walkers the survivors (2 page)

     "Stop it,"  Mason said.  "It is not your fault. It's hers.  Don't even try to take the blame for this.  It may not have mattered if you'd killed her.  No one here is blaming you, so by damned, don't you dare blame yourself.  I won't have it."  He squeezed my hand and I felt better. I must of been broadcasting so loud he heard my thoughts.  Since we were both telepathic and spent a lot of time not talking but thinking to each other he caught what I was feeling.  

     We walked in silence the rest of the way to the road house.  I was actually surprised to see it standing.  Something so simple as a house could make me cry and I did.  Randy ran to one of the larger sheds and when he returned I saw a look of relief on his face.  The loaded trailer was still there.  Well, maybe things were looking up.  After what we'd been through, anything good that happened from here on in was worth smiling over. 

     Flynn took Davy from a tired Melody, who sat at the picnic table behind the house exhausted beyond belief.  Randy and Howard returned with water and formula so they could feed Davy, change her stinking butt and water the rest of us.  I was starting to itch from the soot and ash so I dragged my tired self back to the trailer and although it was fairly nice outside, it was an oven inside.  I finally found the box with 'clothes' written on it, rummaged around in it for a minute till I found a set of red sweats for me and gray ones for Mason, then I started hunting for the dish soap.  It's the only thing that cut the oil in the soot and made my hair silky and shiny.

     "What ya looking for sis?"  Lacy asked.

     "Dish soap.   I can't seem to find any."  I said rummaging around in the crate marked 'kitchen supplies', head down, butt in the air.  I heard a "I found it" and dropped onto the floor of the trailer  in time to see Randy grab her and kiss her, hard.

     "Come on, give me a break.  If you're going to do that stuff to my baby sister, don't do it in front of me.  You know I can't take it."

     They laughed like I knew they would and started looking for clothes, as I left the trailer. When the others saw what I had, they rose and slowly trudged towards the the trailer.  I grabbed Masons hand and walked to the small creek behind the shed, found a bunch of bushes where I shed my clothes and began the tedious business of getting clean. 

     I was in the road house and hour later, opening windows and making beds when the others began to straggle in.  A large kettle of water was getting ready to boil on the grill so we could eat some MRE's and drink hot chocolate.  No one had the energy or mind set to go hunting so we just opted for something quick. We did open up a couple of cans of Spaghetti O's for the girls since we knew they couldn't gag an MRE down.  It was just easier to open a can than fight with them about it.  They thought it was neat but 'Clarissa had started asking when they were going home.  I didn't envy Mercy or Sarah that task.

     There was a couch that made out into a bed but that was about it.  Several blow-up mattresses were brought out and would be inflated about bedtime.  If we did it sooner the girls and dog would have entirely too much fun.  The basement was finished so several of the guys would bunk down on the floor.  We had two night vision goggles that the night guards would use and there were four guards set up for six hour shifts round the clock until we knew what we were doing.  I was still drinking water like a camel.  I had a small cough but after the last 36 hours it was understandable.

     Everyone gathered around in the living room to discuss our future, except for the guards, who sat in trees and on top of the house.  We had to decide what to do...this place was a roof over our heads but that was it.  We didn't have any security and our weapons were few so we had to do something soon.  I was picking at my spaghetti and meatballs a la freeze dried.  Yuk.

     "The way I see it," said Duke, "we need to find a place to live and supply up.  That could only be a city."

     "No," Frank said, "the city is the last place we need to be in the winter.  There isn't any way to stay warm and we can't guarantee the food situation."

     "Well, what's your idea then."  The ideas flew around that room like the no-see-ums at the river.  Find another cabin, supply it, or a trailer park, or etc. etc.

     "We don't have time to do any of that.  Winters here can begin in September as easy as any other time.  We have no security, weapons, heat, food or anything else.  Whatever we have to do we have to do it soon, like tomorrow."  Alice said.

     "I agree with Alice," I said, " and the only way I can see us making it through the winter is to go south."

     "South?  How far south?"  asked John, Valley East's mechanic.

     "Well, I was thinking somewhere warm in January...Southern Texas, New Mexico, Mexico.   I don't know."

     "How do we get there?"  asked Alice.  "We have six four wheelers."

     I smiled at that then looked over at Lacy.  She said,  "When JD and  I left Florida it was in a stolen pickup.  It died in Eastern Texas and we were going to replace it when we spied the prettiest RV you've ever seen.  It had a solar panel on top and three pull outs.  The shower was heaven and a double oven in the kitchen made us very happy campers.  All we have to do is find a RV dealership and pick out a motor home.  Let me tell you, having a toilet within arms reach was the best part."  She sat back and watched as minds began to whirl.   After a few minutes of everyone talking at once, I stood and faced them.

     "Most of us here came clear across the United States in buses, RV's and semi's.  We did it once so I see no problem with doing it again.  I don't want to, Lord knows, but it's something we have no choice about.  We have to go south.  Now, does anyone have a place in mind?  Running water would be nice.  We could pick up RV's and spend the winter in those."

     "What about that place in Utah?  The one that put Lacy on top of the bathroom stalls?"  asked Randy, which earned him a glare from Lacy.

     "Nope, too far north.  The Arches National Park is beautiful but we need to go farther south."  Alice perked up and said, "How about a hot springs.  The water can be piped right into the campers."

     "Where is it?

     "It's called Gila Hot Springs in south central New Mexico.  My family used to spend the summer there every year but I know it's open year round."

     "That means it's warm enough.  Anyone else have any ideas?"  When no one else said anything I continued,  "Well, let us know if everyone is okay with it.  Sleep on it and we'll decide in the morning.  We have to do something by morning though.  We need supplies so we can set up security."

