A Powerless World (Book 2): When the Peace is Gone Page 3

  The new folks seemed happy with their cramped areas. If you have a choice between one room for four people, or sleeping outside under a tree, you tend to be less particular. I thought about our 2,000-plus square foot house and how at times it had seemed cramped with just the three of us and all of our things. Circumstances have a way of changing your perspective. Right now, I was thankful for the space we had and that all of us were safe and out of harm’s way.

  By this time, the house was heating up with all the bodies in it, so we decided to have dinner outside. Russ and Bob had drafted Lee Roush and the Lawton brothers to put together some long tables and benches for our group to eat outside whenever possible. They had been hammering and sawing all day out back. I also heard the generator running, as well as at least a circular saw and a sander. They should have something by now we could use, at least temporarily. We had stacks of plywood Monroe and the guys had gotten from scrap yards that carried factory seconds, as well as piles of not quite straight two-by-fours, reclaimed deck boards – he had a big shed full of lumber. Along with the lumber, there were nails, screws, nuts and bolts, and pretty much any kind of fastener you could possibly need. They would also use these supplies to build the bunkhouse for the single guys. Monroe’s need to keep everything that might someday be useful was turning out to be a blessing in disguise.

  We checked the food, and it was ready to eat. The soup smelled like heaven, and my mouth watered thinking about crumbling warm, soft cornbread up in it. I checked my mouth for drool, such was my salivation. We pulled out two dozen bowls and spoons, as well as paper plates for the cornbread. Millie had homemade butter she had been keeping in the root cellar. That woman was an angel right here on earth. She didn’t use the churn to make it though. She had whipped it up with her stand mixer before the power went out. She assured us she did know how to do it with the churn as well. Oh, note to self: kids can help with butter churning.

  Millie looked around and smiled at us all.

  “I guess we better go check out these new tables. I’m sure we’ll need to cover them with something. I’m thinking some old flat sheets will do the trick. We may also have to cover the benches if the wood is too rough. Let’s see what the men put together for us.”

  We paraded out back, and under the big oak were two beautiful tables with benches. I’m not talking just a piece of plywood with some legs slapped on it. They were smooth with rounded and sanded edges, and not a wobble to be found. The benches were the same. There was even a small table that would hold at least six kids. Yes, we would cover them with sheets but that would be to protect them from spills because they were gorgeous.

  We stared in amazement at what had been done with some basic supplies and power tools that, thank goodness, had been protected from the pulse. Lee was bent over one of the tables using a hand sander on a spot on top. He stood up when he heard us going on and on over the results.

  “I’m not really done, but we can at least use these for tonight. I’ll try to finish them up tomorrow.”

  We stood there in awe, and I finally found my voice.

  “Finish them? They’re great just the way they are. They look amazing. I don’t know about anyone else, but I wasn’t expecting anything this nice. You did an awesome job, Lee! You too, Ryan and Bill!”

  The Lawton brothers puffed out their chests, then slapped Lee on the back.

  “It was all him. We just did what he told us to do. He’s a great carpenter.”

  The rest of the group agreed. Lee smiled.

  “Well, I’d like to get a coat of sealer on the wood to protect it from the elements, but yeah, for the most part, they should be good to go.”

  Millie looked at her niece and said, “Janet, go round up the men and kids. I’m going to get some sheets to cover these tables in case anything gets spilled. Let’s eat!”

  I was ready, but, more importantly, I wanted to know what the guys were going to say to the group. This night could change things for a lot of folks, right here, right now.

  CHAPTER 4

  While we were working on sleeping quarters and food, Russ and his crew were walking the property looking for vantage points and weak spots. Twenty acres was a lot of ground to cover, but since the back side was all woods and backed up to another piece of property that was wooded as well, we felt like we only had to worry about the front piece for the most part, which was the section that had road frontage. It would take a lot of work to get to us from the back. Even on the front and the sides, there was a considerably thick tree line to get through everywhere but the gate. Four strands of barbed wire encircled the entire farm, as well as the areas that had been cross fenced for the different livestock. While that wouldn’t keep the determined out, it would slow them down some. They focused their attention on the gate area.

  Mike walked the front section a couple of times looking into the tree line and specifically the area surrounding the gate. He went outside the gate and looked tried to see back in. He walked the road a few hundred feet in both directions. When he came back through the gate and locked it behind him, he had a pensive look on his face.

  Bob asked, “What’s up, Sergeant Shi--, er Mike? Did we do something wrong? We tried to camouflage the gate as much as possible but still keep it light enough so that Monroe could open and close it by himself. If we need to re-do it, we can. Now that we’re all out here he won’t have to do it alone. We could…”

  Mike held his hand up to stop Bob.

  “I was actually thinking that, for a bunch of civilians, you guys did an awesome job at concealing the entrance to the place. If I didn’t know where it was I’d have a hard time finding it. The only thing I would suggest is sinking some extra posts on both ends of the gate to reinforce it against someone trying to ram it. It won’t stop a big truck like a semi, but it will give them a new design on their grill.”

  Monroe bowed up.

