Endurance: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival series (Cloverdale Book 3)

by Bruno Miller

  Vince slid off the hood and walked over to her and Cy. He put his hand on Reese’s shoulder and looked her in the eye. “We’re lucky to have you with us,” he said. “I’m proud of you. You did a good job tonight, both of you.” Vince glanced over at Cy.

  Reese caught him off guard and gave him a hug as she began to cry. She hung on for a minute before letting go and stepping back. She wiped her tears away and forced a smile. “Sorry about that,” she said with a laugh.

  “Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry about,” Vince said. “We’ve all been through a lot. No plans for tomorrow morning. How about that? Sleep as long as you like.”

  Cy grabbed his dad’s arm and looked at his watch. “It is tomorrow morning,” he joked.

  Vince smiled. “Right. Now go and get some rest. We’ll have a decent meal when we’re all up tomorrow.”

  Reese nodded and headed for her room with Buster in tow. Vince and Cy started for their rooms.

  Vince squeezed Cy’s shoulder. “How are you holdin’ up?”

  “I’m good. Just tired, you know?”

  “I know. Trust me, I know.”

  They stopped at the door to Vince’s room, and Cy put his arm around him for a second and squeezed. “Get some rest,” Cy said. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

  “I love you, Cy.”

  “I love you, too, Dad.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Vince entered the room, Mary was already sitting upright on the bed with Nugget at her side.

  “Long day, huh?” Mary said.

  Vince sighed. “The longest one I’ve had in a while.”

  “Do you think they’ll retaliate? The looters?”

  “Oh, I have no doubt they will when they figure out what’s going on.” Vince collapsed into the chair and began taking off his boots.

  “Tonight?” she asked.

  “I don’t think so. At least I hope not. We did a lot of damage to their vehicles. They only have a few running cars and trucks we couldn’t get to. Not to mention we took out five more of their guys, and I think they’re going to sober up to the fact that we mean business. I’m willing to bet their next attack will be well planned out.” That was exactly what worried Vince the most right now.

  “How many of them are there?” Mary lay back in the bed.

  “I don’t know. I’m guessing originally there may have been as many as thirty or forty. There were a lot of vehicles around their place. I think they’re a motorcycle gang or something like that, judging by the amount of bikes.” Vince forced himself out of the chair and went to the bathroom to clean up a little. He set the lantern down on the vanity and took a good look at himself in the mirror.

  “Wow.” It came out louder than he intended, but he was shocked at how rough he looked.

  “You okay in there?” Maria called from the other side of the door.

  “Yeah, I guess I look about like I feel.” Vince rubbed at his beard.

  “We’re all looking a little rough these days. I won’t hold it against you,” she joked.

  Vince knew that powering the motel would be more important than he originally thought. They all needed to clean up and do laundry. For the time being, he was glad there weren’t any more survivors as far as the supplies went, but they sure could have used more hands to help with the things that needed to get done around here.

  They were going to have to split up tomorrow; there was no way around it. They would still have to keep a person on watch at all times, but everyone else was going to have to chip in. Depending on how Tom was doing, he might have to camp out in the truck all day. With his arm out of commission, he wouldn’t be good for much else, but hopefully he’d be well enough to at least stand watch through several shifts and cover for the more able-bodied among them.

  Vince finished cleaning up as best as he could with water and an already dirty towel, then dimmed the lantern. When he came out of the bathroom, Mary was half sitting up in bed and fast asleep. Nugget lifted her head to watch Vince as he tried to quietly make his way over to the other bed and lie down. When she realized Vince wasn’t going anywhere, she put her head back down and settled in next to Mary, closing her eyes immediately. They were all tired, even the animals.

  Vince thought about Mary’s house and the animals there. Yet another thing that needed to happen sooner rather than later. He heard the pickup door slam outside and knew that it was around 6:00 a.m. without looking at his watch. Fred was relieving Bill from his watch duties. Traces of light seeped in from the edges of the curtains. Vince had hoped to be waking up about now to get a start on the day. Going out to Mary’s house and rounding up the animals was the first thing on his list. Was. The word repeated in his mind. Instead, they would be beefing up defenses and taking precautions to defend against another attack, which was undoubtedly coming. When and how was anybody’s guess.

  He tried to quiet his thoughts but it wasn’t working, and for as tired as he was, he couldn’t sleep. He was too keyed up from the rescue, and he couldn’t stop thinking about what they had done to get Ryan back. It wasn’t the first time he had dealt with these feelings of guilt, but it had been a long time. As deserving as the looters were of retaliation, killing was still by no means enjoyable.

  But even more than what he had done, he worried about John; they had been friends for a long time, and Vince considered them to be close. John had children later in life, too, just like Vince, and they had a lot in common. Vince had always related to John on many levels, but that was changing. The loss of his family had obviously taken its toll on him, but there was something else Vince couldn’t quite put his finger on. Or maybe he was just overthinking it. Who among them hadn’t changed in the last five days?

