The Horror Squad (Book 3) (11 page)

I signaled to Howard to grab the
cleaver behind him and he handed it
to me. “Start grabbing some of the
spices and bring them in here, also
grab the foil or a plastic dish big
enough to hold these.

I started slicing them into a little
less than two inch slabs and laying
them over. I sliced up fourteen of
them and then put the remaining meat
back in the fridge.

Robin walked in from moving the
pit. “Who’s the other one’s for?”

Bo walked in and handed me some
serving trays. “Milissa said to only
use the foil if we have to.”

I took it from him and started
putting the slabs on it. “This is
enough for everyone on our team,
Milissa, Chelley and another to split
between Daltin and Cloie.”

Howard brought in the spices and I
started sprinkling it on, flipping it and
spicing the other side before stacking
another layer on and doing the same.

I went to lift one of the trays.
“Better move two of the pits around to
the side. These are bigger than I was
figuring.”

Robin walked back out to move
another pit to the side of the school.

I got Milissa’s attention and she
walked to the back. “Hey could you
throw fourteen potatoes in the oven so
we can have some baked potatoes
with this?”

She cracked a smile. “Of course I
can.”

I gave her a wink and picked up the
other tray and walked out with it. I
turned to Howard and Bo on our way
out. “Hey brother’s, can you grab up
some of that wood we cut up and
bring it around?”

They both nodded and walked
ahead of me to start grabbing some. I
was moving pretty slow, but I had
close to thirty pounds of meat on the
trays.

I got to the pits and set the trays on
the rack sticking out of the front of
the pits.

Howard walked up dropping a pile
of wood and Bo was a few minutes
behind him, bringing log starters and
lighter fluid.

“Good men.” I stated.

I threw the log starters into the
smoke boxes and started piling the
cold damp wood on top of them. I
doused it in lighter fluid and then lit
it. I reached around the side of both
pits to make sure the flues were wide
open.

After a few minutes, the wood was
dried out and popping a bit from the
flame burning into the wood.

I had Bo grab a small table and
some throw out chairs from the
bunker so we wasn’t stealing from
those having to eat in the cafeteria.

Milissa walked out with some
plates and all of my utensils for the
pit. “You’re welcome.”

I took them from her and laughed.
“Thank you.”

She walked back to the cafeteria
and we got comfortable as close as we
could to the smoke boxes to keep
warm.

About an hour into cooking, the
girls came pulling back into the gate. I
didn’t see any less or any more heads
bobbling inside the car so I sat back
and relaxed.

They pulled up next to the bunker
and started unloading the trunks worth
of plants and storing them out of the
cold. It didn’t take them long before
they walked over.

Kris was the first to speak. “Thanks
for the help, guys.”

 

I placed my hands behind my head
and leaned back. “You’re welcome.”

Lisa had her hands on her hips.
“Should have known since we have
meat that you would be out here
smoking something.”

I started laughing. “Hey, at leas
t I
thought of y’all and threw enough on
for all of us.”

Lisa shrugged her shoulders. “So
what are we having?”

 

I opened the pit up. “Alligator
steaks.”

Gizmo pulled the backhoe up next
to us to help block some of the wind
and joined our group. “We need to
have a fish fry.”

“We would have to get some fish
baskets for our pots and find some
peanut oil.” I suggested.

Karen stepped closer. “Should have
told us before we went to town.”

I looked over at her. “You was kind
of already gone before we even got
back to suggest anything.

She crossed her arms. “Well, we
wanted to get back before dark.”

Lisa
started laughing. “Well…they
did. I could turn shopping into a
living.”

I laughed too. “We all know you
could.”

I grabbed a fork and opened the pit
to stick one of the steaks to see how
long they needed. “They’re ready.
Start passing out plates.” I turned to
Kris. “Will you run to the cafeteria
and grab the baked potatoes from
Milissa?”

She smiled. “Of course.”
Lisa walked over to Kris. “Wait,
I’ll go with you so I can grab a couple

thirty packs of beer.”

I interrupted them before they got
too far. “Meet us in the room. It’s too
damn cold out here.”

We took our plates and walked to
my room. I walked back out for the
table and chairs. Kris and Lisa walked
in with the baked potatoes and beer. It
was almost like sitting down as a
family which hasn’t happened in a
long time and well over due.

Milissa and Chelley walked in
carrying some butter, bacon bits and
shredded cheese. They tossed them on
the table and Bo and I moved to my
cot so they could have a seat.

Milissa pulled her chair up to the
table. “I think we have plenty of meat
to last us the winter.”

Chelley shook her head to agree.
Lisa started laughing. “Yeah, if the
boys stay out of it.”

I ignored the gesture and kept
chewing my mouthful of potato and
steak.

I watched everyone talking and
laughing once again as if we were
almost in a normal world.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

MILISSA AND Chelley took our
dishes to get them cleaned up. The
girls stayed in the room to gossip and
the rest of us went outside to look at
the pond.

It was a fairly small pond, covering
about half an acre. The center was
about twelve to fifteen foot deep.

Robin walked in the center and
poured some water out. “I don’t think
we need the sand or gravel; it seems
to hold water just fine.”

I looked over at Gizmo. “We got
the shit, we’re going to use it.”

 

He started laughing. “I figured we
would.”

Robin looked at us like he was
confused. “We can still use the stuff
somewhere else around here.”

I pointed downward. “No, it’s
going in this hole. Maybe not the
concrete, but the rest of it is.”

I walked around and opened the
tailgates to all the trucks and jumped
in the backhoe. I used the stinger to
pull all the sand out onto the ground
and used my bucket to push it into the
hole before driving into the hole and
spreading it out.

Once it was spread I came back for
the gravel. Gizmo hopped up on the
side and started pouring gas in while I
ran the stinger to drag the gravel out. I
again used my bucket to push the
gravel into the hole.

Bo ran to grab the women while I
spread the gravel around. By the time
he returned with them, it was ready to
throw plants in.

I parked the backhoe out of the
hole. “Start taking the trucks back.” I
told my guys.

They started moving them out and
Kris’ team started putting the plants
in.

Once complete Kris walked up.
“So, how are we getting water in
here?”

I laughed. “I guess Gizmo better
figure that out. I suppose he can run a
water hose for the rest of the
winter…Don’t think I’m worried
about getting a bill in the mail. He
may want to start collecting some nets
too, if he plans to stock this damn
thing with fish, because all you’re
going to be fishing for now is hopes
and dreams.”

Everyone made their way inside for
showers and sleep.

 

***

Tina laid quietly staring out of the
window into the stars. She was
wondering which one was her baby.

She lightly got out of bed and
walked over to Gizmo’s things. She
found his nine millimeter and ejected
the magazine. She used her thumb and
removed all the shells, but one and
loaded it back into the pistol. She
stood up and walked out of the door
and down the hall. She looked back
before walking outside.

The pond was new to her, but she
walked around it and kneeled at
Hudson’s grave. She brushed her
hand across the dirt, then chambered
the round.

***

 

Everyone was sound asleep until
we all heard the gun shot ringing out.

I jumped up with my heart feeling
like it just took a leap from my chest
and ran out into the hallway. Kris was
right on my heels and everyone else
was coming out of their rooms.

“Tina!..She’s gone, Tina’s
gone!”
Gizmo screamed as he bolted out of
his room.

We all ran outside. My eyes darted
everywhere trying to find her and
trying to see where the gunshot had
come from.

From the distance, there was Tina
lying on the ground next to her son’s
grave.
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