The Solitary Man’s Refuge (40 page)

“ All in good fun my boy, all in good fun. But that
snake in the sleeping bag thing got me spooked. You
damn country boys are nasty spirited. I hate snakes.”
LowBuck said grimacing.

“ You better worry about me too, I owe you one for
that commandeering my horse feed.” Donald said poking
at his buddies snake alarm.

“ Now damn it Donald that aint funny. Me and
snakes don’t get along if we got to share space together.
Don’t be doing nothing like that or mentioning it to Michael.
You got to promise me on that. You said yourself we got to
get more serious these days.” LowBuck concluded looking
worried.

“ I aint never going to do something like that Man
but you pulled the pin on the hand grenade with Michael
so watch out.” Donald said while reminiscing mentally
about a National Guard Lieutenant that came into his unit
from a supply depot trying to make captain in a combat
arms artillery unit. That boy was green to the woods and
scared of everything that creeped or crawled. Back in the
day the Fire Direction Center (FDC) was pretty primitive by
today’s standards but still managed to be able to
mathematically compute how to put a 155 howitzer round
in a garbage can 15 miles away. They called it “charts and
darts” back then and used slide rules, charts, and a big
aluminum range deflection protractor (RDP) about 2’1/2
foot long to figure out how to put steel on target.

The big architect style tables that gridded out the
battlefields were taboo back then if you were not an
operator and that asshole lieutenant had the bad habit of
always putting his helmet or dust goggles on Donald’s
chart table. Army regs said you were allowed to knock
anything off your table that could interfere with your work
but that was always questionable when dealing with a
uninitiated LT. He probably got rid of his 90 day wonder
butter bar quickly and hadn’t had the chrome one on long
before he decided the only way to make captain was to go
combat arms. Donald didn’t respect the type writer jockeys
or supply specialists that had no experience in his world
that just wanted to make rank. They were dangerous and
had too much control until you broke them in. Donald and
Private Rafferty chased down a baby armadillo one day
and Donald got sneaky and placed it under the offending
LT`s steel pot helmet that was sitting on his chart. When
the pasty faced officer reached over and started to drag
his helmet off Donald`s chart table that danged baby
armadillo started to run up his arm with them long clawed
feet and mayhem set in as it clung to his fatigues and skin
not to be shaken off.

It was one of the funniest sights Donald had ever
witnessed as the LT run out of the tent of the CP carrier
(Command post carrier armored track, which is basically a
6 inch aluminum armored office ) that carries a tent on its
back to extend the work area. That boy squealed like a
stuck hog as the armadillo tried to make tracks up his
flailing arm and dancing around.

Thank god his captain saw the humor in it and told
the LT that was a reminder from a “ Red Leg” ( someone
who is Airborne and wears a red stripes on the side of
their pants as well as jump wings on their chest” to not
disrespect the chart table or them. Donald had been the
only “Red Leg” in the ground unit and the only one who
had jumped with tons of ammo and cannons falling
through the sky with him. Donald could be a dickhead
about this in the back when and depended on his glory
days to keep him out of trouble. Nobody was going to tell
the newbie officer that an armadillo curls up in a ball when
threatened and that Donald had carefully held that baby
one together in a ball and placed it under that fool of an
officers steel pot helmet. Earlier he had got himself in
Dutch with the commander by telling a British naval officer
on an exchange program that if you pissed on an electric
fence green smoke would come off. The idiot tried it while
Donald was up on top of the track putting up a 2 niner two
radio antennae about dusk and he had been treated to the
sight of a very large spark heading for that man’s tally
whacker. When the Brit went to report him for the prank to
the commander, the poor guy pissed himself once again
and the Captain who was CPT.Marles at the time just
laughed a little and told him to clean himself up before
giving Donald a lightweight and humorous tongue lashing.

“ I am serious, I don’t know these Alabama snakes
the way you do and no screwing around with bugs or
spiders neither. Do you have scorpions here? No he
wouldn’t do that.” LowBuck said exasperated at the
possibilities.