  Even before he took out the kid who was guarding Ryan, John had been uncharacteristically quiet and seemed distant. And then there was the way that he had killed the last looter; he showed no emotion whatsoever. Vince pictured John standing in his store with a cup of coffee in his hand, smiling and giving Vince a hard time about Mary the way he did a few times each week. Vince wondered if he would ever see that version of John again.

  And if all this was affecting a man like John, someone Vince held in high regard and considered about as tough and solid as they came, what did it mean for the rest of them? What about Cy? How was he really coping with all this? He was good at keeping things to himself, and Vince wondered if secretly he was barely hanging on. Cy made little jokes about things, and that was his way, but it was also how he dealt with stress. He hated that his son had to go through this, but there was nothing he could do about it. None of them could.

  Vince tried to focus on taking a few deep breaths and calming himself down before he settled into bed. He glanced over at Nugget, who was curled up in a tight ball and snoring loudly. What he wouldn’t give for a moment of ignorance about the world around them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vince awoke to an empty room. The curtains were still pulled together, but several strong beams of light shone through the edges of the window and illuminated the floating dust particles in the room. He was surprised at the intensity of the light, and it was enough to coax him out of bed so he could see for himself.

  He rose slowly and sat at the edge of the bed for a moment, trying to give his aching muscles a chance to accept what he was about to ask of them. According to his watch, he had slept for nearly six hours, and it was pushing noon. He took a couple of pills from the nightstand and washed them down with a half-full glass of room-temperature water before forcing himself to stand up.

  Still half asleep, he stumbled over to the window and pulled one side of the curtains back a few inches. Squinting as the sunlight blasted him, he immediately felt the heat on his face and stepped back into the shadows. It was time to confront another day whether he liked it or not. He could have easily climbed back into bed and slept for a few more hours, but there was too much to do. He splashed a little water on his face and did his best to get himself together before he headed o
ut.

  As he stepped outside the room, the sun hit him full force, and the heat of the day seemed to seep into his soul. It was brighter than it had ever been since the EMPs, but the sky still retained its yellow tint. There was a noticeable lack of smoke and the stench that had plagued them for so long. A slight breeze blew past, and although warm, it was enough to make the air feel almost refreshing. For the first time in a week, Vince took a deep breath that didn’t result in the urge to cough. He started to feel cautiously optimistic about the day and the possibilities of getting a few things done or at least well underway.

  Hannah was sitting in the truck and waved at Vince when she saw him. “They’re all in the dining room eating.”

  “Thanks.” Vince waved back, still squinting as his eyes adjusted. He made his way down the covered walkway and past the other rooms. As he walked, he stared into the sky, searching for a hint of blue among the haze and clouds. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon struck him when he entered the door to the motel office. The smell was motivation enough to pick up his pace.

  On the table was a large serving bowl of oatmeal. Next to it was a disposable foil tray with buttered and jellied toast stacked high. Finishing off the spread was a bowl full of canned peaches and two carafes of freshly brewed coffee.

  “Hey there. Just in time,” Cy said, smiling. Most everyone was there and had apparently just started eating. Vince was glad to see Ryan among them. He still clung to his mother, but that was nothing new. The boy seemed focused on the table full of food as if all that had happened last night was only a bad dream. Bill was absent, but that was to be expected after the midnight to 6:00 a.m. watch. Tom was also missing from the group, but that didn’t come as a surprise, either. The one person that wasn’t there but should have been was John, and that worried Vince.

  “Good morning,” Mary said. “I didn’t want to wake you up. You were sleeping so well.”

  “Help yourself, Major,” Sarah added.

  “I didn’t mean to sleep so long.” Vince felt guilty, although he knew he had no reason to.

  “You needed it. Besides, none of us have been up very long.” Mary winked at him. Vince didn’t waste any time and took his place in line. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until just now. His stomach growled as he stared at the food laid out on the table, but more than anything, he wanted a cup of coffee.

  “Go ahead, Major. You guys earned it last night.” Beverly smiled and stepped aside so he could move up in line.

  “Nonsense. We all earned it. I’ll wait my turn,” he insisted.

  Beverly smiled and stepped back into line, then turned around. “Thank you.” She was about to say something else but stopped in order to fight back tears.

  Vince nodded and put his hand on her shoulder. “We’re all in this together. Now let’s keep this line moving. I need some coffee,” he joked.

  No one said much else as they filled their paper plates with food and found spots to sit and eat. Vince watched Nugget sitting patiently at Mary’s side and keeping an ever-watchful eye on every bit of food that left her plate.

  “Such a beggar, but I don’t think I have anything you would like,” Mary teased.

  “Where’s Buster?” Vince looked at Reese.

  “Oh, he’s in the room. He gets a little pushy around food. Besides, he already ate.”

  “Well as long as he’s taken care of,” Vince said. “That’s a heck of a dog you got there.”

  Reese smiled. “Thanks.”

  Beverly fixed a plate and headed out. “I’ll go see if Tom is up. Maybe he’ll be hungry.”

  Suddenly, Vince felt like a jerk. At the sight of the food, he had forgotten about pretty much everything outside the room.

  “How is Tom?” Vince asked.

