by Eric Vall
“Let’s light this sucker up,” Rolly grinned.
I smiled and grabbed the lighter fluid from the cab of my beat-up truck. I used just enough fluid to get the fire started, I didn’t want to waste any in case the civilians needed it for something later, but I would make sure they knew how to start a fire before we left.
I tested the direction of the wind and made sure nobody was standing downwind of the pile, then I threw a match on the bastards’ remains.
“Let’s get out of here quick,” I said as the bodies went up in flames.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Anna said, and she headed for her truck.
The rest of the group followed, and we piled into the trucks and pulled off onto the main road once more.
“Didn’t you say you’ve been training those girls?” Jeff asked once we were about a mile down the road.
“Yeah,” I said. “I found them in a tough situation, and I’ve just kinda stuck around ever since.”
“It’s pretty amazing that they’re so strong,” he said. “I know they helped you take down the National Guard guys, but just looking at them I wouldn’t really think they were so ruthless.”
“They’re not really ruthless,” I laughed. “They just care about people and do what they can to help.”
“I had a few guns before this all started,” Jeff said. “But I bet those girls are better with a rifle than I ever was.”
“Bailey is the best shot,” I said proudly. “She’s a natural. The other girls are great too, but we all have our strengths.”
“It’d be great to have some practice firing one of those military rifles,” he mused.
“We’ll count up the ammo,” I said. “You all will need some practice, but you’ll have to conserve ammo too.”
“Right,” he agreed. “We need to be ready in case somebody else comes along.”
I nodded and thought about North Korea. I wasn’t sure that I should tell the civilians just yet, it might send them into a panic, or worse, they’d just think I was crazy. I thought it best to get them established first. Besides, I had no idea just how real the threat was, and I didn’t want to worry anyone needlessly. I needed to check out the camp in Burlington and see if I could find out anything else, and I needed to go soon. The girls wouldn’t like it, but I was confident they could handle things while I was gone.
We arrived back at the outpost after a few minutes, and I hopped out of the truck.
“Hey,” Paige said as she ran over to me with Bailey and Winchester in tow.
“We counted all the supplies,” Bailey said.
“Yeah,” Paige said as she handed me a yellow legal pad. “We made a list.”
“They have fifty M4A1 rifles?” I whistled. “And thirty-seven M9s. That’s great.”
“Yeah,” Bailey said. “And we found a stockpile of ammo in one of the school closets. It’s not a whole lot, but there’s two thousand rounds for the rifles and a thousand for the pistols.”
“What about the .50 cals?” I asked as I looked through the list the girls had made.
“There’s ten ammo boxes,” Bailey said. “Plus what’s still up there.”
“Good job,” I grinned at the girls. “How are they looking on food?”
“They have enough for a couple weeks,” Paige said. “But not much after that.”
I nodded.
“We can run and talk to the farmers about coming down here,” Anna said as she and Rolly approached.
“It will be best if we get them split into two groups first,” I said. “Then we can have one family go to each place.”
“If we know how many people are going to the farm, we can gather the rations for them,” Paige said.
“Right,” I said. “Let’s get a head count then we can go talk to the Millers and Betty. But first I need to talk to everyone. Paige, can you go get Tara?”
“Sure,” the brunette said, and she ran toward the main building. She emerged a moment later with Tara, and they made their way to the group.
My little team surrounded me and stared at me with intense eyes.
“What’s up chief?” Rolly asked.
“We need to do some reconnaissance at the Burlington camp,” I said. “All of this danger we just risked is for nothing if they send a whole brigade here next week.”
“I’m down,” Tara offered immediately.
“I’m going to take Paige,” I shook my head. “We’ll be in new territory, and I need someone who knows how to navigate a map the best.”
Paige smiled proudly but didn’t say anything.
“Just the two of you?” Tara pouted.
“We won’t be gone long,” I said. “A couple of days at most.”
“What about the people here?” Anna asked, and her eyebrows pushed together as she took in my news.
“The rest of you are going to stay and get them set up and organized,” I said.
“We can do that,” Bailey interjected with a smile.
“I’m sure they’ll have a nice stockpile of food by the time we get back,” I smiled.
“Is this trip to Burlington because of the North Korea thing?” Paige asked.
“Yes, partly,” I nodded. “We need to figure out what’s going on since the commander there would have gotten the same order to march to Virginia. I’d like to know why they haven’t gone south yet.”
“I don’t like it,” Rolly frowned. “But I guess it is the best way to get information.”
“It’s only reconnaissance,” I assured him.
“Last time we heard that you blew up a bunch of bikers,” Tara said with her hand on her hip.
“True,” I laughed. “But not this time, I promise.”
“Shouldn’t we wait and leave tomorrow?” Paige asked.
“It’s still early,” I said. “We can make it to Burlington in a few hours.”
“Okay,” Paige said. “So we leave right now?”
“We’ll go with the group to talk to the farmers first,” I said. “Anna can drive us back to the school, and we’ll take the motorcycle.”
