Vaxdemic Book 2 Chapter 15
Chapter 15
I’ve run into a particular feeling in my life I like to call, “the disappointment of not being done.” It’s when you think you’ve finished everything you need to do, only for one blindingly obvious thing to rear is head at the last possible moment. It’s kind of like the dream of being in college again and having a class you forgot to attend all semester and it’s too late to drop it and the final is tomorrow. I doubt it’s ever been associated with a meal like my current feelings are.
Since I’m going to be leaving for a few months at least, Claire has pointed out I needed to properly greet the new civil servants I’ve appointed in my short time home. She proposed a dinner in their honor before I leave. I quickly pointed out I really wasn’t comfortable with Skip being in such proximity for so long. A point Claire agreed with me on. It was unfortune that Beth has taught her a little idiom beforehand. “It’s better to ask forgiveness than ask permission.” It turns out she had sent out the invitations before telling me about her plan. So now on the last day before I leave we are have dinner with my city planner and new sheriff.
The response message for Skip came from his wife. I couldn’t tell if it was happy or threatening, I think my past dealing with her husband has tainted my opinion. We were able to recruit Beth and one of her daughters to assist in the preparations. The plus side is there is a bigger variety of food than I was expecting. The homesteaders have not been idle and strawberries, cherries, and greens filled the menu. Beth and her daughter apparently forced Claire to accompany them to the new market. She still refuses to leave the walls without her guns and dogs. I’m getting a reputation as the mayor married to the mercenary wife. I not in a hurry to correct anyone either.
The meal itself was mostly spring vegetables and light soups with many fruit-filled desserts. I may have been able to enjoy the meal more if I weren’t dreading spending time in an enclosed space with the new sheriff. His arrival what not what I was expecting. I had no idea what I was going on when the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life stepped into the yard. Don’t get me wrong this was not an “I’m in love” moment. This woman was an inch taller than me, with big blonde hair, and blue eyes I wasn’t convinced were real. It took a moment to realize she was being followed by Skip and two young men that looked like a mix of the two. Actually, it might have been the seething hatred I could feel literally pouring off the women around me that made me take notice of something other than the goddess who walking in shouting hellos and waiving to everyone.
It turns out Skip is married to a former Miss America contestant named Stephanie. From a distance she doesn’t look very close to his age, but when I got a closer look, I was able to see the lines hidden under the makeup. Something I engraved in my memory, to cite back to my own wife in order to mollify her when the guests leave. I am married to the mercenary wife after all. Thankfully, Skip left his dogs at his new home. Skip didn’t talk much, but like Harold his wife made up for it. The sons also took after their mother when it came to social skills. Strangely enough the only person Skip took what I would classify as a liking to was Claire. The two spent most of the meal talking about guns to the exclusion of everything else.
Stephanie on the other hand, moved throughout the party, the center of attention everywhere she went. I was impressed. I’ve always had problems with crowds of strangers, and even crowds of people I know well. Stephanie dove straight in, introducing her sons, talking about the local markets, the decorating she was doing in her new home. Strangely the only question she wouldn’t answer was how many kids she and Skip had. This is when I started listening to her stories more intently, thinking I could simply keep count of those she mentioned. I started getting confused at eight. I think Pastor Roth finally has some competition.
After talking with his wife and sons, I feel less afraid of Skip. He made a point to tell me he would keep the city safe in my absence. There was a glint in his eyes that made me fear for the lives of any trespasser, and what might be waiting for me upon my return. I did my best not to think on it that night, and just enjoy my last night with my family. Even Rusty came inside that night to sleep in the pile with the other dogs.
Matt showed up the next morning with two SUVs and a trailer hooked to the back of each. He was smiling broadly as he patted the cargo, clearly hoping I would ask what it was. The first trailer turned out to be the hoist system he and his son had come up with to lift the turbine. Hopefully we could finish with the generator and I wouldn’t have to return to the dam again. The second trailer held what I first thought were big plastic drums. Matt informed me they were the new defense system for the dam when the power was up.
This is going to require a bit of explaining. Matt, among other things, was a former NRA instructor. He taught classes on concealed carry, gun safety, breaching, and swat tactics. He was one of four in the area before the world stopped who was qualified to train swat teams. This meant he knew where their training grounds and equipment were. He did a little breaching himself and pulled these riot control weapons from the swat vehicles. They’re called LRADs. The way he describes it, they shoot sound like a laser. These were some of the biggest models made, and he lamented that he couldn’t bypass the safety features, but he bet we knew someone who could. I can’t help but imagine people in boats with their heads exploding. I’m sure it doesn’t work like that, but I’ve seen what Garv can do.
The trip back to the dam was uneventful, if not a little quicker. The owner of the trading post was happy to see us, and not so subtly show off his wife who appears to be expecting. After hearing about how many people died years ago, I thought it would take a long time to return to previous population levels. I guess without the constant distractions of movies and internet it won’t take long at all. I almost didn’t recognize the gate to the dam when we arrived. All the trees on the opposite side of the road appeared to be cut back at least 100 yards from the road and the resulting lumber used to make the huge wall and gate that now guarded the entrance. When we entered, I noticed several new buildings inside, and several gardening plots had been laid out.
It felt like they were preparing for a siege of some kind. I noticed more men as well, at least eight were on the walls, and even more were performing various tasks in the newly created fort. Matt was all smiles as he waived to the men, all of which he seemed to know. I wanted to ask him what he was preparing for. I know some shady things have happened in the past year, but this seemed a bit overkill. Was he expecting a war? I decided it was best to keep my mouth shut. I only needed to be here till the generator was fixed, then it was back to my old life.
Garv came out to meet us when we arrived. He made several furtive glances toward the sky. I figured his war with the crows must be still under way, but I noticed some crows in the nearby trees. When I had left, they would have immediately attacked him if they spotted him. When I asked him what had changed, he told me how he’d been throwing food outside over the past few months to appease them. Eventually they stopped attacking him, and some have even started to follow him around. I’m thankful the war with the birds was coming to an end.
Garv might have lost his war against the crows, but from the glint in his eye when he saw the LRADs I could tell he wasn’t done with his weapons development. I can’t remember exactly what I wanted to say to him. A loud crack immediately changed my focus. I turned to the source of the noise and saw one of the men on the wall fall off. Everyone around me sprung into action. Men were climbing the wall and leveling guns behind the armored and prepared positions at the top of the wall. Shots started ringing out, and shouting was everywhere. Two men were tending to the one who had fallen, the problem was he seemed to be missing a large portion of his head. It took a moment before I realized Matt was shoving me inside. Something awful was starting, but my brain wouldn’t process what.
Bob Stackey
April 30, 2024