Kiamichi Refuge (10 page)

For now, I suggest staying in as much as possible, learning all you can about survival, and staying alert at all times. Start training yourself now to notice your surroundings, and to trust your instincts. Maybe a solution will be found quickly, but I’m not betting on it. I think our way of life just changed and we had all better learn to adapt, or we will die.” Tanner rubbed his forehead and looked at each of them. “Things are different now. Get it into your head, and don’t forget it for a second.”

Early July

Over the next two weeks, the tomatoes on the deck began to ripen, and the girls were getting a quite a few squash and lots of peppers. Each of Erin’s three friends had read at least one of the books about survival or skills, and they had begun to adjust to a new routine.

“We need to wash the jars in really hot water. Valerie, would you start on that while I show Sarah an easy way to get the peels off these tomatoes?” Erin wiped the perspiration from her forehead. “When the first batch of plain tomatoes is in the canner, we’ll make salsa out of the rest. Jen, if you would wash those squash, then grate them, we’ll put two cups in each baggie and freeze it for squash bread.”

With Valerie at least physically recovered from the mugging, all four of the friends were busy growing and preserving food, standing guard, and taking care of the dogs. Erin had already taught the others most of the commands that the dogs knew.

Tanner hiked over from his grandparents’ nearly every day. On his advice, they moved Sarah’s Explorer, parking it across the driveway where they could move it out of the way if necessary, but where it would block others from driving right up to the lodge. He used his chainsaw to cut a supply of firewood, and climbed up on the roof to check the solar panels.

“If I’m remembering correctly, Ernie said that the solar is enough to run everything in the lodge except the dryer and the air conditioner, both of which draw down a lot of power when they start up, and would drain the batteries pretty fast. When the power goes off, you should probably hand-wash the dishes, too, just to be safe.”

“So how are we supposed to dry our clothes?” Valerie snapped.

Tanner looked at her, frowning, for several long seconds, then calmly explained, “Valerie, things have changed. We are all going to have to learn to adjust to a new reality. Have you watched the news at all? Martial law was declared in New York, California, Florida, and twelve other states yesterday. Thousands have died in the rioting. All of the major cities are basically shut down. School isn’t going to start this year, except in a few small, isolated towns, and maybe not there. Stores are empty and offices have sent workers home indefinitely, without pay, which really doesn’t matter because the money is worthless now. The stock market had its worst day ever last week, and trading has been suspended for the foreseeable future. There is nobody driving on the highways, because there is no gas to be had.”

If you had stayed in Tulsa, you wouldn’t be able to
wash
clothes, much less dry them. The water system is completely shut down there, as of two days ago. There is no food to buy. Hospitals are barely functioning because healthcare workers can’t get to work, and there is a severe shortage of medicines. Hordes of refugees are leaving the cities on foot, walking out to the country because they think that farmers have food to sell, but crops aren’t ready yet, and the farmers don’t have fuel for their tractors or other equipment. They can’t even bale hay for their livestock.”

Police and other emergency responders aren’t showing up to work. They’re staying home to keep their families safe, or trying to get them out of the cities. There’s no power at all in most of the country, and it’s a wonder that there’s power anywhere, and only a matter of time before the workers that keep it flowing just walk away and let the power die. I heard reports that rolling blackouts are occurring all over the country.”

Tanner paused, staring at the floor, then looked at Valerie and added, “I’m sorry, but you need to accept that the life you led, the life you planned, is gone. You are so much better off than most people, because you have a safe place, food, water, and at least some electricity, and you didn’t provide
any
of that for yourself. It’s a gift from Erin and her uncle. Don’t let what you’ve lost make you lose sight of what you still have.”

“It’s really bad, isn’t it?” Jen asked softly. “I’m so worried about my parents and brothers. If water and electric services are gone, how long until phones stop working?”

“I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long. Do you know any ham radio operators near your parents’ place? Call them and see if they know of any, before the phones die. Mac McCoy can help on this end,” Tanner suggested.

“I’ll call my folks right away. Maybe, with what is happening in Tulsa, they will finally head this way. I know that Dad has some gas stored in the garden shed, probably enough to get here. If they’ll come now, maybe we won’t need to find someone to relay messages.”

“I hope so,” Tanner agreed, “Well, ladies, I need to go. Erin, will you walk me out?”

Erin rinsed and dried her hands and went out onto the front porch with him.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“For what?”

“For being harsh with Valerie. It wasn’t my place to talk to her like that.”

“You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true or that I haven’t thought about saying. Valerie is very intelligent, but everything has always been easy for her, until now. Her parents gave her anything money could buy. She’s so used to having everything handed to her that I guess it’s harder for her to accept what is happening. She needed to hear those things, so she can realize that this isn’t going to go away, and that to live, she’ll have to work for things she always took for granted before.”

