“Wooden shingles... Cedar shakes. They're made from Cedar, or pine I suppose, but he wants to use Cedar. The scent stays for years. He showed me how he splits them out of a block of wood. Pretty easy to do, I thought, until I tried it. They're little wedges, one end thicker than the other. Tap, tap and they split right out,” Amy said.
“Like a New England style house in the old world?” Katie asked.
“Exactly,” Amy agreed.
“Oh, okay. I know what you mean,” Lilly said.
“Me too, that will be pretty. I'll have to talk Conner into it so they match. You going to put the kids up there?” Katie asked.
“Both of us,” Amy said. “The downstairs bedroom becomes a family room, the bedrooms are both upstairs.”
“Well, I guess I'll have to talk Jake into that too,” Lilly said. “I like the way that sounds.”
They all laughed. Michael let go of his nipple and gave a little noise that could have been a cough, but sounded like a giggle. He smiled and then went back to nursing.
“Gonna be a giggler like Mommy, I guess,” Katie said.
“Okay, I'm starting to see the differences,” Lilly said.
“Told you,” Amy said.
They all relaxed in the moist, warm heat, letting the babies nurse as they talked back and forth.
February 12th
“It's the real thing,” Aaron said.
“You made it?” Conner asked.
“With my own two hands. Got the recipe out of a book that I got from Lilly. Grain? No problem. The yeast to make it work came from Rollie. We had none, now we have so much it's not funny. I set it up, followed the directions, and let it work. Cold filtered, mountain aged for three weeks.” He smiled. “It's just the four of us, Aim, Kate, you and me. The babies are with Lilly until tomorrow morning,” Aaron said.
Conner grinned. “Katie made wine. You have beer, and I have this,” Conner said. He pulled his hand from his pocket and opened it up.
“Is that what I think it is?” Aaron asked. He picked it up and smelled it. “It is! How'd you get that?”
“Funny,” Conner said. “I'm walking home the other night from Josh's place, and I get down by the storage rooms, walked right by and then I smelled it.”
“At first I thought, no. You know how you get a phantom smell of it sometimes? I thought it was like that, but it was way too strong, and it was right there,” Conner said.
“So what'd you do?” Aaron asked.
“Well, I was going to keep walking. Not my business, you know, when the door opens and Sandy steps out. She had her back to me and when she turned around I scared her.”
“Get out, Sandy?” Aaron asked.
“Sandy,” Conner confirmed. ”I just sort of looked at her and then I sniffed the air and smiled. She looks at me and says, 'Do you indulge?' I allowed as though I just might indulge if I could come by some. Well, turns out she had some planted in a herb garden for medicinal purposes. I didn't know what to say at that point. Anyway, she hands me this and says 'Enjoy, Conner.'”
“Nothing else, like, 'Oh you caught me.' or something?” Aaron asked.
“Nope.”
“Huh... Well, good for us. I wonder what this medicinal herb is all about?”
“Well, James planted it for her... Got the seed too. It was babied and I would bet it's going to be good,” Conner said.
Aaron shrugged. “Tried it?”
“Nope... Smelled it though and it smelled pretty potent. You try the beer?” Conner asked.
“Nope. Smelled the mix though. Smells like real beer. Believe me, I was tempted, but we'll have to find out together... Fizzed up like real beer when I bottled it in the mason jars.”
“Well, there's our night planned out for us,” Conner said.
“Yep... Hope that doesn't give us the munchies... There are no such things as potato chips, Ho Ho's, Cheese Doodles. Damn,” Aaron said. “Did Katie try the wine?”
“A little sip. She said it was strong, but good.”
They were both sitting on the couch in Aaron and Amy's living room waiting for Katie and Amy to get back from dropping off the babies with Lilly and Jake.
Lilly and Jake's house was just across the way from Amy and Aaron's place, so if she did need them she could get here easily.
“Do you realize that the last time I relaxed, I mean really relaxed and unwound, was the night all the bad shit started to happen,” Conner said.
“Yeah?” Aaron asked. “Gotta be the same for me too... You like being a dad?”