I usually liked to plan things out further in advance, but we needed to know if this threat was real or not. If it was, there may not be much time to get the civilians established before they would all be called to action.
“I know it seems scary,” I told my team. “But we have to know if this threat is real or not.”
“Yeah,” Tara sighed. “You’re right. I just wish we had some time to relax a bit before the next big thing.”
“Don’t worry,” I grinned. “We’ll have a barbeque when Paige and I get back, and I’ll even let you have a few extra drinks.”
“I think I’ll take that deal,” Tara grinned.
“Okay,” Anna said. “Let’s get a head count for who’s going where.”
I whistled loudly to call everyone’s attention, and the civilians gathered around my team quickly. They still looked tired, but I figured they probably would for quite a while. They had been through some pretty serious trauma.
“Okay,” I said. “Jim mentioned that he thought you all were going to be splitting into two groups.”
“Yeah,” Jeff said. “I’m staying here at the school.”
“And there’s a group of us who want to go to the farm,” Cathy nodded.
“Okay,” I smiled. “Has everyone made a decision about where they’re going?”
The civilians nodded.
“How many people are going to the farm?” I asked.
“There’s eight of us,” Cathy said.
“So how many does that leave here?” Anna inquired.
“Six,” Jeff said.
“There’s only fourteen of you?” I asked, confused. If I recalled correctly the men who had taken Jenny said that there were fifty civilians, but I hadn’t thought about it until now.
“I counted fourteen,” Paige nodded.
“The men who had Jenny said they brought fifty civilians,” Tara confirmed what I remembered.
/> “What happened to the others?” I asked.
“A few died,” Jeff said. “And a bunch of people escaped one night when the guards got wasted,”
“Why didn’t you go too?” Bailey asked.
“We tried,” Cathy frowned. “The guards realized what was happening halfway through, and they started shooting.”
“The others made it out,” Jeff said. “But those of us that were still in the fence were stuck.”
“Did the guards go after them?” Anna asked.
“Yeah,” Jeff said. “But they were wasted, and I think a couple of the people who got away killed one.”
“A few of them were out in the woods all night,” Donna said. “But they came back empty handed. The Colonel was really pissed about it.”
I nodded and I was glad to know that they got away and weren’t just killed. It was awful for the people left behind, but right then the fewer mouths to feed the better since it would be awhile before they were fully self-sufficient.
“We’re going to split your supplies between the two groups,” I said. “According to my girl’s chart there’s about enough food for two weeks.”
“That’s not long,” Cathy frowned.
“Don’t worry,” Anna said. “We’ll show you how to make some traps.”
“And we’re going to get the farmers so they can show you how to grow some vegetables,” Bailey smiled.
“We’re not only going to split the food though,” I said. “We’re also going to split up the guns and ammo between you all.”
“That seems fair,” Jeff said.
“You all will have trucks too,” I stated. “Remember that you’re still a community and don’t be afraid to ask each other for help.”
Cathy nodded at me and then turned to Jeff.
“I don’t want you all to think we’re leaving because of you,” she said, and it looked like she might cry.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. “I understand it would be hard to stay here.”
“Thank you,” she said, and she moved to give the man a hug.
I sent Bailey and Tara to split up the guns, ammo, and food. Jeff and Mike helped them load it into a truck for the people at the farm.
“Come back soon,” Jeff said as he hugged Cathy once more.
“We will,” she said, and then she hopped into the back of the truck.
“Some of the girls will be coming back shortly with the farmers,” I said.
“Right, take good care of them,” Jeff nodded to the people in the back of the truck.
“You’re a good man,” I said with a smile and clapped him on the shoulder.
My team led the way to the farm while Cathy drove the truck behind us.
“You think they’ll be okay at the farm?” Anna asked from the passenger’s seat.
“They’ll be alright,” Rolly said. “We’ll make sure of it.”
“Right you are, old man,” I smiled.
The drive was short and quiet. I knew the announcement about Paige and I leaving earlier had put the group on edge somewhat, but I was happy that Rolly would be around to help lift their spirits, if they could pry him away from Betty at least.
We pulled into the long driveway of the old farmhouse, and the truck bounced up and down with the rough terrain, but I slowed down and tried to keep the bounces to a minimum for the girls in the back. I admired the fields and the mountains in the distance, and soon enough we arrived at the old farmhouse.
“This is amazing,” Cathy said as she climbed out of the truck and looked at the old house.
“It’s pretty well maintained,” Bailey said, and she looked around at the land.
“There’s no livestock,” Anna said. “But we might be able to get some chicks or something at some point.”
“I haven’t had eggs in a long time,” Joanna said with a smile.
“Hopefully you’ll have some soon enough,” Tara smiled at the girl. I was sure she had a soft spot for these women because of what had happened to her own friends.
“We’ll let you all explore while we go get the farmers,” I said. “We’ll be back shortly.”
“Okay,” Cathy said, and she waved to us, then walked toward the house with Joanna and the rest of the group.
“Are you excited to see Betty?” Anna teased Rolly once we were back on the road.
“I am,” the old man grinned.
