes, which will give you 8 hours of daylight.”

  “Got it,” Del and Ron said in unison.

  “Matt, Mark, you two need to make sure that we are safe in the compound, I have a feeling that we may not be over this all yet.” added the Major. “Stephen, I want to keep you in place here in case we need to make a rescue or extraction. It probably would be safest to do this from the air, but our fuel supplies are not that great, and it may draw unwanted attention if you are up winging about.”

  We got ready and were on the road or path at 8:45.

  “He is unhappy with me for going” said Del.

  “I know, he is worried about you” answered Code.

  “Yeah, so you better get your ass back safely, and that goes for you too Code. We have some things that we all need to do, in the meantime, situational awareness.” I added.

  We were off.

  (Matt) Lord, I have become complacent, I have found that we have been too comfortable in Your bounty and let our guard down. I have focused on the questions and answers that will be out there for me on the pilgrimage and lost sight of the here and now. I have failed my flock. Thank you for that reminder, it will aid me in my quest.

  I spoke with Mom today, after the attack. She isn’t happy with the pilgrimage, yet I am determined that the need is there. My resolve is strong, thank you Lord.

  (Lance) I have failed the camp. We have been so good with the lack of problems, Zoms hitting the wire, I have become lax. I wonder if I am worthy of trying to lead, failing could cost lives, and I have to wonder if that is a burden I want on my shoulders.

  I really don’t, didn’t want Del going out on the recon mission. In my heart I know she had to, but in my heart I also know she has become the center of my world. I …..

  Reviewed the tapes, I have them set up so that they cycle through every 24 hours switching between the two storage systems. The Zoms just showed up, it doesn’t appear that they were led, or were herded, mostly it looks like a random movement. They came from the southeast, so it may be that they are from Westover.

  I need to think and develop more warning systems; I must keep Del and the rest safe.

  March 29th.

  (Matt) I have delivered a sermon today that was on the topic of uncertainty. We have been living in a new world in which the old, much of the old, has been wiped away and that which remains is moving away from us. We have supplies, and foods and fuels, but as time has marched on those things have become less and less plentiful. We need to build, rebuild our place in this world and with Your help Lord, we will. But I need to know, I need to see and feel Your hand guiding me. In camp there is too much noise, too much going on for me to fully hear and grasp what is Your will.

  I told the congregation this morning of my plans to make the pilgrimage. Some received it well, others not so well, some came and talked to me warning of the dangers that frankly I already know about. But this must be done. Thy will must be done.

  (Margo) I was surprised this morning when Matt told us about his plans for a trip into the wilds with Tanya. I can kind of understand it, the clearing the head thing. I am not sure what he will find or how it will help. I guess I kind of think they are nuts.

  Our scouting trip yesterday was pretty uneventful. We followed the trail back about 8 miles. It seems the trail meandered toward us, so it didn’t seem that they had found us or were tracking us, more just they got lucky. It appeared the horde had been there for a while, just standing, frozen in the cold but as the weather improved, they became active. Any earlier tracks had been covered by storms but it would be consistent that they were from maybe Westover. We found a few that had fallen and were stuck, some had army gear, some didn’t. They may have been following the Mass Pike and for some reason changed direction and headed t
oward us. We shared what we found with the Major and The Three, well actually, The Two right now. Ron told them what they had found which was nothing, no tracks, no Zoms, and no Hunters.

  Sunday dinner is usually a kind of fun thing, Nick tries to mix things up a little and make a special or different meal than the usual deer stew / chili / soup thing. He actually broke out some of the stored corn on the cob we had, along with some fish that had been frozen back before Tom had left. He and Frank used to spend time down by the little brook that leads into the pond catching trout. He did kind of an interesting taste to the fish, baking it with goose fat and some herbs and spices.

  “Nice job with dinner tonight” Stephen told him as we were sitting around finishing up an acorn coffee.