“Yeah. Can't help it. Chokes me up,” Conner said.
“Yeah. I know it's all biology, part of me, part of Aim, but I get all choked up every time I hold him. Amy wants to wait for a while before we have another, I guess. I never saw myself as the kind of man I am right now. Father, husband, reliable, responsible. The baby is like the icing on the cake, makes life sweet,” Aaron said.
Conner nodded. “I get overwhelmed sometimes. They're so small, so perfect, so different from each other too. Michael is so serious, and Kate is just happy go lucky. And they're both so beautiful.” He paused and smiled. “I guess they must be in it together, Kate wants to wait too,” Conner said.
The door opened and Katie and Amy stepped in out of the cold.
“Holy crap it's cold outside,” Amy said.
Katie walked over and slid her cold hands down the back of Conner's shirt. “Cold, huh?” She asked. Conner pulled her down to him and kissed her. “You'll pay for that,” he told her.
“Hope so,” she said.
Amy settled into Aaron's lap and kissed him.
A soft knock came at the door.
“Ah,” Katie said. “That should be our entertainment.”
“You got a stripper?” Aaron asked.
“Ha ha, funny man,” Amy said.
Katie opened the door and Dustin stood there with a small portable CD player and a stack of discs. She thanked him and he waved goodbye, grinning as he did. Katie close the door and turned back to the others.
“Ah,” Aaron said, “entertainment. I thought you meant entertainment!”
“You,” Amy said as she followed Katie into the kitchen. They came back with a tray of sliced meats and cheeses. A second tray of homemade fudge. They set the trays down on the coffee table.
Candace plugged in the CD player and loaded several discs. Amy poured two mason jars full of the homemade wine, and then opened two jars of the homemade beer.
Katie settled down next to Conner and Amy next to Aaron.
“So,” Katie said. She took a sip of her wine and Amy followed suit. The music began to play. Katie was a fan of rock-blues, and this was some of the music she liked the best
“Half now half later?” Conner asked.
Everyone nodded.
~
“Easy, a sip or two will knock you for a loop,” Josh said as he handed the mason jar to Chloe.
“That strong?” Chloe asked.
“Like white lightening... Moonshine, strong as you can make it. I didn't actually make this, James did... From mash they made last summer, early fall,” Josh said.
“Okay. I'll be careful. We just want to celebrate a little, finishing our place up,” Chloe said. “Thanks, Josh,” she added as she turned to leave.
“Enjoy yourselves,” Josh said. He went back to raking the hay across the barn floor, evening it out. He had a cow bison mix that showed every sign of delivering within the next few hours, he was finding things to do in the barn to keep himself interested and awake until then. Hopefully it would all go well. He shook his head to clear it as he walked back through the barn into the back area where the cow was.
~
“You know, cheese is pretty good,” Aaron said.
Conner laughed. “I think pretty much anything would be good at this point. I have to hand it to you. This beer is good, really good. It's something you are either going to have to make more of or teach me how to make.”
“Yeah... We're going to ha
ve to talk to Sandy too. See if we can get in on that too,” Aaron said.
“Might not be her that is growing it,” Katie said.
“I don't think it is,” Amy agreed. “Was James, but not now... She knows who though.”
“Has to,” Conner agreed. “Should've asked her.”
“But you didn't,” Aaron said.
“True,” Conner agreed.
“Anyway, doesn't matter,” Katie said. “I asked Rollie to bring me some seeds. Some good seeds.”
“You didn't,” Amy said.
“I did.”
“Now where is that sweet old man going to find something like that?” Amy said.
“That sweet old man is a mountain man. He's been growing the stuff since he was a kid. He's a trader too, believe me, he not only knows where to get it, he knows where to get the good stuff,” Katie told them.
“What will he think of us?” Aaron asked.
“Uh, that we're human,” Katie said.
“Oh, right, that for sure,” Aaron said.
“Do you think we come off as too prudish sometimes?” Amy asked.
“No. I think sometimes people only see one side of a person. If you are married or friends with someone you'll end up seeing everything there is to see, good or bad. If not you get the edited version,” Katie said.
