Seeking Sanctuary (Walkers) (17 page)

             
“He knows you're right.  The whine is all show.”  I said, as I crooned at Tony.  He had his mama's eyes but Kens chin and the softest, strawberry blond hair I've ever felt. He also had a set of lungs that would tell the people in the next county when his pants were full.  He was just plain adorable.

             
“Yeah, I know what you mean.  All the women are gonna want windows in their places too so the guys better gear up.  Where are they anyway?”

             
“Joe told us we need a burial detail for Mickey, so Ken is security on the walls while the rest of the guys take care of it. I would like to stay here tonight but we don't even have electricity...” and just like that a light went on over Jill's head, literally.   “How does he do that?”  I wondered aloud.

             
“Scary isn't it?”  Jill said, laughing softly while she gently rocked the sweet baby in her arms.  Just then I could here a celebration of noise erupting from the turbine shed.  We looked at each other and laughed.  Sarah came out of the cabin nearest the dining room saw us and waved.  “He did it again, I see.” She yelled, then waved again and went back inside.

             
“We don't have supplies either, so I guess we'll stay at the haunted house one more night.”

             
“Did you really see a ghost this morning or were you just saying that to make Sally feel better?”

             
“I saw him and he saw me.  He was an old geezer, bib overalls, battered cowboy hat and maybe six feet tall.  I really don't know if he was that tall or he was just hovering in space but it doesn't matter.  I don't why we're all getting paranormal abilities all of a sudden but that is one I could do without.  Scared the crap out of me, although I don't know why I was scared.  It didn't seem to bother Sally at all.”

             
“Kids are naturals.  They haven't been told they aren't supposed to see ghosts and they haven't watched a boat load of scary movies either.  None of the other kids said anything about it, so I think so far it's just Sally. She just chocked it up to another adult in the room and that was it.  Like the lady she was talking to in one of the rooms earlier in the day.  I don't think they will hurt anyone, they just want to be noticed.”

             
“I guess, but with the 'skills' I already have I don't need anymore.  What the hell is that noise?”  I suddenly remembered our 'friends' in the sky and start searching for a silver disk.  No one else seemed to be bothered, so, I stepped out in the yard to look some more.  The noise stopped.  Back on the porch and there it was again.  Then I saw it.  An electrical bug zapper hung in the corner of the porch, it's blue light shimmering  softly in the dimness of the corner and its little motor humming away.  I started laughing and was soon joined by Jill.  We were still chuckling when Mason returned.  I let him think I was just plain happy to see him, though.  A mans feelings are hurt so easily don't ya know.   

                                                        Chapter 15

              We couldn't talk Hazel into spending the night in the fort so we all went back to the 'haunted house' for dinner and a shower.  Baby was thrilled to see us but when he came barreling at Hazel she just laughed as he skidded to a stop right in front of her.  It's as if he knew she was fragile.  The rest of us scooted out of his way just in case.  Bubba came up to him and had to get on his hind legs to give Baby a kiss, Monster just avoided all of us by climbing into the rafters of the porch.  I ignored them all in favor of a shower.  We had some planning to do and I wanted to be fresh for it.  Seems like everyone had the same idea so it didn't take long before we were seated at the big dining room table.

             
Lacy was busy consolidating the many lists.  Some things were written down several times and we needed to narrow it down and decide where we were going.  Duke was busy checking the internet for the locations of all the warehouses in the area.  We had the choice of Whitefish, Libby, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell before we started looking outside our comfort zone. 

             
  The one thing we took advantage of was toilet paper.  I dreaded the day we couldn't find any more.  I was willing to go miles out of our way just to get it. We would store it in large plastic totes, to keep the mice out.  They loved toilet paper for their nests.  We were going through it like water now that our group had expanded, so we needed lots of it right away.  I knew there was a place in Missoula that was a pulp mill and made toilet paper, so we may have to make a trip there. We also stored a lot of Kleenex, paper towels and feminine products for the same reason.  We'd left almost all of our plastic totes in New Mexico, so we had to get a whole bunch of them, again. Yea, for plastic.

             
Duke brought us a printout of the warehouses in the area and went back to see if he could hack the computer system at the pulp mill.  That would tell him if there was a trailer of toilet paper there or not.  He was good about that kind of thing.  He was printing paper out by the reams and since I could only wonder at what he was doing, I ignored him.

