by Pete Thorsen
One day Cal told Ann about all the stuff that would likely be on a train that many people might not think of. Thinking on it while they were walking she agreed and said she had never thought about a train. A rail yard would probably be a treasure trove of valuable stuff. It would have both loaded rail cars and loaded trucks waiting to unload and also loaded trucks ready to leave that were caught there at the time of the Event.
It would also be unlikely that any of it would have burnt up as there was very little wiring there and often these terminals were on the outskirts of the cities. But neither knew of any terminals and their carts were full right now anyway. They were talking about railroads because they could see one that followed the interstate off and on along their route. But they had never seen a train just the tracks.
They passed by the town of Castle Rock and soon were coming to the city of Colorado Springs. On Cal’s map it looked like the interstate went right through the middle of it. But with no other choice they just kept going. Like portions of other cities they had seen Colorado Springs was reduced to nothing but burnt out shells of buildings.
It was about then that a pack of dogs attacked them. It was lucky that one of the dogs made some noise to draw their attention before they were within biting distance. Cal drew and shot two dogs before Ann got her gun out. Cal then shot two more and Ann shot two also, there was another dog that swapped ends and managed to get away at a dead run. It was a very close call and both agreed that it was likely they would see more dog packs as time went on. Just something else that could kill them if they were not on their toes.
The highway contained no more people here than they normally encountered in between towns. So many people must have died, most from smoke inhalation maybe or the dogs. When you are in a city and the whole thing is on fire at just the same time all around you there is no where to run for safety. They continued to look through vehicles as you never knew what you might find in them. The wrecking bar that Cal now had worked great to pop the trunks of cars. They continued to take any matches and cigarette lighters and they actually had a massive supply but still took all they found.
In a truck bound for a dollar store they found a large number of candles and took almost all of them. Actually the dollar store truck had many items that now had values way higher than the dollar they used to have. Things were way different now than they were before the Event. In one service truck there was a large quantity of various tools and Cal took the time to use the vise that was bolted to the rear bumper to hold the shotgun barrel and used a hacksaw to cut it off shorter. Then used a file to clean-up the cut end of the barrel. When he was done it almost looked like it came that way and it was way handier now with the short barrel. So much so that he dug out the other shotgun and shortened its barrel also.
Ann looked through all the books they found which surprised Cal as he mostly considered them worthless now. But when Ann held up one that said finding and using wild edibles he changed his mind about the value of some books. They found several books on survival, one on backpacking, another different one on using wild plants, one on home tanning of hides, and one on curing meat. They found many more that they thought would be nice to have but they had to limit what they could carry.
They had hills now and then and the heavy carts tested their strength and endurance on some of the big hills. Both Cal and Ann had been lean before the Event and now they were even leaner and had gained muscle. The constant walking while pulling a load used different muscles on Cal who thought he was in great shape before the Event.
In their travels they had both found different shoes and each had a spare pair also (Cal thought maybe Ann had a couple or more spare pairs of shoes but that was her business). They both now wore regular athletic shoes and each had a pair of hiking shoes in their packs. When Cal found a pair of lightly insulated Rocky Boots in his size he was happy to take them as they would be a blessing in the winter.
They both had several changes of clothing now that fit them. And at least one set of cold weather clothes. Both had many socks and underwear and each had a summer hat and a winter hat. They found many things they wanted but space and weight limited their loads. Often they would take one thing and remove something else from their load to leave behind. Even though they wanted to haul more they knew they were about at their practical limits.
They both wished they had a base or home and could just leave supplies there and go out to get more to bring back. And that was their plan but they wanted their base to be farther south if possible due to the winters. They talked about it and decided when they got to New Mexico they would start looking for a place to stay at least through the winter. But they had miles to go and it was very slow going. It would be much faster if they never stopped at any vehicles but they were afraid they would miss possibly vital items plus they wanted to keep their foods stocks as high as they could.
They walked through Pueblo and had someone shoot at them. At first they heard the distant shots and thought nothing of it as they heard shots off and on throughout their walk but then they heard a bullet hit a car near them and they simply walked to the off side shoulder of the highway so all the stopped vehicles were between them and the distant shooter. That stopped the shooting and they just continued their trek. They thought in a week they would be in New Mexico and could start looking for a base camp for winter.
Chapter Seven
They entered New Mexico without fanfare and continued on south. After Raton the map showed no big towns for miles and miles. The middle of no where suited them fine and after Raton they started to search in earnest for their base camp. They looked at many places and in many buildings. When they saw a windmill in the distance they got excited and turned to check it out. There was a windmill and it worked as there was water everywhere around the well. No building though it was just a windmill for livestock that must have been on ever since the Event.
