American Revenant (Book 3): The Monster In Man (19 page)

Chapter
33

“I volunteered to take breakfast down to the front gate,” Tamara said as
she bent to give Jimmy a kiss.  “If you need something the girls will probably
fight over who gets it for you.  I’ll be back in a little while.”

Nodding, Jimmy said, “No worries, babe, we’re all good here, right
girls?”  Miranda and Ashley both chimed in with a cheerful “Yep!”

“Ok, then, I’ll see you all later.” 

Jimmy swatted Tamara’s bottom as she turned away, laughing.

“Watch it mister, you have a lot of healing to do before you start
getting frisky.”

“Jan says I should be up and getting back into things in a few days.” 

“Well, we can talk then.  Gotta go, love you guys.”  Tam blew her family
a kiss as she closed the door. 

At the main hall, Evie was serving up fresh eggs from chickens they had
found running loose at a farmhouse several miles away. 

Tam took a plate of eggs, oatmeal, and toast made from homemade bread
toasted on a flat griddle over the fire.  Tam moaned around a mouthful of the
steaming scrambled eggs.  “Oh my goodness I forgot how great fresh eggs
tasted.”

“Well you may be eating a lot of them,” Evie said.  “Those chickens are
producing like crazy.  Wish we had a refrigerator or something, so they would
keep a little longer at least.”

“Mineral oil,” Tam said.

Evie gave Tam a puzzled look.  “What?”

“Yeah, you can cover eggs in mineral oil and they last a really long
time, especially if you keep them in a cool place.  I can’t remember for sure,
but I think you’re supposed to turn the eggs every few weeks, flip them over,
something to do with the yolk.”

“And just where did you hear this?”

“One of those preparedness websites.  Jimmy read the article, had me
read it too.  You might want to ask him, he’ll remember more about it than I
do.”

“Ok, I’ll do that, thanks Tam.”

Tamara took a plastic bag from Evie, the breakfast for Calvin and Rick
at the front gate.  “See you later Evie
,” she said as she walked out the door.

“Morning, Mike.”

“Morning, Tam.  Is that for the guys at the gate?” Mike asked, nodding
at the bag dangling from her hand. 

“Yeah, I volunteered to take breakfast down to them this morning.”

“I’m going to run a patrol.  Hop in and I’ll give you a ride down.”

During the short ride to the gate Mike asked questions about Jimmy’s
recovery, and how the kids were doing.  Tam answered succinctly.  Though Jimmy
was home and alive a small part of her still felt the way she had on that first
day, that all of the men were to blame for what had happened.  Despite what
Jimmy said, how no one was at fault, she was finding it difficult to let go of
those feelings.

Tam was lost in thought, gazing out the side window when Mike said,
“Looks like we have company today.”  Just then she heard the pealing of the
bell as it rang the signal for arrivals at the gate.

Snapping her eyes to the front, toward the far end of the road where E
met 79, she could see the silhouettes of a small group of people, maybe seven
or eight in all, though it was difficult to tell just yet.

“Uhh, should we be worried?” She asked.

Pulling up near the tiny guard shack Mike said, “Always.”

Rick and Calvin met them outside and Tamara passed the bag of food to
Cal, who set it just inside the shack.

“Nine people,” Rick told them.  “Five men, three women, and one child.”

“Any weapons?” Mike asked, slipping the rifle from his shoulder.

“I could see a couple of hunting rifles and shotguns, one AR-15, some
visible side-arms.”

Mike tugged a small pair of binoculars from a cargo pocket, watching the
approaching group for a moment, confirming Rick’s initial estimate.

“Tam, you wait in the truck, or over at the house.” 

“Screw that, Rick.  I’m staying right here,” she said as she placed a
hand on the 9mm on her hip. 

Rick studied her closely for a second, quickly realizing that arguing
would be futile.  “Fine, but if Jimmy asks it’s on you.”