Just then, Tanner saw movement in the trees. He stiffened, and pushed Erin behind him, drawing his Kimber .45, but seconds later, Charlie came stumbling into the clearing and fell to his knees.

“Oh, no! Charlie, what happened?” Erin cried, as she and Tanner ran to help the old man into the house. His face was bloody and he was covered with ugly bruises and cuts.

“Them dang druggies from town caught me near my shack. They wanted my weed, said they knew that I must have some growin’ out there somewhere. They beat me, and cut me some, but I didn’t tell them nuthin’,” the old man vowed. “They want it to trade for hard drugs, but I ain’t gonna let ‘em have it. I think they would have killed me, except they want me to keep growin’ it for ‘em, like a slave.”

“Was it those punks who used to hang around with Ollie Simmons?” Tanner asked.

“Yeah, it was them. I was hopin’ that with him in prison, they’d move on, but no such luck.”

Tanner stayed long enough to get Charlie cleaned up and bandaged, then left with a promise to return the next day. Valerie moved upstairs to let Charlie have the downstairs bedroom, and gave him some of her leftover pain meds so he could sleep.

Jen called her parents and was able to talk them into leaving Tulsa, a decision made easier by roving gangs of thugs who were looting and burning homes only a mile or so from their house.

“We’ll load up tonight and leave around 4:00 in the morning. Maybe we can slip away without attracting attention,” BJ Martin told his daughter. “Are you sure that there is room for all of us?”

“Erin says we’ll make it work. Dad, I just want you out of there. You keep your gun handy, you hear?”

“Already planned on it. Mom has hers, too. We’ll call when we get close and you can direct us to the lodge. Love you, honey.”

***

Vince Sullivan leaned back in his chair and frowned at the list of guards who had not shown up to work the day shift.
We’re dangerously shorthanded
, he thought,
and the natives are restless. Food deliveries aren’t showing up. We have only a little water left in the tower and that’s all the water we have, so no showers for the prisoners. The heat is getting bad and tempers are short. Maybe today would be a good day to confine the prisoners to their cells. The electronic openers for the cells aren’t working, and I don’t like it that the guards are having to use keys and manually open those doors, anyway. It’ll be safer all around to keep ‘em locked down.

Before he could issue that order, however, a rookie guard got a little too close to a cell, and an inmate reached through as fast as a snake striking, grabbing the guard’s collar, yanking hard, and slamming the man’s head against the bars. The inmate repeatedly jerked the poor rookie into the steel, until his body went limp. Kneeling and stretching to reach the guard’s belt, the inmate grasped the keys to the cells.

Early July

Charlie woke up a couple of hours later. His injuries turned out to be worse than originally thought. Two teeth were chipped and his nose was broken. Both eyes sported huge purplish-black shiners and one finger seemed to be dislocated. There was no doctor in Kanichi Springs, so Erin called the Fosters. They came over and Angie put Charlie’s finger back in place, then stitched up a couple of the cuts and put on fresh bandages, giving him strict orders to rest for a few days.

Tanner arrived just as the Fosters were ready to leave, so they stayed for a few more minutes to share news and reaffirm that if things got dangerous, they would be in touch.

Jen’s parents were due to arrive at any time, but when Jen tried to call their cell phones, there was no answer on either one. While Jen paced the floor, Erin got a call from Ian McClure.

“Erin, it’s Ian. Tanner gave me your number. We’ve got serious problems here in McAlester and I need your help.”

“What’s wrong? You know I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.”

“My store was looted last night. Armed men and a few women broke the front windows and carried off everything they could. TVs, chairs, even a dining table. It’s crazy here, and I am ready to get out. Tanner said you might have room for me.”

“Oh, Ian. Are you okay? Were you there?”

“I was back in the office and heard the window shatter. I sneaked over to the office door and peeked out, but saw that I was outnumbered. There were at least ten or twelve of them. So I slipped into the back room and prayed they wouldn’t burn the place down with me in it. What they wanted with TVs at this point is beyond me. I am fine, but there is no point in sticking around now. And I haven’t told you the worst yet.” Ian paused as if searching for words. “There’s been trouble over at the prison. Several of the guards just stopped showing up for work, I guess because their families needed protection. They’re real short-handed out there, and this morning, there was a riot. Some guards were killed and over a hundred prisoners escaped.”

“Crap! The bad news just keeps on coming,” Erin complained. “Ian, you are welcome to come here, but we are about to get close on beds. We have five here now, with four more on the way, and at least two families who may come later. We’ll find room for everyone even if we have to make pallets on the floor.”

“I have a full tank of gas in my delivery truck. I could fill the back up with mattresses if that would help.”