“Actually I hear we do in regards to scorpions, but I
aint never seen one. He aint either I am sure and wouldn’t
even mess with one. What he most likely would do if he
wanted some animal payback is try to catch a skunk in a
bag and throw it in your room. I doubt he would try that
though I told him how much we ostracized those boys that
tried to put a bag over one end of a culvert and chase the
skunk in so they could throw it in the neighboring units CQ
room (Command Quarters). Them boys got sprayed first
and were last ones in line for the chow hall for weeks.
“Donald said grinning at the memory.

“Uh oh, Harley dog has found himself something”
LowBuck stated watching his hound beginning a chase.
“ That dog never caught a rabbit in its life but he
is fun to watch.” Donald commented observing.

“He ain`t built for that kind of chase, but he sees
something. By the way Lomax told me to look out for
Strychnine baits. Said they look like donuts, they had a
rabid fox scare down here and the county warned
everyone to keep the pets inside the house while they
were solving it.” LowBuck declared looking concerned.

“Tie his ass up, we are not staying here long. I
didn’t know about that. Lomax said they were also hunting
some damn sex offender that might of got bit by a rabid
dog. I aint shitting you, I haven’t said anything yet to the
ladies because that’s too weird to imagine but he says a
posse is in the area.” Donald said showing all his cards.

“And for some reason you aint informed me of
that?” LowBuck said angrily while rising to go get his AR
15.

“Calm down bro, we got enough fire power in our
pistols to take care of that situation if it presents itself. If
it’s true that man is a wack job and not thinking clear. He
is more scared of water than causing harm and is
wandering aimlessly.” Donald concluded.

“ As long as he don’t wander this way.” LowBuck
said obviously put out that Donald had not mentioned this
apparent danger yet to anyone else.

“ Hey Man this is just a layover, You can’t shoot a
man for what he might do.” Donald attempted to
rationalize.

“Thinking is not knowing Donald. If there is a weird
threat like this about we all need to know it!. You letting
me down Man.” LowBuck said intensely.

“Didn’t mean too. I figured sacred ground and all
the folks hunting him we be safe for the moment. Guess I
was wrong. That level of insanity I can’t imagine but didn’t
want to scare the girls unduly. Lomax said not to bring it
up if I didn’t have to. We got our pocket pistols, I thought
we could easily handle a confrontation.” Donald began.

“Screw that, everyone should be on high alert!
Armed and ready. The girls put up their guns and are not
expecting this kind of shit. I still can’t believe you let that
warning slide. We should bring them practical pistols and
long arms to them NOW! LowBuck said disgustedly.

“Ok I am already worn the hell out and this jitterbug
doesn’t have all the answers.” Donald fired back.
“You are doing a good job so far making us a
family, but Bro? You aint found the time to inform us yet?”
LowBuck said concerned.

“Lomax is deadly with a 45, Janice has her 380 and
Catharine got that 30-30 there is no risk MAN! “ Donald
concluded

“Maybe so, but I wished you had talked about it
more instead of keeping it to yourself so long.” LowBuck
Concluded.

34
THE LAKE CAMP

After a day of eating well on barbecued goat and
garden vegetables, much laughter at Michael’s expense
for the prank Lomax and LowBuck played on him and the
joy of the two girl’s acquisition of the horses the prepper
tribe settled in wearily for the night at the church and got
ready to head out in the morning.

Traveling slowly down backcountry dirt roads and
county highways seemed to be taking forever but it was a
safe and necessary way. They saw very few people and
fewer cars out on the road. Miles and miles of probably
starving desperate people lived on these roads; it was
hard for the caravan of travelers to wrap their minds
around the magnitude of this disaster. The discussion last
night about the possibility of staying in Lomax’s community
was very tempting but in the end it was decided that it
would be best to try to ride the worst of the disaster out in
the secluded summer camp at the lake if they could. If
need be and they could somehow find the gas they could
always try coming back.

