Engineering Home: Book 11 of The Survivalist Series Page 5

  “Well, I want to see what it’s like then.”

  I followed mom inside, and the place did look a lot different. All the photos of the previous occupants were gone, along with most of the brick-a-brack people collected over the years. The furniture of the living room had been rearranged with the fireplace as the focal point. The large TV that had occupied one wall was gone as well.

  “Wow. You guys didn’t waste any time in here.”

  Mom stood at the door with her hands on her hips as she surveyed the house. “I figured if we were going to live here, we might as well make it home.”

  I smiled, looking at her. I’d seen that same pose and expression so many times in my life. It warmed me, and I forgot about Perez for a minute. “Where’s Dad?” I asked.

  “He’s still over at Danny’s. Thought he’d be with you.”

  “I slipped out,” I replied. “Days like today take a toll on me.”

  With a mother’s knowing glance, she replied, “I bet they do.”

  “If you’re good. I’m gonna go to the house and take a long hot shower. That’s about the only thing that makes me feel better.”

  As I went to pass her in the door, she stopped me and hugged me. “You’ve done more than anyone person could be expected to do. Everything that happens isn’t your fault.”

  I hugged her back. “I know. It just really sucks to lose friends.” Then, giving her one more squeeze, I went out the door.

  Mel and the girls were back at the house when I returned. Lee Ann was sitting on the porch when I walked up. Stopping on the steps, I asked, “You doing ok?”

  She nodded, “Yeah. It’s just so sad. Everything happened so fast.”

  “These kinds of things do happen fast, and it is sad. Mistakes, terrible mistakes like today, come with terrible consequences. And that’s all we’re left with.”

  “Yeah. Jamie is pretty messed up. She had a strange love for Perez. They were always messing with each other. She could say things to him that would start a fight if anyone else tried it.”

  I smiled, “They were certainly the odd couple. Ian will take care of her, though.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m gonna go take a hot shower. Having one of life’s true luxuries back is something I’m not going to miss out on. What are you going to do?”

  She looked out across the long shadows in the yard and replied, “I’m going to sit here for a while.”

  Stepping up on the porch, I patted her head, “This wasn’t your fault either, kiddo. So, don’t let it eat you up inside. Perez made a terrible mistake, and it cost him his life. There’s no one else to blame.”

  “I know.”

  She worried me. I remembered the incident from out on the river when Thad stopped her from doing something terrible. People have a habit of looking for permanent solutions to temporary problems. Maybe tomorrow I’ll ask him to talk to her. He always has a way of talking to people so that they don’t know that’s what he’s doing. He is a remarkable man.

  Mel was crossing the living room with a sleeping Little Bit in her arms and a young Ruckus, the squirrel, scurrying around on her back. She smiled at me as I came in, and I smiled back at the sight. Taylor was sitting on the couch reading a book. Even though the power was back on and movies could be watched, the kids generally preferred to read a book or do a puzzle which was the latest craze sweeping our little community.

  I remember when Jess brought one back from the market. It’d been a big deal at Danny’s house. Someone set up a folding card table in the living room, and people would gather around for hours working on it. Anyone who passed by would always stop and see if they could work a piece in. The frustration emerged on the second day when someone realized there were two different puzzles in the same box, and neither was complete!

  That realization had set off another round of scavenging the neighborhood for puzzles, of which there were many. A real honey hole was found in one house where one of the occupants must have had a thing for them because over a dozen were found in one closet. There was much debate about how they would be allocated, who would get which one, and the like. Finally, it was decided to do them one at a time and leave them at Danny’s. That way, they could be a group effort. And so there was always a puzzle working in the corner of his living room.

  Mel was sitting on the bed with the limb rat when I came out of the shower. The little rodent was running around the bed, under the sheet, over the sheet, on the curtains.

  Drying my hair, I asked, “What the hell are you feeding that thing? Meth?”