They continued their search and the next day spotted another windmill. This time there was a burnt down house and garage but a small barn and two sheds that were still there along with an old outhouse. After checking the windmill (Ann knew how to turn them on or off) and found it was still functional, they checked the three standing buildings. The barn was very used and had plenty of manure to prove it. They turned to the two sheds. Both were large enough and one had a dirt floor with what looked to be an old carpet on the floor and the other had a cement floor. Both had a considerable amount of junk in them. They decided this would be their spot but now they had a lot of work to do to make it livable and haul in enough food and other supplies to last the winter.
They unloaded the wagon and the trailer along with many items out of their packs hiding everything very well in the sheds (they moved a lot of the junk, put their stuff in, and then moved the junk back in on top of their stuff to hide it. Then they left it there and went back to the Interstate highway to see if they could find a food truck nearby. First they went south ten miles stopping and checking each vehicle in the south bound lane then went north twenty miles checking each vehicle in the northbound lane.
They found three semi trucks that each had some food along with other things. They thought while this food would not be enough to last the winter by itself they could shoot a cow or two to provide plenty of additional food(they saw plenty of cows in the area). Also there had been some food in several private cars and trucks they could bring home also. So the work started hauling food back to the base.
Now they really overloaded the trailer and wagon each trip as it was a relatively short one way trip. They brought back every bit of food from ten miles each way on both south and north bound lanes (equaling forty miles of highway). Once the food was brought back they worked cleaning out the two sheds completely. Cal scavenged insulation to insulate their living quarters then did a fair job sheeting up the inside. He then built two bunk beds and put up shelving almost everywhere else. One truck had a lot of blankets (two dozen) so they used them for both mattresses and to cover up.
Cal built an outside stove out of cement blocks and local clay with a grate (from a new gas grill in one truck). There was a lot of household items in the trucks that had the food and they brought back everything they thought they could use. They found two Coleman cook stoves but no Coleman gas so Cal tried some gas from one of the many cars. He tried this out on the highway away from anything nearby that could start on fire but the stove seemed to operate fine on the regular gas so they brought both stoves back ‘home’ and a five gallon can of siphoned gas. They would use these stoves for indoor cooking (which would also provide some heat in their house).
Their new ‘house’ had no windows but Cal removed two windows from a car and fitted them in their new house. He then made very tight fitting inside shutters so no light would shine through at night to alert others to their presence. They brought home many new tote boxes both for storage and to keep some water in inside their house.
Using material found in the barn Cal made another wall most of the way around the shed about five inches away from the existing walls and four feet high. He then filled the space between the two walls with dirt. Then he made shooting ports in each wall just above the dirt wall. The dirt wall would stop most bullets and the ports would let them shoot out but in only small arcs. It was way better than nothing though plus the dirt wall might help keep the shed warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
They had found a few guns in vehicles and now had quite a bit of ammo. They loaded four rifles and had them handy in the house. They were about two miles from the highway and thought they may never see anyone here at their home as it was literally in the middle of no where.
Cal brought home several bicycles (there were two dozen or more in one truck) and worked most of a week making a new cart with three bike wheels that could be pulled or pushed. The cart turned out very well and they tried loading totes full of water in it to see how much weight it would take and how easy it was to move it. They were both impressed at just how functional it was. The truck with the bikes had a large amount of bike parts and Cal put airless tires on the cart so he would never have to worry about a flat tire.
Cal had started working on another cart just like it for Ann when the Indian attack happened. Both Cal and Ann were outside and Ann was hit in the first series of shots. Both of them managed to get inside the house, barred the door, and grabbed rifles to return fire. They opened all the shooting ports and Cal went from one to another looking for targets. Ann told him to hold his fire and let them come closer as they might think they had got lead into both of them. When Cal asked if she was OK she just said they could tend to her after the war was over. They waited and sure enough after only about five minutes or so they saw six guys heading toward them.
They waited until they got only twenty five or thirty yards away and both Cal and Ann opened up with the semi auto 223 rifles they had. Four of the bad guys dropped quickly and the other two took off running and zigzagging as they ran away. But with each having a thirty round magazine Ann and Cal kept shooting until both guys went down. Then not taking any chances Cal aimed carefully and put another bullet in all six guys.
When he turned to Ann he saw she was leaning heavily against the wall and did not look good. He ran over to her and all she had time to say was “We made one heck of a team, Cal”. Cal caught her as she fell but it was just dead weight. Ann was no longer in this world.
Cal spent a lot of time digging a nice grave for Ann and carved her name in a wood plank which he put up after he filled in the grave. He stripped the bad guys who all happened to be Indians and drug them about a half mile away and wired them upright to fence posts for the buzzards to peck on. He wished he could shoot them all again and again.
Chapter Eight
The winter seemed to last forever for Cal. He had no more trouble at his home but he hiked miles and miles until he found where more Indians were living. He killed them all and burnt their places to the ground. Then he hiked farther away looking for more of them to kill. He killed all he found within twenty miles of his place and only regretted that there hadn’t been more of them. All he killed he wired to posts for the buzzards men, women, or kids.
