Seeking Sanctuary (Walkers) (12 page)

             
“We've been driving for nearly a week, looking for a place to live.  There are 27 of us, 9 children and 18 adults.  We had a place in SW Montana but it was destroyed by militants and we've had to find a new place.  We're able bodied  and can provide protection as well as fix those wind turbines for electricity.”

             
Is that so?  You say you have 9 children with you?  Where?”  she said, peering at the motor homes.

             
“They're there believe me.  Two of them are infants.  We would appreciate sanctuary.”  Now all we had to do was wait for her to decide.  Standing proudly she stared at us.  I figured she was in her late 60's and was dressed in jeans, long sleeved, chambray shirt and the brightest red Nike's I've ever seen.  Her glasses sat low on her nose and her gray hair was so short she almost looked bald.  When she made up her mind, the stoop of her shoulders straightened a bit but she didn't get taller.  All five feet of her gave us the once over then she smiled.

             
“What the hell,”  she muttered, turned and started back inside, completely forgetting the monster gun she was leaning on until it fell with a clatter to the floor.   Every one of us ducked, expecting it to go off but it just wobbled on the floor and lay there.  She turned back at the noise, waved at it, then walked back inside the building.  We looked at each other, shrugged and started up the steps.  I was taken aback when the biggest dog in the universe galloped out the door and down the steps. It ran over to the semi and proceeded to pee on every single one of the tires.  Wow.

             
“I think I'll just have a nervous break down and get it over with.”  I heard Duke mutter.  One of these days he may do just that, he threatens often enough.

             
Mason took my hand and up the steps we went. I didn't like the fact that it was dark inside.  I did like the fact that we could see windows directly across from us but they were covered so I'd have to ask about that.  The smell of pine was heavy in the air but it was the smell of roast chicken that made me smile.  A noise behind me startled me into looking and I saw Flynn pick up the huge gun.  He smiled at me and shook his head.

             
“It isn't loaded and the firing pin is gone.  She couldn't have fired it but it would have made a wonderful club if she was able to lift it higher.  Must weigh a ton.”  He set it on the floor near the door, then we walked into the building.

             
I finally spotted her in the gloom, stirring a large pot in a makeshift kitchen in the corner of the living area.  The usual adornments of a log cabin were everywhere but someone had gone bat shit crazy with the antlers.  There were antler chandeliers hanging from the ceiling which was to be expected, we had one in the lodge but the many tables had antlers for legs, coats racks made of antlers, table lamps, coasters, picture frames.  Even the key-chains for the rooms had antler key bobs with the room number engraved.  Geez.  Talk about overkill.

             
“Are you the only one here?”  I asked.

             
“Oh no, I have Baby. He nearly ran you down when you came up the steps.”  She continued to stir the pot, adding some spices from time to time.  After taking a final sip, she nodded, then sat at the end of the table and lit a cigarette.  That surprised me but not as much as I racket I heard from down a long hallway to our right.  The boys took the stance, ready to shoot whatever came out but nothing did.  She took a long drag on the cigarette, inhaled deeply, blew it out, and put it out.  “Man I'm gonna miss that when they're gone.”  Looking at the men with weapons drawn, she laughed.  “I mean the cigarette not the noise.”

             
“What was that?”  Mason asked.

             
“That's Marc.  Before you get bent out of shape, he's dead and locked in the coat closet.  I have my best jacket in that closet,” she said with a small smile, “but I can't get it out cause he wants to eat me every time I try to open the door.  Damn near did the last time I tried.  The slightest noise and he starts making a racket.”

             
“A  walker?  You have a walker in here?”  I said, getting angry because the kids had started arriving inside.  Lacy heard me and started to turn the kids around to take them back to the RV's.

             
“Oh, hell, come on back in here, kids.  He ain't gonna hurt nobody, he's locked in.  Why every walker on the place has been locked into their rooms so they can't get out.”

             
“Every walker on the place?  How many do you have?”  Mason said, checking his ammo supply.

             
“Well, let's see.  There's was that lovely, young couple in 2A on their honeymoon.  Such a tragedy.  The little lady in 6A just wanted to be alone. I think there's a story there but don't know what it is.   A couple in 10A.  All they did was fight.  He was such a shit so it's ok he's dead.  Now upstairs...”

             
“Hold it, just a minute.”  I said trying to absorb what she was telling me. “Do you have a count of them or have the room numbers written down?”

             
She waved in the direction of the board where the keys were kept.  “The keys hanging there indicate a room with walkers.  The others are open rooms and safe.  They ain't gonna hurt ya.  They're locked in.  Do you have all your senses, girl or do I need to talk slower?”  She moved over to the pot and turned it off.

             
I looked at Mason, who was standing there with his mouth open. Flynn and Clint were just as dumbfounded.  I turned as George and Riley came in loaded down with weapons and placed them on a table, then I started to remove keys from the key board to hand out.

             
“What..is..your..name?”  She asked, as she started to cut some slices off a loaf of fresh bread.

             
“I'm not dense or hard of hearing, ma'am.  I'm just surprised you've been living with walkers in the house is all.  We'll just take care of that and you won't have to worry anymore.”

             
“But I wasn't worried before dearie.  I just don't go where they are.  Geez, if you're so worried about the ones that locked up in here, you're just going to love the ones in the pool.”  She shook her head as she turned to check the chicken.  I looked at Mason, then slowly walked to the window and pulled back the curtain.

             
Outside the window and just off the hardwood deck was an Olympic size pool, minus the water. Inside that pool, I could just see the tops of  heads.  Lots and lots of heads.  Moving heads. Good thing a chair was behind me because when my legs went, I sat down, hard.