“That would be perfect! Bring those, and if you can, bring sheets and blankets, too.

                                                               ***

Ian arrived a few hours later with a truckload of mattresses, his clothes, a cooler of food from his house, and the tools from his garage. He also brought a hitchhiker, and pulled Erin aside to explain.

“Erin, I hope you don’t mind. Vince is an old friend. He saw the truck coming up the road and flagged me down. If it’s going to be a problem, we’ll just go find an abandoned house in town, but I can vouch for Vince. I’ve known him for twenty years, at least. As you can see from the uniform, he was a lieutenant at the prison, and he came this way looking for Ollie Simmons. Ollie made threats against Vince’s sister and nephew, and when Vince went to check on them after the escape, they were both dead. He has training and he knows a lot of the convicts, so he’ll be a good team member.” Ian looked questioningly at Erin. “Can we stay?”

“Yes, as long as he knows that he’ll be expected to pull his weight, I guess he can stay. I wish I had planted more veggies. We may run out of food at the rate the group is growing.”

“He’s a hunter, and we both fish. We’ll be happy to help keep the group fed. Thanks, Erin. You won’t regret it.”

We can store the extra mattresses in the truck until we need them. I brought all the sheets I have, some quilts my grandmother made, and a couple of sleeping bags. I figured the tools might come in handy at some point, too.”

Erin looked thoughtful. “Let’s park the truck to the left of the driveway, just inside the yard. I’m thinking that we’re going to run out of room to park vehicles if we get many more, and they may give the bad guys something to hide behind while they shoot at us. I hate hearing about convicts on the loose. That means that we need to step up security around here.”

Erin took Ian and Vince into the lodge and introduced them to everyone. “I think that what we have to do for now is have the two big rooms upstairs assigned to single men and single women. We’ll need to start conserving water immediately, so short showers, and only when absolutely necessary. The pump is solar, but if we run the well dry, we’re in big trouble.”

Everyone, even Valerie, agreed to be careful with water usage. Valerie’s attitude had improved since Tanner’s scolding. She was quieter than normal, but didn’t complain and seemed to be trying hard to do her share of the work.

Jen was having a hard time controlling her nerves, because her folks were hours late and she still had not heard from them. Worry was etched on her usually smiling face, but she realized that there was little she could do except pray.

***

Two more days passed with no word from the Martins. Jen was barely holding herself together, and when Tanner came to check on Charlie, Jen asked him if he had any ideas about finding her family.

“Well, cell phones are still working, even if service is unreliable. I know some people who live up the turnpike, I’ll call them and have them keep an eye out. Then I’ll call a few others between Tulsa and here. They can put the word out, and Mac can get on his radio and see what he can learn.”

“Can’t we drive that way and look for them?” Jen begged.

“I’m sorry, but it would be a huge risk, with escaped prisoners in the area, nowhere to get gas if we need it, and not knowing if they’re even still in their car. If they had car trouble, they may have taken off on foot through the woods, and we could pass them and not even know it. I wish there was more that we could do, but I think that the best thing is to wait and see if they show up.”

Now tell me what kind of car they drive, and give me a description of each of them.”

Tanner made several calls and got commitments to watch for the car or anyone on foot matching the descriptions Jen had given him. One couple offered to ride their horses alongside the turnpike and search for any sign of the Martin family.

About two hours later, Tanner’s phone rang. Some of his friends had found a car abandoned in a ditch about four miles west of the turnpike, and six miles north of the Kanichi Springs exit. Tanner put his phone on speaker so Jen could hear.

         “Is there anything distinctive that could help us determine for sure if this is their car?” Tanner’s friend asked.

“They have a tag on the front with a big bass. It says, “I’d rather be fishing.” And there should be an OSU decal in the back window,” Jen recalled. “Oh, and one fender has a dent in it, on the passenger side, I think.”

“This is their car, I’m afraid, but there is no sign of your folks. And why would they be west of the turnpike? Kanichi Springs is way east. We’ll keep looking for them and will let you know if we find anything.”

“Thank you so much. I appreciate all your help.” Jen said through her tears.

***

That evening, Erin called a meeting after dinner and everyone gathered in the living room. “We have to get organized about standing watch. I know that the dogs will alert us if they hear anything unusual, but there has to be at least one human, preferably two, awake at night to assess the threat and be ready to respond. If all of us are asleep, we won’t be ready when we need to be.”

Ian volunteered to set up a watch schedule, and Erin asked Sarah to plan meals, with Valerie and Jen as kitchen help. The men made plans to do some hunting and fishing to add to the food supply.

