by Wilson Harp
“I’m sorry Miz Little. I don’t know. I don’t drink goat milk.”
“This is unbelievable! I can’t feed my children because of your incompetence?”
“You don’t need to shout—“
“Yes I do! I need everyone to know you are completely useless! What are we supposed to do?”
I was a taken aback by this outburst as I walked through the door of the main meeting room. The other people in the room had all stopped what they were doing and watched the confrontation. A sudden drop in the noise in the main library had me look over my shoulder. Most people had stopped what they were working on and some were edging over to look through the door.
“Miz Little, your children will be fine. We still have enough food here in town,” said the mayor. “The hunting is going well and we have several large plots of radishes that will be harvested in the next couple of weeks. We may have to tighten our belts for a bit, but we will get through this.”
“The only thing I’ve seen anyone offer me this morning is prepackaged food and dried meat.”
The mayor blinked a couple of times. “I don’t understand your concern, then. Is the goat milk important to your children’s diet? If so, Bill Hanson can recommend a way to help their digestion. He may have some medicine that could help.”
Sharon threw her hands up in the air and made a mocking sound. “It’s not just the goat milk. I won’t let my children eat the poison that is prepackaged food. And I certainly won’t have them eating meat. We only eat holistic, healthy, all natural foods. And you need to find a source of them.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Perhaps you would like to volunteer to work at one of the community gardens to help with the crops, then. Shall I put you down?”
Mayor Mueller picked up a clipboard from the table and pulled a pen out of his pocket.
“Those crops are genetically modified, I’m sure. And I saw pesticides being used in those gardens,” she said.
Sharon turned away from the mayor and stormed toward the doorway. I stepped out of her way, but apparently a small crowd had gathered behind me and she was forced to shove her way out of the meeting room.
The mayor shook his head as she left, then he turned to me.
“David, good to see you. Ted has something he wants some help with. He told me to grab you or Anne when you came in.”
“Sounds like he needs a horse more than me or Anne,” I said.
The mayor laughed. “Most likely so. He rode in today himself, so it probably is about a horse.”
“I came in a little early today, mayor. I need to report something to the council.”
“What is it, David?”
“We had a death last night in the south section.”
“What happened?”
“Not sure. Wanda Cummings. Looks like she died in her sleep.”
Mayor Mueller nodded. “Wanda and Kevin go to my church over in Low Springs. I can’t imagine what he is going through.”
“Luke went and looked at her. He said they would let Kevin have the day, then prepare and bury her tonight.”
“Good. I knew there would be deaths, I was just hoping they wouldn’t start so soon.”
“There were others?”
“Yes, two others have been reported. One in town and one to the east. Both elderly.”
“Stress?” I asked
“I think so. Ted was telling me this yesterday. He said as people accepted the situation, they would start to give up. Having no hope is a horrible stress to the system.”
“That’s right,” a voice from behind me said.
I turned to see Ted standing behind me. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder. A canteen shared space on his heavy belt with a holstered pistol and a long handled knife.
“You—you wanted to see me Ted?” I stuttered as I took in the sight of him. He hadn’t openly carried weapons since that first day in the square, and I was unsure what had prompted him to start today.
“You know how to shoot, David?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, but it’s been quite a while. If you are looking for a hunter, there are plenty better candidates. I can ask Anne if she will loan them Clyde if you need a shooter on a horse. Or Anne herself might be a good one to choose.”
“I don’t need a hunter, David. Just someone who can shoot if we get in a jam. I’m going out to see Lester and if things go well, I’ll need the extra horse to bring back some stuff. If things go bad, I don’t want to take anyone out who doesn’t have at least a passing familiarity with a long gun.”
“Lester Collins?” I asked.
“You know him?”
I shook my head. “No, but my dad and Luke mentioned him when this first started. Said he and you were both survivalists that…” I let my words drift out as I tried to make it less offensive.
“…that were derided and mocked?” Ted finished.
He was serious. There was no smile or edge of humor in his face. He could have eased the tension, but he didn’t. He just left me to twist in the wind and choke on my words.
“Yes. They said most folks thought of you two as Chicken Littles, always proclaiming that the end was near.”
Ted looked away and walked over to the mayor. “Carl, would you say that is a fair assessment of how me and Lester were viewed in this town?”
Mayor Mueller nodded. His grasp of diplomacy was better than mine and he kept his lips firmly shut.
“What do you think now, David? Was it just dumb luck or foresight that allowed me to prepare?”
“I think you are probably one of those people who always think the worst is going to happen and put faith in your pessimism.”
Ted nodded. “Good enough. Let’s mount up.”
“You could ask Buck Fredrickson, I’ll give him my horse if you need someone.”
“Do you not want to go, David?” Ted asked.
“No, I just thought you would want the right man for the job.”
Ted looked at me for a few seconds. He locked his eyes on mine. I felt like looking away, but I held firm.