  The squirrel ran past, and she grabbed it. Then, holding it up in front of her face, she spoke directly to it. “We’re starting to eat real food now, aren’t we?”

  “You talking to me or the rat?”

  Scowling at me, she replied, “Ruckus is not a rat. She is a squirrel.”

  “Ok, it’s a bushy-tailed rat,” I replied with a smile.

  Getting up from the bed, she headed for the door, replying, “She’s not a rat. But it is time for her to go to bed.”

  By going to bed, Mel meant it was time for the rat to go in its cage. She’d had me scouring the neighborhood for a big cage for a week before I got lucky at the market in Umatilla. Talking with an older lady there as I perused the usual offerings, she asked me what I was looking for. As a joke, I said, a big ass cage.

  Her face lit up, and she nearly shouted, “I have one at home! It was Maurice’s old cage. He died three or four months ago. He was old, though. I’d had him for nearly fifty years, and he wasn’t a chick when I got him.”

  I thought she’d go on forever, and to save myself some time, I asked the inevitable question, “Who’s Maurice?”

  “Oh, he was my parrot—such a gentle creature. I really miss him. But it would be hard to feed him nowadays.”

  “So, it’s a big parrot cage?”

  She nodded, “Yes, it is.

  “That’s exactly what I need!”

  We ended up working a deal for some flour, sugar, and salt. It’s incredible what people need when it comes down to it. And those commodities are the most valuable around. We are fortunate to have the stores we do since all that was handed out after our last trip to Eglin has surely been consumed by now. For a short time, it was seen as currency and traded in very small quantities in very lopsided trades, so valuable were these staples that we’d taken for granted just a year before.

  When I began my prepping, it was in response to hurricanes, so most of my plans were very short-term in nature. Generators and fuel were at the top of the list to keep some power on after a storm moved through. That evolved over time as I became aware of just how fragile our world was, and it was only getting frailer as time progressed. Technology allowed humans to make remarkable advances in the quality of life, medicine, information sharing, and the like. But it had an Achilles heel that was as delicate as a Dandelion seed head. Even the slightest movement can destroy it, and we are now living that reality.

  My migration towards more self-reliance is what is making the difference today. Unfortunately, we are not genuinely self-reliant, and nearly everyone who claims to be is not. All we can do is try and move farther in that direction, which I did, thankfully. Storing seeds and keeping a garden for all those years is paying off now by keeping my small community fed. All those buckets and bags of food are long gone, and I never planned on providing for nearly the number of people our community has grown to. Renewable methods are best. Gardens, livestock (which comes with its own set of challenges), and foraging are what matter. Not the number of buckets you have. Sure, they will help initially, but you better have a plan for the long-term.

  I lay in the bed staring up at the ceiling fan. Even though we have a small solar system, it just wasn’t enough to run everything, so we had to decide what was necessary. Then, of course, on sweltering nights, we’d run fans. But to be able to lie in bed and watch those blades spin was like looking back into the past.

  Mel returned and closed the door. “Now, I’m going to take a hot shower.”

  “A what? You never liked hot showers. What you consider hot, I consider room temperature at best.”

  “Distance makes the heart grow fonder. And I’ve been a long way from a hot shower for a long time. So, I’m going to take as hot a shower as I can stand.”

  I propped myself up on an elbow and gave her a devilish grin. “Need any help?”

  She stepped into the bathroom without answering, and I heard the water come on. I was about to lie back down when her bra flew out the door onto the bed. “You could wash my back if you want.” But, of course, I ended up washing a lot more than that. I had to make sure to keep this hot water thing going for sure.

  I woke up early as usual. Lying in bed, I looked up at the fan. It wasn’t moving. Getting out of bed, I slipped into a pair of shorts and pulled a t-shirt on, and headed for the living room. Seeing into the kitchen, the clock on the oven was off, and the power was out. “Damn, already? That didn’t last long,” I muttered as I went outside. Turing the main breaker off, I reconnected the solar. Stepping over the dogs who didn’t even bother taking notice, I went back inside and opened the fridge. My tea was still cool, not cold, but not room temp either. The power had been off for several hours. After pouring myself a glass of tea, I slipped on shoes, slung my rifle across my back, and headed out the door. This time the dogs were interested in what I was doing and followed me.

