The Emerald Virus (33 page)

    
She had thought highly of Noah before, and she was now sure of her first
thoughts about him. He was so sure and so quick in getting rid of that
troublemaker. Everyone in the room knew what he had done, and why he had done
it, and they also knew they were all better off because of it.

    
Sam said, “Noah, thank you for that. I think we all agree that we can do
without the likes of Bob Turner.” She smiled and continued, “And while it might
have looked like Noah just anointed me dictator, I want to ensure you that I
understand that isn’t my role. However, I am ready to lead the group until we
can decide collectively on a more lasting method. But I think we’ve all had
enough for one day, at least I have and I for one am going to bed.”

    
Ben joined Sam and she looked at Noah. He gave her a slight shake of his head
and she smiled to him in return. She knew he would stay in the lobby until the
last person had left. Noah wasn’t about to let anyone else in the group try to
change anything without him being present.

    
Ben joined Sam in her RV and she could tell he was excited about what he had witnessed.
“Sam, did you see that.  Wow, that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Turner
could have had ten friends in the group and Noah just didn’t care. He wasn’t
afraid of anything. How could he do that? What if other people had backed
Turner? Noah could’ve been hurt. If Turner had a gun he could have shot Noah.”

    
“Slow down Ben and let’s talk through this. First, I don’t ever want you to
think about doing something like that.”

    
“Don’t you worry about me. I know that I look like a kid and that wouldn’t work
for me, but how did Noah know it would work for him?”

    
Sam felt relieved that Ben knew this wasn’t something he could mimic in the
future. She said, “Noah didn’t know he could get away with it. He was pretty
confident he could though. He was also confident that if others joined Turner
that even more in the group would support him. Not many like people like Bob
Turner. Most people have put up with the likes of a Bob Turner at some time in
their life. Besides, Noah already knew that both you and I were armed and that
he could count on us.”

    
Ben smiled from ear to ear when Sam included him.

    
Sam continued, “And by the way, Turner was armed. I saw the gun under his
sweater when he was trying to put his coat on. I think that was one of the
reasons Noah wouldn’t stop for him. He wanted Turner to have to worry about his
coat getting in the way if he tried to grab his gun. I also noticed Noah walk
around Turner so he could grab him by his gun arm, just to be safe.

    
“I think the most important thing to think about is that Noah knew he was doing
the right thing, and that he judged the group as a whole to know the same
thing. Being right and fair is always important when you deal with groups. Noah
understood that he needed to offer Turner a way out, but when Turner didn’t
take it, the group didn’t want him around.

    
“We may see more of this in the future, although maybe not with this group.
They understand that they’ll be called out if they get out of line. And that it
will be a serious call out, not a yelling match. Noah doesn’t strike me as a
screamer, but he certainly does know how to get your attention doesn’t he?”

    
Ben laughed and said, “He does at that doesn’t he? I’m glad that’s behind us
now and I think most everyone feels the same way.

    
“I have one more question for you Sam. I think as the first adult male in the
park Noah could have claimed leadership of the group. Why didn’t he? Do you
think he’s afraid to be a leader?”

    
Sam laughed gently and said, “No, I don’t think our Mr. Yellowbird is much
afraid of anything. I think he is one of those rare men who have no false ego,
and no fear of following another capable leader. And, I think that if things
get to the point where Noah doesn’t agree with them, he’ll simply go off on his
own. He doesn’t appear to me to need people around him.

    
“In fact, I’ll worry that he’ll go his own way in the spring just because
there’ll be too many people around.”

    
“I hope not, I like having him around. I think I could learn a lot from a man
like him.”

    
“Ben, I think you’re right about that.

    
“Unless you have more questions for me, let’s call it a night now.”

     
“No, I’m ready for bed also. You want me sleep on the couch just in case someone
decides they don’t like you being around?”

    
“I don’t think so Ben. These RVs have pretty good locks on them, and I’m
getting in the habit of keeping the pistol nearby. I’ll be fine by myself, but
thank you.”

   
Ben nodded and left for his own RV.

    
Sam thought that life had gotten real interesting in the last twenty four
hours. She now had two friends she felt strongly about. One she had to figure
out how to teach without acting like a teacher, and one she had to figure out
how to learn from without acting like a student. There seemed to be a lot more
to Noah Yellowbird than he was comfortable showing.

    
She wondered why he had given her the benefit of the doubt so quickly and so
easily. Maybe one of these days she would get up the nerve to ask him. And
maybe he would actually tell her.

Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday: Clearing snow in Southern Montana

    
It took them three more days to reach the Butte group. While they had plenty of
people willing to help, they could only use one loader at a time. The group
from Butte was also working hard at clearing the road, but it took them almost
three days just to get through Thompson Park. But, they didn’t receive additional
snow and by Tuesday evening the entire group was in the park. Meanwhile others
coming from east of Bozeman were trickling into the park. By Tuesday night they
had forty nine RVs in the park, and four children.

    
Sam asked the group to meet her in the lobby of the big lodge, where a huge
fire was warming the survivors who had been working the snow equipment.

    
Sam told them that as far as she knew almost everyone who could make it to the
park was now here. A couple of the other drivers said they had talked with
folks trying to get through snow drifts and if they could they would still make
it to the park.

    
Sam said, “I’m glad you’re all here now. We’ve talked on the radio and through
email for days now so I think everyone knows what to expect. We have a lot of
work to do to get ready for winter and we’ll all need to participate. I’d like
to meet back here in the morning at seven o’clock and start making work
assignments. Please think about what you think needs to be done, and what you
would like to be involved in. With just a little bit of luck we can match up
people’s skills with necessary work.