“Buck and his guys are out hunting. They brought down two deer the first day, but now they are only bringing in a couple of rabbits and squirrels. And they are good hunters. Very good.”
He stepped closer to me.
“Do you have any idea why the bigger game has suddenly disappeared from the area?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “I wouldn’t have a clue.”
“Buck doesn’t know either, but he is still out searching for meat for the town. I need him out there doing that, and I need you for this job. Besides, Buck and Lester hate each other and I would have a shoot-out on my hands if I took him. We’ll leave when you are ready.”
He walked out of the meeting room without another word.
“Deputy McDaniels still doesn’t trust him and I don’t know if I do fully,” Mayor Mueller said. “But I do know he has a plan and that’s better than the rest of us.”
“That’s what Dad says, too.” I said as I looked at the doorway long after Ted had left.
“It’s a shame your dad turned down a position on the council. I know Ted really wanted him on board once he heard the south section had already uncapped wells and were preparing wood ash for latrines and graves,” said the mayor. “Ted doesn’t seem to be impressed easily, but your dad sure impressed him.”
“My mom… she needs my dad to be with her as much as possible.”
“You better get out there. Don’t want to make Ted impatient.”
I left the library and was mounting up on Clyde when Ted came around the side of the library mounted on his own horse. He reined in close to me and handed me a rifle.
“You ever use one of those before?”
It was an older Winchester. Lever action. Thirty caliber. My dad had one like it when I was a kid.
“Yeah, I’ve shot a rifle like this a few times.”
“Okay, just a quick refresher from Colonel Cooper. All guns are loaded. Even when you know the
y aren’t. Never cover anything with the barrel you don’t want to destroy. Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire. Never fire until you are sure what is behind your target. Keep those rules in mind and there will be no gun accidents.”
I nodded as I slung the rifle over my neck and shoulder. “I’ll remember. Just don’t do anything that will make me have to use this.”
Ted rode forward and I urged Clyde to follow. Several people stared at us as we rode out of town, but no one seemed too distraught over having a couple of armed men ride past them. What a difference a week made.
When we turned north on Line Ave, I heard the sound of a lawnmower. I smiled and rode up next to Ted. I pointed at the two boys watching a man mow his yard.
“Yeah,” Ted said. “I guess most people are still amazed at what is working.”
We rode north until we left town, and then turned down a small drive to the east. It wasn’t anywhere I was familiar with, and I wondered who lived out this way. Never found out. Ted rode off the drive and out into a field between some twisted sections of barbed wire fencing that no longer created an effective barrier to travel.
“Hey!”
I turned in my saddle and brought Clyde to a stop with the reins. I heard Ted do the same with his mount. I looked back to see where the call had come from, but the trees were too heavy to see far.
Anne came out of the tree line and trotted over to us on Bonnie.
“I didn’t expect you to head off the road,” Anne said as she approached. “What are you doing with rifles?”
“We’re heading to see Lester,” Ted answered.
“Why? Do you think he might actually help?”
“Maybe,” Ted said. “Kenny left for his place this morning on foot with a big white pillowcase to wave at Lester’s front drive. Hopefully he will have talked with Kenny and we will be able to get a few things.”
‘What does he have?” I asked.
“Water purification tablets. A good supply of seeds. Maybe some antibiotics if we are lucky. And, unless his cage failed as well, a shortwave radio.”
“What do you mean ‘his cage’?” I asked.
“A Faraday cage. It’s a grounded enclosure that directs electrical fields around whatever is inside it. I had a shortwave radio in my cage, but it still got fried.”
“How is that possible?” Anne asked.
Ted shrugged. “Not sure. But I intend to try to fix it, unless Lester lets us use his.”
“We aren’t going to find out just talking in this field,” I said. “Let’s get going and see what happens.”
Ted turned his horse and rode across the field. Anne and I took up positions on either side of him.
‘Why were you following us, Anne?” Ted asked.
“Mayor Mueller told me which way you were headed. I have some news you need to know.”
“What’s that?”
“Hank Kroner killed himself last night. Left a note.”
“I don’t know him,” Ted said. “Was I mentioned in the note?”
“No. Hank is… was a man in his eighties. He shot himself in the head. The note said we were to use anything and everything he had left to help other people survive.”
Ted shook his head and grimaced. “I was afraid this would happen.”
“What?” I asked.
“Older people in particular can start to feel useless when something like this hits. Especially when they don’t have any family close by.” Ted turned to Anne. “He didn’t have any family, did he?”
“Not near, no,” she answered.
“So he looks around and says “Why should I be using up all of this water and food? I’m not going to be around much anymore.” Then he puts a gun in his mouth and does the noble thing.”
“How do we stop that from spreading?” Anne asked.
“The pragmatist in me says we shouldn’t. But I suggest moving older people who are by themselves in with families that have young children. We can tell them the older people can keep an eye on the kids, which will free up the stronger adults to do more robust work. Like helping with the crops.”