  It was a brisk morning, and the chill in the air gave my legs goosebumps, but I didn’t care. It felt good after the long hot summer. I always enjoyed the mornings. It was quiet; in reality, the world was more peaceful in general now. As I walked down the road, the only sound I heard was the calls of birds beginning their day, some squirrels barking back and forth like o
ld women, and the jingling of the dog's tags, a relic leftover from Before.

  Three Guardsmen were on duty at the bunker and came out in the road to meet me. One of them was a young kid with the last name Billingsley on his name tape. He was a friendly kid, probably twenty-two, and always looking to help out. But there was one thing about him that had me nervous. I’d noticed Taylor hanging around him, or him her, lately. It was only natural that two young people would gravitate to one another. But, in my mind, she was too young.

  “Morning, Sheriff,” he greeted me with a sly grin.

  “Knock that shit off, already told you,” I replied good-naturedly. “What’s up, anything?”

  He shook his head. “No. We saw the power go out last night a little after one AM. But that’s been it.

  “Yeah, I noticed it when I got up. Heading over to the old man’s to see if he knows anything.”

  “Ok. Shift change will be hereafter breakfast. Been uneventful so far.”

  “Good,” I replied and took a sip of tea. “I like uneventful.”

  After exchanging a few words with the other two, I headed down the road towards the old man’s place. The garage door was open, and I saw the guard posted to watch Ivan and his lackey sitting on a stool in the opening. Walking up, I asked, “He giving you any trouble?”

  Looking over his shoulder, the man replied, “No. He’s pretty much given up. He is pissed he hasn’t been moved yet. Apparently, he thinks he’s pretty important.”

  “That true, Ivan? You a big deal?” I asked.

  Ivan leaned back on his hands and studied me for a minute. Then, in his typical thick Russian accent, he asked, “What’s the matter, Sheriff? You don’t like me here in your community?”

  “No. I don’t. You’re a waste of resources. We have to feed your useless ass. Assign men to watch you. So, no, I don’t like having you here.”

  With a smug look on his face, Ivan replied, “You could just let me go.”

  “Or, I could just kill you,” I replied, and the smug look evaporated from his face. It made me smile.

  “Come on now, Ivan. You’re great Russia has never had a problem killing those that wouldn’t go along with the program. So why should we be any different?”

  “But you are different. You Americans believe you stand on some fairy tale moral high ground. That you are somehow superior to the rest of the world. And yet, Americans are responsible for more death in modern times than any other nation.”

  I laughed, “We are superior, at least to you people. As far as the killing, America will never catch up to just the number of Russians killed by your own government.”

  Now he smiled. “But you’re doing a pretty good job of killing each other now.” He paused as though he was thinking. “I would imagine more Americans have died since the beginning of this little event than Mother Russia has in all eternity.”

  He was trying to goad me into getting mad. “You’re probably right about that. I imagine tens of millions of people have died. And yet, here you sit. We still destroyed your force and captured your worthless ass.”

  Before he could reply, Sarge stepped through the door to the house. Ivan looked over his shoulder and saw him. He motioned towards me and said, “Colonel, I do not like talking to this svin’ya. You, at least, are intelligent and can carry on a decent conversation.”

  Sarge looked at him. “You ought to be careful fucking with that man. He’ll feed you to the pigs.” Sarge looked at me and went on without pausing. “We got problems. The power is out, and I can’t get in touch with Cecil. We need to ride to town and see what’s up.”

  “That’s why I’m here,” I replied. As I did, I could hear the MRAP start up.

  “Ted and Mikey are getting that beast running. Then, we’re going to take it to town.”