  “Thanks, we are trying to use up some of the frozen stuff before it gets much warmer and spoils.” Nick said with a flush of pride. “We try”

  “Well, you should write some of these things down in case…..” Stephen caught himself before he finished the sentence.

  “Actually, I have kept track of some of them and have a little stack of recipes in the event that someone else has to do the cooking someday. But I am not planning to leave the kitchen anytime soon, Grace would kill me.”

  Good save, but still kind of a downer thought.

  Code and I stayed in the cabin tonight, it was comfortable, but it is getting to that time again, so we need to enjoy each other for a bit.

  (Lance) Del is back safely, I worried the entire time. This new world thing has changed me. I would never have worried about someone like that in the past. It was always about me.

  I had an idea while I was here worrying about her. What if I could create some kind of a device that repels or re-routes the path of the Zoms? What I was thinking is a little device, a sort of noise maker that would attract the attention of them, and either keep them busy, or even lead them away from the camp. The problem would be power, I could make a battery powered thing, but batteries are gold, must think.

  March 30th

  (Margo) Kind of a cloudy, overcast day, but warmer, spring is coming, and I can’t wait. I am tired of snow, and cold, and being cold. I want a hot shower more than once a week. Why can’t we be back there, before all this happened, I just wish I would wake up from this nightmare and it would all be like it was. I cried, and Code knows what that means. He tries to help, but really, he can’t, but he is so good about trying.

  (Matt) Tanya and I are almost set for the trip, we have our gear all packed up and ready. We have our tent, sleeping bags and tarps. The packs are full, but we have tried not to travel too heavy, but still, it will be 40 days out there.

  Nick has put together some food for us, some canned stuff, some packages of beans and grains, and some smoked meats. We will have to hunt and gather along the way. Water should not be a big problem for us with the abundance of streams and brooks as well as the snow that is left on the ground.

  As we get closer to the time we are going to set off, I have still not decided in which direction we should travel. I have not had guidance, a hint or sign to lead us. The only direction that seems the most challenging would be to go west, we have to cross the Hudson River, and that would be by the rail bridge, and there may still have a Hunter or two hanging around it.

  The idea of the 40 days comes from the Bible, it is the idea that Moses and the people of Israel were lost in the desert for 40 years, we will be lost for 40 days. I believe that He will give us manna along the way and lead us to an understanding of how we get to the sort of Promised Land of understanding His way and will.

  Mom is doing okay but she is still not happy with us going. I know that she is fearful of losing more loved ones, but it is our destiny, our duty to do this. It is her love that wants to protect me and my love for her and the group that makes this pilgrimage so important.

  March 31st

  (Lance) I’m still racking my brain on this warning system. How can I make it safer? We have things in place, but I want to do more. I approached The Three about getting some batteries for devices but they won’t go for it, and I can understand it. What I was thinking will only go so far and really does not add all that much to the perimeter distance. I must think this through.

  (Matt) We leave tomorrow morning, and I have yet to find guidance on direction. Any direction that we take we will eventually run into a larger city and in doing so face potential radiation issues maybe. I have to talk with Lance about that. My gut tells me to go south, toward New York City but we shall see, I place his in Your hands Lord.

  (Margo) Cramps!

  April 1st

  (Matt) I had a dream last night. I felt that You were talking to me, about this trip, this pilgrimage. All roads lead to Rome was the message. What has most gotten to me is the idea that You want me to go to Rome. At first, this bothered me because Rome was the place where Catholicism has been based. But to cross the ocean and well, that just cannot happen, even with the help of the Navy. But as I saw the Rome you showed me in my dream, at first, from a distance I felt it was an ancient Rome, the seven hills. But as we neared, I saw that it was not, it was a small contemporary city. I understood, we are to go west, not south, there was where we will find our answer.

  We left this morning and headed toward the Menard Bridge; it will get us across the river and into the Albany area. We were going to hike it, but I am excited about the message and have accepted the ride offered by Mark and Michelle. It will move us a day ahead in our trip, and it will give me a chance to visit with my brother before we make this journey.

