by R. A. Neely
"This is our little 'secret spot'," Richard explained as they approached. The 'secret spot' as Richard referred to it was just a number of trailer homes arranged in a square. Inside they saw an assortment of vehicles in various stages of repair.
"This is our auto shop," Richard explained.
"Why do you have so many cars?" Greg asked.
"Well, it's not so many as it appears. A number of these are just being used for parts. There were a lot of accidents on the day of the outbreak so not everything is in great condition. Hey, Giovanna!" he called. "Take a break. I want you to meet someone."
A figure slid out from underneath one of the cars and stood up. She appeared to be Hispanic with black shoulder length hair and was dressed in a pair of overalls. If the oil stains were any indication, she knew her way around a car. She used a sleeve to wipe sweat from her brow which only smeared a bit of oil in its place but she didn't seem to notice. She approached the group while wiping her hands on a rag that she pulled from one of her pockets.
"Hey there," she said as she reached them. "I'm Gio. Richard insists on using my full name just to irritate me."
Greg chuckled. "Nice to meet you, Gio," Greg said as he extended his hand.
Gio shook hands and smiled. "So, what's going on, Richard?"
"Our friends here have been caught up in Dawn's latest scheme. They're gonna stick around to help out."
"Great!" Gio said enthusiastically, "could always use a hand around here. Any of you know your way around a car?"
Greg glanced at Jackson who shook his head. "Afraid not."
Gio shrugged. "Oh well, didn't hurt to ask. You fill them in on the master plan yet, Richard?"
Richard chuckled, "I was getting to that, Giovanna."
Gio rolled her eyes at his use of her full name. "Alright, back to work. These cars won't fix themselves." Gio left the group and was quickly ensconced back under a vehicle.
"What this master plan?" Greg asked.
"Well, I've been thinking and I don't think we can stay here long term. Eventually, all the easy to grab food will be gone and we'll be stuck trying to farm. I don't see that going to well with Dawn breathing down our necks."
"You've got a good spot here though," Carol said.
Richard nodded. "It's not bad, but it's only good so long as the food and ammo hold out. After that, it becomes a trap."
"What's the plan then?" Jackson asked.
Richard nodded towards Gio. "I want to get out of here. Gio is working on getting enough vehicles working. Should be done in the next few days. Then we leave and Dawn can have this place."
"Where will you go?" Greg asked? "We've got a similar plan I guess. We were just getting away from Emerald Falls but we really don't have an end destination in mind."
"I'm thinking the outbreak has made a lot of prime real estate available. Plus, there's no government authority to say what belongs to whom. I figure we find an isolated spot and try to build something of our own."
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Greg replied.
"It's a great idea," Richard said with a smile. "We hit the hardware store the other day. Got seeds, you know, tomato, cucumber, corn, and so on. Bunch of stuff that should grow pretty well. Also got a few loads of lumber and such so we can do repairs when we find a place. Don't know what condition it'll be in."
"Sounds like you thought of everything," Carol said.
"Probably not," Richard said with a chuckle, "but it's a start. Staying here just isn't gonna work. Dawn isn't gonna leave us alone and she might have eventually convince enough people to come after us in force. Don't get me wrong, if a bandit comes through I've no trouble giving them some bullets. But I'm not ready to start shooting people I've known for years."
"That's understandable," Greg replied.
"This is where I want you to be, Greg. I want you to make sure my people make it out here if things go south. You strike me as a good man, Greg. You staying to fight even though I gave you an out, that says a lot about you. You've also been out there, surviving. We've been doing fine here but we have no idea how things are out on the road. If something happens to me, I want you to take over."
"What? I don't even know these people," Greg protested. "Why would they listen to me?"
"Because I'll tell them to," Richard replied with a smile. "I'll bring you around to meet everyone and we should still be okay for a day or two. Plenty of time for them to get to know you."
"Aren't there other men more suitable?" Greg asked. "I'm just getting here. If I pass over a bunch of people, that's gotta cause some problems."
"It'll be fine," Richard said. "These people need leadership. If I hadn't organized them, most would still be huddling in their trailer homes. Right now, they don't care who leads so long as someone is doing it. They just want to be safe."
Greg sighed as he thought. What did he know about leading a group of people? It was one thing to take care of his family, but this? This was way too much. He looked up as Richard placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You stayed behind fighting off the infected while your people got themselves to safety. That's what a leader does. You've already got the instincts for it."
"That was different," Greg protested. "They're family. I did it without thinking."
"That's all this is," Richard replied. "Family, just a little bit bigger, that's all.
"Just bigger, huh?" Greg asked.
Richard nodded. "Let's go for a walk. I'll introduce you to some of the guys." Richard looked at the rest of the group, "You guys are welcome to relax for a bit. Maybe lend a hand if you see someone that needs help with something. Gio could use a hand if you can manage not to annoy her. She's chased everyone else away so far. Says she works faster alone."
The group dispersed and Richard took Greg on a more personalized tour of the trailer park. This time around they stopped to speak with the people they passed. Greg was pretty sure he wouldn't remember most of them although a few stood out. There was Justin Oller. He spent most of his time guarding the fence. He'd lost his only daughter the day of the outbreak and was determined that wouldn't happen to anyone else.