     "I'll take first watch, Riley." Mason said. "I'm too keyed up to sleep right now.  Me and JD will sleep later."  He took my hand and led me outside.  He was man enough to let me go up the ladder first but I know it was so he could watch my butt.  We relived Frank, who looked wiped out, took one of the folding chairs and moved it back a bit from the edge of the roof.  Before we began our shift, Mason held me a long time, trying to reassure me it would be okay and for just a bit, I believed him.  I had to.  Hope is a terrible thing to lose.  

             
                                                       
CHAPTER 2

     "I hope you know what you're doing, Ken.  Striking out on your own is dangerous and winter is right around the corner.  I wish you'd reconsider."  I was concerned Ken may have jumped into this without thinking.

    
"Gosh, JD, I was own my own living in a damned tree house before I came here.  I'll do okay.  I'll look around until I find somewhere we can all live and when you return in the spring you'll have someplace to go.  It'll be easier for a smaller group to survive since there won't be as many mouths to feed.  It's a win win kind of thing."

    
"Since I'm going to watch his back, I won't have to worry about him."  Jill said as she stood next to him with her arm around his waist.

    
"Crap, I just remembered those four people that are supposed to meet us at the lodge in a few days.  I'll have Duke call them and tell them not to come.  Maybe you could pick them up somewhere."

    
"I'll talk to Duke."

    
"What if someone gets hurt?"

    
"Guess that's why I'm going along."  answered Don, Valley East's medic.  "You'll have Joe and Sandy who's had some experience with children.  You won't need two medics. And before you ask all the other questions you have stored away, let me answer them for you.  Liz is good with explosives and a hell of a cook so she'll be an asset.  John being a good mechanic will help if we have that kind of problem.  Frank is good with weapons and built like an ox so he'll help out a lot and Alice has learned a lot from Duke on the electronic end of things and should have a decent security system set up when you come back.  We're all aware of the danger, are good with guns and have our heads screwed on tight.  We're staying and that is all there is to it."

    
They stood there nodding their screwed on heads while the rest of us just stared at them.  I didn't like it but I've found in the past few months it doesn't matter what I like, this kind of thing just keeps happening.  They'd be an asset here in Montana and I'd miss them a lot.

    
"Okay, I give up.  You do what you have to do, just find a nice warm, safe place to live in the meantime.   You should at least stay till we get to Bozeman so you can supply up and we can part ways then."

    
"We thought that would be a good idea as well."  Then Ken gave me a nice hug before leaving with several guys to go to the interstate to find  transportation.

    
We needed a semi to haul the trailer and at the very least a bus since there were 26 of us with the three kids, not counting the dog.  I'd be happy with a couple of vans at least until we got to Bozeman and could go shopping for RV's.

     
Several of the guys left with the gator that could carry six, leaving the mule with us.  We sat around the table trying to figure out the best route from Bozeman to New Mexico.  I was still the one that did the routing although I don't like it.  So many things can go wrong, like bridges being washed out, traffic jams that are impenetrable and rock slides. 

    
"Why don't we go back the way we came from Flagstaff?  It was clear, wasn't it?"  asked George.

    
"Well, no dear it wasn't.  Remember the bridge that was out after we left the warehouse?  The one where we found Alan?  We did more backtracking than I ever want to do again.  We have the problem of finding a fuel tanker too since we got the last one on that stretch of highway.  We have to go a different route.  I think through Billings and then south to Cheyenne then maybe east, where the land is flatter.  I'll pick up some maps when we get to Bozeman."

    
"Did you say we can pick out our own RV's?  I'd really like that."  asked Melody.

    
"Yep, but everywhere we go has to be cleared first.  That's why a RV is so nice.  Waiting for someone to clear a restroom when you really have to go is a pain in the butt.  Having a RV provides us with a toilet, shower, air conditioning and a fridge.  Duke will set up solar panels so we don't have to run the RV all the time and still have air and fridge.  We have to black out the windows on the lower half, reinforce the doors and windows, that kind of thing."

    
"Wow, I hadn't realized there was so much to it."

    
"Yeah, and I think before the guys get back, we need to get what we'll need from the trailer, like a set of clothes, personal items, shoes, diapers etc.  We can pick up more in town, but I like to be ready.  We'll box them and put them in one of the vehicles when they get back.  Take an extra bottle of water and keep it near you all the time.  We'll have to help get the supplies and there's a method which I'll explain later."

    
Everyone moved with a purpose then.  Supplies were readied and placed near the front door.  The guards were relieved so they could get what they needed from the trailer, then we waited.  The day was a warm one.  It was August, I think, so we still had some hot days left but not many.  The trees were already turning from the low temps at night and because of the lack of rain some of the green leaves had fallen.

    
I heard a knock on the side of the house telling us someone was coming.  We watched as a blue mini van pulled up, followed by a cargo van and a small bus.  The gator pulled up and parked next to the garage.  It'd served it's purpose.   We greeted the returning men like they'd come back from battle, hugging and kissing.  They laughed and began to load the supplies in the cargo van.  Mason took me aside and told me the semi was on its way so we needed to clear everyone from around the trailer.  I told him if there was anything he wanted from it now was the time. 

    
"If there was a tee shirt and jeans in there I'd be there in a second but as it is I'll have to wait for Bozeman.  We all look like refugees from a mental hospital dressed in gray sweats."  I looked around and saw he was right and started laughing.  It lightened the air around the place and we proceeded to get everyone out of the way of the trailer so Howard could hook up to it.  Then after a massive run on the bathroom, we loaded up and left the road house behind.  I tried not to look behind me as we pulled away.  It was just a house, right?