Tamara scowled in response.  Behind them she could hear a vehicle
approaching.  A quick glance showed her the De Soto carrying Gordy, Lisa and
Ale
x. 
Gordy leaned on a new walking stick; Lisa and Alex were both armed with rifles.

The three exited the car to stand with those waiting at the gate. 
Minutes later the group came close and everyone on the Saverton side spread out
in a wide semicircle with Gordy in the middle. 

“That’s far enough,” Gordy called when the group drew within ten feet of
the hole the cattle-guard bridge would span when lowered.  All of the men with
rifles kept them in the low ready position, prepared for anything.  Gordy
prayed silently that everyone stayed calm and this didn’t turn out as ugly as
so many of their meetings with other survivors.  “What can we do for you?”

A thick-shouldered man of medium height stepped forward, his heavy,
matted beard jiggling as he spoke.  “Do you have food or water?  Maybe
someplace we could rest?  We don’t have much to trade but you’d be welcome to
it if we could just come in and rest for a while.”

“Where did you all come from?” Gordy asked.

“Some of us are from Louisiana, one from Clarksville, several more we’ve
just picked up along the way.  Can we come in; we’re all exhausted and
starving.  We have a kid here, he’s only nine.”

“Listen, you’ll have to excuse us, but we tend to be cautious about who
we let in.”

“What’s your name?  I’m Gary Higgen-botham.” 

“Gordon Fletcher.  I’m not trying to be rude, Gary, I just have to watch
out for my people.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get that.  Is this all of you?  You have more people?” 
Gary’s eyes shifted over Gordon’s group, sizing them up.

Tamara watched the traveling group closely while Gordy spoke to Gary,
taking in the dirty bunch standing on the other side of the cattle-guard.  One
of the women in particular stood out from the others.  This woman had not
looked up from the ground once since they had stopped.  Long filthy brown hair
hung over her features, obscuring her eyes.

“I’m not sure that’s any of your concern right at this moment, Gary,”
Gordy was saying.

Tam continued to watch the woman, noticing her hands.  They twitched
rapidly, up and down then out to the side, fingers flicking in and out, then
hands back together and jerking.  One of the men standing next to her nudged
the woman, telling her to stop.  The man, she noticed he was missing the pinky
finger on his left hand, spoke quietly.  “Keep that shit up they’ll think we’re
all crazy, damn it.”

“Sure, sure Gordon, I understand.  Forgive me if we seem a bit out of
sorts.  It’s been a while since we spoke to real people, other than amongst
ourselves, that is,” Gary said.

Tam watched the woman’s hands, suddenly realizing that she wasn’t just
twitching uncontrollably.  One hand would cup underneath the other, with the
thumb sticking up on the top hand, this figure she would jerk up once before
dropping her hands to her sides, fingers quickly shaping letters before coming
back to center, starting the process over again.

The woman was using sign language to sign the word “
Help
” over
and over.

She saw Missing Pinky nudge the woman again, this time whispering
something in her ear.  The fluttering hands instantly fell still at her sides.

“I can understand that, Gary.  We have a process…”

Tamara stepped up beside Gordy, turning her back to those beyond the
cattle-guard gate.  Quickly she described what she had seen.  When he asked,
“You sure?” she looked into his eyes and nodded gravely. 

“Everything alright over there?”

“Everything’s fine, Gary.  One of my people was simply reminding me
about being civil and decent even now.  Gary, my people and I are going to
huddle up here for a second to discuss this, ok?”

Gary looked puzzled for a moment, as if he could not understand that a
leader would ask others opinions instead of telling them how it would be.

After a minute of quiet murmuring in the group huddle they broke apart,
Gordy stepping to the gate to face Gary through the bars.

“Gary, we want to help,” he said, emphasizing
help
.  Calvin began
to lower the gate as Gordy spoke, following his cue.  “Here’s the deal,
though.  You guys need to stand there, hands on your heads for a moment.”

“Hey, there’s no reason for that, Gordon.”

