A long Lonely Road Box Set 3

by T J Reeder

  I was wishing we had Mr. Whipple here to handle the inventory, but once it was all at the fort he would be thrilled to have it to play with.

  I figured the way to handle it was to split the whole mess fifty-fifty with the Texans, but as to the choppers I told them to pass the word that I would trade five choppers for five chopper pilots. With Ralph and Blain, and (I assumed), Sandy sooner or later, we had plenty of pilots. Also I figured the Blackhawks would be parked most of the time and the small two-place units, which Blain called observation units, would be great for fast trips where a lot of people or equipment weren’t needed.

  The Blackhawk pilots told me that getting five drivers to move to the canyons was easy since we had an overabundance of pretty ladies we rescued, and since the slavers didn’t take ugly women all of them were lookers. I didn’t care as long as everybody was happy. We needed young men and the ladies needed young men- win/win.

  Sandy called me a Pimp, May opened her mouth and I said, “Yeah, I know. Marines are pussies.”

  She looked at me funny and said, “I was gonna say you were right.” It took me 10 seconds to see the bullshit raising up in her eyes. I laughed and slapped her on the butt. She wiggled and asked if that was an offer or a promise, and they high fived.

  It took us three long days to clean out the warehouse and the Mayor came by to say we were taking property that belonged to the people of Richmond. I told him to the victor go the spoils. He said, “A thief in the night is still a thief in the daylight.” Sandy said, ”And a pushy Mayor can be a dead Mayor.” He asked her if that was a threat. She smiled her killer smile and said, “You better believe it, buckwheat.” He looked at me and I shrugged and said, “Hey, I never get between her and her lunch!” He left. She laughed. I often wonder what if I had headed for Canada when I left Montana after the EMP? I decided it would be really lonely. Beth came and led me away for a cup of coffee.

  At last we were ready for the trip home, and I was so tired I was glad we weren’t making the trip south- maybe another day.

  As we rolled out of the area I had a thought. I wondered just how many of these stockpiles were out there and who might be finding them. It was a bit scary. We were riding in a real government extra-long Suburban- black with real dark windows. I felt like we were in a movie. But the seat laid way back and napping was always an option. Blain was driving with Kid acting as co-pilot. Sandy and May had a Hummer with their very own mini-gun on it and were in front and one vehicle behind Charley’s scouts. They were dying to light something up, but I knew that when their asses get tired they will find some sucker to drive it while they crawl in here with us. In the meantime I’m real comfy and Beth is in the other seat, laid back on her side smiling at me. I have my hand on her tummy as I feel myself drifting away.

  We spent several days getting home, no reason to hurry and we were moving a huge amount of stuff. The trucks were way overloaded, blow outs were the name of the game.

  After the first few hours I got on the radio and requested several trucks and cargo trailers and a couple of lowboys to head our direction. We sat in place the next day waiting for them. They arrived late morning the following day and we spent the day reloading the whole mess. We could have done better in the loading area but we wanted to get clear out of the area and into open country. I really hate the crumbling cities. The people living in them are as feral as the animals around them. I can only assume that most are mentally disturbed.

  I really had no idea just how much stuff we had scored, and this after half went to the Texans. I know the fort folks have a lot of empty cargo containers to store it all in and I’m so glad we have our own Mr. Whipple to bring order to the mess. It will be great to know what all there is, and it’s my fervent hope that we never need it. But the odds of that happening are thin to none.

  At last we rolled into the fort. A good number of the people who helped move this stuff were from the fort, moving large quantities of stuff is their business and business is good.

  They still make their hunting trips out into the world and have taken to working the cities farther out. They track down every old pawn shop, gun store, jewelry store they can find. The last thing I’d want to do is wander around in dark malls, but they seem to thrive on it. I know most of my hard-ass shooters wouldn’t do that for anything. I know I won’t and it would take a solid gold 1911 to drag my girls into one. We have a great deal of respect for our salvage teams, and our lives are deeply enriched by the things they find…like the big warehouse full of beer and hard liquor- that was a good haul. We can be drunks for fifty years …or not.

  I have no idea why they drag in so much gold and other such stuff. It’s not like they care about it anymore than we do but they seem to find it fun, so more power to them. A library that’s not been left open to the weather is more valuable to them than a load of gold and such, but I guess we all have something in us that places value on the shiny stuff. I digress.

  We were prepared to spend days helping unload the haul but the fort crew sent us home. They knew we needed down-time and they have their own methods for sorting this stuff. Sandy told them all that if a nice 1911 turned up and anybody tried to hold out she would be back, and they booed her. This was the first time I could remember that ‘they’ hadn’t hauled home something for their ‘museum’. That was surprising and a little bit suspicious. In fact, they never said a word after they ransacked the homes of the congress critters and that was very suspicious. I would be keeping an eye on them to make sure they don’t bring in a small tactical nuke or some such shit. When it comes to their ‘treasures’ I don’t trust them any further than I could throw them- and that’s like throwing a cat and good luck with that.