                                                                      Chapter 11

              “Jesus Christ!”  Flynn exclaimed, loudly.  Immediately, a loud smack was heard as a spatula bounced off his head. I was close enough to try to catch it and managed to juggle it in the air before actually dropping it. “Fudge!” He said as he rubbed his head.

             
“You don't use that kind of language in my house young man.  No sir, not in my house.  Just take that kind of shit outside.”

             
He grumbled as he did just that and a few minutes later I saw him walk by the window with my crossbow, lots of arrows or bolts and Randy close behind with an ax  wearing a raincoat. I shuddered, closed the curtain again and turned to the nice, little old lady.

             
“I was wondering...um..”

             
“Hazel.  I was named after my granny on my mama's side.  Though, people don't care about that anymore.”  I started to say something but she cut me short again. “All they care about is the next toy and themselves, always about themselves.  Don't give a rats ass about some defenseless, old lady.”

             
“Yes, well...what?”

             
“We were wondering,”  Mason said when he saw my confusion, “with your permission of course, if we could take care of the walkers.  I don't know if we will be staying but we would like to do this for you in return for your hospitality.”  Boy, that Mason, could talk.  And without a shovel, too.

             
“Hell, if I care.  Go for it.”  She continued to work on the meal as Mason just stood there, uncertain of what to do.
Just what kind of language is allowed around here anyway?
  I chuckled as I gently shoved him towards the table laden with weapons.  He loaded up, took the keys for the first floor and started for the coat closet, Clint close behind.

             
I helped Sarah and Lacy get the kids settled and places set for dinner, to take my mind off of the sound of thumps outside.  The Monster, our monster, sat on Mikey's shoulder after irritating Baby for a few minutes.  Bubba was stationed at Mandy's feet waiting for the occasional crumb she would 'accidentally' drop.  Occasionally, a loud bang would come from down the hall but otherwise it wasn't too bad.  My imagination was working overtime as Hazel made over the children, finally settling into a rocking chair with baby Tony, as Jill and Ken sat nearby.  By the time we had the children fed and quieted down, the men came back signaling the job was done.  The upstairs needed clearing yet, but it could wait for a bit. Flynn and Randy would need baths.  I don't have the words to describe how nasty those two were.

             
“Miss Hazel, my name is Duke and I think I can fix the wind turbines.  If you could tell me where the room that holds the batteries is, I'll check things out and see what I can do.”

             
Hazel opened her eyes and looked at Duke.  From the top of his head to the tips of his toes.  He hadn't dressed to meet people today so he was wearing his cowboy boots with denim shorts, an Hawaiian shirt that made your eyes hurt and the cap that almost matched.  I braced myself for the rude comments I thought would surely come but was surprised.  “Well, its nice to meet someone who might know something about those things.  Down that hallway,”  she said as she pointed at the hallway in question, “is a door marked, 'Battery Room'.  You should find some tools in there.  I thank you ahead of time for your trouble.”  She smiled, lay her head back and closed her eyes.  The rocker never slowed down.

             
Duke headed for the hallway to the 'Battery Room' and I jumped up and said, “I'll go with you, old man, to make sure it's clear.”  

             
“We need to haul away the bodies, Hazel.  Do you have any idea of a place we could put them?  I don't want to burn them, the smoke would draw more walkers.”  Mason asked, as he poured a glass of water.  Hazel had her head on the back rest, eyes closed, but she was rocking so I knew she was awake.

             
“Out the west door and down the hill a bit is an old mine shaft.  It has a cement cover now cause the old mine played out.  It might take a bit of straining to get it off but you should be able to fill it up and put the lid back on.”

             
“Are you sure?  There's quite a few bodies in that pool alone.” 

             
“Yep, it's a pretty deep shaft or so I was told.  Should be plenty of room.”  That rocker never missed a beat.  Mason looked from her to me, shrugged his shoulders and settled down to eat.  I hurried to catch up with Duke.

             
Once the deck was safe, Flynn and Randy elected to eat out there, although, I don't know how they could stand it.  A breeze had come up and the smell was pretty bad inside with the windows closed, so it must've been worse out there.  But I think they'd gotten used to it because they sat there eating and laughing so I wasn't going to say anything.  They may have to sleep out there tonight, though, because I just couldn't see Lacy and Melody letting them anywhere near them otherwise.

             
Baby, the monster dog, lay sprawled out in the middle of the floor, surrounded on all sides by kids.  Some were asleep, but others just lay there petting him.  By the time I caught up with Duke he was standing in front of the door in question, hands on hips.  I knocked a couple of times but we didn't hear anything, so I had Duke stand to one side as I eased the door open, but it was unoccupied.  Huge batteries lined the far wall, while big machines with lots of gauges, buttons and switches were on either side.  Duke found a tool box and started checking things out.  I leaned against the door for a minute watching him, then got bored and started back to the main room.

             
“Shit!”  Duke yelled.  I cringed, expecting the wrath of Hazel to land on him with both feet but it remained quiet.

             
“You okay in there?”

             
“Yeah.  Do me a favor and see if one of the turbines are moving? 

             
“Okay.  Give me a second.”

             
I pulled the curtains back on one of the windows and came face to face with a walker.  It immediately started to attack the window.  I didn't want it to break the glass but didn't want it inside either so, just when I was getting ready to pull the trigger, it went down in a heap.  Leaning forward so I could look down at it to make sure it was dead, a scruffy old man appeared, tipped his hat at me, removed the machete from the head of the walker and dragged it away.  It all happened in the space of a couple of seconds.  I know my mouth was hanging open but I walked over to Hazel anyway.