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Post by gipsy on Jun 1, 2022 16:45:13 GMT -6
Get better
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Post by imahic on Jun 1, 2022 18:14:01 GMT -6
Hope you have a speedy recovery.
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Post by CountryGuy on Jun 1, 2022 18:26:40 GMT -6
Hope you quickly get to feeling better
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Post by texican on Jun 1, 2022 23:00:45 GMT -6
Hello all. Just letting you know that it may be a bit for Wes and crew. I went to a work conference last week and manage to catch Covid for all my troubles. I am a bit better but it knocked me for a bit of a loop. I hope to be back on the wagon again, but though I have a lot of free time now, I have zero energy to scheme up new cliff hangers for you guys. Ooops, it is the meds talking. I'd never do anything on purpose like that! Solo, Take time to heal. Prayers sent. Now as to not having the energy to scheme to build new cliffs, you do know that we know better. Texican....
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Post by solo on Jun 3, 2022 9:45:49 GMT -6
Chapter 32
Wes and Jimmy made their way thought the light underbrush to the campground. The campground was fairly large about the size of a football field, in the shape of an exaggerated oval with about fifty yards of Lake Frontage. It was designed to be an RV park with a small tent area near the water. Now it was mostly tents or tarps as the denizens tried to build with what they could find.
They set up fairly near the camp but completely hidden. There were only a couple of people left in camp, as they figured a good majority of them had gone off on one of their daily treks.
The heat began to build. While not yet summer, it would be a scorcher of a day. Jimmy was studying the island in the distance. From here it didn’t look like much of anything and blended into the surroundings well. It was like a small spot of land with a tall hill in the middle. Or if you looked at it just right, it was a part of the ridge that suddenly stopped in the middle of the lake.
Leaning over toward Wes, they were both on their stomach facing out of the briar thicket, “What makes that island so special?” He hushedly asked.
“Well, it is easily defensible. First they have to find us, then they have to come to us over an open range, in this case, water. Then they have to attain the island, where I’ve limited it to one place. Then they have one way to us up hill. I like our chances.” Wes whispered.
Wes held up his hand. Something was tugging at the edge of his sense. This took him immediately back to his first meeting with Veronica. He closed his eyes and controlled his breathing. It took only a moment now to dial in his perceptions. With a small smile, he found what his senses were telling him. He lowered his hand and then leaned back toward Jimmy, encouraging him to continue.
“What was that about?” Jimmy naturally asked. Wes only gave a subtle nod of his head.
“Well, Okay, back to it then. What if it is someone who knows what they are doing? What then.”
“Not much we can do. Back side is all cliffs. I don’t fancy hanging from there when someone is shooting down at me.”
“Can it be repelled?” Jimmy asked.
“Yes. If you have done it before. Otherwise one of the outcroppings could take you out.” Wes explained. He reached over and tapped Jimmy. “Heads up. Quiet now.”
Wes didn’t need to add the last bit as a large vehicle slowly turned into the campground. It was a hummer of some sort.
They both looked on as the vehicle backed into a spot that had a good canopy of vegetation and was set back from the water. The spot may or may not have been in used, it didn’t matter now. Three occupants all came out. They were dressed in woodland camouflage, circa, 1980’s, and began to level the vehicle and set up woodland netting to further hide their vehicle. Within moments, this tasking was done and the occupants went back inside, securing the doors.
“Don’t appear too hospitable to me.” Jimmy smirked.
“Tell me about it. I want to get a look inside.” Wes looked the vehicle over a bit more. “But later, we need to get back.”
After a moment, Wes crawled quietly out of their hide. He was followed a moment later by Jimmy. Soon they were out of range of the campsite and they made their way back to the property. Just as Wes had guessed the Kayaks were gone.
Jimmy scratched his head while Wes began walking along the back counterclockwise from the campground and the family land. Jimmy watched him then followed. Soon they came to one of the many feeder streams. Wes looked at Jimmy and with his eyes, told him to keep walking around a bend, while Wes quickly and without notice slipped away to the side.
It didn’t take long before a small figure eased around the corner and squatted beside the large lodge pole pine in the bend, watching Jimmy just disappearing around the next corner ahead. The figure stood up and took a step, but failed to notice the danger that was near. In seconds, Wes overpowered the figure and had them pinned to the tree. There was no sound and very little protest.
