There was a loaf of bread, slightly moldy, on the shelf. I tore the mold off and ate two pieces. I was starting on the third when Mom walked in, holding a plastic bag full of fresh vegetables.
“Victor!” She exclaimed as she came over and gave me a hug, being cautious of my shoulder. I hugged her back; she was such an amazing woman. She’d taken all of this as it came, asked no questions, and had complete faith in Marshall and me. She was everywhere, and helped with everything. She always had delicious food, and plenty of it. I knew the stores had to be running low.
“Mom, thank you. Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” I said to her, as I hugged her as tightly as I could. “How are we going to feed these people, Mom? I can’t turn them away. I don’t think you would, either. But I have no idea where we’re going to find enough to go around.”
“I sent Marshall out with that gigantic gun you got the night you got shot. The old Meyers farm has a herd of bison; he’ll take one, then open up all the gates and let the rest out. Likewise, the Wades have several hundred dairy cows. We’ll need to round up a dozen or so for milk and cheese and butter and let the rest go. They’re not Kobe beef, but they’ll still feed us. A single bison will feed us for a few days. There’s not enough to keep that up forever, but unless these people all decide to stay, we only need short term. I have a fifty-pound sack of grits in the basement, so tonight we’ll have bison and grits. Even Marshall can hit a bison with that rifle.”
“Wow, Mom. You’re amazing.”
“Vic, we have room around the property for about three hundred-fifty to live under roof. Conditions will be tight, but people will have a warm dry spot to lie down. If we’re going to make a long term go at this, we’re going to need help. Marshall built a garden spot up on the hill; I planted ten rows of potatoes, ten rows of beets, and two rows of radishes and carrots. This late in the summer, root vegetables, dried grains, and hunting are going to have to carry us through this winter and spring until the early crops come in.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Down past the cat rescue, there’s the old Miller place. They have a chicken coop out back with a bunch of hens and two roosters. I’d like to have that, if they’re not using it. Of course, that means we’re going to need chicken feed. Bringing a dozen cows means we’re going to need to stock in hay for the winter. There are round bales from last year in the back field that will be fine for cows, but some grain will keep them producing better through the winter. I need beans, any bulk dried bean you can find is fine, and grains. Flour, rice, barley, corn, wheat. I think we’re going to have to go into town to the farmer’s co-op. We’ve raided all the local farms pantries.”
“Okay. I’m worried about the families of the men. We have to move quickly. I’m going to go scout it out today and see what we’re up against. I’m going to go by myself, I don’t want to put anyone else in danger, and I know the town. I’m not going to engage, this is a watch and see mission.”
“Vic, you’ve made all the right calls. You saved those men out there yesterday. Marshall thought we were going to have to kill them all. I don’t know how, but you always make the right decisions.”
I’d finished the loaf of bread and about half of the butter that Mom had handed me out of the fridge. My belly was full, I was feeling better.
We had to go now to free these men’s families. I was worried about what would happen to those innocent people if we didn’t. In this world, a man’s word was all he had.
I picked up a radio and called for John and Leo to join me in the dining room. They weren’t going to like what I had to say.
23. Planning
Marshall came into the dining room with Leo and John. They were all sweating; it was already hot at six-thirty in the morning. I missed air conditioning. They sat down at the table and I slid each of them a cold bottle of water. We’d finished all of the pre-bottled water, and were now washing the bottles and refilling them. The farm had a very deep artesian well, the water was better from the ground here than the original water in the bottles. We kept the refrigerator stocked with water, because when we turned the power off late at night, the mass of the water helped keep the fridge cold.
“What is the status of the men, Marshall?” I asked.
“They’re all set up with quarters above the barn. We built dividers yesterday, and they spent the night up there last night.” Marshall said. “I have them broken into squads of five. Each squad has a task to accomplish today; when it’s done they get dinner tonight. I told them they’re temporary members of our community, and that we’re going to go get their families today. They seem like a good group of guys, I didn’t get to talk to every one of them individually, but they’re all from Culpeper. No one from out of town, which lends credence to their stories. They all told a similar story. The zombies came in the middle of the night posing as military. They said they had a safe place at the school, and that they had five minutes to gather their stuff and get to the truck. When they got to the truck they were taken to the high school, and processed. They were asked what they did, what their skills are, if they’d been bitten, etc. There is also a pen of slow zombies there. Several of the men described it as holding several hundred.”
“We have to go today to rescue those families. I’m sure the zombies know by now that we won this fight. Here’s the plan. I’m going alone.” It was a declaration, not for debate.
“What?” From Marshall.
“No.” Said John at the same time.
“Tookes, don’t be stupid.” was Leo’s reply.
“Here’s why. I know that school. I went there for four years; I know every inch of it from finding places to skip classes and smoke cigarettes. I know the farms surrounding it. Marshall, remember in high school I spent those two summers working those fields for Mr. Haversham?” I asked. “I can sneak up, recon the site. If there’s high ground, I’ll be able to take several of them before the alarm can be sounded.”
“Tookes, Leo would have a much better chance.” said Marshall.
“I’m not sure that’s true. I think I could take Leo in a fight.” I said.
Leo looked at me like I had grown horns and done a back flip.
“Leo, give me a baton.” She handed me one, “Now... Come at me with the other one. Quarter speed if you’re feeling overconfident.” I watched her make the decision to feint to the right and come with an overhand chop. I didn’t fall for the feint. I had the baton in place to block her chop before she even finished it. Which at quarter speed for Leo meant it looked like I just barely blocked it.
“Again, this time half speed.”
Once again, I watched her weigh her options, before she stepped in close and came down diagonally towards my good shoulder. I caught her wrist with my bad arm, sending a jolt through my shoulder, and drove the tip of the baton gently up into her jaw, lightly pressing on the underside of her chin with the rounded tip.
“Do you want to try full speed?”
“How…” she asked. “You’re not moving that fast, but I should have been able to get that last one under your hand. It’s like you knew right where I was going to be.”
“It appears I have a talent also.” I said.