Seeking Sanctuary (Walkers) (16 page)

             
Containing the kids until the gates were closed was a job cause they were ready to explore.  When we finally released them, kids ran everywhere.  Eventually, Sarah and Melody had given stern orders about not leaving the fort or getting on the catwalk.  With all the running and screaming it looked like they didn't care. Most gravitated to the school yard to play on the swings, slides and jungle gym equipment.  I noticed Randy went with them to watch because he'd already looked at everything.

             
I wandered around the outskirts of the fort, looking in the gift shop, cafe, office and guard shack.  The office and managers apartment would make a nice place for someone but it was clear across the parade grounds from everyone else so I wasn't sure who'd want it.  The gift shop and cafe could be a nice place for storage but still it was so far from everyone that it was unworkable.  I'd let the guys decide what they wanted to do with the place.

             
I noticed Mason, Flynn and Clint on the catwalk and wondered what they were up too.

             
Not much, Brat, just discussing the weather. 
It wasn't a surprise that he was reading my mind.
 
I could feel him sitting in the back of my mind nearly all the time now.  It was a nice feeling.
  The women are checking out the cabins.  What are you doing?

             
Wondering what we're going to do with the gift shop and cafe.  They're so far away from everyone else that I don't think they'll be of much use.

             
We'll worry about them later.  We're just waiting for the ladies to decide which cabins they want and then we'll meet at the dining hall.

             
Okay, I think I'll just mosey that way myself.

             
I stopped at the playground and watched the kids for a few minutes.  When I notice the women going into the mess hall, I joined Randy and we arrived at the same time.  I noticed Mercy sitting near the window so she could watch the kids so I sat nearby.  Sarah came from the kitchen, writing on a piece of paper.  Lists.  Always with the lists. We seemed to live for lists.  Since you couldn't just run into town for something on a whim you had to make a list.  It helped immensely if you could remember to take them with you but if you didn't you could bet someone else had one.

             
“The kitchen will do but I'd like to have a bigger refrigerator.  The pantry is smaller than our other one but it will do if we work on the shelves.  There's enough dishes and pans so all we need is food.”  Sarah said, still concentrating on her list.

             
“The clinic will work, I just need some supplies and I can transfer some form the mobile unit.  I would like to make it into a sort of ambulance if needs be.”  Joe was busy with his list too.

             
“I think this will work just fine for all of you.  I just love it here.”  Hazel said, as she looked out the window.  “The kids will grow and everyone will be safe.”  She nodded like she was agreeing with herself and I agreed.

             
We all looked toward Howard, who shrugged. “Sam and I can use the blacksmith shop for a garage because it has a lot of tools already.  I think we need several snowmobiles and a couple of four wheelers but other than that it looks like it'll work.  The office and apartment next to it will work for us to live in and before you ask we don't mind being away from the rest of you.  Not that we don't want to be near you but I think it would work just fine for us.”

             
Randy approved of the corrals and said they were in good shape so we could start gathering animals as soon as we were ready.  We needed to find fodder for them but there was enough room.  Everyone became busy making lists except me.  I noticed Mason wasn't writing anything so we were the hold outs.  I had my new home in mind and couldn't decide whether to put up curtains or not.  I know, I know.  I should have been thinking of other things but I was too excited.  I decided to wander the grounds some more while everyone was busy writing, so I walked to the swing set and sat in one of the swings, rocking and waiting.  Soon Mason joined me.

             
“I see what you mean about how closed in that place is.  You've spoiled me for the great open spaces.”  He swung slowly back and forth will me while we enjoyed the quiet.  A small breeze came up and ruffled my hair which made me smile.  I remembered how I'd sit in the tree swing in the yard of the lodge and turn in circles until I'd wound the rope up tight then let go, twirling around until I was too dizzy to stand.