Jimmy returned to the bend as Wes reached down and removed the cloaked hood from what turned out to be a young teenage girls. She glared back at him, burning him with her eyes. Wes looked at Jimmy and said, “Do you know her?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
“I felt we were being watched back at the campground. This just proves that.” Wes said, then to the girl, “Who are you? Why are you following us? Was that you living at the house?” The girl just looked back.
Jimmy tried. “How did you get that mob to overlook the house?” Still silence.
“Where are our kayaks?” Wes followed.
“Take me with you.” The girls said.
“What?” Wes asked.
“I can’t stay here. Take me with you. I’ll be safe there.” The girl said.
“First things firsts. Answer our questions.”
“We haven’t the time. That fat lady and her people will be back soon. I’ve learned their patterns.” She said.
“We need our kayaks.” Wes sternly said.
“I hid them so you wouldn’t leave me.” She said.
“How do you know us to trust us?” Wes asked.
“Because Jimmy is one of my cousins.” She said.
Jimmy looked closer. He hadn’t seen his family in so long so he really didn’t know all of his cousins. She’d had to have been five or six years old the last time he saw them. “I am sorry. It has been so long.”
“Yes, I was really young. My name is Talia.”
“Oh, your mother was Aunt Beatrice. Where is everyone?” Jimmy continued.
“They bugged out. My mother and I didn’t make it in time.”
“Where is your mother?” Wes asked.
“She met the campers outside when they first began going through your stuff out there. I haven’t seen her since.”
“Did you know the lady who was leading the campers? Her name was Amy?” Wes asked.
“She used to come over and visit my grand ma; she was a neighbor. I didn’t like her. She seemed to always be needing something. I guess I owe her as she didn’t let the campers into the house.” Talia said.
“Well, having visited, she probably knows that it is stocked and is saving it for herself. If that is the case, we need to secure it and get it somewhere safe.” Jimmy mused.
“We need to leave, now. They will be back soon.” She pleaded.
“Okay. I get it. But we do not need to leave the stash unguarded.” Wes said.
“You two go. I know the house and I know a few of its tricks. Go and get her settled and then come back after dark. We can move things then.” Jimmy suggested.
“For the record, I don’t like it. Too many moving unknown parts.” Wes stood looking out. Then looked at the girl. “We need to wait for nightfall anyway. Maybe we can come up with something in the meantime. Let’s go back to the house.”
“No. We have to go now.” The girl pleaded.
“Too late now.” As they turn the last corner leading to the homestead. Through the trees, they could see the campers moving past on the road toward the campground. Amy was in the lead with two of the larger men walking with her.
The crowd suddenly stopped as they noticed the new vehicle. Amy took a look around. For a moment, it appeared that she locked eyes with Wes across the distance. For a moment, the innocent victim made an appearance. It was shortly replaced by a surliness, as she knelt to confer with the two men.
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Post by imahic on Jun 3, 2022 21:37:08 GMT -6
Thanks for the update. Hope you're feeling better. I was lucky and had a light case. Wife spent about a month and half in the hospital and rehab.
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Jun 5, 2022 15:23:22 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by solo on Jun 6, 2022 8:56:55 GMT -6
Chapter 33
“Can we go now?” It was more a statement than a question. Wes took a couple of pauses to see what would happen. He just held up his hand with one finger in the air.
Talia sighed. She lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She always had difficulty with anxiety. She had worked out certain techniques to deal with them over the years but found that the best help was her medications. When that avenue ended, she realized that she had to deal with them better. And she had. She soon realized that she had more control over her day to day than she realized. With this control came a calming effect and she realized in this moment that it had been a couple of months since she had a panic attack.
She was really struggling with this one though. Thinking back on it, it seemed that the more things happened, or escalated that would have triggered one in the past, the more certain she was that they would not occur. She had realized that with the control in her life now, she could make her very own decisions and more importantly, live with those decisions.
She leaned into Wes to where only he could hear her. “You can do what you want. I’ve seen this before and if we do not leave now, I could lose everything. It is not open for discussion, I am going.”
With that she leaned back. Wes turned to look at her, but in the very act of that moment, she was no longer beside him. Wes digested what she said and smiled. He too, ease out of the concealment and slowly, and more importantly, quietly worked his way out. He knew Jimmy was right behind him.
