It was not wise to stay outside and all of them knew that. Carter and a small team were sent on another errand for the group. Seeing them drive away, the Colonel knew that he could count on his right hand to find them a place and keep them ready for the morning and the battle that loomed.
Revenge would just have to wait another day. Whittier wasn’t a big city or even a big town. There were only so many places to hide. The Colonel would have his vengeance. He swore that to himself.
Chapter 40
“William, you know it’s the right thing to do,” stated Neil emphatically. “I just wish we had some wheels. Never know when we’re gonna hafta’ haul ass outta trouble.”
William knew it was the right thing to do, but he didn’t relish the thought of going back out away from his home. He woke that morning startled and disoriented from a dream about death, dying, and running. He hadn’t been able to shake the feeling in the hours since. He was edgy and jumpy already. Neil bringing up his plan and suggestion had heightened his stress. He also agreed with Neil’s assessment about their need for a vehicle.
Ignoring the first half of Neil’s comment, William answered the second, “Sorry. My truck is stuck back in Whittier where we got caught up. My other two trucks are down at the docks. I’m recently carless I guess.”
The balance of Neil’s suggestion was still hanging in the air unanswered. Neil thought it wise to go to each of the homes in Shotgun Cove, even the unfinished construction sites here and there, to warn everyone they could find and maybe even gather people and supplies into fewer locations. William knew that most of the residents of Shotgun Cove would likely defend their own homes in favor of gathering themselves. Trying to convince the other lodge owners to move in together would likely be a doomed proposal, but William did think that suggesting working and communicating with one another was in everyone’s best interest. His neighbors deserved a fighting chance.
He consented to Neil with a nod and it was decided. Now the question was who would go? Obviously, William needed to go, which was exactly what he didn’t want to do. Neil was already getting his gear together assuming he would be going too.
“Danny,” Neil called.
The boy ran from the kitchen where he was nibbling some toast and stopped next to Neil. “Yeah?”
Danny was always excited to be included in the grownup plans that Neil envisioned. He stood there waiting on the balls of his feet like he was ready to jump.
“Danny, I need you to stay here up on the balcony with Jerry and keep an eye on things for us. Okay?”
Danny had thought that maybe he would be part of the group going out into Shotgun Cove, excited to get a chance to prove himself. He should have known better. He was still thought of as just a kid by everyone, including Neil. Danny knew that he was ready. He didn’t let his disappointment show too terribly bad. He kept it together and nodded to Neil, remembering that he would be able to hang on to the rifle he had been handed recently. He was told it was a Mini-14 but he only knew it was the coolest thing he’d ever had in his hands. He was eager to get up to his post.
He walked confidently and casually to where the rifle was leaning. His head nearly swooned when he picked up the gun. Its stock was already folded on the rear of the gun, helping to make its length much more manageable for his shorter arms. With his back still to the room to avoid any questioning eyes, Danny slipped the rifle’s strap over his shoulder and then stepped away.
Neil said to everyone else, “William and I will need two more.”
Emma was already picking up her rifle and throwing on her coat. She motioned to Neil with her chin to let him know she was going. When Jess walked forward and put on her coat as well, everyone was a bit surprised.
Jess could sense the looks. “What the hell are you all lookin’ at? I got balls too.” She looked at Neil and said jokingly, “Bros before hos,” and laughed at him. Jess slipped her pistol, an intimidating forty-five caliber Glock, into her pocket and tightened her boot laces.
Emma found another rifle leaning against the wall. It was a vintage Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle, the bigger brother to the one that Danny was using. It was a beautiful firearm with a dark hardwood stock and finely greased and polished action and barrel. Emma wasn’t a “gun” person necessarily, but she did recognize how well kept and cared for the rifle had been. It was obvious that it had held some significance for its previous owner, the care and attention lavished upon it.
They had two long clips of ammunition for it with twenty rounds each and two short box clips holding ten rounds each in addition to what was already in the gun. Emma hoped they wouldn’t need any of it but also realized the world was becoming increasingly more dangerous and having the guns sometimes made the difference between living and dying. She handed the rifle and the extra ammunition to Jess and asked, “Do you know how to reload this?”
Jess looked at the rifle and asked, “Is this the release?”
Emma nodded. Jess knew how to handle herself and just hadn’t been given much opportunity to show it yet. Emma could see a strength in the other woman that many lacked. Jess had vowed that she would find her daughter who’d been out on the ocean fishing when all of the troubles began. She carried a picture of her daughter with her and had it in her hands during most peaceful moments the way some would hold a Bible. Emma typically dismissed vows of that nature as merely talk. With Jess though, Emma thought that perhaps she was one person capable of fulfilling her sacred promise to herself. Emma was glad Jess was going with them today.
Jules and Nikki were playing school in the other room. Actually, Jules was playing school and Nikki was just sitting quietly in a chair with a blank piece of paper in front of her. She watched Jules move about and didn’t resist joining Jules for the game, but she was decidedly not participating. Jules, acting as the teacher, had a dry erase board and set of markers William had given her. Her patience with Nikki was stretched but she continued her lessons for the “other” students in the room.