  “I’m going to get a couple of people to go with us. But, first, we need to go by the ranch and look at that harvester. Then, it’s time to get that corn cut,” I replied.

  “Get whoever you want, just hurry up. We’re going to take the Hummer as well. I don’t want any bullshit like the last trip to town.”

  “I’m going to borrow your ATV to speed this up,” I said as I turned to leave.

  First, I stopped at Dad’s. No one came to the door, so I continued over to Danny’s. At this hour of the morning, I should have known that’s where everyone would be, and they were. The back porch was crowded with people having breakfast, and I made a general statement to them as soon as I came through the door.

  “Power’s out, as you know, and we can’t get Cecil on the radio. So we’re going to town to see what’s up.”

  Thad looked up from his grits and said, “I’ll go. I just want to be dropped off at the ranch so I can look at that harvester.”

  Danny quickly got to his feet, “I’ll get my stuff. I want to see it too.”

  Dad didn’t hesitate. “I don’t know anything about power plants or corn harvesters, but I’ll go and see where I can help.”

  As soon as I started talking, Ian and Jamie stood up and carried their dishes to the kitchen. As Jamie passed me, she said, “We’ll get our gear.”

  “You sure?” I asked.

  “I’m fine,” she replied with a cold finality to her voice. I clearly understood our conversation was over.

  We loaded into the MRAP and the Hummer. As we did so, I looked around at the people either in or waiting to get into a vehicle. I didn’t see Aric, who I’d seen earlier, and I asked Sarge if he’d seen the man.

  “He’s staying here. I asked him to keep an eye on our security. I’m worried about those guys poking around the other day,” Sarge replied.

  Then I realized I hadn’t seen Dalton either. “Where’s the giant?” I asked.

  “He’s staying here too.” Sarge paused and rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. “That man scares me,” he said, looking me straight in the eye. “I’ve been all around the world, and I’ve met some bad men in my day. But there’s something about that man.” He paused again, “Even Ivan sees it. He fears Dalton, said we should too.”

  I was shocked at the statement. “I’m not afraid of him. He’s never done anything to any of us. Hell, he’s done nothing but help since he got here.”

  “I’m not afraid of him. When I said he scares me, I meant what he’s capable of. That’s a dangerous man and I am thankful as hell he’s on our side, which is why he’s staying here too. I don’t think anyone will get past him.”

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  The old man shrugged. “I don’t know. Where is he most of the time? He’s out getting his Sasquatch on, I guess.”

  I thought about that for a minute, and Sarge was right. Dalton was always disappearing and showing back up without a word about where he’d been or what he’d been up to. But it didn’t bother me. I wasn’t scared by the man, and it was quite the opposite. Whenever I was around him, there was a level of comfort. Kind of like Thad, but the feeling was different in a way I couldn’t lay my finger on.

  “I’m not afraid of him. But I know what you mean about him being a dangerous man. I feel that as well. But he’s one of us, and I don’t see that changing any time soon,” I replied.

  “He is one of us, and the fact that he’s out there skulking around in the woods is why I’m not too worried about so many of us leaving. With Aric, Dalton, and Wallner’s men, I think we’re safe.”

  Squinting one eye, I said, “You know, Jess would probably split your sack open and run your leg through it for not thinking she is contributing to the defense here. Mel would probably be a little pissed too.”

  “Oh, bullshit!” Sarge shouted back. “I don’t need to mention them because it’d be like saying you or I weren’t doing our part! That’s a given that those ladies are doing their part, carrying their share of the load.”

  “Calm down, you grumpy old fuck; I was just messing with you,” I replied with a laugh.

  As I replied, Doc stepped around the side of the MRAP. Sarge and I both looked at him. He looked at each of us, then spoke. “It’s good you know the ladies do their part. They sure know it.” He stopped for a beat, then continued. “So, I guess I don’t need to tell them about this conversation then?”

  I laughed, “Go ahead!”