  “Who you callin’ a civilian, jarhead? I served in Viet Nam!” At his raised voice, a couple of the dogs who had been lying in the shade lifted their heads to see what the commotion was. When they didn’t see anything exciting happening, they went back to sleep. I promise, they’re good watch dogs. They just didn’t have anything to watch right then.

  Mike inclined his head toward Monroe.

  “Yes sir I figured that. I was actually referring to those guys.”

  He motioned toward Russ, Brian, and Bob. He looked back at Monroe.

  “How’d you know I was a Marine?”

  Monroe snorted. “You leathernecks got an air about ya. I knew it as soon as I met ya.”

  Mike laughed. “Yes sir I guess we do. I hope you don’t hold that against me.”

  Monroe looked him up and down, huffed, and replied, “Well, I reckon if yer willin’ to dig latrines, you ain’t too uppity. I got my eye on you though.”

  Brian looked at Russ and Bob and whispered, “Did we just see Monroe pissin’ on trees?”

  Russ laughed out loud. Bob smirked. “Yeah I think we did. Not bad for an old soldier.”

  Monroe’s head snapped up. “WHO YOU CALLIN’ OLD??”

  They all laughed at Monroe’s indignation, though they tried hard to cover it up with coughing and throat clearing.

  Russ held his hand up. “Okay, can we get back to security? What do you two veterans think we need to add here? It’s obvious this is the spot we need to put the most focus on. What will it be? Foxhole? Tree hide? Both?”

  Mike nodded. “I think both would be good. Foxholes about 100 feet back on both sides of the gate, and a hide…”

  He stepped back, looked in the direction of the house, and pointed to a large sycamore tree between the gate and the house.

  “I think that big guy right there is just begging for a treehouse.”

  Monroe grinned.

  “Yeah, it was about five years ago so we built one for Rusty and Benny. You can’t see it now because it’s all grown up. The boys haven’t been up there in a couple of years. I don’t know what kind of shape
it’s in, but I bet there’s at least a platform we can start with. The view is great from up there. You can see a good bit past the road and a pretty wide perimeter of the property. Might have to trim some limbs out of the way for spottin’, so do whatever you need to do. I forgot all about it until you pointed to the tree. I don’t reckon I’ll be climbing up to check it out, but you younger fellas can go on up there if ya want.”

  Mike smiled at the guys.

  “Then looks like we have a plan. Let’s check out the treehouse and head back to the farm house. I got a feeling chow is soon. For tonight we can do a perimeter sweep around the house and, if there’s a stable platform, set someone up in the overlook.”

  They headed to the treehouse to check it out. When they got there, Mike and Brian offered to go up and check it out.

  Bob backed away. “You guys check to see if it’s safe – you know, stable. If I got up there and fell out and broke my neck, Janet would kill me.”

  Russ looked at him. “You do realize that if you fell out, as high as that is now, you probably would break your neck and die, right? How could she kill you if you’re already dead?”

  Bob gave a slight shiver. “She’d find a way believe me. Y’all think she’s all sweet and quiet, but that woman is hell on wheels when she’s pissed.”

  Monroe held up his pinky finger to Bob.

  “She’s got you wrapped up on that finger tighter than a smoked sausage. Admit it, boy.”

  Bob looked down, then up at his uncle with a sheepish grin.

  “Yep she does. Just like Millie has you wrapped. Ain’t love a bitch?”

  Monroe squinted at Bob then laughed so hard he took to coughing. Now it was Bob’s turn to smack him on the back.

  While all the ribbing was going back and forth, Mike and Brian had made their way up into the treehouse. Mike looked around while Brian tried to tread on every available spot.

  “Mike, I think this floor is pretty solid. I don’t feel any soft spots at all. This tin roof probably helped a lot. Man, when these guys build a treehouse, they don’t mess around. This thing is nicer than my first apartment.”

  Mike grinned and nodded. The treehouse had a solid wood floor, a tin roof, four walls, and a little landing out front with a railing. There were windows on three of the four walls and an open doorway.

  “Yeah, when these guys build something they mean for it to last. It’s weathered but I think it will work great for what we need. I’ll want to take out the whole front so the view isn’t obstructed to the road, but I think the rest can stay. It will provide cover and some protection from Mother Nature. We’ll need to cut out a few branches, but I don’t want to take out too many. If we didn’t know this was up here, then the cover is excellent. We need to keep as much of that intact as possible. This thing is damn near perfect!”

  Mike looked down at the guys about 20 feet below them and gave them a thumb’s up. The ground crew sent one back to them. Mike and Brian climbed back down.

  “That will definitely work, Monroe. The only fixing up we’ll need to do is the climb up. Some of those slats are pretty brittle. I’d suggest an aluminum ladder, or maybe a deer stand if you have one. Once we take off the front, there won’t be much else to do.”

  Monroe thought for a moment. “Ya know, I may have a deer stand ladder in the shed. Found one in a junk shop. The seat part was pretty mangled, but the ladder looked okay. You fellas can put some camo paint on it to make it blend. I also have some ghillie material I got at an army surplus store a few years ago we can use for the front. Didn’t have a need for it when I bought it, but you just never know when you might need something like that. I guess now is that time.”