             
“I'm gonna love this place, Mason.  It's gonna be home for us.  We can use the school house for just that, a schoolhouse. We can relax for the first time in almost a year.  I'm tired of roaming, and to tell the truth I'm just plain tired.  If we all agree, I think we can move in tomorrow and plan on a supply run the day after.”

             
“Yep, I agree, that is if they finish their lists by then.”  Then we both chuckled at that.  We waited patiently in shade of an old oak tree, just a  swingin'.

                                                        Chapter 14

              Hazel came out to our little park area while we were admiring the view.  She hobbled with her cane to a bench and sat down like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.  Taking a deep sigh, she smiled at us then looked around.

             
“It's sure pretty here.  Kind of funny that I tried to talk that idiot into investing his foolishness somewhere else.  When I realized he was gonna do it no matter what I said, I made him promise to leave as many trees as possible.”  She chuckled then said, “I think I must have been a dog in a past life, cause I sure do like my trees.”

             
I was going to say something but she seemed to want to talk so I let her.  Mason was quiet as he swung slowly next to me.

             
“Anyway, his daddy was a trial from the time he was born.  Always getting into trouble in one form or another until we moved here from New York.  We had our hands full that first year, then he finally settled down with a little extra help from our friend, John Wayne.”  I gasped because he was my hero and to know she knew him made my day.  She smiled at me.  “Old Duke was a presence that's for sure.  One summer he asked to take the boy to Utah where he was making a film and Gary jumped on the offer with both feet.  When he came back all he could talk about was cowboys and indians. I think he started drawing plans for this fort about then.  When his son was born, he instilled in him a love for the wild west and he was thrilled to stay with us to work the ranch.  I didn't know what he had planned for this little part of the world until after he had a contractor.  Then the fight was on, let me tell you.  I finally gave up and extracted a promise from him to leave as many trees as humanly possible.  He did a good job, I think.”

             
“He sure did, Miss Hazel.  It's downright beautiful here.  I think it's gonna make a wonderful home.”  A racket above me announced the arrival of Monster, our Capuchin monkey who adopted us in New Mexico.   A cute little monkey, our Monster, but he liked me even less that I like him.   It worked for us as long as we stayed away from each other.  I looked around and finally found Bubba sniffing the ground around one of the corrals.  He was going to be bone tired by bedtime.  We'd left Baby at the retreat to guard the place mostly because no one wanted him in their vehicle.  He was huge and had this terrible habit of rolling in dead, stinking, rotting stuff.  He stayed home.  So all the animals were accounted for.

             
“I'm glad, cause those little ones need a safe place to live and play.  This would make a wonderful...”

             
“What's that?”  Yelled Mandy and both Mason and I jumped up,  in point.  Back to back we looked for the 'that' that Mandy had conditioned us for.  The only time it wasn't trouble was when Duke found his Dukemobile.  So we were ready for danger.  Well, Mason was, since he was armed, I was ready to Kung Fu the 'that' to death.  But I didn't see anything. 

             
“I don't either,”  Mason said, proving he was once again hearing my thoughts.  Tension made his voice squeak,  so he cleared his throat.

             
“Oh, shit, not him again.”  Hazel said pointing to my left.  We were so close that her finger was two inches from my nose and the smell of onions made me remember when my mothers hands always smelled like onions.  Most people wouldn't like it but that meant she was cooking and when she cooked you knew she loved you.

             
My head followed the finger in question and I looked over the top of the fort's wall.  There coming at us at a pretty good lick of speed was a hot air balloon.  A Darth Vader mask hot air balloon.  I agreed with Hazel, not him again.  The very same balloon crashed landed in our yard at the lodge one rainy day.  A muddy, miserable looking human being covered in mud announced he was there to save our souls. It was only after we'd fed and watered him that I remembered he was actually Micky the Mutton-head, a clown in the Bozeman fair a few years before.  He'd  quit the clown business to give hot air balloon rides at $25 a pop about the time young female children started to disappear.  No one ever proved he was the pervert in question but after the way he ogled Mandy and Clarissa, we dumped him back in his balloon and sent him on his way.  Now here he was again. 

