by Eric Vall
“Nice,” Paige said with a grin as she too came around the corner of the dorms to join us. “Can we expect this more often now that it is getting warmer?”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” I said with a teasing smirk as I pulled my shirt back on. “Where are Bailey and Anna?”
“At the library,” Tara said. “They are going to be sad they missed this though.”
“Well we should probably join them so you can tell them all about it,” I said.
“I’ll catch up with you in a minute,” Rolly said.
“Understood,” I said as I nodded at him. “I might get started without you.”
“I won’t be that far behind you guys,” he said.
“Well then maybe you won’t miss anything,” I teased.
I led Tara and Paige to the library, and we stepped in to find Anna and Bailey sipping something that smelled like tea.
“Well look who decided to show up,” Anna said with a smirk.
“Jokes on you,” Paige said, “Our little detour got us a nice view of Tav all sweaty and shirtless.”
“It was pretty hot,” Tara added.
“That’s nice, but it is not like it’s hard to get Tav to take his shirt off,” Anna said.
“Yeah, but there is something extra good about catching a glimpse of him like that out in the wild,” Paige said. “Plus, that sweat really glistened off those pecs.”
“I wasn’t trying to put on a show,” I said as I took my stop at the front of the table.
“I know, that’s, like, why it was such a nice surprise,” Tara said.
“Alright alright, let’s take a seat,” I chuckled.
Bailey pushed over the pot of hot water, and a box full of assorted teas. “I figured this would be a nice change of pace from coffee.”
“It is,” I said with a nod as I picked out a simple sachet of earl grey, dropped it in one of the cups on the table, and covered it in hot water. “I kinda forget we have tea sometimes.”
“Well, we have lots of it,” Anna said. “We had a fair amount before, but Bailey and I found a couple boxes in almost every house we raided.”
The library doors opened, and Rolly made his way down the stairs towards us.
“You like tea don’t you old timer?” I asked as he took a seat.
“I prefer coffee,” he grumbled as the box of teas was slid his way. He picked through various flavors before pulling out a spiced chai. “Guess this will do though.”
“Rolly’s not a huge fan of tea,” Bailey said. “Noted.”
“I’m going to keep things short this morning,” I said. “Tara and Bailey will check the traps while Anna and Paige inventory our remaining lumber. This afternoon I want you guys to spend some time training with not only your guns, but your knives as well. We need to be prepared for anything when the fighting starts, and I want you ready to hold your own no matter the circumstances.”
“You don’t really think we will have to use our knives, do you?” Bailey asked with a frown.
“I hope not, but I have been in too many fights to assume everything is going to go perfect,” I replied.
“Got it, make sure we are ready for anything,” Anna said.
“Correct, after that I figure one or two of you can check out that shower,” I said.
“I’m first,” Tara said.
“I don’t think anyone has forgotten that,” Anna chuckled.
“Don’t forget to refill it once you’ve used it,” I said.
“Oh I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Bailey said.
“I can make sure the shower stays filled,” Rolly said.
“Not today you can’t,” I said with a smile.
“And why not?” He asked.
“You are me are going on a little field trip,” I stated.
“You’re talking about the farms, aren't you?” the handyman asked.
“Yeah, I appreciate you marking the map for me, but I’ll get there faster with you at my side,” I said. “Right now it’s really important that we make this trip as fast as possible. I don’t think the bikers are going to come anytime in the next few days, so I’m willing to risk a trip, but they are going to be here sooner rather than later, and we still have a lot of work to do prepping for them.”
“Well, I don’t wanna slow you down,” he replied.
“We’ll take the ATVs,” I said. “Can’t slow me down if we are moving the same speed.”
“Guess that is a good idea,” he mumbled.
“How long are you guys going to be gone?” Anna asked.
“Most the day I would assume,” I said. “Rolly says it’s about a half-day trip. The ATVs will cut that down a bit, so assuming all goes well we might even make it back before dark. Though to be safe don’t start to worry until tomorrow afternoon.”
“Got it, so we’re on our own for the day,” Paige said.
“Is that safe, what with the bikers out there and all?” Bailey asked.
“We should have plenty of notice when the bikers head this way,” I said. “Keep your eyes on Lanceton, and if you see smoke, or hear an explosion, start getting ready.”
“Our defenses are not prepared, like, at all,” Tara said as her eyes went wide.
“Calm down,” I said. “They are probably still hurting from my attack. I took out most of their bikes, and it should hopefully take more than three days to fix enough of them to get forty plus guys on the road.”
“Plus, we won’t be so far away that we can’t head back if we notice the smoke,” Rolly said. “We won’t ever be anywhere that we wouldn’t be able to see it.”
“There you go,” I said with a smile. “We will come running if, somehow, the bikers hit Lanceton today.”
“What if they don’t hit Lanceton and just come here first?” Bailey asked.
“That’s why we set the bobby-traps on the cars,” I said. “But Lanceton should be where they think the people who fucked with them are. They should only head this way once they burn it down and realize that no one is there.”