Jules could hear the discussion and knew that something was afoot. She didn’t see much point in involving herself in the grownup decisions that were happening whether she was in the room or not. Danny was very different from her in that regard. Jules was perfectly content being a passenger through all of the strife while Danny wanted to contribute. Meanwhile, there was an important lesson about the alphabet she was teaching to Nikki and three stuffed bears she found in a closet.
The group of four adults left for the lodge, and Danielle decided to stay downstairs near the two girls as they played. She didn’t try and play the hovering parent, but she was certain to keep the girls’ voices within earshot. It just made good sense to keep close to the littlest and most vulnerable in their group, even if they were in a relatively safe and secure lodge. William’s home was solidly built, with most of the windows above arms’ reach from the ground below. This was to discourage unwanted visitors like burglars and, of course, curious or possibly hungry bears. He wanted his guests to be able to see the bears but not find themselves on the menu. Danielle and the others felt safe in his home but there was no point in becoming complacent.
Danielle also thought it a good idea to keep her distance from Jerry. It was likely just the circumstances in which she was finding herself, but she couldn’t deny her attraction to him. She knew she was older than him but she didn’t know by how much. She wasn’t feeling like an infatuated teenager, wanting to write his name on her notebook or anything like that. She was, however, wanting to be in his presence more and more, and finding ways to make that happen. This was largely happening without her realizing it at first, but when she did she thought it best if she made a conscious effort to maintain some distance.
Danielle didn’t know Jerry at all and had only met him a couple of days earlier. He was brave and smart and had Neil’s respect, which meant quite a bit to everyone else. Jerry was also kind and caring, clearly concerned about the welfare of the children with them, especially Jules and Danny. He was ve
ry protective of them. While analyzing her feelings and their origins, Danielle found herself again longing to be near Jerry.
“Jesus girl, you need to get a handle on yourself,” she said aloud, reminding herself of her mockingly reproachful older brother who used to say that to her when she was twitter-pated as a much younger girl. Seeing her brother’s face in her memory following her comment surprised Danielle. His smile was as bright as the spring sun. In that instant, she missed him more than she ever had. She missed him enough to solicit a sorrowful sigh and a few silent tears.
When they were waiting in the boat harbor for William and Neil to come back with Serenity, Danielle had the time to look around a bit. Through the tightly packed crowd of boats she thought she could see her brother’s very small boat still moored between two much larger craft, though she couldn’t see it clearly enough to be certain. It had been a couple of summers since the last time she had been on it, but she was pretty sure the little wooden boat with peeling white and green paint was his.
He’d always planned to paint it, get a new motor for it, reupholster the seats, and a dozen other projects which needed to be done to the boat. There was always something else that took priority. Regardless of the fact that his was the smallest and the ugliest boat in the Sound, her brother loved his boat and proudly motored her out to chase fish every summer.
She tried to remind herself that he would have been in Whittier regardless, but on that particular day when all the troubles began, he had been waiting for Danielle and her new friend Kameron to arrive to be taken out on a fishing adventure. Through the past few weeks, she had run the gamut of regret and responsibility. She had even entertained the possibility that he had gotten out on the water and saved himself. It was a fantasy that was rocked and discarded when she spied the worn corner of the little boat bobbing up a down on the water.
In a macabre series of thoughts, she wondered if he had been on the dock waiting for her, not wanting to depart and leave his little sister to the chaos that was consuming the little town. Did he fight? Did he suffer? Rubbing the tears from her eyes for the thousandth time, Danielle hoped and prayed that his death had come quickly and that he was not now one of those things stalking Whittier’s streets and piers.
Chapter 41
Shotgun Cove, still in its infancy, was more a small network of roads than it was a community. There were partially cleared lots awaiting construction to begin and other locations at which building had begun but was halted.
Walking along the newly paved roads, as black and unused as night sky, Emma became poignantly aware of this fact. The roads were flanked on either side by ranks of trees which sat in many places only a little more than arm’s length beyond the pavement. She felt like she was traversing a well-lit tunnel, although the morning sun was still patiently waiting beyond a cloudbank which threatened more snow.
The air was cool and moist, nipping at Emma’s cheeks and ears. The crisp bite also raised her awareness. It was deathly quiet, not so much as a chirping bird or even the wind was adding voice to the day.
It was a fairly short walk to Gordon’s home where Emma and Jess were introduced to Betsy and Mia. Betsy, ever the happy homemaker, had made some biscotti to go along with the freshly brewed coffee.
Emma was taken aback at the oblivious behaviors of her hosts, drinking coffee and eating biscuits like it was just another lazy day. They acted like they had no clue about what was happening all around them. Emma hoped their wishful and delusional thinking would not come back to haunt them.
Gordon was adamant about accompanying them on their field trip. He said that a morning walk would do his legs some good. He needed to get out and stay active; doctor’s orders.