Soon they were more than five football fields away and putting distance between them and the group. Wes stopped for a quick drink and to look around. They were following the shoreline around more. Soon he realize that Talia was next to him. He smiled and said, “You did good.”
“I don’t need your approval. I’ve kept myself alive, not you.” She said. There was no hubris or bragging, it was matter of fact and as the world existed for her at that moment.
“Well, it will be dark in an hour or so.” Pulling Jimmy in, he continued, “What should we do? I would like our kayaks back.”
“That isn’t an option right now. Don’t worry they are well hidden, just like all the rooms in the house, you had to have known that house to know where everything is. Amy uses that house to sleep in, but she has zero clue of the riches it holds.”
“She sleeps there every night?” Wes asked. He was beginning to see some options. Take out the head, and well, the rest is well known.
“Eventually. She uses it to reward her boy toys. Keeps them in line.”
Wes thought that through, wondering how a victim can turn that way so quickly, then began to mull how much of a victim she really was.
“So what you are saying is that the goods in that house are safe for now?” Wes asked.
Talia just nodded.
“Okay, then let’s just go back to the island for a few days and see what happens with that Humvee and the group.”
Talia shook her head no.
“What? Why?” Wes asked.
“I don’t know anything about out there and we have no way of getting out there without swimming. And I barely swim in that lake in the daytime. You aren’t getting me out there at night.”
“I have backups hidden. We are well stock and that place is well defended. There are three other women out there in addition to Jim and I.”
“I don’t know. I think I am better off here.” Talia countered.
“Look, that is okay too. You are your own person, and our offer is just an offer. We will not make you do anything you feel uncomfortable with. I will say that if you try to come over any other time then with us, that wouldn’t be wise. There are defenses on the island, both natural and unnatural that could certainly ruin your day. And you are welcome anytime.” Wes had decided. This was the correct tact to take, not that he was trying to force her, he just felt that she would be safer on the island with them.
She sat for a couple of moments then subtly shook her head. “I’ll come, but I can leave when I want? And no strings attached?”
“Yes, and absolutely not.”
After it got dark. They moved a few meters more around the lake and Wes found and uncovered an aluminum covered boat and soon they were moving quietly across the water. Soon they found the opening and beached the boat. Stowing it away, they carefully picked their way up the hillside toward the rock home.
Back in the Hummer, the two men were hovering over a panel in the back. They watched as the figures approach the water’s edge and then glide out into the water. Soon the thermal signatures faded with distance.
One of the men turned to the other, “Well, it certainly seems like there are some out here that are very secretive. Where do you think they went?”
“We will have to wait until tomorrow morning to see. That lady keeps knocking on our doors. She is persistent.”
He finally reached over and turned the comms equipment on. “Yes? What is it?”
Amy heard the voice. ‘Finally!’ she thought! “I need to speak with you!” She hissed.
“Well, Ma’am, that need isn’t mutual. Please stop.” He replied.
“Well, I have never!” She said.
“That probably explains it. Please leave me alone. I will be out tomorrow.”
“Listen, I run things around here. You will come out now!” She reached up and grabbed the handled to the rear of the vehicle. It was like she had grabbed ahold of a thousand bees as the volts screamed through her body. She wasn’t able to retract her hand and her whole body seized. Eventually, of the men flipped the switch and she simple slumped to the ground unconscious.
“And….” He said in a sing song voice. “Just like that! You learn to look with your eyes and not your hands.
Three sets of hands came and carried Amy off toward the lake. When hit with the jolts she had soiled herself and they took her and cleaned them up. “What do you think?”
“This could be our only chance to leave.” One of them said.
“I didn’t sign up for all this crap with her.”
“Do we kill her and be done with it?” They said.
“No I have other plans.” The third said.
“Ew, God, you are gross! I am out of here while I can.”
“Where will you go?”
“It doesn’t matter. Anywhere is better than here.” With that, they left her half cleaned, half soiled body leaning against the tree by the water. They collected what they could carry and their families and left. Over three quarters of the camp ground scattered and left that night. The men in the Humvee watched them as they went. This left about a dozen people, and Amy there.
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Jun 6, 2022 14:14:05 GMT -6
So many people have an inflated view of their own self worth. Thanks
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Post by CountryGuy on Jun 6, 2022 19:19:59 GMT -6
It was electrifying...