  Home…what a wonderful word, the best word in the world in any language. We rolled in to a wonderful greeting from our ‘tribe’ (at least the ones who didn’t go with us). Old Woman was there in the communal area with the kids. Sam was watching intently as we walked into sight, but JC was watching his cookie, as was Molly. I could see the boy had his priorities in order.

  ‘They’ shot past us to grab the kids, and of course Molly took advantage of all the confusion. JC was left with his fingers, so that was a good thing but he was pissed over the cookie. Yep, that’s my boy.

  Old Woman and Beth were huddled off to the side and both were smiling, I asked Charley when Old Woman had announced she was moving to the canyons? He thought a moment and said, “About a month and a half ago.” How, I’ll never know, but I was sure the move and the coming baby (s?) had something to do with each other.

  Shortly, I saw my West Virginia buddy Harvey headed our way. He was smiling as usual, said Old Woman took him up the ridge trail and pointed at a flat spot and asked could he build a Hogan out of big rocks like our house? She drew an outline in the dirt and he allowed as they could do that. She asked how much. He said he looked at her and knew she wasn’t gonna buy being told nothing. So he said he would do it for some Navajo jewelry if he could provide the silver. She said she could handle that, so they struck a deal and Harv and his rock hounds went to work. We walked up the ridge and I was amazed. I had looked at this spot every time I walked up the trail but had never walked over to it. The view was awesome; lake on one side, our water-filled canyon in front and it could face the east. They had already started it and were well along. Harv said Old Woman had watched every stone being placed and suspected she was secretly blessing them as they were laid. Hell, I figured she would bless them openly if she was at all. But what do I know? Nothing…as is proven to me a dozen times a day.

  He had asked some of Charley’s lads to find some nice cedar for the roof beams and the center pole she had requested. I mentioned that Charley would be needing a place, too. Harv said he had already been told and where it would be, which was down past Old Woman’s Hogan. He was going to see Charley about what he wanted. So the kids and their pea-sized siblings-to-be had a new grandma moving in close- this was a good thing. I figured the new baby’s first word woul
d be in Navajo and that was fine as long as it wasn’t “shit”, which I still think the girls are trying to teach JC.

  Evening was coming and Charley and I sat near the edge of the cliff dropping to the lake, looking out at the awesome sunset. Soon we would head in for our evening meal, which all the girls were working on. It was all native foods being supervised by Old Woman and it was smelling really good.

  Charley let me know he was about to speak and said, “I have a house being built soon.” I nodded. He said, “”It’s a nice spot.” I nodded. He sat a while and said, “I have found a woman I wish to marry.” I didn’t nod. I did get whiplash turning to look at him. He smiled, and I belatedly nodded. He sat a while longer and said, “She’s younger than me.” I nodded and said, “My brother, the earth is younger than you.” We both smiled and he said, “I have decided to be a father.” I choked on my beer, and it squirted out my nose. I was in agony, and he pounded my back. I couldn’t nod, I couldn’t breathe, and he hit me again and got one lung going. He said, “I knew you would be happy for me but I didn’t expect such a showing of joy. Simple congratulations would have sufficed.” I laughed and he laughed. We watched the sun finish its journey and went into the house.

  My world is spinning; my lovely wife Beth is bringing life to our home again. My adopted daughter is plotting to do the same, I can tell. My greatest friend is getting married and we have the most wonderful Old Woman living on our ridge within a few feet of us. We are home from what could have been a nasty war, and won it with nothing more than a few scratches; we scored on enough gear to wage a major war if we were so inclined. We aren’t.

  After supper I took Sandy and May for a walk and asked them why neither of them had gotten pregnant? Sandy said she had never had that problem and looked at it as a blessing. She was happy to spoil the hell out of any baby around but had no desire to have one.

  May said that she had gotten one of those long-term birth control injection things just before the lights went out. I asked when it was gonna stop working. She said we would know when she got pregnant and smiled a happy smile. I got the ‘deer in the headlights’ look again and broke out in a cold sweat. They both patted me on the head and said it would be OK.

  I’m too old for this stuff, but then I looked at Charley in my mind’s eye and figured what the fuck- he was entering into the whole thing willingly and happily so who was I to worry? I asked May how she felt about it, and she said she was counting the seconds. She looked so happy at the thought. I looked at Sandy and said, “Well hell, babe, it’s gonna be just you and me again for a while.” She smiled and said that was OK, but we needed a bigger home. I said we could dump out all their junk cluttering up the gun room and make it a nursery. For such a little shit she really can hit hard.

  We walked into the house and found a nice fire going, Kid on the rug with the two rug rats, reading them a story, part in English and part in Navajo. Old Woman was rocking in an old wooden rocker I’d never seen and was doing something with silver wire and beads, Beth was laying on the couch covered with a light blanket and just staring into the flames and smiling her beautiful smile. I assumed Charley was off courting his young woman. The dogs were laid flat out by the rug as close to the kids as they could get without actually getting on the rug, which was a no-no.

  I stood with two of my wives looking at the picture before us and I felt a peacefulness easing thru me like never before. When I looked again Beth was watching me and had raised the blanket for me so I slid behind her and wrapped her in my arms while she sighed. Kid looked up and smiled as did Old Woman. ‘They’ had gone into their cave where I heard the sounds of guns being taken apart- each to his or her own. I was home, we were home, all of us were home, and Old Woman looked at me and nodded.