There was also Ricardo. Turns out that he was Gio's son. They found him kicking a ball off the wall of a trailer home and Greg decided he should introduce him to Maddy and Junior when he had the chance. There wasn't a whole lot for the kids to do with the power out so maybe they could entertain each other. After Ricardo, it was a blur of names and faces. There were about thirty men and women that Richard had organized into his little army.
The rest of the residents were next. They all seemed like good people, if a bit afraid. It seemed like the only thing holding them together was the force of Richard's will. Greg began to understand when Richard had said they didn't really care who was in charge so long as someone was. Who could blame them though? They were living in a strange situation. Who would have ever imagined that you would have to hide from people carrying a deadly infection?
They met as a big group for lunch around noon and Greg sat down and noted that their table seemed to be getting a lot of stares. "Something happen?" he asked.
Jackson shook his head, "No, it looks like we're celebrities of a sort though."
"How'd that happen?"
Jackson shrugged, "A lot of them are impressed that we've been on the road. They were asking a lot of questions when Richard took you off for that meet and greet."
"How'd that go anyway?" Carol asked.
"Pretty good I guess," Greg replied. "Can't say that I'll remember anyone's name just yet but it went well."
"That's good," Laura said. "Everyone is looking forward to getting out of here but there will have to be some changes with this many people."
James chuckled. "Already organizing things, huh?"
"Somebody has to," Laura replied.
"What's the problem?" Greg asked.
"Well, Richard's done a great job of keeping everyone safe here but I noticed that not everyone is contributing. There's q
uite a few people just sitting around."
"What do you think we should do?" Greg asked.
Laura shrugged, "I don't know, but I think everyone should be doing something. We can't live the way we used to. Richard said we're gonna be attacked soon," she said in a low voice. "What happens then? It doesn't seem right that just a few people fight while everyone else hides."
"Isn't that what we're used to doing though?" Carol asked. "If you get in trouble, you call the police."
"Don't think that model is gonna work right now," James said. "Think about the other night. We survived because everyone lent a hand. When we left Ashton, Greg and I cleared the way while you guys drove. Everyone was involved."
Greg nodded. "That makes sense. Richard thinks the attack is gonna go down any day now though. Don't know if we can change anything by then."
Laura shrugged, "I'm thinking long term I guess so maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. We have to survive whatever that Dawn woman throws at us."
Greg shook his head. "You're right, if we're gonna do this we have to make it work. And well I guess we're gonna do this. Stick around I mean."
"That's fine," Laura said, "it's great even. I think we'll be safer in a bigger group. We just have to organize some things is all."
"You're right," Greg replied, "I'll bring it up with Richard next time I talk to him."
After lunch, Greg found Richard and told him some of the things they were talking about. "Those are all great ideas," Richard said when he was finished. "I knew you were the right man for the job. I didn't think of any of those things. Just been focused on getting enough food and keeping the infected out."
Greg shrugged. "I think you did a fantastic job. Just, we'll have to organize a little different on the road."
Richard nodded, "You're absolutely right. I knew there was something about you."
Greg shrugged. "I still feel a little weird about the whole thing but I'm willing to give it a shot. I don't want to see any of these people hurt."
Richard nodded. "Good man. We can go around after dinner tonight and introduce the changes. Better to do it now so people have an idea of how things are gonna be."
"Sounds good," Greg said with a nod.
Greg spend the rest of the day interacting with the residents. He kept some of the guards company as they stood watch and tried to get a sense of who they were. After that he found himself in a trailer that was being used as a day for some of the younger children. On his way out, he saw Carol smiling at him and decided he would stay away from there so she wouldn't get any ideas. He mingled here and there, introducing himself to faces he hadn't seen yet and eventually found a quiet corner where he could be by himself for a while. This whole thing was really overwhelming. He didn't realm feel equipped to lead anyone let alone all of these people that would be depending on him. Who would've thought he'd be in this position? He'd spent the last week running from place to place just trying to stay alive. He was supposed to do that for a whole group now? Laura was right, there would definitely have to be some changes. He shuddered just thinking of how they would provide food for so many people. Richard said they had a good amount stored up, but what happened if that ran out? He'd need to find out exactly how much food they had and long it would last. He could probably put Laura in charge of that. She was good at organizing things like that.
They'd probably have to send out scouts or something to look for food every day. What about hunting? The canned stuff lying around would only last for so long? He'd need to ask Richard if anyone knew how to hunt. Hopefully those two things would be enough to keep the group fed. He shook his head. He needed to talk to the rest of the group. This was too much to deal with on his own. He'd probably miss something important. Isn't that what leaders did though? Surround yourself with people who actually knew what they were doing? Even the president had a cabinet right? Greg stood and started to look for the rest of the group. He'd need their advice if they were going to be making changes that were going to affect all of these people.