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Post by texican on Jun 6, 2022 21:57:42 GMT -6
Amy did experience a new electrifying thrill in her life. Texican....
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Post by imahic on Jun 7, 2022 10:35:20 GMT -6
So many people have an inflated view of their own self worth. Thanks Reminds me of dealing with officers of home owner associations.
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Post by iamnobody on Jun 7, 2022 11:14:01 GMT -6
So many people have an inflated view of their own self worth. Thanks Reminds me of dealing with officers of home owner associations. Power corrupts
Absolute power absolutely corrupts.
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Post by solo on Jun 15, 2022 10:14:33 GMT -6
Chapter 33
“Hey, What do you see?” Wes asked Sam.
Sam, who had the early watch, sat for a moment then cleared her throat. “Talia?”
“What about her?”
“Why would you bring a young girl back to our camp? What use will she be?” Sam asked.
“What do you mean?”
“We already have couples, but now with Veronica and Talia, that leaves things uneven, don’t you think?”
Wes looked at her for a while, weighing his options for a response. “I am not sure what you are eluding to, but I can assure you that I am not thinking in that area of all we have to worry about. We could use extra eyes and if need be, extra trigger fingers. This island is not that easy to defend as it is. And besides, Talia is Jimmy’s niece. She knows where all the su….”
Sam cut him off. “You know this is turning into a shit show and bringing more ladies to the party is going to screw things up.”
Wes pursed his lips. “Sam, I am going to say this once. You know how I feel about you. You know how I feel about you now and forever. But, it is crap like this that will drive me away. My focus is on your safety. If I have to use a 15 year old girl as a spotter or shooter to help achieve that, I will. Now I do not want to hear any more of this petty jealousy from you. Okay?”
“I think you need to leave. I can’t do my watch properly with you here.” She was miffed and it came through in this icy moment.
Wes took a deep breath and sighed. He eased out of the watch blind and headed over to the other side of the clearing. He sat on a large rock and just looked out into the water.
After some time. He picked himself up and went down to the water. He took the canoe and proceeded over to the bank on the opposite side of the island from the camp ground. Pulling the canoe ashore, he hid it under the low canopy of a mature magnolia tree. He was struck with the white broad flowers that dotted this tree, but also taken by the wilted flowers mixed in. He remembered how short lived the flowers were and how fast they wilted in the summer heat.
Suddenly, only mid-morning, the day felt hot. He had managed to shut it out, but try as he might. Summer was here. With a sigh he headed toward the dirt road that ran roughly around the perimeter of the lake. He went away from the campground, though eventually, it would lead him back by there.
“Hey, have you seen Wes?” Jimmy had joined Sam, getting ready to relieve her.
“Earlier. I am afraid I was a bit boorish to him.”
Jimmy chuckled a little. “My niece?”
“Yes, not one of my finer moments.” She confessed.
“You know he’s over 50, right?” He said with a little laugh.
“Yes, I do. I just didn’t want more attention getters for him. I didn’t know she was so young and your niece. At any rate, Yes. I saw him canoe over to the north shore and then disappear into the woods.” She said.
“Is it wise to go out by himself now?”
“He has always been a solo operator. I’d worry more about any one unsavory found him. As Liam said, he has a specific set of skills…” She said.
“Did you just hear yourself? You casually just gave a glowing recommendation to his maintain security and safety for all of us. Right?”
She nodded.
“Well, you can transfer that assurance to y’all’s relationship. That is my observation.” Jimmy said. “Okay, go get some rest, I’ve got you.”
Amy woke up. She felt like she had a high grade hangover. She stank and she found she had been haphazardly dumped beside the lake. Quickly, she stripped down as she was somewhat hidden from the campground. She entered the lake and worked hard to clean herself as good as she could without actual soap or a scrubber. When she finished, she realized she had another problem. She had no clothes.
Looking toward the camp, she started looking to see if anyone had anything hanging that she could use. It was then that she noticed that not everyone was there. This made her mad. Mad enough to not care.
Leaving the lake she went into the campground and began to call everyone to her. She quickly grabbed a dingy beach towel and wrapped herself. Only about 11 people showed up.
“Where is everyone?” She growled. “They better had not gone scavenging without me!”
“No, Ma’am! They all just left.” One late teen girls offered.