             
“I don't see anyone in the basket.”  Hazel said, shadng her eyes with her hand.

             
“Mandy honey would you go inside and get everyone for me?”  The sound of running feet announced they'd already gotten the message.  Flynn and Clint ran up the steps to the catwalk with binoculars while the balloon dipped and tilted back and forth.

             
“Crap, it's gonna hit the fort.”

             
“Yeah, like it couldn't just land in the courtyard.  Or no that would be too easy.”  I think that came from George, my cousin. 

             
I cringed as it dipped below the fort wall and then  it hit, making us all duck.  I don't know why we ducked but there it is. I looked up at Flynn while he checked the road.  “It's clear,”  he finally said and we rushed the gate.  The damned thing was made of logs so was heavier than a boatload of elephants.  We managed to get it open enough to squeeze through and then rushed to the crash site.

             
Darth Vader was melting over the fort wall, while the basket underneath lay on its side against the logs.  Mason dug his way through the balloon and disappeared under it. 

             
“Joe.  Give me a hand.”  he yelled, his voice muffled by the balloon.  Joe rushed by me and disappeared into Darth Vader.  Well, hell, this is getting old.  I couldn't take it anymore and started to follow Joe when Sandy, his nurse, pushed by me with an old fashioned stretcher.  How did she know he needed it?  I thought. So I started in again when everyone came out.  I must be getting slow.

             
Mickey the Mutton-head was laying on the stretcher. He'd taken a hell of a beating.  I couldn't tell if he was alive or not but from the way they were acting I'd say yes.  They hurried to the clinic while the rest of us busied ourselves with trying to close the gate again.  There had to be a better way of doing it and I'd have to talk to Duke when he had some time. Getting the security cameras up and running was more important right then.

             
I looked up and found Flynn, Randy, Clint, Riley and Ken walking the catwalk with binoculars although I don't know what they were looking for.  Everyone else was standing around the clinic entrance to see about the pervert.  Jeez, we haven't officially moved in yet for all this crap to be happening.  When we lived at the lodge there was one thing after the other, militants, wildfires, walkers of course, even mountain lions but I'd hoped to get a bit settled before hell started to break out here. I guess the guys on the catwalk were looking for whoever had beaten the Mutton-head into a pulp.  I crossed my fingers that who ever it was wasn't going to follow the balloon straight to us.  I glanced out front and saw Darth Vader had deflated all over the wall and into the yard.  We'd have to do something about that but only after everyone was sure it wasn't followed.

             
“Well, looks like Mickey finally pissed someone off.”  Hazel said from behind me.  I jumped, again.  Man, I needed to settle down or slow down on the coffee.  Nope, the coffee stays.  It's all the excitement that's putting me on edge. 

             
“Yeah, the last time I saw him I said I'd kill him myself if he came back. I guess someone had less patience than I did.”

             
“Well, the good Lord will decide if he's ready for him or not.  I almost hope He is.  That man is just plain nuts.” 

             
“Aw, come on Hazel, quit dancing around what you really mean and tell it like it is.”  Duke said from behind me, making me jump again.  Why does everyone sneak up on me?  Geez.

             
Hazel laughed and actually patted Duke on the head, making him frown.  “Don't be frowning at me, young man.  I show affection when I want and how I want so deal with it.”  She hobbled over to one of the many benches lining the walkway in front of the  cabins.  There were small tables made of logs and branches every little way with dead plants, their dry leaves moving slightly in the breeze.  One table had a mug sitting on it but it looked like it'd been there for ages.  I could picture pretty plants on the tables, with soft cushions on the benches and plants hanging off the porches ever few feet.  It would look great.  Duke frowned at me although I have no idea why, then headed towards the hot air balloon.  It looked sad all deflated like that and I had no idea what we were going to do with it, but I'm sure Duke will come up with something.  His mind never rests.

