by Pete Thorsen
After she was at least a little familiar with the guns I picked out a rock and had her shoot it with the rifle. She got the hang of it quickly and shot rocks progressively farther away. Then we switched to the handgun and she shot that until she could hit a rock fairly often that was not too far away.
“Thank you for all the help. My name is Ann.”
“I’m Bill and you are most welcome. I really don’t need any of the stuff these guys had so you are welcome to it and the trucks too.”
“Do you live near here?”
“I have a camp not too far away that I have been staying at since this all began. I just came out today to see if I could get some news.”
“There is no news. There is still no power and no communications of any kind. And all the people are getting more and more like these two that you shot. The guy we buried was my brother.”
“I had come up on these two guys but I didn’t know if they were bad guys or what the deal was so I couldn’t just shoot them until I knew. I was in no hurry today so I was just watching from some cover to let them show their true colors. I never expected them to shoot when they did.
I had been living in Phoenix and got out of there shortly after this happened. I could see what it would be like down there and got out while I was still alive. Since then I just been camping and hiking.”
“You certainly had the right idea getting away from other people. The bad came out quickly in many of them. The good people stayed holed up I think and the only ones you ever saw out and about were the bad ones. My brother and I were all that was left of my family and we decided to get away to hopefully greener pastures. But as you can see that did not turn out so well for us at all.”
“If you have no place to go you are welcome to come camp with me. I have a spare tent and food and stuff to last awhile. Or I’ll siphon gas out of these vehicles to give you as much as possible and you can take whatever there is here to make your own way to wherever you want to go. I freely admit it would be nice to have someone to talk to after this long alone.”
“Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer for a little while until I decide what I want to do now.”
“I would suggest leaving your car and taking one of these pickups to use. They can haul more and can go off the road if that becomes necessary.”
“Yes that is probably a good idea. Do you have a vehicle here?”
“Yes I’m parked about a mile down the road. I’ll drive one of these trucks to mine when we are ready to leave.”
So she looked over the two trucks and picked one out then we loaded everything from her car into the truck she picked. I siphoned gas from her car to fill her ‘new’ truck and we parked her car off the road.
After some discussion we just left the keys in the ignition so if someone needed it they could take it. We left with Ann driving her ‘new’ truck and me taking the other one. We stopped at my SUV and I loaded everything useful from the truck into my rig and I topped off my gas tank then again we left the truck keys in the ignition for the benefit of others and headed to my camp.
When we got there I had her pick a spot and set up another small tent for her and she put some of her stuff in it. There were two sleeping bags in the pickups and we took those down to the river and washed them and hung them to dry. I gave her the other cot with the foam pad to sleep on because it sure made the tent camping a lot more comfortable. There was a bunch more food and some more water in the trucks also which was great because I was getting somewhat low on drinking water and was not looking forward to drinking the river water.
We spent the next week or so getting to know one another and she went hiking with me everyday. One day we drove a ways away from camp so she could get in more gun practice (I did not want to draw any attention to our camp). She always carried at least the pistol all the time.
She still also carried her throwing knife and she showed me that she was indeed very good with it. After a time we were comfortable around each other and we both decided the other was a good trustworthy person. It rained a couple times and Ann got to see how tent camping in the rain and mud worked out. We had some laughs at both our antics in the mud. Good thing we had the river to wash things in.
Chapter Nine
Bill and Ann
The days were still warm but fall was coming and we both knew that we would have to do something about living conditions before winter came. We were safe and secure where we were and we could get by in the mild Arizona winter here too but we would be much more comfortable in a real house or even a camper of some kind. So one day I told her my plan.
“I have a good friend I want to check on and we can spend a little time with them if you want. But I would like to maybe find a house or camper or something to stay in over winter. My friend and his wife will invite us to stay with them and that is an option as they are great people but I would like to find my own place.”
“Do you think they are still OK after all this time? And still living in their house?”
“Yes they will be fine and still living in their house. They are set pretty good there, you’ll see. Either way I do still want to check on them though just in case.”
“Is it a long way from here? Should we take all our stuff with and take two trucks?”
“It is only thirty or forty miles and yes I think we should pack like we are not coming back and take two trucks. I’ll take my truck with the trailer so we can haul quite a bit.”
So we spent the next day deciding what to take and packing everything we could in the trucks and trailer. And we left the morning after. On the way we stopped at Ann’s old car and the other bad guy’s truck and siphoned gas into my spare gas cans to fill them. After that we made our way over to the main highway and headed north towards Sid’s place. We were the only vehicles on the road and the drive was totally uneventful which we were thankful for.
