Walkers (Book 2): The Rescue (18 page)

     I noticed it was getting dark out as I walked into the dining room.  While I'd showered most of the crew had also.  Flynn wasn't back yet, but Riley and Randy had loaded the bodies into a wagon and was hooking it to the truck to take to the north forty, or at the far end of the property where there was a large ravine.  They'd cover them with dirt in the morning.

      I walked into the dining room and watched Sarah comb out Mandy's wet hair.  Several of the guys were talking and no one really paid me any mind.  Alice and Sandy were hosing down the deck and watering the animals.  They were trying to clean off all the ash.  It still filtered down like gray snow while the air was pushing it back where we didn't want it but I figured that would be a daily thing for a while.

      "Have we heard anything from Valley East yet?"

     "Yea,"  Sarah said, "they said if we need any help let them know.  Ken will be back in the morning.  Oh, and Joe changed Masons bandage and sent him to bed with Mason fighting him every step of the way."

     She finished her task, then sent Mandy on her way.

     "I never expected to survive a forest fire.  It was so surreal."

      "That's because it was a flash fire. The fire is mostly in the tops of the trees and the wind forces it to jump from one treetop to the next.  If it had been on the forest floor we'd been in trouble.  Those dead pine needles must be a foot deep in some places and it would've been devastating.  It's weird how some trees were burned and the ones next to them untouched.  That always fascinated me."

     "Well, I know I don't want to go through that again.  I got ash in places it shouldn't be."

      I laughed because I knew just what she meant. 

     I saw Flynn coming down the hill.  It was almost dark, so I was glad he got back before dark.  We don't like to have lights bouncing around in the darkness after dark.  It draws undesirables.  I squinted my eyes and looked closer.   It looked like he had something on the back of the mule so I walked outside to wait for him to arrive.

     When he got close enough I saw feet sticking out behind him.

     "What have you got now, Flynn"

     "Now, JD, don't be casting aspersions on my character, it's not like I go out looking for trouble.  It finds me.  This is guy was asking for help when he collapsed.  I figured you'd want to know how this fire started and he might know, so here he is.  What you want done with him?"

     I don't know if I'd ever heard Flynn string together so many words at one time before.  I walked down the steps and looked at the injured man, then thought to Mason.  
Joe still with you?

     
Yea, why?

     
Flynn brought us a man who needs Joe.  Send him out, ok?

    
On his way.

      In a very few minutes I heard Joe running across the bare floor in the kitchen before he skidded to a halt at the top of the steps, then ran down them to us.  Checking out the man, he asked Flynn to help him and they went back into lodge carrying the man between them.  I motioned to Mason, who had slowly followed Joe out, that I'd put the mule back into the garage. When I had it safely tucked in, I went to the greenhouse to see what Sandy and Melody was doing.

     The fire had caused a large branch to fall through the roof.  They were cleaning up the broken pieces of the roof and complaining about something that would have to be replanted.

     "What needs replanting?  I asked.

     "We were trying out a new hybrid of wheat.  We're going to run out of wheat soon or it'll be so full of weevils that we won't be able to use it, so we're trying out a breed of wheat that we can plant in the valley."

     "Yea," Melody said, "It's special cause we can plant it early, it matures faster so we can plant it over again and get maybe three plantings of it before winter sets in."

     I looked from one to the other and realized I hadn't given the idea any thought.  What other renewable products are we using that we'll be out of in the next few years that we should be thinking of reproducing or replacing?

      I chatted with them a few more minutes then suggested they sit down with the new people and see if they had any ideas.  We'd also need a mill to refine the wheat and what about the yeast?  Giving them something else to do, I left them to it and wandered into the lodge in search of Lacy.  I hadn't see her lately because she and George were getting reacquainted.  I found them in Lacy's room talking about clothes.  Waving at them I continued on my way to my room.

     Inside I was drawn to the window.  Some of the trees were charred ruins while others were still beautiful and green.  It always amazed me how a forest fire was so picky, kinda like a tornado hits and misses houses.  I started to turn away and something caught my eye.  Movement.  I reached for my binoculars and just then the glass shattered where I'd been standing.

     Crouching, I sent a message to Mason and an image of where the shooter was when the shot rang out.  Grabbing my own gun, I put the night scope on it and slipped on the night goggles from the window box it had been stored in.  The ammo box was still mounted on the side of the window, so I was ready.  I heard doors slamming all over the lodge, along with  window shutters.  A baby wailed from below and barking told me the kids were being taken to the safe room in the basement with Bubba on their heels.

     I had several small cuts from the flying glass but otherwise was unhurt.  I tried to look out the window but another shot rang out and killed the deer in the picture hanging on the opposite wall.

    
I'm pinned down, can you get an eye on him?

    
Yea, give me a minute.

    
Your deer picture on the wall has three eyes now.

    
Well, I'll just have to have a talk with this guy, won't I?

    
Just kill him quick, Mace.  Your talks are pure torture.

     Just then a shot rang out from below me and a thud sounded on the RV parked

    
That will teach him to poach my deer.  Stay down. Let me clear that area before you become another target.  Duke's getting the security cameras rolling again.  The fire scorched one of the feeds from that side.

    
Of course it did, it's my side.  And don't think I'll forget that you just ruined my RV.  Drop the next one on the garage holding your Goldwing.

      
Oh, what a baby, I'll kiss it and make it better later.
I got an image of the 'where' in question, blushed but I stayed down until I would be told it was okay.

     
Stay put, we have several sneaking up on that side.   There was trucks on the road trying to get through the gate and some more men coming towards us from the cliff in back.  Flynn's human says its the militia from Missoula.  They've decided they want this property and planned to do everything they can to get it.