A gunshot cracked in the distance. The loud ranting of Ted was mute by comparison. We all galloped forward. Toward the sound of the gunfire. Toward Lester Collins’ house.
Chapter 8
Lester lived in a modest ranch style house on a plot of land that had a grove of walnut trees on one side, and a thick hedge of brushy cedars growing around the rest of the property. The only access road big enough for a car went through a heavy steel cattle gate that was set into the heavy line of cedars.
Crouched off to the side of the gate was Kenny. He was sweating heavily and had a white pillowcase clutched in his hand. When we turned from the field on the road that led to the gate, Kenny looked back at us and waved us away from the gate.
“Is that you, Ted?” A voice shouted the question from a good distance beyond the gate.
We rode off the side of the road up to Kenny. The high brush line giving us plenty of cover from the house.
“It’s me, Les,” Ted yelled back as he dismounted. “Were you shooting at Kenny?”
“Not at him,” Lester yelled back. “I just told him to step away from the gate and when he didn’t, I fired into the ground.”
“Bullets ricochet, you stupid redneck,” Kenny yelled.
Ted put a hand on Kenny’s shoulder and motioned him to join Anne and me. We had dismounted and moved the horses even farther away from the road.
“I saw three ride up, Ted. Who you got with you?”
“Anne Franklin and David Hartsman.”
“Who?”
“He’s visiting his folks. He grew up in Kenton.”
A few seconds passed before Lester answered. “Is he a cop?”
Ted rolled his eyes and shook his head. “He’s not a cop and no one cares about what you’re growing. We need some help.”
Lester laughed and snorted. “I bet you do. What did you fail to prepare for?”
“I need some water tabs.”
“Water tabs? I know you have a bunch. I saw you buy them.”
“Yeah,” Ted yelled. “And we need more. We have almost enough wells reopened, but the water isn’t drawing from deep enough yet. We will need more tabs. And antibiotics.”
“Wait a second. Are you telling me you are helping the town?”
“Yes, Lester. The town needs help, so that is what I am doing.”
“You have shit for brains, Riggins. You know how they treated us. You know what they thought about you.”
“I know Les, but they will die if no one helps them.”
“Then let them die! They deserve it.”
“It’s already started. And maybe they do deserve it, but I will do what I can to see as many people survive.”
“Already? Disease?”
“No, some elderly.”
“Suicides?”
Ted sighed. “One so far.”
Lester didn’t say anything after that. Anne started to move over to the gate after about ten minutes, but Ted motioned her back. After a few more minutes, the front door to the house opened.
“I’m coming out Ted, but I have Joey at the window with a rifle. Any funny stuff and we’ll riddle you full of holes and then the town won’t have anyone to help them.”
“Fair enough, Les. I’ll put down my stuff and stand in front of the gate.”
“You do that.” Lester was moving closer to the gate by the sound of his voice.
“What else do you need?” Lester asked as he drew near the gate.
“Seed,” Ted said. “I know you have some squash, zucchini and wheat seed in quantity.”
“I do,” Lester said. “But here’s the problem. Those are slow growing crops. I assume you have already planted your radishes, turnips and lettuce. So if you need the slow growers, you expect to be feeding a lot of people. And you have a supply of water tabs and antibiotics with your supply and the pharmacy, so you don’t have an immediate
need for those either.”
“What are you getting at, Les?”
“You want something else. Something you need now. Otherwise you would have waited me out a few more weeks before you came begging. Now what is it?”
“I need to use your radio.”
“What?”
“Your radio, Les. I won’t take it, but I want to be able to use it. Once a week for fifteen minutes.”
“That’s a lot to ask for, Ted. What happened to yours?”
“Cage wasn’t set up right, I guess. Completely fried.”
“And what would you give me in exchange for use of my radio?”
“What would you want?”
I heard Lester spit on the ground. After a minute he spoke. “I’d want to use yours, of course. Cause my cage didn’t hold either.”
Ted turned his head towards us. His jaw was clenched and I could tell he was holding in an explosion.
“Alright, I guess we are in the same boat then, Les. What about the other stuff?”
“Well, here’s what I can do for you. I’ll trade you the seed today, seeing as how you need to get it into the ground. The other stuff can wait. You can come back in a month and we can see how things are going.”
“Okay. What do you want for the seed?”
“I want as much of your crop as me and my boys need. And you have to replenish our seed out of the first crop.”
“How many you got with you?”
“I’m not going to give away any raw numbers, Ted. You know me better than that. I don’t want to have your townsfolk think they can just come in here and take what is mine.”
“That isn’t going to happen, Les.”
“No, it won’t.”
“So we have a deal?”
“Almost. One thing we failed to consider when we set up our little survival plan was making sure we had enough female types to keep us happy.”
“I’m not sending girls out here, Les. Forget it.”
“No, you misunderstand. I just want you to spread the word that any woman who wants to come out here and enjoy our protection, our food, our weed, and our booze will be more than welcome.”
Ted didn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“Just let them know of our invitation, Riggins.”