Turning on the dirt road I saw no tracks in the road so I cut brush and tied to each rig to drag behind to help disguise our tracks some. When we got to the closed and locked gate I was not surprised. We parked the trucks well away from their turn off and hiked in. We were both carrying pistols and rifles just in case things were not well at their place and we stopped when their house came into sight. We just watched the house for awhile until I saw Sid walk in from the woods with a rifle and knew it was OK. I still waited until he set the rifle down before I spoke to him.
“Sid, its Bill and a friend.”
He jumped about a foot and I couldn’t help but start laughing even as he was grabbing his rifle. He heard the laughter and recognized my voice though then he started laughing too. He waved us in and he opened the door to call Val before giving me a bear hug.
“I am so glad to see you are fine. Val and I were so worried about you.”
Then Val was there and hugging me also and I made the introductions with Ann. They invited us in but I said we had our two trucks parked and should bring them in just in case. Sid insisted Ann stay at the house with Val while and him and I would hike back to get the trucks.
We were soon back and in the house with the two ladies. Ann ran right over to me very excited.
“They have everything here like nothing ever happened. They have electric and running water and Val said I could take a hot shower.”
“I can certainly see why she suggested that you can take a shower.”
“You are a cad William Summers. I find it hard to believe that these nice people can be friends of yours.”
“Just you wait someday you will see my good side.”
Sid and Val were laughing and that is how it went for the rest of the day. We spent the day catching up on everything that we had gone through and just were really happy to be with friends again.
Ann was accepted right away and both girls appeared quite happy to have another woman to talk to for a change. There were two spare bedrooms, though I had to get by with a blow up mattress which Ann found quite amusing. In the evening after both I and Ann had each taken
our first shower in quite some time and then after we had a meal cooked on a real stove we sat down to really talk with Sid starting.
“So what is it like in the towns and cities?”
“Many people have turned into animals and it did not take very long either. Bill saw what they did to my brother and that was only one instance. I know if he would not have been there it would have been bad for me.”
“Don’t let her fool you, this woman is a born fighter and I think she would have been fine even if I would not have been there. She almost killed me even after I had just saved her. I think she is a Recon Marine in disguise.
Within three or four days in Phoenix it was every man for himself and basically no laws at all. On the way out of Phoenix I shot a cop who was trying to rape a woman in broad daylight. It was as bad as or worse than it ever was when we were in the Sandbox.”
“Val and I thought it might get like that but we did not think it would happen so quickly. We haven’t left here since the day of the event and now after hearing how bad it is out there I’m very glad we stayed secluded here.”
“I can guarantee you guys saved yourselves a lot of grief by staying buttoned up here.”
“Do you two have any plans? Val and I talked while you both were getting cleaned up and we want you to stay here with us. Bill, you know I’m not shy about speaking the truth and being blunt so you know that the offer to stay is sincere.”
“When I told Ann I wanted to check on a couple of my friends I also told her we would be invited to stay because I do know you. And we will stay for a bit anyway but I want to have my own place even though it might just be a temporary one. I’m not sure Ann will ever want to leave now that she had a shower here though.”
“You know it. That shower was like heaven must feel like. I never thought people could still be living normal lives after everything fell apart.”
“We can totally thank Val for that. She somehow knew there were bad times coming and made sure we were as ready as we could be.”
“I didn’t know bad times were coming for sure but to me it just made sense to be a little bit prepared, just in case. And winter is coming and it would be silly to try and heat two separate houses. It just makes more sense for you two to stay with us.
Plus even though we have never had any trouble here I think sooner or later it will find us. We would have a much better chance of defense with four people rather than just two. So we want you to stay for selfish reasons.”
“Even though I just met you I believe you would ask us to stay no matter what the conditions. I am so glad to have met you both.”
“No matter what we will stay for a bit and just see what happens. Either way I want to thank you both for taking us in like this.”
“After everything we have been through together and after all those years we are more like family than just friends. And Val and I know if the situations were reversed you would invite us in the same way.”
A week went by before we knew it. We all got along so good and were all very happy to have friends in these troubling times. Ann turned out to be an excellent experienced cook and by the end of a week Sid and Val told her she could never leave and make them go back to eating their own cooking.
Chapter Ten
Sid
The weather is cooling down and fall is in the air at least up here in the northern half of the state. With so many mouths to feed and a quick look in our freezer I thought there was plenty of room for more meat. With Bill here to help we decided to shoot an elk. Bill said the meat was better than deer and there would be way more of it.
It was not much of a hunt because there were plenty of elk around. I got to shoot so it was my first elk. We drove my pickup as close as we could after it was gutted out and loaded it up in the back. We hung it up from a tree not too far from our house and Bill showed me how to skin it.
Then we cut it into quarters and brought it inside to cut and wrap before putting it in the freezer. All four of us worked on the cutting and wrapping. Val and I had bought a hand meat grinder and we used it now to grind some of the meat into hamburger. That night we had fresh elk steaks and they were mighty fine indeed.