“Just try to keep her happy,” Anna said. “I want more of that bread.”
“I could use more bread too,” I laughed.
“You better come back to get some,” Anna said sternly.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” I smiled.
“I’m worried about you two going that far out there,” Anna said in a softer voice.
“I’m more worried about what we might find,” I said solemnly.
“Whatever it is, we can handle it,” Rolly said with a look of determination.
“Guess it helps when you’ve got someone special to fight for, huh?” Anna smiled at the old man and gave his shoulder a push.
“It does,” he grinned. “And I have Betty... and all of you.”
“Aw, Rolly,” Anna gasped. “Don’t get all sentimental on us now.”
“I’m happy you found someone in times like this,” I told the old man.
“Me too,” he smiled.
We took in the sunshine as we finished the short drive to Betty’s house, and when we arrived, I gave Dan and Jenny a wave as they carried hay from the barn.
“Hey!” Dan called out as we hopped out of the truck. “Happy to see you guys.”
Winchester bolted out of the back of the truck and ran over to Jenny.
“Whoa,” Jenny smiled. “Did you guys always have a dog?”
“He’s a recent addition,” I mused.
“Hey Dan,” Rolly greeted the young man. “Is your grandmother inside?”
“Yeah,” Dan said as he reached down to pet Winchester. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”
Just then, Betty opened the door, and it looked like she had fresh lipstick on. She and Rolly were in each other’s arms before we could even blink.
“Oh, I’m so happy you’re okay,” Betty said and then she planted a kiss on the old man’s mouth.
“Grandma,” Dan groaned.
“Oh hush,” Jenny said, and she elbowed him in the side.
“They really are super cute together,” Bailey said with a smile as she watched the old couple fawn over each other.
“How did it go with the National Guard guys?” Dan asked.
“We kicked their asses,” Tara smirked.
“Well hell yeah,” Dan congratulated the team.
“Are the people okay?” Jenny asked with a frown.
“Everyone is a bit shaken up,” Anna answered. “But they’ll be okay.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Jenny asked.
“Well,” I started. “That’s why we’re here. There are some civilians planning to stay at the school and a few who are taking over the abandoned farmhouse down the road. We were hoping you and the Millers would be willing to help them start growing some food.”
“We can do that,” Betty said as she and Rolly joined us while holding hands. “As long as Rolly can come with me.”
The old man blushed, and I noticed the lipstick stains around his mouth.
“I think that can be arranged,” I laughed.
Betty jumped when Winchester nudged her hand.
“Oh, Lord,” she said, and she put a hand on her breast. It seemed she was too enamored with Rolly to even notice our new pet.
“Yeah,” Paige laughed. “We got a dog. His name is Winchester.”
“Well aren’t you a handsome boy?” Betty asked as she bent down to pet the brindle pup.
“How soon do we need to leave?” Jenny asked.
“We were hoping we could do it really soon,” I said. “Would that be okay?”
“Let me finish feeding the cows,” Dan said. “Then we’ll b
e all set.”
“I’ll help,” Bailey offered.
“Thanks,” Dan smiled. “It shouldn’t take long.”
Jenny and Betty fawned over Winchester and rubbed his belly until Bailey and Dan returned, then we all loaded into the truck, except for Rolly who opted to ride with Betty in her truck.
It was a short drive to the Miller’s, and when we pulled into the driveway, I waved my arm out and saw Justin emerge from the house.
“Good to see you folks,” he said as we all piled out of the truck. “Jenny, Betty, Dan, how are you all?”
“Doin’ alright,” Betty said with a smile as Rolly helped her from the cab of the truck.
“Hey there buddy,” Justin said with surprise as Winchester ran over to greet him, and he reached down to pet the brindle dog.
“His name’s Winchester,” Paige said with a smile.
I was surprised at how well Winchester had handled the adjustment of a new owner, but he really seemed to like people, even after what those asshole Guardsmen had done to him, and I wondered how long they had had him before we got there.
“Should I ask if he’s a rescue?” Justin said with a raised eyebrow.
“Something like that,” I laughed.
“How did the mission go?” Justin asked.
“Pretty good,” I grinned.
“Only one bullet wound,” Anna smiled, and she held up her arm.
“Is it bad?” he asked with a frown.
“No,” Anna laughed. “Just a graze.”
“Let Marla look at it while you’re here,” he said.
“Look at what?” Marla asked as she emerged from the house with her boys in tow, and Winchester ran over to the boys to get more pets.
“She has a gunshot wound,” Justin said as he pointed to Anna.
“It’s really not that bad,” Anna repeated with a smile.
“Still,” Marla pushed. “Let me check it out real quick.”
“Alright,” Anna said. “Paige, do you want to come?”
“Oh yeah,” Paige grinned and followed Anna toward the house.
“Come on in,” Justin said, and he waved us forward.
“How’s Briar?” I asked while we walked.
“As stubborn as ever,” Justin laughed. “But he’s doing alright. He’ll be ready to go back home soon.”
“Good,” I smiled.
“So what can I do for you all?” Justin asked once we were inside.