“Hey, we got this,” Anna said as she turned to the other girls. “They won’t be gone long, and if shit goes down, then we will do what we have been training to do, and kick ass.”
“You’re right,” Bailey said with a slow nod. “Tav has been training us for this, and if he thinks we will be okay for half a day, then we will be okay.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I was worried about your safety.”
“True…” Tara said.
“Good, then it’s settled,” I said with a nod. “If you guys have some free time I would suggest working in the garden, or boiling some more water.”
“Will do,” Paige said.
“Alright ladies, let’s get a move on,” the athletic redhead said as she pushed her palms flat on the table and pushed herself upright.
The other girls stood as well and followed the redhead out of the library.
I was glad that the others still recognized her authority and listened to her when she asked them to get stuff done. It helped that she was really starting to take charge and command them when needed.
“Come on,” I said as I turned and clapped Rolly on the shoulder. “Let’s go get ready and see if any of these farms has what we are looking for.”
I headed for the door, but Rolly grabbed my arm to stop me.
“Wait,” Rolly said.
“What’s up?” I asked as I looked over my shoulder at the old man.
“You sure you want me to come along?” He asked. “The girls can carry more, and they will be quicker to react to any dangerous situation.”
“I’m really not worried about it,” I said. I turned to face him, smiled, and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. “I think you have been holed up here at the campus too long.”
“Maybe,” he said. “It is nice here, and I can always find something useful to do.”
“Look, don’t think of this like work,” I said. “Thin
k of this like a fun day trip. We can bring a couple of beers, stop for lunch to swap stories, and just have fun spending a little time with just the guys.”
“I hadn’t really thought about it like that,” Rolly replied. “And it might be kinda nice to stretch my legs and enjoy some time away from the girls.”
“There you go,” I said with a grin. “The girls are great, but it is still nice to get a break from the people you see the most from time to time. Now go get ready, and be sure to pack food, a gun, and some basic camping supplies.”
“I can do that,” Rolly said with a nod.
“Good,” I let go of him and stepped aside so that he could slip past and head for his room.
After a moment I nodded to myself and headed for my room. This would be good for all of us. A little R&R every now and again was necessary to keep our mental state stable. In the end that would lead to us being a better, more cohesive, and more effective team.
I threw together a one day travel kit that would fit into my backpack. It had a change of clothes, a small first-aid kit, a good chunk of smoked wolf, two cans of beans, two bottles of water, and my rope. I threw on my vest with two spare rifle magazines, my knife, lighter, flashlight, compass, and map. Then I grabbed my rifle, a couple cans of beer from our limited supply, and headed out to the courtyard.
Rolly was already waiting for me outside by the ATVs. He had a large brown backpack slung over one shoulder, a National Guard M-16 across his lap, and a pistol tucked into a holster in his waistband. A large wide brimmed brown hat replaced the newsboy cap that usually crowned his balding head, and he had black cargo pants tucked into what looked like a fresh pair of hiking boots.
“Looking good,” I said as I approached. When I reached the second ATV, I pulled off my backpack and slung it onto the back of the machine.
“Thanks, I am actually a bit excited about this now that I am all packed,” Rolly said. “I haven’t seen much of the outside world since the EMP hit, and I like riding these.” He patted the ATV under him. “Oh, before I forget.” Rolly leaned down and pulled up a container of gas. He handed it to me and strapped one of his own onto the back of his ride.
“Good call,” I said. “Would have hated to get these things stuck in the woods somewhere.”
“Yeah, I didn’t know how full these things were so I topped them off and made sure we each had a spare,” Rolly explained.
“I appreciate it,” I said. “I’m just about ready to go, but I want to say goodbye to the girls first.”
“Of course,” Rolly said. “I think your trap crew is still out in the forest though.”
“Well then I will at least say goodbye to Anna and Paige,” I said.
“You know where they are,” Rolly said.
“Alright, I’ll be right back,” I replied before jogged across the courtyard to where the two girls were counting out what we had in finished lumber. Paige looked up and brushed the hair from her face as I approached.
“Taking off soon?” She asked.
“Yeah, I wanted to say goodbye,” I said.
“I always get nervous when someone says goodbye,” Anna said before she stood up, brushed her hands off on her pants, and walked over to me. “It always sounds like they won’t be coming back.”
“Don’t worry, both Rolly and I will be back soon,” I said.
“I know that,” Anna sighed.
“Hey, we got this, remember?” Paige said as she nudged her redheaded friend.
“Yeah, we got this,” Anna said with a smile.
“You guys think you will be able to keep busy until we get back?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Paige said. “There is always something to be done.”
“Yep, no worries there,” Anna said.
“Glad to hear it,” I replied. “Well, Rolly is waiting, and I want to get a move on. Pass my regards to Tara and Bailey when they get back, will you?”
“They’ll know you said goodbye,” Anna said.
“Stay safe out there,” Paige said.
“That’s the plan,” I replied.
“We both know your plans can change,” the redhead teased.
“Oh, shut up and give me a hug so I can leave,” I said with a smile.