Donald had taken the point position and was
nearing his objective. They had decided they would all just
drive in at once depending on how it looked from the road.
The camp had a huge front parking lot so turning around
wasn’t a big deal and the long driveway to it assured that
they wouldn’t have to bunch up traveling in. Donald slowed
and pointed to his right indicating they would be turning
into their destination now. Big pines obscured the roads
view of the actual camp but soon thinned out and as far as
Donald could see the place appeared abandoned. His
suspicions were confirmed when he noted the empty
parking lot.

“Alright!” Donald thought as elation flooded over
him. The perfect bug-in location was open for squatting
and it was all theirs!

The convoy pulled directly to the front of the
building and parked next to the for sale real estate sign.

Everyone got out of their vehicles greatly relieved
the place was unoccupied and happily babbling to each
other as they got organized to explore the area and find a
way into the main building.

“Let’s see if we can find an open window or
something. I would rather not damage the doors if we don’t
have to.” Donald declared.

“Ok, we going right so you go left.” LowBuck said as
he walked off with Cat and Catharine.

“We are going to go check out the out buildings.”
Michael said and he and Amy left to check out what looked
like a big tractor shed and a storage building.

“Mom you want to hang out here or go along with
me and Janice?” Donald asked.

 

“I will stay here, just be careful.” she said

Donald and Janice checked all the front windows
and peered into the interior whenever they could. This
place was Huge! It had a grand hall as well as separate
classrooms and a cafeteria. It was at the cafeteria that
Donald noticed a partially open window and waved to
LowBuck exploring the rear of the buildings windows to
come over and help him.

“Give me a leg up buddy and I will see if I can get in
here.” Donald said pointing at a vent window over another
large paned window.

“I think you going to have a hard time getting
through there unless you can somehow reach the latch for
the bottom pane and open it.” LowBuck said studying it.

“That’s my plan exactly. If I can somehow stand on
the ledge then we can maybe figure out a way to open it.”
Donald said stepping in the stirrup LowBuck made with his
hands to boost him up.

“Hell yea!” Donald said standing on the ledge and
clinging to the edge of the vent windows metal frame.

 

“Get me a stick or broom handle or something and I
can open the latch.” Donald called down.

 

“We got a broom in the motor home. I will be back
in a minute.” Cat said hurrying towards it.

“Man you ain`t going to believe this kitchen. If that
big propane tank next to us has any gas in it we all set.
Damn thing is big enough to run a steakhouse.” Donald
said peering around as best he could.

“If you are alright up there, I will go check it out.”
LowBuck said

 

“Yea, go have a look.” Donald said while waiting for
Cat to return.

“I can’t quite figure out how to read this tank gauge
but we got about a 1/3 of a tank whatever that translates
too.” LowBuck called out.

“Cool! That’s a big ass tank. I will figure out how
much we actually got later.” Donald said excitedly as he
looked at all the gleaming stainless steel ovens and
ranges.

“We even got a pizza oven Bubba!” Donald said
looking down at him with a big grin.

“I don’t have any pepperoni but I got a couple
summer sausages and hard salami. Wonder what that
would taste like?” Bubba said thinking about tonight’s
dinner.

“Probably damn good if you add some onions. I got
chicken and beef but I doubt we see anything close to
pepperoni again. I wonder how ham TVP would taste on
one?” Donald mused.

“Or Taco flavor TVP might be good. Let’s have a
pizza party tonight. Haven’t ever made a dough from
scratch but shouldn’t be too hard.” LowBuck said and then
handed up the broom Cat had brought back.

After several tries Donald finally got the latch open
and then proceeded to enter the window.

“Go around front and I will open the door.” Donald
said as he entered the window and stepped into the sink
below.

Kind of spooky but exciting to be creeping around in
here. Nobody is home but he wasn’t letting his guard
down.” Donald thought as he exited the kitchen and
entered the cafeteria.

“Probably could seat 75 or more folks in here. Cool,
lot easier doing one big community meal instead of
several individual dinners. Ah you’re kidding me! “Donald
thought as he exited the cafeteria and saw`
what
looked like a sort of boy scout supplies and convenience
store. Most of the shelves were empty but there was still a
lot of crap in there. Damn the door was locked. Oh, well
see about it later.” Donald mused as went down the hall
and entered the lodge’s main room and went to open the
front door.