  “It was a rough morning, but he finally fell asleep when the pain medicine kicked in.”

  “I’ll stop in and see him later. He was a big help last night.” Vince didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth about how Tom almost got them all killed. She was already worried about her husband, and there was nothing to be gained by being honest at the moment. “Where’s John? Anybody seen him this morning?” Vince asked.

  “I knocked on his door and he said he’ll be along in a bit,” Mary answered.

  “So what’s the plan today, Major?” Fred asked.

  Vince swallowed his coffee and thought for a second. The question caught him off guard, and he hadn’t expected anyone to be anxious to do much of anything right away. But apparently the others were ready to work, and they were looking to him for direction.

  “Well, we need to get supplies from the outdoor section at Mary’s store and build out the courtyard here to accommodate animals. Once that’s ready, I’d like to send a team to her house and gather up the surviving livestock and bring them here. Reese, I’d like you to be a part of that effort. Some of those animals may need medical attention. They’ve been living on their own for a week now.” Vince looked at Mary.

  “They’re all scavengers and can live off the land for a while,” Mary said. “The only ones I’m really worried about are the pigs. They have access to the barn, and I’m hoping they’d break into the feed bags if they got hungry enough. They’ve done it before.” She shook her head.

  “You guys can take the Ford pickup,” Vince continued. “There’s no need to use that to stand watch shifts in anymore. We’ve got plenty of other options, and that pickup will easily tow Mary’s old horse trailer. You should be able to get all the animals at once, don’t you think?”

  Mary made a face at Vince. “It’ll be interesting, but I suppose we can squeeze them all in.”

  “I’ll go with you guys and help out.” Fred looked at Mary and then at Reese. Vince was going to ask Fred to come along with him, but he decided it was probably a good idea for Reese to spend some time with her dad. Besides, if Cy and John could help him out and then maybe Bill when he woke up later, that would be all the manpower they needed for what he wanted to do.

  “What about the rest of us?” Cy asked.

  “How about you, me, and John focus on building a perimeter out of the vehicles from the dealership, like we talked about. Bill can help us out, too, when he’s up.” Vince checked his watch. He was really starting to worry about John.

  Cy nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “Beverly and Sarah can stay back with the kids and look after Tom if he needs anything. Maybe help you guys out with the animals when you bring them back.” Vince figured that Hannah might as well stay on watch duty. One of the other ladies could relieve her later. He also thought the kids would enjoy helping out with the animals, and it might provide a welcome distraction for them.

  Reese looked around the room. “Everyone remember to take water with you today. We don’t want anybody getting dehydrated.”

  “She’s right,” Vince added. “Everybody is responsible for carrying their own water today. Fill up your bottles and take them with you.” The last thing Reese needed was a patient with heat stroke, and there was no doubt that it would be a concern today. Vince had worked up a small sweat just walking from his room to here. They were going to have to pace themselves or none of them would last very long. But at least the air quality was better and would make life a little easier as they went about their jobs.

  As they all started to filter out and head back to their rooms in order to prepare for the hard day ahead, Fred approached Vince and pulled him aside.

  “What about the looters?” he asked in a hushed voice.

  “We’re just going to have to see what happens. We can’t wait around on our butts for them to show up.”

  Fred sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

  “We have the radios, and with any luck, the clearer air will give us more range and allow us to stay in touch with whoever’s on watch.” This reminded Vince of something he wanted to say before everyone was gone. “Weapons,” he called out. “Don’t forget to carry your weapons at all times.”

  Everyone nod
ded and then left the room. Fred, apparently satisfied with Vince’s answer about the looters, followed the others. Mary had made a plate of food for John as she cleaned up the dining room.

  “I’ll take it to him,” Vince said, grabbing the plate from Mary. He needed to fill his water bottles and pack his bag for the day, but first he needed to check on John.

  Chapter Sixteen

  For the first time since they had all been staying at the motel, Vince saw open windows and doors as he walked past the rooms. The improved air quality was a break they all needed and deserved.

  Vince paused at Tom and Beverly’s room and stuck his head in the door. Ryan was sitting at the table, drawing on a piece of paper with a pen, while Beverly sat next to him and watched. Tom was sitting up in bed and furiously shoveling food into his mouth with his good arm. He noticed Vince after a couple of seconds and looked embarrassed.

  “Don’t let me stop you. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing.”

  “It hurts, but I’ll survive,” Tom joked. “I can manage if you need me.”

  “Nope, not today. Rest up and feel better. That’s all I want you to do today. There’ll be plenty for you to help us with when you’ve got your strength back.” Vince started to walk away but stopped when Tom called out to him.

  “Major, thank you.”

  Vince nodded. “Make sure he rests.” He glanced at Beverly before moving on from the doorway. He’d talk to Tom about pulling extra watch duties some other time. For now, he needed to rest and regain his strength.

  As he passed by the partially open doors, he noticed everyone was busy getting ready. Buster and Nugget had taken advantage of the situation and were making their way in and out of various rooms as they followed one another around. The two dogs were obviously excited by the activity and curiously checked in with everyone as they made their rounds.