“What do you mean they all just left.” Amy snapped back.
“They all left. Probably because of how you treated them.” The girl was getting bolder.
“I will have your hide for that!” Amy shouted.
“You want me to get my manager so you can have me fired, Karen?” The girl replied.
There was an unholy screech. Amy lost her mind at this time and went on a tirade. The girl and the others picked up the backpacks they had packed and left the area.
All the while, Amy was screaming at them. Phrases like ‘You are nothing without me!’ ‘You can’t leave.’ ‘If you leave, you can’t come back.’ were tossed about in between bouts of screaming.
The small group, mostly older teens, simply left.
Amy soon worked herself out. She found a pair of shorts and a pullover that fit. It was too hot for the pullover, but it was all she could find.
She then noticed the Humvee sitting over in the corner. She decided to approach.
“Lady, stop. You should have learned better than this last night.” A voice blasted.
Amy stopped. “But I want to talk to you.”
“The feeling is not mutual. Please move along.”
Amy screwed her face up to give them a piece of her mind. They stopped her short. “That will not help. Please leave.”
Amy decided to not do this or say anything. She found a camp chair that was left behind and just sat there. Out in the open. Facing the vehicle. In her shorts and pullover.
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Jun 15, 2022 10:33:22 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by CountryGuy on Jun 15, 2022 11:21:14 GMT -6
Looks like Queen Karen's kingdom has quickly fallen... I think her time on this plane is limited... Curious about the watchers in the Humvee... How long can they stay holed up...
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Post by papaof2 on Jun 15, 2022 14:57:35 GMT -6
How many MRE's and how much water can you store in a Humvee?
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Jun 15, 2022 15:22:19 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by CountryGuy on Jun 15, 2022 15:34:14 GMT -6
How many MRE's and how much water can you store in a Hymvee? Better question might be how long can you hold it before you got to take a leak or a dump... I mean MRE's will back you up for days but still...
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Post by papaof2 on Jun 15, 2022 16:23:24 GMT -6
But she's not been watching them 24/7 so they could have done their business while she was asleep.
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Post by texican on Jun 15, 2022 22:21:45 GMT -6
How many MRE's and how much water can you store in a Hymvee? Depends on how much other junk and people are in the Hymvee. Texican....
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Post by solo on Jun 16, 2022 8:29:52 GMT -6
How many MRE's and how much water can you store in a Humvee? Hey, that's too far ahead... I am still waiting to see if they are friend or foe. or maybe the enemy of my enemy type of deal. And with the camp, trying to make it realistic to where our group do not have to "handle" every threat. There are new rules in this unknown new world, which make the rules fluid. Our group and definitely our muse does not know everything that is going on. They are information deprived. Just wanted to let folks in on what I am trying to explore a bit. It is great to have super heros, like Ethan and Logan, but there are regular old folks like me who want with a will to survive and do right as well. The supplied house is a luxury, but it is unsecured. And Amy... She may not like it, but as we know a karen scorned can become very unpredictable. And Wes is out in freespace, where he likes it. What will he do and what will he see.... I am waiting to see too.
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Post by solo on Jun 22, 2022 10:08:42 GMT -6
Chapter 34
Veronica sat about five meters from where the makeshift observation post was located. She didn’t quite hear what was being said by the two, but she could tell it was a bit tense. She then watched as Wes left and went over to the far side of the rock formation that they called home.
Home. Was this their new normal, as that jerk she had taken to the woods that first time used to say all the time? She wondered how he liked this new normal. Her mind drifted more. Was this her for real home? And what did that even mean. She never had a home for more than six months. It was one job after another.
Then her thoughts moved to the future. Both the near and far future. She was alone. For now, she was okay with that. But what was going on out there and what would it take to survive.
She knew from her time in desolate situations that when the crap hit the fan, there would be quite a few months for the first wave of violence, vacating and death would pass. This was usually followed by some time as the remaining waves came through. Only then could a steady future be establish. While she was pretty sure they were still in the first wave, she didn’t know how far along.
Motion alerted her to the presence of Jimmy. She realized she had sat there the better part of this morning and basically thought it away.
“Hey, have you seen Wes?” Jimmy had joined Sam, getting ready to relieve her.
Veronica got quiet and got pretty close to the ground. Making sure she wasn’t found out.