We have been going farther and farther out on our patrols. We now always travel in pairs. Sometimes it is Bill and I or Val and I and sometimes Bill and Ann go out together. I showed Bill the vacant house that is about two miles from our house and he said that it could be a possibility for him and Ann except for the water supply.
Water is the biggest issue. Without electric power to run the well pump at any place means no water. So any place they wanted to stay would need to have a solar pump or a windmill or be spring fed for a water supply. There are many off grid houses in Arizona but they would have to find one and find one that was not occupied. With our very limited gas supplies this would be an issue.
Ann and Bill had brought a fair amount of food with them which was added to ours. The additional food gave all of us a bigger selection of possible meals and it looks like they will just stay with us over winter anyway. They finally agreed that was the most logical thing to do.
While we have never seen or found evidence of any other people near us since this all started it is a constant worry that bandits might stumble onto our refuge. It did rain since Bill and Ann came here so any trace of their tracks has been totally erased. This winter we will likely get snow and that will certainly help deter any people from traveling here.
Any snow that falls will not be plowed anywhere this winter I’m sure but we seldom get very much and what we do get often melts off in just a matter of days. I would think everyone’s gas supplies for their vehicles must be really low by now though and that should really hamper any travel.
Of course we have no news at all so we don’t know if the power has been restored or is about to be or what is going on in the rest of the nation. We do occasionally check the radio to see if there is any reception but so far there is only static. We have now seen an occasional plane and a few jets in the air so I think that is a good sign that things are improving.
We got a dusting of snow last night; our first of the season. Of course it promptly melted when the sun came out this morning but we all got to see it (snow is always an event in Arizona).
Our two families sure do get along fine together. I guess maybe Bill and Ann don’t realize yet that they are a family but it is patently obvious to Val and me. They stay in their separate bedrooms and they don’t overtly show their affection to each other with a lot of kisses or anything but even someone like me can see it. I’m sure they will acknowledge it to themselves at some point in the very near future.
Ann does most of the cooking but she is teaching Val more all the time. The two sure get along well. We do eat a lot of meat. The meat is the only food we can replenish easily and we are all quite active so it works out well. None of us are getting fat that’s for sure. Speaking of food Bill said we should go through the vacant house near here to see if it contains any usable food. We all agreed it would be logical and a shame to let it go to waste. None of us felt real comfortable with stealing but finally we did all agree to check it out.
We did not even have to break in because Bill found a key that was stashed outside. Whoever had lived here had planned on returning that’s for sure. There were many personal items throughout the house. We checked for food and there was some but not a whole lot. We did set it aside to take with us including all the spices and such.
Mostly the house was just full of the stuff you would normally find in a vacation or summer home. In one closet there were two guns, a shotgun and a rifle. We did not need the guns but Bill said we should take them so they could not be used against us. That did make sense so we set the guns and the ammunition with the food to take with. Inside the garage there was an almost full five gallon gas can which smelled OK so we set that outside to take.
There were many tools and such but nothing else we really needed. There was a little rope and we took that to make a co
uple of crude slings for the two long guns to make them easier to carry. We each had a large backpack and filled them with the food then I carried the two extra guns and Bill carried the gas can. We each had quite a load on the walk home. There was some food still left there but we could pick that up the next time one of us came by here on patrol.
Everything continues to go fine here. We ate enough of the elk so there was some room in the freezer so Bill shot a deer so we could taste the difference in the meat. And it provided a change from the constant eating of the elk meat. When Bill came home with a turkey one day and he became a hero after Ann was done cooking it and we had a spectacular turkey dinner.
Yes everything was all roses at the Sidney Blanch homestead. At least it was until Bill and Ann went out on a regular patrol but it was only Ann that came home again.
Chapter Eleven
Bill
Ann and I enjoy our turns at going out on patrol. It gives us time alone together and it is great hiking around here. You never know what kind of critters that you might see. A blind man could find deer and elk everyday around here. The walks are quiet and provide us with fresh air and plenty of exercise. Today’s walk was just another walk on a beautiful day with a very beautiful woman at my side.
It was perfect until we were starting to get close to home and we saw the group of men on the road. Luckily we never walk on the road because it was agreed between Sid and I that no matter how secure we thought we were here we would never take our security for granted and our patrols would always be real patrols. So we walked in the woods back from the roads and that proved especially beneficial today.
We had cover and I was certain that we were not spotted by the men on the road. After some observation I concluded they were either deserters or prior military and all five men were well armed. We stayed hidden and let the men walk past on the road. After they were well past I turned to Ann and told her all my conclusions about the men and sent her back to the house to tell Sid and Val and for all three of them to be on alert for possible trouble.