  A Very Bad Mistake

  Book 15

  It was a beautiful quiet day in our canyon home, also known as ‘The Rock Pile’. I was standing in the baby room with Beth, my arms around her and my hands resting on her baby bump- still not showing much but at least three months along. We were watching the kids sleeping, at peace for the moment but soon to be up and going. JC was captured earlier heading down the trail to the “cookie place.” He hadn’t gotten far but he was working on it. That boy does love his cookies, or brownies, or rabbit stew, or…I think you get the point. Like his dad- food first…always.

  We heard the door crash open and ‘they’ stormed in, both fighting to be the one to wake me, both yelling my name. Sandy telling May what all she’s going to do to her if she don’t get out of the way, May telling her to fuck off and die. My other two wives…or maybe I should say children, but that would sound incestuous. There’s never a dull moment. Beth and I walked quietly behind and watched them. The room was dark and their eyes hadn’t adjusted yet so all they saw was a mound on the bed.

  Sandy- “John!”

  May- “John, wake up!”

  Sandy- “Shut up May! John! Wake up and guess what?”

  They were gonna wake the kids so I said, “What?” They spun around, mouths open and stood there for a few seconds, then started in about me not being asleep. I asked why that was an issue. “How can we wake you up if you’re not sleeping?”

  I asked them if they had any idea how ridiculous that sounded. They didn’t, and didn’t want to hear it. Finally I asked Beth to deal with them and left the room. That didn’t last more than a nano-second before they had me pinned on the couch.

  I finally asked what they wanted and got a blank look from both; they had forgot, or couldn’t do (whatever) if they weren’t ruining my nap.

  Actually, I was feeling rather superior at the moment. They were truly stumped, and it was beautiful. I guess my smug look and smile got them going, since I became a, “small person, a butthead, an asshole, a non-entity (which was a new one) and of course…Marines are pussies.” God, I love them. It’s dangerous and even scary at times. But I do love them. Untamed, wild, beautiful, sexy, and scary as hell.

  I said if they would stop beating me up they might remember what it was they wanted in the first place. They looked at each other and then without a word left the house. Sometimes they seem to communicate without words.

  I looked at Beth, who was laughing quietly so I joined her. It took a half hour before they walked back in acting like they hadn’t even been there at all. “John! Guess what?” said Sandy. “Yeah! Guess what?” said May. I sighed, Beth laughed, JC let out a yell. And to think just a short half hour ago it was so quiet and peaceful, but that cannot exist around them.

  Sandy said, “Well?” “Well, what?” “Guess what, John?” I wrinkled my brow in heavy thought and said, “You’re both leaving to become nuns?” Their mouths fell open, they looked at each other, then me, and for a whole 30 seconds they were stunned into silence! This was a record! When they got over it, I said, “Look. I can never guess what.” What?” said May. “Yeah, what?” said Sandy. I really had them this time, I was rolling in the glory of the moment and then they pounced. I was smothered under twin Rocky’s trying to pound on me but actually hitting each other more than me. I heard Sandy say, “Ouch! You hit me!” May said, “Did not! It was John!” That stopped the assault. Sandy said, “I can’t believe you hit me, John.” “Yeah” said May. I swear Sandy had tears trying to form and I felt really bad until I figured out I was being played like a juke box. I said, “Stop it and just tell me whatever it is you’re trying to talk me into.”

  May looked at Sandy and said, “He really is getting pretty smart.” “Yeah, and a pain in the ass” said Sandy. I just kept quiet because I know they can’t stand it when I stop playing their game. Then May smiled and said, “John? Want a cold beer?” Sandy leaped up saying, “ I’ll get it!” She brought back three, telling Beth she couldn’t have one because she was “knocked up…again.”

  Beth laughed and took Sandy’s beer, drank half of it, then belched in her face. I love my ladies. Beth comes across as a ‘peace before war hippie chick’ but she can be tougher than either of th
e other two, just not as fast on the trigger. Sandy said, “Gross” and got another beer. I knew it had to be big or they wouldn’t be putting on the show they were.

  And that is a scary thought. It was either gonna be dangerous as hell or …well there is no ‘or’- it was bad whatever it was.

  Sandy said they were going to learn to fly the two-seater choppers we brought home from the last dust up. I was caught off guard; Sandy has been learning to fly for a long time and has flown our chopper with Ralph playing mother hen.

  May never has shown any interest in it, and there was the rub. Something was going on and it had to be flying small choppers with guns on them. These two don’t think in terms of a Sunday drive in the family van. Oh no, they think in terms of up armoring the van and mounting guns all over it.

  At this point I also knew that they had approached somebody to help them and that chicken shit said, “Sure! If John says OK.” Now, I know it wasn’t Ralph because he will do anything they want, anytime they want it and never has learned to say no, except to getting married and giving them his first born for punching Sandy back that one time. (It was a loose moment that they never let the poor bastard forget.)