“Earlier. I am afraid I was a bit boorish to him.”
Jimmy chuckled a little. “My niece?”
“Yes, not one of my finer moments.” She confessed.
So, she is feeling like her hold on Wes is tenuous…. Maybe…..
Back on the loop around the lake, Wes was make his way carefully down the road. It was starting to look a mess from the lack of upkeep since last summer. He was careful to stay to the sides where it was mostly gravel that had covered the clay and in some cases, it had been washed to the sides. Though it may have made a bit of noise, it was a good tradeoff for leaving little sign that he had passed that way.
Occasionally, he was see a camp or two through the trees and even saw a couple fishing. They did not notice him as the woman had set a hook in a fish and was working to get it reeled in.
He kept working his way around and came to the main campground. He could tell before he got there that it was basically abandoned. He slowed way down and willed his senses to check his vicinity. With no tale tell signs, the continued to work his way into the campground.
He soon saw Amy sitting in a camp chair pretty much in the middle. From here, even he could see that she was getting toasty. He looked to where she was facing and saw the Humvee for the first time. It was well hidden under the trees at the backend of what he was call a better campsite. It was better because of all the trees and it was set off a little from all the other campsites.
He surmised this was some sort of standoff and he sat for a moment, trying to decide if he should seek to see what was going on. He had just decided that this wasn’t his deal and was about to turn when he heard squelch breaking from the vehicle. Then silence.
Inside the Hummer, one of the men called to the other. “I am getting infrared signals from over there.” He pointed out the front.
“Yeah, let’s get some optics on it. It is definitely too tall to be a deer.”
Amy heard the whirring sound come from the vehicle and looked up in time to see a telescoping lens of some sort come out of the equipment jumble on top. It turned and fixed on a point that was some ways behind her. ‘So one of those soulless harpies wants try and sneak back here.’
She turned her head slight and tried to make out if anything was back there. But couldn’t see anything.
The men inside scanned and scanned, but could not make out anything. “Now what?”
“Protocol says we go out to check it out.”
“What about her?” He asked.
“If she intervenes, shoot her.”
The front passenger door of the Humvee opened, and a figure clad in black from top to bottom, complete with web gear stretched over his plated vest. He was holding an AR of some sort and he eased out and closed the door. She watched him look around before locking eyes with her.
“It would have been better for you to stay in the vehicle.” A voice boomed out from behind the man.
Amy’s eyes got large as Wes grabbed the man and lifted him completely off his feet, shaking him and then tossing him to the side and against a tree.
The man crumpled to the ground with his head at an awkward angle. The driver’s door opened and another figure jumped out and threw a barrel over the hood of vehicle.
“Watch out!” Amy shouted. Wes had already anticipated this move, had already dropped to the ground. He put a 9 mil round from his Glock 19 through the man’s right ankle under the truck and the man dropped like a freefalling sack of potatoes. The man’s eyes got large as he looked under the hummer and looked down the barrel of the Glock and behind it Wes’ dark eyes.
“How many more?” Wes asked.
“It was just us two.”
“Why were you here?”
“Just following orders.” The man said.
“Who’s orders?” Wes asked.
The man was quiet. He didn’t say anything and just glared.
Back on the island, Veronica was still listening to Jimmy and Sam.
“You know he’s over 50, right?” He said with a little laugh.
“Yes, I do. I just didn’t want more attention getters for him. I didn’t know she was so young and your niece. At any rate, Yes. I saw him canoe over to the north shore and then disappear into the woods.” She said.
“Is it wise to go out by himself now?”
“He has always been a solo operator. I’d worry more about any one unsavory found him. As Liam said, he has a specific set of skills…” She said.
“Did you just hear yourself? You casually just gave a glowing recommendation to his maintaining security and safety for all of us. Right?”
“Well, you can transfer that assurance to y’all’s relationship. That is my observation.” Jimmy said. “Okay, go get some rest, I’ve got you.”
Veronica was really surprised. She thought to herself, ‘All I have to do is happen upon him out there.’ She waited until Sam passed by her hiding spot and then she silently got up and left. Going down to the water’s edge, she carefully stripped and eased into the water. She was careful to maneuver around to the side of the island where she wouldn’t be seen so readily and she struck out for the far shore with sure efficient and quiet strokes.