    
I thought we talked to General Dummy last year and scared him into leaving us alone.

    
We did, he's dead and these guys are led by someone that was below him on the ladder to general-hood.  Another wannabe planning to get things the easy way.

    
Well, he's in for a surprise. Hold up.

     I spotted movement behind a large pine and primed my bow.  When he moved, I shot through the hole in the glass and he screamed.

     
Another one bites the dust, dear.  That makes us even.

     
I didn't know we were keeping track. 
Bang! Bang!

     
I'm one up on you now, Brat.

    
How are you shooting with a bum shoulder?  Is Randy doing all the work and you're taking credit?

    
Oh, that hurts, Brat, that really hurts.  How can you be so mean?
Bang!
I just proved you wrong cause I missed that one.  There's one climbing down behind the RV, hold on.
Another scream and this one continued for a few minutes then slowly died down to just moans.

    
Two.

    
Lacy, are you and George doing okay?

    
Yea, we're fine.  Randy and Riley are here and they're taking care of the ones trying to repel down the cliff.  Are you hurt?

    
Just some scratches from flying glass.  You two help the guys reload but stay down.

    
What do you think we've been doing.  Geez JD, give us credit for having some brains.

    
Sorry.
I keep forgetting how much she'd matured since this all began nearly two years ago.  I'd have to give her less crap and more respect.

     Crawling to the bathroom, I grabbed a wash cloth, wet it and wiped the cuts down.  I was getting low on clothes and didn't want to get any blood on these.  They'd have to wait for band aids till later.  Getting a drink of water, I decided I'd take care of other business while I was there.  When I returned to the window I couldn't see any more movement but knew it was just a matter of time.

    
What's going on Mason, I need to know.

   
Hang on a sec.

     I was frustrated.  I'd bet anything these guys started the forest fire.  It was just too coincidental for any thing else.  What a bunch of dumb asses.  If they'd burnt the lodge and everything around it they'd not have anything to show for their trouble.  They knew I'd said how if we didn't reset the computer every night the lodge and surrounding buildings would self destruct.  I'd lied at the time but they didn't know it, so why try to burn us out?  It doesn't make any sense.  The way they went about this would leave them with nothing.  Why?

    
Mason!?

    
Okay, damn you're impatient.  Flynn's human isn't going to make it.  Too much of his body was burned.  He was a mail carrier.  Like that movie The Postman played by Kevin Costner?  Anyway, he has some mail from these fools and was on his way to deliver it when he decided to read it.  He sidetracked to warn us when he got caught in the forest fire.  Evidently, they caught onto what he was doing and had to up the date to keep us from finding out.  They're plan is not a good one but I'll wait and see if they try to contact us.

      
OK, I'm not getting any movement here but I'll stay and watch.  Lacy, George, Riley and Randy are manning their side.  What's going on at the gate?

    
They've been walking around in circles.  They're probably trying to figure their next move since the fire didn't work and they couldn't sneak up on us.  I'm waiting for one of them to get brave enough to try to climb one of the trailers and step on a mine.  That would probably just make their day.

    
I'll listen for an explosion.  I've got movement again.  Talk to you in a bit.

    
K, keep your head low, Brat.

     I watched the woods for the movement again, but it was awhile before I found it.  They had goggles like mine and were using laser scopes.  I could see the red dot travel all over the room.  I had one too but hated to use it.  I had an idea, though.  Crawling over to the foot of my bed I recovered a small box and opened it pulling out the scope.  Checking it to make sure it worked, I crawled back to the window and watched for the red dot again.  When it appeared on the wall and moved to the opposite door, I peeked over the sill and located its source then turned the scope on, letting the red dot hit the sniper.  A crash and a lot of cussing resulted and I knew I'd had scored a 'hit'.  This was too fun. Just think of the ammo a person could save just by 'spotting' the enemy.

     The sound of running on the hill drifted back to me on the breeze so I chanced a look again.  Nothing.  Using my infrared camera I scanned the area and saw nothing dead or undead.  That was a good thing, right?

    
Mason, I think I've cleared my side.

    
We're clear here also.
   He said.

    
I think there's a pow wow taking place.

     BOOM!!! The lodge shuddered and you could hear rocks hitting the roof.

    
Damn! Some fool tried to climb one of the trailers and stepped on one of the mines.  Shit, people are running every direction.

     BOOM!!!

    
They need to stand still.  Wait, they were just told the same thing evidently because they have frozen in place.  Like that kids game, Simon Says.  

    
Those explosions are going to draw walkers, so we need to keep a lookout for them now.  Lord, will this day ever end?

     I was tired.  Mason kept me up most of the night, then the fire this morning now this.  I needed rest but I knew the others were just as tired.  We'd have to deal with walkers soon with all the noise.

    
Ken just called and suggested coming back but I warned him off.  I don't think this group knows there's another group of survivors and I'd like to keep it that way.  They aren't ready to defend themselves from guys like these right now.  I see lightning from the west so there's a storm coming in.  We better keep a good look out for anything that walks.

     A gentle knock from the door nearly scared me to death.  It was Alice with a bottle of water and a sandwich.  I hadn't realized I was hungry until I smelled the food.

     "Man, am I happy to see you.  Just sit it there on that small table, Alice.  I don't want you in the line of fire."

     "I thought everyone ought to be getting hungry by now.  I took some food down to the little ones and they're fine.  Melody is keeping them occupied but the explosion scared them.  What was that?"

     "One of those fools stepped on a mine we have buried near the trailers.  They were going to climb them to get inside but now they're just wandering around trying to figure out what to do next.  Mason is seeing lightning to the west so prepare for a storm.  Tell everyone to watch for walkers because the explosion will draw them.  You doing ok?"