             
I sat next to Hazel, at a loss as to what I could do.  The kids were all playing on the playground, now the excitement was over.  Andy and Kevin were climbing all over Darth Vader while the older girls were watching the kids.  I watched the men on the catwalk watch, whatever, while everyone else was inside doing, whatever to Mickey.  I sighed and leaned back against the log wall, Hazel did to and we just enjoyed the moment.  Of course, when you really relax and enjoy something, that's the time for someone to interrupt you. 

             
The door opened and Mason stepped out, closing the door behind him gently.  “It doesn't look like old Mutton head is going to make it.  Joe said it looked like too much damage was done to his insides.  So now we are the proud owners of Darth Vader.”  He walked to the edge of the walkway, and put his hand on the wall looking out at the balloon.   “What the hell we gonna do with a hot air balloon?”  I don't think he was really asking a question so much as talking to himself.   Hazel and I looked at each other and shook our heads.  I had no idea either. 

             
While he stood there, his forearm on the post, one foot crossed over the other, I was able to admire his form.  His blue tee shirt was stretched tight across shoulders that tapered down to a small waist.  His hips and legs were encased in tight blue jeans that seemed to go on forever and emphasized the muscles there.  But it was his hips that held my interest as I remembered how they felt in my hands the night before and I felt my face heat up.  I heard a soft chuckle next to me and turned to Hazel who just smiled, knowingly and I blushed harder.  She patted my leg and walked over to a bench near the playground.  Mason finally finished his musings and sat beside me where we watched the kids.

             
“I think I'm liking it better here all the time.  It's quiet and peaceful and safe.  What do you think, Brat?” 

             
“I think you're right.  Once we get the security cameras in and supplies it might get downright boring and I can live with that.”

             
Just then Duke came up very excited.  “I just heard from our kids in New Mexico.  The reception is great and I'm hoping I can set something like Skype up so we face-time them.  They're all doing good.  Bruce has learned to fly and a couple of the kids are learning.  They have several more cows and hogs so their food supply is looking good.  They said to say hey to everyone.”

             
“Good, I was just thinking about them.”  Mason looked at me and winked and I knew he felt me thinking about him a few minutes earlier.  I stuck my tongue out at him.   He laughed then sobered when the door to the clinic opened.

             
“Mickey didn't make it.  Didn't even regain consciousness.”  Joe said, as he wiped his hands on a towel.  “We need to figure out what to do with him.  Start a cemetery or find a ravine, I don't rightly care but with the way its warming up we need to do something soon.”

             
“I've almost got the turbines running.  I was just taking a break to tell y'all about the kids in New Mexico.”  He turned and ran back to the shack near the wall, his gun holster flapping against his leg as he ran.  He was always armed and since his name was Duke, he dressed like a cowboy everyday, although, the Hawaiian print shirt and ball cap distracted from the costume. And who cared that his cowboy boots stopped at his knees and his jeans were cutoffs.  He was the man.  He would be over the moon when I tell him about John Wayne and the retreat. 

             
“What about the kids in New Mexico?”  Joe yelled after him but Duke just waved as he went back inside.  Joe turned to us with a frown but lightened up when we told him the story.  I left them to figuring out the dilemma of poor Mickey and went in search of the ladies.  We had lists to collaborate on and collect.  Then we had to figure out where we were going to fill those lists.  First, though, we needed electricity and there is only one person we knew fit that bill. I knew he was busy working on the problem so I wasn't worried.  If it was broken he would either fix it, rebuild it or get rid of it and get a new one.  He was also training Mandy and Andy about the turbines so I don't know what we'd do without him.

             
Jill came out of one of the middle cabins with Tony.  “I told Ken he can cut some holes in the walls up high and put in some windows so we can have some air.  We are not using air conditioning because it uses too much power so putting a few windows in isn't going to kill him.  You know Ken, though, he had to whine about it.”