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Post by texican on Jun 22, 2022 16:18:13 GMT -6
Now just who or is them that the two were hunting for?
Thanks Solo.
Texican....
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Post by solo on Jun 30, 2022 9:48:07 GMT -6
Chapter 35
Sam watched Veronica as she approached the water. She shook her head and with a deep sigh pick up her handheld. She squelched a short specific pattern and after about half a minute, received a short reply of one long squelch acknowledging receipt.
She had to admit, as Veronica undressed, that she was still very toned and in shape, even after months being into this mess and eating food that was more for sustenance then maintaining top performance. She guessed that Veronica was missing all those mysteriously confabricated powders and stackers that the lady was religious about.
Soon, Veronica entered the water and started off with strong smooth strokes. Veronica went more toward Jimmy’s property and within a handful of minutes, she exited the water.
Sam found that her mind had wondered. For the last few months, they have been eating canned vegetables, Fruits and even meats. They were fresh canned, in mason like jars, and she was sure that Wes had either done the canning himself or had purchased them already processed. As she thought about it, there hadn’t been enough time last year for him to do a garden during the entire growing season through harvest. So more than likely, he hit the farmer’s market hardest. And he certainly had a good supply of deer and fish jerky. To her, she preferred beef, as both deer and fish jerky were somewhat of an acquired taste. Deer she could handle, but had to be very hungry for the fish.
And then there was the time he found quality tallow when he had visited the town. He got really excited about this. He visited the local market and a farmer and her husband, more of the rancher type, were at there, selling their bounty. They had the usual late summer suspects, watermelon, tomatoes, various beans, the last of the summer squash and cucumbers. What they also had several bottles of milk, kept on ice, and pint and half pint jars filled with relishes and jellies. Pint jars filled with fresh honey seemed to be going like hotcakes.
They also had among their gems quart jars of quality tallow, various quart jars of dill, bread-n-butter and sweet pickles. All pristine and perfectly canned and stored.
She remember how happy Wes had gotten when he found this couple. He spoke with them for quite some time. They invited them to both stay over their lunch period and took them back to their RV that was behind their market stand. Their RV was one of those combined car or motorsport handlers with living space in front. But the entire back end was rigged with shelves where storage bins could slide in and be locked for the rides from markets to markets.
They were served homemade bratwurst style sausages that were processed and smoke cured by them and with this, sauerkraut, made by the couple in gallon sized crocks. The kraut had been brought out, rinsed and heated up with dried apple, caraway seeds and small spoon of pure cane sugar (Wes had wondered if they made their own as well). It was all wonderful.
On their way back to the hotel room, Wes had stopped and gotten some roasted pecans and some dried apricots. The apricots had been dried out more than what you usually found sold in store, which were strips of leather.
Once in his room, he pulled out a small coffee grinder and a freezer gallon zip lock bag of deer jerky. In batches, he ground up all the jerkey, all the pecans and all the apricots into a course powder, like sawdust. He then took his small backpacking stove and his mess kit and melted the tallow and added it to the bowl with the powder. When he was happy with the consistency of the mixture he pulled out a roll of waxed butcher’s paper and on a sizable sheet, pour the contents of the bowl and began to form a rectangle about an inch and half thick. When he was happy with it, he cleaned up everything.
After they went to dinner, they came back, and the mixture had solidified. It was where he wanted it and he cut the rectangle down into bars and carefully wrapped and tied in in strips of the butcher paper. Except one. He cut it into pieces and tasted one. He actually got quite a blissful look on his face.
Then he smiled and handed me a piece. At first I refused. It looked like a box of sawdust that had been stained and epoxied together. But I trusted him. The texture was what I thought it would be and it started off being kind of bland. But then the nut and fruit components him me. It wasn’t that bad.
Sam remembered their conversation. “Not too bad, but given a choice…” She had told him.
“This is perfect for on the go nutrition and it lasts forever.”
“What is it?” She finally asked.
“It pemmican. Our first people ancestors lived off this stuff. But they did make it more from buffalo and buffalo tallow.”
At this moment, a shot rang out from the direction of the campground. Sam realized that she had been daydreaming and had lost sight of Veronica. Anne and Talia but ran to where Jimmy was watching through his spotting scope. Sam joined them.
As they waited for Jimmy to tell them what was happening. A second shot rang out.
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