Without law 9, p.5
Without Law 9, page 5
“I’d say so,” Bailey agreed.
“Lunch is ready,” Betty announced.
We called everyone down to eat and discussed the plans for the next day. The civilians offered to assist Rolly and Betty with the bodies after chores were finished, and Briar and Justin asked if we would check in on their farms as well.
Now that winter was nearly done it was time to venture back out into the world and find out what waited for us across the river. All I knew was that my team and I would be ready for it.
Chapter 4
The next morning I woke well before dawn and went downstairs to cook some breakfast since everyone was going to head out early that morning, but I found Rolly and Betty already in the laundry room.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Mornin’,” Rolly said. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please,” I said and took the cup he extended to me.
“What are you doing up so early?” Betty asked.
“I’m always up early,” I laughed.
“Yeah, but normally not quite this early,” Betty said.
“I figured I would come down and make some breakfast for everyone,” I said. “We have a hard day of work ahead of us.”
“Already on that,” Betty said with a nod at the wood stove.
“And coffee, too,” I said. “You two are saints.”
“About time someone noticed,” Betty said with a wink.
“I notice,” Rolly said with a smile.
“I know, sweetie,” Betty said, and she kissed Rolly on the cheek.
“Do you all need any help with the bodies today?” I asked. “We can stick around for a bit and help get things going.”
“Nah,” Rolly said with a wave of his hand. “We can handle it, you and the girls go check on things out in the real world.”
“Yes,” Betty agreed. “I really want to know how my house held up to the swarm of Canadians.”
“Alright,” I said. “Even if it’s a mess, we can always fix it up.”
“Thank you,” Betty said seriously. “That house has been in my family for generations, I’d hate for it to be gone forever.”
“We’ll figure it all out,” I assured her.
“Thanks again for checking on it,” Betty said.
“It’s no trouble,” I told her. “We needed to check out the surrounding areas anyways, and the farms should be our first stop.”
“What exactly are you looking for?” Rolly asked. “People who survived?”
“I just want to see if there are any threats near us,” I said. “If there is a camp of ten-thousand hungry survivors just a few miles away, that will make things very complicated for us, so we need to know what’s out there.”
“Do I smell coffee?” Tara asked, and a second later she appeared at the doorway wearing dark blue skinny jeans, hiking boots, a distressed black sweater, and a light gray beanie.
“You most certainly do,” Rolly said, and he handed the platinum blond a cup.
“Thanks Rolly,” Tara said as she took a seat next to me on the floor.
“Can I get a cup of that?” Anna asked as she appeared in the doorway wearing her typical athletic attire with a deep green hoodie thrown over it. Her long red hair was complemented by the green of the sweater and it made her skin and eyes seem that much brighter, though she always was a morning person.
“Of course,” Rolly laughed. “Anybody else?”
“Me,” Paige said as she appeared in the doorway as well. She wore black skinny jeans, hiking boots, a college sweater, and instead of her usual messy bun she had a light gray beanie to match Tara’s.
“Where’s Bailey?” Rolly asked.
“With Winchester,” Paige said as she took the cup Rolly handed her. “I bet she’ll want a cup too, though.”
“I would,” I heard Bailey say, but I didn’t see her yet.
A moment later she came to the doorway with Winchester in tow. The dog looked like he felt a bit better, but still seemed to have trouble moving quickly.
“Look who decided to join us this morning,” Bailey said with a wide smile.
“Good boy,” Paige said as she reached over to pet Winchester’s black head gently.
“Seems like he’s feeling better,” Anna said.
“Yeah,” Tara said with an eye roll. “He’ll be shaking out his wet dog hair all over me again any day now.”
“Oh, hush,” Betty said. “We all know you love that dog just as much as the rest of us.”
“She’s right, you know,” I laughed.
“Whatev,” Tara said with a shrug, but then she slyly smiled at Winchester.
“So what’s for breakfast?” Paige asked.
“Are you ever not hungry?” Anna teased.
“Never,” the brunette responded seriously.
“Venison bacon, grits, and eggs,” Betty answered.