    
“For example, we need stables for the horses. I’d like to get heat and water
working in the lodge. I would also like to start stockpiling fuel here in the
park.

    
“For now let’s have a relaxing evening. This fireplace is kept burning as long
as anyone wants to use the lobby. I just ask the last person here to bank the
fire for the night.

    
“Does anyone have any questions for me before I go to my RV for dinner?

    
A small man with round glasses said, “Hi, I’m Warren; I’m the one who checked
the road from Bozeman to Butte for you. I’d like to know if you plan on making
the lodge livable for the winter or if we should plan on using our RVs?”

    
“I think we’ll use our RVs for the winter, although if we get the electricity
and water working we may be able to choose between the lodge and the RVs. We’ll
have to wait and see how things work out. Are you worried about living in the
RV all winter?”

    
“Not really worried. In fact there’s probably more room in the RV than in most
rooms. I am worried about keeping the RVs fueled all winter long, and about
being able to empty the tanks now and then.”

    
“I agree we should worry about both of those items, but if the snow will hold
off for a while longer we should be able to set ourselves up okay.”

    
“Thanks, Sam. I’ll look forward to working with you.”

    
When no one else said anything Sam called it a night and went to her RV.

    
Noah joined her and a minute later Ben came in. Sam volunteered to cook dinner
while they talked.

    
Noah said, “Thanks Sam. As soon as I eat I’m going to talk with the group in
the lodge. For now I thought maybe the folks that have been here the longest
would be better off by themselves, talking to the newcomers.”

    
Sam smiled knowing that what Noah actually meant was if he wasn’t there
everyone could talk about why and how Bob Turner had left the park.

Sam,
Ben and Noah met for breakfast at six o’clock in Sam’s RV. They talked about
the things that they needed to work on and agreed in general with the direction
the meeting should take this morning.

    
When they met the group in the lodge Sam asked everyone to take a few minutes
and gather enough chairs for everyone to sit.

    
She opened the meeting by saying, “I hope everyone saw the email Jack Sweeny
sent last evening. The President died yesterday. He was the last leader left. I
talked to Jack this morning and he said to his knowledge there were no elected
politicians still alive. He thought there might be a military bunker somewhere
that was still okay, but if so they weren’t communicating with anyone in the
outside world. He thought it was very unlikely anyone was still alive except
for those at the research facility at the CDC, which had bio level four seals,
which were built to protect inhabitants from a virus.

    
Sam waited for a minute while the news was accepted by those who had not read
the email and then continued, “We need to find a place to stable the horses for
the winter. Preferably a nice warm barn, but if not, let’s look at
alternatives. I’d like to be able to start working the horses by the hot
springs later today. Ben is an expert horseman and I know he wants to be
involved. Sixteen of us have horses so I think we’ll have plenty of people to
make sure they are well cared for.

    
“For now we need volunteers to take care of the stable issue.”

    
About twenty people volunteered and Sam randomly chose six of them for the job.
She also told them if they needed help to let her know.

    
She continued, “The areas around the springs should be clear from snow so the
only issue will be getting from the parking lot to the springs, which start
about a hundred yards from here. There will also be other animals wintering
around the springs, which is okay with me, but we’ll need to bring rifles in
case wolves show up.”

    
She added, “I want you to know that I’m not a normal rancher in that I think
there is room for us and the wolves. In the future that is going to be even
truer. I won’t shoot an animal unless I need to. I have no qualms about hunting
for food though, so you need not worry about that.

    
“The point I’m trying to make is that we won’t have any need for sport shooting
in the future. We’ll have to hunt to survive in the future, but we don’t need
to start yet. We have ample food in our RVs and trailers, and the last thing any
of us want is carcasses lying around. I can’t think of an easier way to attract
wolves now, and bear in the early spring.

    
Noah felt a bit of relief since this was his approach to wildlife as well, and
he said, “Sam, you won’t get any argument from me about that.”

    
“Thanks Noah. I hope the rest of you feel the same way. If for some reason you
think you need to hunt before spring, bring it up with the group and we’ll talk
through the reasons.

    
“A related subject is shooting, not sport shooting, but survival shooting. I
think we need to maintain our shooting skills throughout the winter. We will
need to hunt for food after this winter, so I’d like a couple of volunteers who
will set up a shooting range for us, maybe a short range for pistol shooting
and a longer one for rifles. I know we won’t hunt with pistols, but I think in
this new world we all need to know how to shoot, and shoot well.

    
“That means those responsible for the two ranges will also need to find
additional ammunition for the group. You can start in West Yellowstone, and
check all of the towns on the roads that have been cleared. If we need more we
can go to Bozeman and Butte as long as the roads are cleared. But if we have to
go into the cities we’ll take precautions first.

    
“As much as I hate to say it, most of the people who died from the virus will
not be buried. I know that all of us did what we could to put our loved ones to
rest, but not the rest of the population.

    
“One of the reasons Jack Sweeney recommended we leave our homes and use the RVs
is because of the problems with so many bodies. I want to leave those people
alone if at all possible. First out of respect, and second to be safe from
possible disease.

    
Sam’s words had reminded the group of what they had left behind and she could
see that they needed some time to get through this reminder. She told everyone
she was going to take a quick break and go to her RV for a cup of coffee.