“This is
our
house,” Gordy said, his voice becoming knifelike,
cold and hard, with an edge, “you want
our
help then you follow
our
rules.”  Gordy and his family of survivors had dealt with far too many cruel
people since the world changed to take chances.

Gary could hear that sharp edge to Gordy’s voice and complied without
further argument.  Everyone in the group followed Gary’s lead as he slowly
placed both hands on top of his head.

As soon as the gate settled with a clang Tamara and Mike moved across,
walking directly to the woman signing for help.  The rest of Gordy’s team stood
in front of the traveling group, weapons at the ready.

Rick walked beside Gordy as they stepped up to Gary, Gordy leaning on
the heavy cane.

Tamara leaned in to whisper something while looking in the woman’s
downcast eyes, then she took her gently by the elbow and led her toward the
gate. 

“What the hell’s going on?” Gary asked, watching the two women.  Mike
held back, watching.  “You can’t just take one of my people, damn it!”

“She asked for our help,” Gordy said calmly, glaring directly into
Gary’s eyes.

“Bullshit, she never said anything!  Hell, she can’t even talk,” said
Missing Pinky.

“We woulda traded her to you bastards if that’s what you wanted!” 
Gary’s face above his beard turned red with rage. 

Tamara stopped, spinning on her heel.  Snatching the pistol from the
holster on her hip she walked up to Gary, slamming the barrel into his
forehead, causing his head to snap back.

“Tam, come on, don’t,” Rick said.

“
You can’t trade PEOPLE you fucking prick
!” Tam screamed, spittle
flying from her lips.  “
People aren’t things!  People are people, you…you,
FUCKER
!”  Tam punctuated each sentence by shoving Gary’s head with the
gun. 

Gary’s men dropped their hands, reaching for weapons.

Gordy’s crew brought weapons to bear on the group and Alex racked the
pump shotgun to make certain they knew it.  “Try anything, anything at all,”
Mike said, his voice a deep growl, “and not one of you shits will make it back
to the highway.”

“What the fuck is going on here?” Gary asked.  “That woman hasn’t ever
spoken a single word, and she was standing right in the middle of us, we would
have heard her.  I don’t know what you people are trying to pull…”

Standing in front of the gate, waiting to walk across, the woman took
two steps toward Gary and raised the middle finger on both hands.  “
Fuck you
!”
she spat, her voice thick, oddly distorted. 

Gordy looked past Gary, saying, “If any of you would like to leave this
group, or feel you are in danger, step up here.”

Both women moved cautiously away from the travelers, one towing the boy
behind her.  A bearded man wearing an old camouflage jacket reached out for the
woman pulling the boy behind her.  “You’re not going anywhere, bitch!” 

Three shots popped quickly, two red rosettes appeared on the man’s
jacket, along with a tiny hole in his forehead.  “I said
anything
,
didn’t I?”  The members of the traveling party froze in place, realization
settling in that if they wished to walk away alive they needed to be still.

One of the men, a tall man with a scar on his right cheek, spoke up. 
“I’d like to leave.”  Every eye turned to him and Gary spat, “Always knew you
were a piss-ant little faggot, Farron.”

“Why, because I wouldn’t join your sick ass in raping women?  Fuck off
and die, Gary.”  Farron turned haunted eyes to Gordy, “Can I join you?”

Nodding, Gordy said, “Leave your weapons on the ground and step over
here slowly.  Any of you try stopping him I’m happy to have this ended right
here and now.”

Farron joined the women standing at the gate and watched, waiting to see
what these people would do. 

“What do we do with you guys?” 

“We’ll just turn around and leave,” Gary said. 

“Remember when we talked about putting heads on spikes along the road,
to warn people away?” Calvin asked, savoring the reaction to his mention of a
conversation that never happened. 

Gordy turned to his son, grinning.  “Yeah, I remember.  Not a bad idea
really.  It would stop people like these pricks from coming around wouldn’t
it.”  Gordy stared into Gary’s eyes as he spoke, relishing the fear he saw
swirling madly in the man.