“Yum,” Bailey said as she took a seat on the floor next to Rolly and Winchester.
We sipped our coffee as Betty finished up breakfast, and soon the civilians and other farmers had woken up, and I could hear them milling about in the common area.
“Is Kimmy going to watch the kids today?” I asked.
“I believe so,” Rolly said. “I don’t think anybody wants to take them down to the bodies with us.”
“Of course not,” I agreed.
“When do you expect you all will be back?” Betty asked.
“I can’t say for sure,” I said. “But I’ll try to make it before dark.”
“Alright,” Rolly said. “Be careful out there.”
“You know we will be,” Anna said.
“Well, let’s serve up this breakfast,” Betty said as she pulled two large pans out of the stove.
“Oh, my God that smells so good,” Paige sighed.
“It’ll taste even better,” Betty said with a smile.
We helped Betty carry the food out to the common room, and she served up plates for the kids first, then everyone else. As delicious as the breakfast had smelled, it tasted even better. The venison bacon was salty and delicious with a slight maple flavor to it, and it paired well with the eggs and grits that Betty had prepared.
After breakfast was over, we said goodbye to Winchester and the rest of the group, only after Kimmy promised to keep an eye on him as well, then we grabbed our full gear, including helmets and vests, and headed outside.
The sun had barely broken the horizon, and the morning was cold and deep blue from the sky. I led my team into the woods headed toward Betty’s farm. The snow on the ground had refrozen during the night and it crunched beneath my feet as I walked. The sound was almost calming, and I breathed in the crisp air as we started our day’s journey.
“Do you really think people took over the farms?” Bailey asked.
“I definitely think it’s a possibility.” I nodded.
“What should we do if they’re not bad people, though?” Paige asked.
“Then we’ll reason with them,” I said. “It’s Betty’s property, and we’ll probably need it to plant and harvest this year, so we’ll have to explain that to them.”
“What if they don’t want to leave?” Tara asked.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” I said. “But I don’t think we’ll have that problem.”
“You don’t think anybody’s there?” Anna asked.
“I don’t think they’ll be good people,” I corrected.
“Why not?” Bailey asked with pinched eyebrows.
“I’ve been around enough disaster situations to know that it’s usually not the good people who survive,” I said solemnly.
“Oh,” Bailey said with a frown.
“People were either prepared for the winter,” I began, “or they did terrible things to survive it.”
“Or maybe they found a way to survive without being terrible,” Bailey said hopefully.
“Maybe,” I said with a soft smile.
The group was quiet as we continued to walk.
We reached the river quickly, but ran into a new problem. The water was particularly high from the melted snow and rainfall last year. With the weather still cold, there was no way we could swim across.
“What are we going to do?” Paige asked.
“We’ll have to find a narrow place to cross,” I said.
“There’s a place with a bunch of rocks about a half mile up that way,” Bailey said with a point toward the mountains.
“We’ll try that.” I nodded. “Lead the way Bails.”
“Do you think the river will go back to normal?” Tara asked as we walked.
“Well,” Paige said. “This is normal for the river. We got a lot of rain last fall, and with the snow melting it’s only natural that it’s overflowing.”
“It might be good for fishing,” Bailey said.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t help us right now,” Tara said.
“It’s not much farther to the place with the rocks,” Bailey said. “We should be able to cross there.”
Bailey led us along the river bank and I listened to the water as we walked. It rushed with a ferociousness that was both calming and troubling. Finally we stopped, but I didn’t see any rocks we would be able to use to cross.
“I swear it was right here,” Bailey said.
“The water probably covered them,” Paige explained.
“Damn,” Bailey breathed. “Those rocks were pretty high up, the river must be super swollen.”
“It’s alright,” I told her. “Let’s look for a fallen tree we can use to cross.”
“Alright,” the blonde said with a nod.
We fanned out to search for anything usable. I found one small tree trunk, but it was old and rotten. There was no way we would make it across on it. Maybe the girls, but definitely not me.
“Over here,” Anna called, and I headed toward the redhead.
She had found a large tree that seemed to have fallen during a storm. I checked the wood and found it to be sturdy.