             
Mason and a few of the guys along with Andy was perusing some maps at another table, while Howard and Samantha was checking out the nearest trucking companies to see what they had in the way of cargo.  Everyone was busy, as it took us all just to get things figured out.  Sarah with her kitchen supplies, Joe with his medical, Melody and Mercy with the garden .  It seemed everyone had a job.  I would put myself almost anywhere I was needed but mostly hunting, fishing and warehouse runs.  I could shop until I dropped.  I also fought the walkers better than some of the others.  Lucy killed one but for days afterward she was sick and weepy. I know Jill and even Sarah could chop and dice with the best of us but they were more useful elsewhere.

             
We had a school to set up this time too, so that was something new we had to figure out along with the electronics, always the electronics.  Seemed everywhere we went we had to find cases upon cases of electronics.  Everything for security and medical along with wind turbine and solar panels.  We shouldn't forget ink for the printer either since  our lists were long and planning took most of the long day we'd already had.  The morning would find us planning the rest of the trip, but for tonight I had a sexy Mason that needed to be shown just how much he means to me.

             
When I finally stumbled into the dining hall the next morning, everyone was already eating, getting ready for the trip to town.  I glanced real quick in the corner of the room but it was empty so I got my coffee and sat next to Mason.  He put his hand on my knee and squeezed and I smiled. 
Yeah, I remember last night. I can't forget it, Brat.  I don't think my back was supposed to bend that direction.
I blushed, which made Lacy, who sat across from me, smile.

             
Randy cleared his throat, which told me he was getting the byplay between us, and I had to squelch the urge to run to my room.  Geez.

             
“JD, would you like to go with us today?”  Mason asked.  We'd fought numerous times about them planning to go on these trips without me.  Now, he asked as if he didn't already know.  We discussed it at length last night and I finally decided to stay behind only because I planned to go to the fort with the rest of the ladies and do some major cleaning.  They would return to the fort with the supplies.

             
“No, thank you for asking.  I plan to join the ladies at the fort today.  Maybe next time.”  I smile sweetly at Randy who had the good sense to blush then turned to Mason. 

             
“Hon...”

             
“JD!  I need to talk to you.”  Nevada proceeded to grab my arm and pull. “Now, JD, it's real important.”  Pulling and tugging with the strength of  three men, I shrugged at Mason and allowed Nevada to pull me into the restroom near the dining room.  As soon as we were safely inside she burst into tears.  At a loss of what to do, I finally pulled her into my embrace and whispered into her ear.  “What's wrong pumpkin?”

             
She mumbled something, but I couldn't make it out so I put my finger under her chin and pulled her tear stained face up to me.  “I'm dying, JD.  I'm so scared.”  I felt my eyebrows climb into my bangs and blinked a few times.

             
“What makes you think you're dying, sweetie?”  I whispered.

             
“Because I started bleeding this morning and it won't stop.  I think I have cancer. I didn't cut my self or anything so it has to be that, doesn't it?”

             
Well, crap on a cracker.  She had no idea what was happening to her body and I had no idea how to explain it to her.  Damn.  I thought about seeking out Sarah but I couldn't do that to her and Nevada had come to me for help.  Then I thought of Lacy.
Hey, Lace, you know anything about explaining to a young girl about her periods the first time.

             
Hell no, you're on your own there, JD.  Just don't draw any pictures okay, you'll scare her to death.

             
Very funny, smart ass.  Nevermind, I'll figure it out myself.             

             
I held the crying girl a few more moments then took her to my room where I kept the supplies she was going to need.  I was never told about the monthly terrors before hand either.  I figured I was dying too, so I knew how she felt.  Mason touched my mind once during the process, but left us alone to stumble around the whole issue.  When we returned to the dinning room, much later, Nevada was feeling better although a bit put out that she had to go through the process once a month for nearly the rest of her life.  I was exhausted mentally cause I had no idea what to say or how to say it.  We'd muddled through and was relieved when the men finally left, except Ken, who was still recuperating.  Duke, Howard and the older boys Kevin and Bobby were staying behind for security but they usually did anyway.  After cleaning up the kitchen area and trying to talk Hazel into going with us,  we finally loaded up some cleaning supplies and headed for the fort, minus Hazel and Baby.  She had some knitting to do. 

             
The fort itself was surrounded with trees but not enough to obstruct the views.  The valley behind it tapered to a canyon. It was so deep you couldn't see the bottom for the shadow the rock walls cast.  I think that was where the bodies were dumped.  The area would be fenced off for a cow pasture using the trailers we got today.  I figured with the amount of supplies we needed we'd end up with enough trailers to do the job before long.

             
The turbines were working so I knew we'd have electricity.  Funny how you miss the things you used to take for granted the most, like electricity.  Running hot water was another one on the list.  I hurried upstairs, excited about getting our room set up just right.  As I cleaned and vacuumed I moved furniture into a more pleasing arrangement and when I moved a tall armoire, I found a door behind it. I looked over at the closet and then back at the door, then at the bathroom door and back at the door again. Why would a door be hidden behind an piece of furniture and where did the do lead?  I pulled out a chair and sat right in front of the door and thought about it.  Was a walker hidden in there?  Would something jump out at me?  Was it rigged to explode?  Okay, that was just silly. Well, hell.