Days passed and Richard began involving Greg in the daily running of the trailer park. They would rise early and determine the guard rotation for the day. While the infected mostly came out at night, there were other threats they had to guard against. Even though Dawn hadn't attacked, Richard insisted that she remained a threat. There were also bandits to be on the lookout for. They hadn't had any problems lately but Richard believed it was the presence on the men on duty that kept them at bay. The next task was to determine the team that would go scavenging. They were doing well food wise but Richard wanted to have a constant flow of supplies if only because they were competing with Dawn's group. There were a number of other tasks that Richard handled and Greg quickly realized that he would need to delegate. Trying to handle everything on his own would quickly grow tiresome.
A week passed and Greg began to feel more comfortable with his future role here. Richard began letting him make the day to day decisions so that he could focus on security. The residents were also growing comfortable with him and frequently nodded or greeted him by name as he passed. A few days into the second week Richard pulled Greg aside.
"What do you think so far?" Richard asked.
"It's going pretty well," Greg replied. "We're all starting to fit in here."
"Laura's been a great help keeping the meals organized."
Greg chuckled, "Yeah, she's always been queen of the kitchen."
"What about the others? Haven't had the chance to talk to them really."
"Carol's been helping me organize some ideas I have and helping Laura otherwise. James and Jackson have been taking shifts on guard duty."
"That's great," Richard replied, "you guys have been a huge help." He chuckled, "I'm glad Dawn sent you this way."
Greg smiled, "It's been over a week. Do you still think she's gonna make a move?"
Richard nodded, "I know it's been quiet but I just don't trust her."
"What happened?"
"She's devious and has everyone over there fooled." Richard shook his head remembering, "You wouldn't expect it but she wasn't always like that. She was the village treasurer for years but something changed when the infected showed up."
"She lose someone?" Greg asked. He knew that trauma could affect people in different ways.
Richard shrugged, "So what if she did? Who hasn't lost someone? Hell, we lost nearly everyone in this town. Anyone that wasn't here that day is gone."
Greg nodded, "Fair enough."
"I don't know what happened to her. Some of my men were hitting the grocery store when she shows up with several of her own guys, all armed. Claimed that she was the legitimate authority in town and my guys had no right to be stealing supplies from the town."
"What happened then?"
"Same thing happened with the next group I sent out. Only this time one didn't make it back. We haven't figured out if Dawn had given the order or if one of her guys was just trigger happy. I started sending everyone out armed after that."
"I think it's just a matter of time," Richard concluded.
"That's why Gio's work is so important."
Richard nodded. "I just can't bring myself to fight people that used to be my friends. Maybe that makes me weak, a bad leader but I can't do it."
Greg shook his head as he thought of the decisions he would be willing to make. "I'd say that makes you human."
Richard smiled, "Thanks for that."
"How is Gio coming along?" Greg asked.
"Good. I think we've got enough vehicles right now if we had to leave in a hurry."
"Maybe we should start loading now, just in case."
"That's a good idea. Think we can put Laura on it?"
"Yeah, she's the best person for the job."
More time passed and Greg found it easier and easier to fit in. By the time the third week dawned, Greg felt as if they had been in the park for years. Most of the residents greeted him by name as he passed and he felt that taking over the leadership role wo
uld work out pretty well. Part of the way he had done this was to help out wherever he could and he directed the others to do the same. This served two purposes in his mind. The first was that there was a lot to do if they were going to get out of here. Gio still had some work to do on the vehicles and she needed help despite her protestations that people just slowed her down. The second was that it gave the group a chance to get to know everyone. If they were gonna be leading the group, Greg felt he should try to establish a relationship with as many people as he could.
12 Laramie, Trailer Park
Greg began taking different members of the group with him on his rounds as he began to call it. He felt that this was a good way of further introducing the other members so that the people would listen to all of them as a whole. Greg wasn't going to be able to do this alone and he'd need everyone's help. They also began to make a few changes around the trailer park. Jackson had suggested that all the guards should start wearing protective gear. He had noticed that the guards were simply wearing whatever they had on hand, jeans and a t-shirt for example. If a breach happened, the guards should have some sort of protection so they could fight effectively.
Greg had thought this a great idea and had requested that someone get leather jackets or something of the like the next time they made a supply run. He also requested gloves and few other items that Jackson had requested. This was received well by the guards. It wasn't much but they liked the idea of having additional protection.
Laura had also made some progress implementing her ideas. One of the first things she did was assign everyone into a work group. Everyone had a task of some sort be it helping prepare food or watching the children. There was some resistance at first but most quickly bowed under the weight of her will. Peer pressure also helped. Most people took their tasks with a degree of enthusiasm. Keeping busy was a great way to keep their minds off the fact that their world had fallen apart. No one wanted to be thought of as someone that didn't contribute to the well-being of the group.
While Laura organized the people, Carol took to organizing their trip for when they eventually left. Greg had shared with the group his ideas on what they might need on the road and Carol set to making it happen. She determined a rendezvous point for everyone to evacuate to if they had to leave in a hurry and also determined who would make ideal scouts when they were on the road. The last thing she did, was organize an evacuation plan. They would leave in three waves. People were assigned to a certain wave and each wave had several guards as well. She didn't know if matters would play out the way they wanted, but the organization seemed to give everyone peace of mind.