“I wanna stay here and help out, if that’s okay,” Charlie requested. “Those hoodlums who beat me up know where my shack is, even if they don’t know where the crop is. I’m feelin’ better now, and I need to go get my stuff outta the shack and check on my plants. Then, if it’s okay, can I join up with y’all?”

Erin gave the old man a smile and a quick nod. “Of course, Charlie.”

“You’re not going to the shack alone,” Tanner insisted. “I’ll go with you, and we’ll take Major, too.”

Charlie agreed, and added, “I’m gonna hit the hay. Been a long day for this old man. Goodnight, all.”

Tanner turned to Erin and smiled. “There’s no way I can make it back to my grandparents’ before dark, and besides, the bears will be out, plus I’d just have to turn around and come back in the morning to go with Charlie. Do you mind if I stay?

Erin laughed. “Of course not. You’re over here helping us all the time. You’re always welcome.
”

“Come sit on the porch with me. It seems like we never have time to relax lately.”

“True. There’s just a lot going on,” Erin sighed as she led him out the front door. They sat down on a bench and Tanner put his arm around Erin’s shoulders.

“There hasn’t been much time for me to show you how I feel, to do the dating thing. The way things are, I can’t buy you candy or send you flowers. I can’t take you to a movie or out to dinner. All I can do is help around here, provide you with dogs to protect you, and tell you that I love you, Erin Miller. I’ve loved you since the day we met, maybe even before that, looking at your picture and listening to Ernie brag about his beautiful, intelligent niece. I love you, and I want us to be together. I know the timing is terrible, with the country going nuts, but I want you to understand that this is it for me. You’re the one, Erin, for always.  I’m not trying to rush you. I just can’t hold it in any longer. You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know.”

“So much has happened in such a short time. I’m mixed up, and just trying to survive in this crazy world. My whole life had just been turned upside down, when suddenly, the whole world changed, too. Please, just give me a little more time. I’m getting there, but I’m not there yet. We both need to be sure, with no doubts.”

“I don’t have any doubts, but I can wait. In the meantime, I’m ready to help in any way you need, whatever I can do. My sisters and their families are at my grandparents’ now, so I can be here as much as you want.”

“Thank you, Tanner.” And she kissed him.

***

With Tanner carrying his rifle, he and Charlie left just as the sun was coming up. Major ran ahead, but stayed in sight. Charlie’s shack was about a half mile from the small clearing where he grew his marijuana crop.

As they approached the area, Tanner gave Major the hand signal to heel, and they moved in cautiously. The front door stood open, and they waited, listening for several minutes. Tanner then signaled for Major to search the shack. The big dog moved in, and came back almost immediately, tail wagging. Tanner then crept closer and peeked in through the dirty glass of the only window. There was nobody in the single room, so he waved Charlie in.

“Don’t you trust the dog?” Charlie wanted to know.

“Yes, mostly. He hasn’t completed his training for clearing a house yet, so I was just being safe. I’ll stand out here while you grab what you need, then I’ll help you carry it to Erin’s. Hurry. Those guys could come back, and we want to be gone before that happens.”

Charlie quickly packed his clothes, a couple of blankets, and what little food he had.

“Blast it all! They got my Glock. Those bastards! If I was smart, I woulda been carryin’ it and wouldna taken a beatin’. Oh, wait. They got the gun, but they didn’t get the ammo! I hid it in this rusty cookie tin. I got some 9mm here. We’ll take it, just to keep it from fallin’ into the wrong hands. Maybe somebody at the lodge can use it.”

“Ian carries a 9mm. He’ll use it. You ready?”

Tanner took the heavy duffle bag and Charlie grabbed his backpack. Tanner signaled Major to come, and they headed back to the lodge.

“Let’s take a slightly different route going back. We don’t want to wear a path leading anyone to Erin’s place. And any time we come back, we’ll vary the way we travel,” Tanner suggested.

“Can we swing by and check my plants? I sure hope those punks didn’t find ‘em while I was laid up.”

“Sure thing. Lead the way.”

When they got to Charlie’s clearing, there was no sign that anyone had been around. The plants looked healthy and bigger than the previous time Tanner had seen them.

“This here is Afghan Kush. I wanted to get some THC Bomb, but this is a reliable strain for this area, and it don’t get too big for one person to harvest. I had to put it in this clearin’ because it needs at least five hours of sun a day. The pH here is good, too, right at 6.7. I got a friend who’s a barber, so I got him to save clippin’s for me. I put a bunch of that human hair all around the plants every week, so the deer and rabbits stay away. Good thing we’ve had a little rain, or I’d have to carry water from the stream. Weed needs about an inch a week.”

“When will it be ready?”

“Oh, around the end of September. When I harvest, you don’t wanna be around. It stinks to high heaven, but it’s worth it.”

“Whatever you say, Charlie. Whatever you say.”