Cal had plenty of food for just him and brought some back from the homes of the Indians he killed but only sealed food. He wanted to eat nothing they touched. He had a large supply of guns now. And some bows and arrows. Using information from some of his books he killed a cow and jerked all the meat using a smoker that the book explained how to make. The meat turned out good so late in the winter he shot another cow and jerked all that meat also.
He did not know what he would do in the spring but he did know he would be leaving his small home. He wasn’t sure if he would ever come back but he did grease well a few guns and wrapped them in plastic and buried them with sealed containers of matching ammo a ways from the ‘house’. He took a new bike and attached the bike trailer that Ann used to pull and made several trips farther out on the highway to bring back more stuff. He ended up filling the other shed with additional items that could be used or used for trading stock.
He had found many seeds in different vehicles and knew he could plant a garden and likely make a life for himself here and maybe he would some day but he knew only that he would leave in the spring with no destination in mind. Spring finally came and Cal readied his gear for the road. Though he had a couple bikes and two trailers he chose to walk and use his home made cart. He had found a lot of rat poison and put a pile of it in each shed. Before he left he wrote a note and placed it in a jar on one of the bunks, it said
“You are welcome to stay here in my home until my return. You are free to use any items found here as if they are your own. When I return I will ask you only to depart peacefully taking only what you brought here. If you choose then to fight me your body will soon then be wired to a fence post like the many others you have likely found around here. Cal Johansson.”
Chapter Nine
Cal left with most of the food he had left. He also brought several guns mainly for trade stock. And many other items for trade stock. He had his backpack filled with survival gear and while he did not wear it he had it on top of the load so if necessary he could grab it and run. Attached to the pack were his tent and a light sleeping bag.
First he went north and then east on highway 64. He did not know where he was going only that he had to travel. Out of habit he opened the vehicles he came to; he had brought his trusty three foot wrecking bar with him. Much of the food he found was now bad but a little of it was still OK to eat. And of course he found many other items and the smaller stuff he often took with him.
He always took any powdered drinks he found as these were light and a he enjoyed having a flavored drink sometimes. At night he would go a ways off the road and use his tent to sleep in. His progress was very slow but when you have no where to go and all summer to get there, what is the hurry?
He stayed on highway 56 and in about a week he was in Oklahoma and in another week or so he was in Kansas. He saw other people from time to time and occasionally would do a little trading with one or another. It was just before he got to Kansas that the idiot guy tried to steal his cart and he had to shoot him (see prologue). And about a week before that the two horse guys had tried to rob him and they died also. The horses he had gotten were valuable but no one he found that wanted them had enough to trade but Cal wanted rid of them and took what he could and was happy not to see those horses again.
Many times Cal could see that others had broke open some vehicles but he still found many that were never opened or not searched very thoroughly as he found worth while items every day. The old highway he was on did not bypass any towns instead usually going through the center of them. That was fine with Cal as many times when people saw the cart they asked if he was a trader to which he always replied with a yes.
Most then would tell him the things they were looking for and sometimes Cal and them would make a deal. He didn’t really need anything but it w
as entertaining to him to haggle awhile just to pass the time. Cal found often people liked small things that were a luxury now; candy, spices, pencils and paper, make-up. Cal learned what to search for in the vehicles he opened. Everyone was always looking for news of other areas but with only foot travel long distance news was very uncommon. Even though Cal had never found any ammunition in 44-40 for his favorite revolver and rifle, he had been finally able to get some in trade.
Sometimes he went up to places along the road to check them out. Occasionally these had people at them living in the barns or sheds. He would ask about trading and sometimes would trade for a hot meal. Often the places would be vacant and Cal would poke around to see if there was anything left that was worth taking with. Life was slow paced and that suited Cal as often he would not even get ten miles in one day and seldom if ever do twenty.
Sometimes he would help those he saw if they needed a hand with something and once he stayed three days on one farm when they needed help moving a shed. They paid him with only hot meals and a spare bunk with an actual mattress, though when he left the wife made him take two pint jars of home canned green beans.
One place he walked over to check out had a woman screaming and Cal expected to find a situation like when he met Ann but this time was different. Cal found the woman and she appeared to be alone so he got her attention and asked what was wrong. Her husband had been digging a well and it had partially collapsed on him. She drug Cal to the spot and he looked into the pit. Not able to see down very far Cal took a hand mirror from his cart and used that to reflect the sun light down to the bottom. Cal could see part of a man’s body at the bottom about twenty feet or a little more down.
He then asked the woman how long since it happened and she said only a few minutes then Cal asked her if she had any rope and she left to get some. Cal saw a couple of long poles laying nearby and dragged them across the opening, by which time the woman was back lugging quite a bit of rope. Cal quickly tied two ropes to the poles and threw them down to the bottom, one of which hit the man but he never moved.