“Ah, the made for TV version,” Aaron said.
“Amy? Would you slap your man for me?” Katie asked.
“Ouch,” Aaron complained.
Amy giggled.
“Thanks, Aim,” Katie said.
“No prob,” Amy said.
“Okay... As I was saying, we show the edited version to everyone else in the world. That is bound to make anyone appear prudish, isn't it?” Katie asked.
“Okay. I can see that,” Conner said.
Candace frowned. “Okay, what was I talking about?”
“Prudes,” Aaron supplied.
“I know that, but why?”
“Um, regarding Rollie and asking him to get you some seeds, and then Aaron said, What will he think of us, and like that... You were right in there somewhere, Kate,” Amy said.
“Thanks, Aim. I love you,” Katie said.
“I love you too, Kate, “Amy said.
“Hey, man, I love you too,” Aaron said to Conner.
“Hey, perspective,” Conner said. “Perspective!”
“Aim? Smack him?” Katie said.
“Ouch,” Aaron said.
Katie giggled and Amy joined in.
Seattle
Snoqualmie Settlement
Bob cut deftly through the remainder of Seattle, and caught up to route 90 on the outskirts of the city. An old and rusted sign appeared at the side of the road, swimming up out of the darkness.
37 MILES TO SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST PRESERVE,
the sign proclaimed.
“What is the Snoqualmie National Forest Preserve?” Janna asked.
"According to my map, just what the sign says," Bob replied, "at least it used to be. Now it's a settlement ... better than...?" he looked over at Jessie.
"Probably close to twenty families there now," she replied. "It's not like Seattle though ... not a bad or a sad place ... it's a happy place, Janna, a very happy place. Or at least it was when I left."
"Good," Janna said, smiling, "I'd like to see a good place after Seattle."
Jessie smiled sadly. "Sometimes ... sometimes I wish I could pick up the whole city and take it away, or ... take them somewhere ... anywhere but there."
"It's the raiders really," she continued, "it's the raiders that cause all the problems. Without them... Without them there would still be problems, I suppose, but at least people could go, or move to where they want to be ... a healthy place, a better place."
"What are these raiders," Janna asked, "and why doesn't someone do something about them ... why don't we do something about them?"
"We won't get much farther from Seattle before you'll meet them ... they'll stop us ... maybe try to kill us even," Jessie answered.
"Well, can't we avoid them?" Janna asked.
"Well, we could do that," Jessie answered, "but... but I don't want to avoid them, I guess. And if they stop us ... try to ... to do something ... I guess I would feel as though I were justified, to a degree, in turning their own evil against them, and maybe a few less raiders wouldn't hurt," she looked at Janna as she finished.
Janna simply smiled, and said, "I understand ... I do, Jessie."
Jessie smiled back, and then turned and stared out the passenger window at the black night.
Bob drove slowly through the darkness, the trucks headlights cutting a wide swath along the roadway.
Two hours later they met the raiders at a small roadblock just outside of North Bend.
~
The road block was crude, but effective, and no effort had been made to disguise it whatsoever. No men waiting in hiding to rush them as soon as they stopped, they were all standing in the road and ready. Just one huge bus pulled cross-ways in the road, and six heavily armed men standing at the front of the bus. As if, Janna thought, they were waiting for them. The other lanes were blocked with vehicles, packed tightly, purposely placed there.
“It's like they knew we were coming,” Janna said. “It also looks like they blocked this purposely... Placed the vehicles just so to close it down.”
“They most likely did know we were coming,” Jessie agreed. “They have their confidants, and most probably knew we were coming long before we actually arrived.”
“But it's not like they can just pick up a phone and call ahead,” Janna said.
"True enough," Bob said aloud, "but it's very easy to pick up the mic. on a radio set and do it."
“Don't talk,” Jessie told them. She picked up her black bag from the floor and handed it to Bob. “Hand me the other one... The one in back.
Bob reached over the seat, swapped bags and handed the second bag to Jessie. She spent a second or two rooting around inside the bag and then closed it, snapping it shut with the clasp on the top.