             
I stomped over to the open door and looked around the courtyard until I spotted Kevin.  “Hey Kevin,” I yelled, “would you come up here a minute, and bring a rifle with you?”  He waved and ran to the garage where Howard was working, and soon came running out with a rifle.  Howard followed him to the doorway and when he saw me he waved. I waved back like I was the happiest fool in the world.  I didn't want anyone to get excited until they needed to, so I didn't alert him to any trouble.  He went back inside and I walked back to the door in question and stared at it some more.

             
Running footsteps announced the arrival of Kevin and the room shook as he slammed headlong into the doorjam of the room, panting and wide eyed.  I just shook my head.  “Here ya go, JD.  What's up?”  He panted the words out as he bent at the waist, the rifle, barrel up, in his hand.  I looked closer and saw the safety was on so I decided to wait till later with the lecture about running with dangerous objects.  Or was that just for scissors?

             
“I found this door hidden behind this armoire.”  At the confused look on his face, I pointed to the furniture in question and said, “Clothes closet.”  He shook his head.  “Why do you need two closets?”

             
“I  don't.  It was in front of this door, hiding it.  I didn't want to open it without backup.”  We both remembered when I was training him in New Mexico to search rooms.  You always  have backup.  It worked too, until Mikey shoot me through a closed basement door.  Now I stand to the side of the door in question and have backup.  Even now I was nervous about that door but I figured it was just the thought of finding walkers behind it or getting shot through it that made me uneasy.

             
Kevin was breathing normally and watching me closely by the time I had done all the figuring I could.  Oh for heavens sake.  I moved the chair to a safe place, stood to the side of the door, positioned Kevin against the wall across from the door, rifle ready, safety off and slowly turned the handle.  It was locked.  I slumped against the doorjam and took a deep breath.  Up to that point I'd been holding my breath.  Good thing I didn't pass out...Kevin would've had a fit.

             
“Look for a key.”  I said, as I started to do the same thing.  He finally put the rifle down and just like a man, stood there and looked around.  I brushed past him and began to open drawers, looking in the cushions of the couch and around the top of the doorjam.  I found the key tacked onto the top of the doorjam.  It just got stranger and stranger, which made me more nervous so before I stuck the key into the door knob, I just stood there staring at the door until I noticed Kevin watching me.  Well, that wouldn't do, so I motioned him back to the wall, rifle ready while I stood to one side, and unlocked the door.  The I slowly turned the handle and the door was flung wide open slamming into the armoire. My heart slammed into my chest as the door bounced back and slammed closed again.

             
“Shit, shit, shit.”  Kevin repeated, panting like a puppy again. I couldn't reply because I was finding it hard to get the air I needed.   Then it happened.  I felt the giggle start low in my stomach, and try as I may, I couldn't keep it away.  It crept up my lungs, past my throat and burst out of my mouth with the loudest laugh you've ever heard.  Kevin looked at me like I'd lost my mind, then the corner of his mouth turned up and he started laughing too.  That, in itself, is funny because he sounds like a jackass when he laughs; he haw, he haw.  I was in jeopardy of wetting my pants, so I darted into the rest room slamming that door behind me with the same force the other door had slammed.  The jackass in the other room bayed louder and it was plain mayhem for the next few minutes.  When I finally got hold of myself, I grabbed some Kleenex and went into the other room.  The unruly door was open and Kevin was gone.  I stomped my foot,  ”Why does this shit keep happening to me?”  I asked the ceiling.

             
There was light coming from within, so I stuck my head inside.  “Kevin,” I whispered.  No reply.  Of course not.  Why did I think there would be.  I stepped father into the room.  It was small, almost like a hallway and turned to the left or towards the back of the room.  There were three steps down then another door at the end, on the right side.  A small window, probably 3x3, was letting the light in.  “Kevin”, I said a bit louder.  Man, I saw this in a movie sometime or other and it was really creepy then.  I can't begin to describe how creepy it was now.  I slowly reached out to the doorknob and just as I touched it, it turned on its own.  A very unlike-me squeak jumped out of my mouth and I hightailed it back to the room, covering covered all of four feet in four seconds flat and completely forgetting about Kevin.

             
I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest it was beating so hard.  Breathing heavily, I started towards the door again, when Kevin jumped out of it.  Okay, maybe he didn't jump out but under the circumstances it looked like it.