  He and I shared the time and spoke about the past, about growing up, and where we have come from. When we reached the bridge we stopped for few minutes and in an awkward way said our goodbyes. I knew I would be back, I knew that this is what was to be done. I am not so sure that he believed it. We have seen so many terrible things, such pain and suffering. I think that truth number one is simply that there will be suffering.

  As we reached the far end of the bridge we stopped, and waved to them one last time. We were on our way and had miles to go today before we could stop and rest for the evening. Lord, thank you for this first day, and for the first truth.

  We crossed over the north side of Albany by the end of the day and found a place to stay the night, somewhere safe. During the walk we found a number of Zoms, no wait, I need to talk differently about them, more respectfully; it was not their fault that they have been victims of this illness. I must remember that they are changed. Perhaps that is a better way to refer to them.

  We found a small Henny Penny just west of the city, it is clear of the ‘Changed’, and we were able to secure it, so we can spend the night here. We can stay in the little office area and close the door to prevent wandering eyes, if there are any out here.

  There was little in the store that was edible, it had been emptied long ago. We are not so desperate that the dog food is on our table yet.

  (Margo) Matt and Tanya left this morning; Mark gave them a ride to the river. In a way, I envy them, getting out of camp, and on an adventure. But it is not something I am ready to do. Perhaps someday, Code and Del and I will do something like that. It might be kind of cool.

  We did our run this morning, and also did a little sword work. E was a little strange at breakfast this morning. He seems to have a bee in his bonnet over something. He tends to get that way every once and a while. He is working on something, and when it gets to be time he will tell us. We could probably help him with it, and in the end, we usually do have to go out and find the things he needs to make his latest creation work.

  Still feeling kind of icky, Auntie Flo and all, but not as bad as yesterday.

  (Lance) Matt and Tanya left this morning, I was surprised that they took the ride from Mark. I thought this was a spiritual pilgrimage and it was more about the walk. I am not sure I get all that, it just seems to me that one could gain more from a book, or a teacher of some sort, just wandering around unguided, makes no sense to me. I wonder if t
hey will like meet Jesus or Buddha on the road.

  Still thinking about the ways I can shore up the early warning systems without some of the resources I would like to have. Power is an issue, portable power that is, we have the solar and wind thing going on and that takes care of the stable stuff, but we have limits on range and the amount of electricity that is available.

  Our fuel (propane) situation is not so great either; we need to look for a source there too. I guess we could switch to wood, a little low tech, but that is another thing I need to consider. I wish Ethan was still around; he had some good ideas, and was more of a bookworm that I am. I miss him.

  April 2nd

  (Margo)What an awesome day, it was warm, like in the low 50s and the sun is out. A couple more days like this and the snow will be gone. I am so waiting for spring. Now that I think of it, the snow was heavier this year than last, and it seems to be staying longer.

  Anyway, we did a little run this morning, and some sword stuff.

  One of the things that has happened when we lost Frank, Henry and Joseph is that there is a gap in things getting done. I never realized how much those three, and throw in Matt, did to keep this place up and running. It was little things, okay, some not so little, like the propane issue. If Frank was still around he might be looking into finding another propane truck, or Henry and Matt would be planning to get the fields ready. There are many things that we will have to look at and find a way through, and that is the job of The Three.

  I forgot to say, the new Three. Charlene is now the President, Grace is now the VP and Ron is the Prime Minister. They have spent the morning working on getting up to speed. The Major, Lance, and Mark have been in there with them also figuring out what we need to look at doing to keep the place running smoothly.

  Code, Del, and I are sure to see some changes in our routine, I think that we will be out doing some scouting and scavenging shortly. Since the Hunters showed up, and we split up, and all the things that happened, we have been out of the routine of the way we did things. This could be bad, but at least we are not mid-winter.