Janna sat silently and watched as four of the men approached. Both windows were rolled down, and neither Bob nor Jessie made a move to roll them up. Bob reached forward carefully, shut off the ignition switch, and the motor dieseled to a halt. The engine finally died with a horrible clatter, and all that could be heard was the sharp click of boot heels, as the four men split into two groups, and moved up either side of the truck.
The other two men approached the front of the truck, one paused, inserted two shells into the breech of the shotgun he carried, and snapped the breech closed. To Janna the sound was extremely loud in the quiet night air. The man stopped in front of the hood, and aimed the shotgun at Janna through the windshield, his partner beside him raised what looked to Janna to be a Sixteen-Nine, and trained it on Bob.
"Well-now," one of the men on Jessie's side of the truck said, as he leaned down and peered into the window, "just what the fuck have we got here, Billy?"
Billy, one of the men on Bob's side of the truck, leaned down and peered into the truck. He let out a low whistle before he spoke. "Looks to me, Fred, as though we got us a mixed package here, best as I can tell. Little work, little pleasure, I guess." He burst out in a loud bray of laughter as he finished.
Jessie felt her face grow hot.
“Weapons?” the man on Bob's side of the truck asked. He jabbed the barrel of his rifle into Bob's shoulder as he asked.
Janna's head felt as though it were hung with rusty hinges, as she slowly turned her eyes toward the man.
"I ast you a question, boy," Billy sneered as he raised a small pistol from below the truck window and aimed it at Bob. "You got a weapon or not?"
A short sliver of wood, what had probably once been a match stick, Janna realized, swiveled from side to side in the mans mouth across his yellowed teeth, as he stood staring at him through the window.
"Sir," Jessie said, quietly, "he's a retard. He can't talk at all, he don't
even know what you is saying probly."
"That so?" Billy asked, suspiciously, "is he?" he looked over at Bob.
"It's true," Janna said, "been that way forever, least since we knowed him, my sister and me that is."
Billy poked the barrel of the small pistol further into the truck, bringing it to rest slightly below the curve of Bob's jaw. "That so, you one a them fuckin' space cadets?" he asked in a sarcastic whisper.
Bob stayed silent, forcing the anger that wanted to surface back down. Forcing a dumb-looking smile onto his lips instead.
"Well-now," Fred said, from the other side, "twouldn't be much fun to shoot some dumb bastard that can't even talk, now would it," he backed slowly away from the truck, and the others followed suit. "Okay now, you first," he said pointing at Jessie, "out'a the truck ... real slow to boot now, or we'll have to plug you. I'd really hate to do that, you're too damn purty to waste."
Jessie levered the handle on her door, as did Bob, and they stepped out of the truck into the darkness. Janna followed, after looking confusedly at first Jessie, and then Bob, who beckoned her out his side of the truck. Jessie brought the small black bag with her.
"What's in the bag?" Fred asked her, nudging the bag with the end of his rifle.
"Please," Jessie said as she began to cry, "don't take my bag away. I'm a doctor, it's just medicine."
Fred snatched the bag quickly. He shook and listened to something rolling around inside. He slowly raised his head. "You're 'bout a crazy little cunt, ain't you? Fucker's pretty much empty," he said, as he tossed it to Billy over the roof of the truck. Billy caught the bag deftly in one hand, and walked off into the darkness in front of the truck. The others followed him. "She may be a crazy bitch, but she sure got something in this bag," he said and laughed quietly.
Janna watched as the man waited for the others to gather. He dropped the bag to the pavement and they all knelt down next to it. The bag hit the pavement, rolled, and came to a stop upright on the side of the road. The five men turned their attention back to Fred on the other side of the truck, who had reached out, and pulled Jessie to him.
“Hey... Share and share alike... You said so,” Billy whined.
"Yeah, well, that was before I knew the next one was gonna look like this."
"Yeah? Well fuck that, man, fair is fair, and you promised me, man," Billy whined.
Earth's Survivors Box Set [Books 1-7] Page 216