Anna threw herself towards me, wrapped her muscled arms around me, and buried her face in my chest. I wrapped my arms warmly around her shoulders and held her for a moment before she pulled away enough to look me in the eyes.
“Come back to us,” she whispered. Then she leaned forward, tilted her head to the side slightly, and gave me a hard open-mouthed kiss. She pulled back after a long moment with a grin plastered on her face and then touched her lips with her fingers.
“Hey, I want to kiss him goodbye too,” Paige insisted as she pushed her way to where Anna had stood a moment before. She too wrapped me in a hug which I returned firmly, and then I leaned in for a kiss. The brunette took a softer approach, but pressed herself up against my crotch in the process. After she was done with my mouth, she pushed herself on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear. “I will be thinking about you when I touch myself later.”
I raised an eyebrow as Paige pulled away, giggled, and waved before she went back to her task.
“Well, that was quite the send off,” I said.
“You clearly enjoyed it a little,” Anna sat as she gestured towards my groin.
I looked down and chuckled as I saw the bulge that I had started to create in my loose pants. “What can I say, that just happens when I get kissed my beautiful women.”
“Get outta here,” Anna said with a giggle.
I smiled, gave the girls one last wave, and returned to Rolly.
“Ready to go?” He asked as I walked up.
“Yep, nothing more to do here,” I said as I hopped onto my ride. I fired it up, revved the engine a couple times, and then nodded at Rolly. “Lead the way.”
He gave me the thumbs up and headed off into the trees.
It was a beautiful day to be in the forest. It wasn’t too hot, but we managed to stay warm as we wormed our way through the trees, bushes, and clearings. The lush green of the world around us was dotted with bright spots of light as the sun broke through the foliage to shine on the plants below.
We rode for thirty minutes before Rolly pulled over, waited for me to catch up, and consulted the map to ensure we were still going in the right direction.
“Alright, we should be hitting a stream up ahead,” Rolly said as he studied the map. “Looks like it shouldn’t be anything we can’t just roll through, but other than that we’re on track.” He folded up the map and handed it back to me.
“Sounds good,” I said as I tucked the map back in my vest pocket. “I’ll just keep following your lead a while.”
“I’m honestly surprised how well I remember this path,” Rolly said. “It’s been a long time since I visited any of these farmlands, but even abandoned they should be full of useful stuff.”
“The real trick will be getting it back with us on the ATV,” I pointed out.
“Well, once we know what’s there, we should be able to bring in the truck or the jeep,” the handyman said. “All of these places I have marked out on the map are connected to the road. I just don’t know exactly where at.”
“If we have the time maybe we can figure that out,” I suggested. “Not like these things don’t do well on pavement.” I smacked my ATV for emphasis as I spoke.
“That’s true enough,” the old timer chuckled. “Okay, I’m gonna keep on going. If you have any troubles keeping up let me know, and I’ll slow down for ya.”
Before I had time to respond, Rolly gunned his engine and took off through the trees again. I grinned, shook my head, and gave chase.
The two of us dodged around trees as I attempted to catch up to and surpass my older companion, but I quickly found out that he was no slouch on an ATV. Every time I would start to catch up with him he would gun the engine again and tear off th
rough some gap I was sure was too small.
Twenty minutes later we came to a stop in front of what should have been a small and easily crossable stream. Instead the ten foot stream of rapid water looked more like part of the river that flowed under the bridge to Lanceton. It flowed in the same direction, moved at about the same speed, but based on the map we had it didn’t connect.
“Well, I did not expect this,” Rolly muttered as he studied the water and frowned. “Is there any place to cross close by?”
“Not according to our map,” I said as I stared at the paper spread out before me on my ATV. “I guess there might be a spot about two miles upstream.”
“Who knows if that’s right,” Rolly said. “I’m guessing those maps aren’t as new as we’d like them to be.”
“No, probably not,” I admitted. “Looks like we are going to have to solve this problem on our own.” I tucked the map away and started to look around the area for a solution. There were plenty of smaller branches and sticks that we could weave together to make a bridge, but I was certain it wouldn’t hold the weight of the ATVs.
Rolly dismounted, picked up one of the longer fallen branches, and poked it into the rushing water. He frowned as he pulled it out to reveal a depth of around five feet. That was more than deep enough to drown the engines of our quads, so it would be impossible to just drive through the water.
“Any ideas?” I asked with a lopsided smile.
“Just one,” Rolly said before he walked back over to his ATV, rummaged around in his backpack, and pulled out a hatchet. “I sharpened this guy a couple days ago, but didn’t think I’d be using it this soon. Figure we could chop down some of these arm sized green trees and build a bridge out of them.”
“Probably our quickest option,” I agreed. “Nice thinking bringing that along. It’s much better suited to the task than my knife.”
“Yeah but your knife will be good for stripping the branches off,” he replied. “I’ll chop em down if you wanna clean em up and lash them together.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said with a nod.
Rolly was as skilled with that hatchet as he was with the ATV, and it took him less than ten minutes to fell the first small tree. As he located and moved on to another, I crouched down and started to cut the branches from the first one.