  Bob looked at Monroe.

  “Is there anything you DON’T have on this place? Seems like everything someone needs you’ve got.”

  Monroe smirked at Bob. “Being a hoarder ain’t such a bad thing now, is it?”

  Bob shook his head, the rest of the guys laughed, and they all headed for the house. Monroe was right though. Being a hoarder was a really good thing now.

  ****

  Supper was great. There was a gentle breeze blowing across the lawn under the shade of the massive oak tree, which kept the bugs at bay and cooled us off enough to truly enjoy the soup and cornbread. The dogs were really happy to get the treats the kids were giving them under the table. Everyone went on and on about the food, as well as the tables and benches. When most of the folks had finished eating, Russ stood up and addressed the group.

  “Gang, I think we have everybody situated with a place to sleep with some semblance of privacy, except for the single guys. They won’t be staying in the tent forever – we’re going to build a bunkhouse, probably right over there.” He pointed to a spot just past the oak, right off the corner of the house. “We want a permanent structure that will stand up to the elements and possible marauder attacks.”

  At that comment everyone got really quiet. Russ continued.

  “I know no one wants to think about things like that, especially when we just got here and just got settled, but it is something we have to consider and prepare for. Those folks who are taking supplies from wherever and whoever they want will eventually run out of things in town, or even in areas like we all just fled. They will find their way out here. We have to get ready for that inevitability.”

  He paused to let all that sink in, noting the joy from the meal was pretty much gone now. Way to go, Baby. Debbie Downer in the house…er, yard.

  He went on. “We are going to need every able body we have and possibly can get to defend this place. We have supplies to sustain us for at least a year, even at the numbers we have currently, and don’t think for one second that this place and everything here wouldn’t be a gold mine for some low life POS and his buddies to try to get their hands on. With that said, we wanted to formally invite all of you to stay here with us. It will be work and it will probably be dangerous, but that’s going to be the case no matter where we are. I believe we can make a stand here and make a life for ourselves. We will pretty much be living like our great-grandparents did as far as amenities go. They did it and I have faith we can do it, too. So, we’d like to know how you all feel about our offer.”

  Russ took a seat.

  The newbies looked at each other, then Brian stood up.

  “As the first addition to this group, while we were still in our houses back home, I can tell you that these people are good folks. I mean really good people. Hell, they’re the best as far as I’m concerned. They had every reason to tell me to take a flying f—“

  Brian looked over at the kids and caught himself. The guys snickered.

  “Anyway, I showed up on their doorstep looking for someone to help me because it was all about me. They didn’t have to, but Russ took the time to tell me what he thought was happening and what I needed to do to get ready for what was coming. When they decided I wasn’t a total lost cause, they brought me into their home and into their family. We already had scavengers in our neighborhood before we left, and I have no doubt I would probably be dead right now for the peanut butter and saltines I had in my house if I had stayed.

  “I was Mr. I-want-all-the-latest-gadgets guy. I grew up with nothing, so I thought that was what was most important: having the latest and greatest toys, and that mine had to be better than my neighbors, which happened to be these folks. When the power went off, all of those things became worthless. I was quickly humbled to understanding I was in no better shape than anyone else out there. All the ‘money’ I had in the bank was gone – I had no way to get to it anyway. And what value does it have now? You can’t eat it. You can’t wear it.

  “Russ laid it all out for me when he didn’t have to take the time to do that, and I’m thankful I went to their door that first day. These are good people. The best. I keep repeating that because I mean it. When they invite you into their lives, it’s not something they do lightly. They looked at me, and my reactions to the new now, and decided I was worth kee
ping around. What Russ did just now is the same thing, only for all of you. I for one am staying.”

  Brian sat down and Marietta wrapped an arm around him. She stood up next.

  “What Brian said, pretty much word for word. I showed up on their doorstep looking like a hot mess after walking for days to get to them. They took me in and I’ll be forever grateful for that kindness.”

  She sat back down to a few chuckles. Short but sweet.

  Mike and the Lawton brothers had been talking quietly. All three jumped up at the same time and said simultaneously, “We’re in!” They sat back down to gentle laughter as they high fived each other.

  Mike added, “I told you how I felt last night. I’m in.” Russ nodded and smiled back.

  Bill looked at his brother, then the rest of us. “We’re landscapers by trade, but gun lovers and pretty avid hunters. We can help with security and food.”

  Lee Roush stood up next.

  “I don’t know what I would have done without these guys.” He motioned to the group from his neighborhood. “I have no way of knowing if Jackie is alive or not but I fear the worst. She wasn’t equipped to make it home alone in a situation like this. I do know she would want me to find a safe place for our kids.”

  He looked over at the kids’ table. Aiden and Moira were looking at him with tears in their eyes.

  “I can help build things like the bunkhouse you’re talking about. The kids can help with any chores you deem necessary for all of our survival. I hope it’s okay if I count on you ladies for help with them. We’d like to stay.”