Emma had finally heard enough. She shook her head and stifled a disgusted chuckle in her chest. “Do you people not get what’s going on here? People you know...people everywhere...they’re dead and some are even worse. Gordon, we’re not just going for a walk. You sit here and act like the world hasn’t come to an end and it’s going to cost you. Look around this place for God’s sake. You haven’t boarded up your windows. You haven’t brought in your firewood. You haven’t done anything to prepare for what’s coming. Don’t you get it?”
She was on the verge of bursting into angry tears but grabbed her rifle and went back out onto the front porch. She looked around for a moment, hearing some muffled voices from the other side of the door. Then, without warning, she began to giggle at herself. Her tears were filling her eyes but she couldn’t help the smile that spread on her face too. She thought about all she had just said to them and thought with a chuckle that she was channeling Neil. Those were all things he had ingrained into them whenever they found a temporary refuge. It was funny to hear herself barking the same instructions in virtually the same voice he used.
Neil was the next person through the door. He saw her laughing and crying at the same time, which stopped him in his tracks. Emma knew men’s inability to deal with a woman’s emotions and saw a very familiar look in Neil’s eyes. That made her laugh even more. She wiped away the tears and smiled at him through her laughter.
Surprising both Neil and herself, she stepped toward him and wrapped herself around him in a warm embrace. Getting herself under control, she whispered, “Thank you, Neil. Thank you for so much I can’t even begin to say.” She wiped away the few tears remaining in her eyes onto Neil’s collar and snuggled herself tighter into his warmth.
He had no idea for what he was being thanked. He was coming out to make certain she was okay. It had been quite some time since Emma had melted down emotionally like she just had with their new acquaintances. He was worried about her, but now felt more concerned for himself.
Emma was right in her assessment of his capability to understand women. Her behavior caught him completely off guard. He hugged her but wasn’t sure why. Emma was always so distant with him and everyone else. She was a closed book most of the time, only allowing contempt and anger to boil to the surface and then only rarely. She was always quick with a comment or an opinion, but those things were merely skin deep. She was strong and intelligent but stubborn as well, which often complicated her relationships with others.
Other than when Neil had to pull her away from their friend Dr. Caldwell when her emotions spilled out of her unchecked, Neil had never seen Emma so exposed. He found himself happily surprised but still immensely befuddled.
Neil’s confused moment was thankfully interrupted by the appearance of everyone else onto the porch.
William looked away in embarrassment. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Believe me,” Emma said, “you weren’t. Sorry about blowing up in there.”
With his eyes still turned away, William said, “Betsy and Mia are going to head back to my place and wait there for us. It’s safer and probably wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t said something.” He looked at Gordon, who reluctantly nodded. Everyone knew he was less than thrilled with the idea of abandoning his house. It simply made sense.
It was decided that Betsy and Mia would load supplies into Gordon’s old Jeep Grand Cherokee and drive themselves over to William’s. Gordon had some more hunting rifles, ammunition, and quite a bit of food to share but they wouldn’t be able to take it all. The two ladies hid what they weren’t able to take with them and then packed the back of the Jeep full.
Gordon, driving the rest of them in his new Land Rover courtesy of the late Norman Kellogg, watched forlornly in his rearview mirror as he drove away. Betsy was strong in her own way, but Gordon worried about her. She was so quiet and removed from everyone else’s world. When she was working in her shop, the rest of existence could melt away and she wouldn’t notice. She was strong but she wasn’t impregnable. Betsy needed Gordon every bit as much as he needed her. It didn’t feel right to be leaving her under these circumstances. It seemed like the end of the world was a time when they should definitely be at one another’s sides.
The drive was quiet and short. William wa
s driving this time and steering them toward the next closest finished building, the home of another retired couple whose names escaped Gordon. They parked in a good spot to be able to get away quickly. The keys stayed in the ignition and they climbed out and started up the gravel driveway
Gordon stopped them in their tracks with a raised hand. Their names had finally come back to him. He craned his neck, trying to see better into any of the windows facing them. He said in a calm, loud voice, “Mister and missis Duncan. It’s Gordon from down the way. Is anyone in there?”
The house looked quiet and dormant. There was no fire coming from the chimney and no response to Gordon’s question. The five of them spread out, allowing five or six feet between each of them as they walked slowly toward the house.
Finally in a position to see the front door, they breathed a little easier to see that it was still secured shut. The back door was closed as well, and all the windows were intact. Neil nodded at William and Gordon and they climbed the steps to the front door.
Neil, Jess, and Emma kept a careful watch on the trees around them while William knocked and then tried to force the door open. As it turned out, there wasn’t much force needed; the door wasn’t locked.
Standing in front of the empty house, Emma said, cutting through the tension with all the subtlety of a chainsaw, “Where to next?”
The Duncans’ home sat at the end of the paved section of street going in that direction. With a little more confidence that perhaps things weren’t as bad as they could be, they hustled back to the vehicle and started toward their next destination.
Chapter 42
Alaskan Undead Apocalypse (Book 4): Resolution Page 23