“This will work,” I said with a grin.
“Let’s get this thing moved,” the redhead said.
The rest of the girls came to assist, and we managed to get the large tree trunk pushed across the water, though Anna and I had to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
“I think I got a splinter,” Tara pouted after the log was in place.
“Let me see,” Paige said, and she grabbed the platinum blonde’s hand to inspect it. “It’s just a scratch.”
“Well, it hurts,” Tara sniffed.
“Alright,” I said. “One at a time. Anna, you’re first.”
The redhead crouched down, then ran across with five easy strides.
“Paige,” I said.
“Alright,” the brunette chuckled. “But I’m not doing that.”
“Noted,” I laughed.
The brunette moved slowly across the makeshift bridge. She used her arms to steady herself, and almost took a tumble once, but she made it.
“Tara,” I said.
The platinum blonde nodded, then quickly ran across the bridge. She took much smaller steps than Anna had, but she moved swiftly and easily to the other side.
“Bailey,” I said with a smile.
“Okay,” the blonde said, and she walked across the log easily, like it was any other part of the forest.
“Bailey,” Anna said.
“What?” the blonde asked.
“Uh, what the hell was that?” Tara asked.
“I just walked across,” Bailey said with a shrug.
“We can see that,” Paige said dryly. “But we all tried to be careful not to fall in, and you just walked like it was nothing.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve had to use a log bridge,” Bailey chuckled.
While the girls chatted I took careful and quick steps across as well, and I let out a long breath when I made it to the other side.
“Alright,” I said. “Let’s keep moving.”
“Fine,” Tara said. “But Bailey is going to have to show us how to do that on the way back.”
“Just don’t overthink it,” the blonde said.
“Fine, then,” Tara sniffed. “Keep your secrets.”
“Did you just reference Lord of the Rings?” Paige asked with shock.
“No,” Tara said. “I saw that on some meme before the power went out.”
“Dear God,” Paige groaned.
We continued our trek through the woods with Paige and myself leading the way. It was still cold outside, and I kept my hands in my pockets for warmth.
“Hey, Paige,” Bailey said as we walked. “What day is it?”
“Um.” The brunette thought for a moment. “I think it’s somewhere around the first of March. Why?”
“Oh I was just wondering,” Bailey said shyly.
“What’s going on?” Anna asked with a raised brow.
“I’d like to know as well,” I said.
“Just, my birthday is in March,” Bailey said softly. “That’s all.”
“What day?” Tara asked.
“The fifth,” Bailey answered.
“Oh my God!” Tara squealed. “It’s almost your birthday! We should plan a party!”
“No, it’s okay,” Bailey said. “I was just curious.”
“We’re having a party,” Tara said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“She just wants a reason to break out the booze,” Anna snickered.
“Damn right,” Tara said with a grin. “But I also love birthdays.”
“Who likes birthdays that much?” Anna asked.
“What?” Tara scoffed. “Birthdays are awesome. You get presents and everyone does what you want and there’s cake and ice cream and booze.”
“I mean, she has a point,” Paige said to Anna.
“Birthdays are overrated,” the redhead retorted with an eye roll.
“You’re overrated,” Tara said, and she stuck out her tongue at Anna.
“I don’t see why we can’t throw Bailey a little party,” I said with a grin.
“Really,” Bailey protested. “It’s not necessary.”
“You shut your mouth,” Tara said with narrowed eyes. “We’re going to throw you a party and you’re going to like it.”
“Alright,” Bailey laughed. “But I’d rather just have a nice dinner and some drinks.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” I said.
“How old are you turning anyways?” Anna asked.
“Twenty one,” Bailey answered.
“Oh, yeah,” Tara laughed. “We’re definitely drinking.”
“But Bailey gets to pick the liquor,” Paige said.
“I’d rather have wine,” Bailey said.
“Sorry,” Anna said with a shake of the head. “It’s your twenty first, liquor is a must.”
“You can have whatever you want,” I told Bailey, and she stuck out her tongue at the other girls.
“We’re feeding her shots,” Tara whispered.
“It’s on,” Anna whispered back.
“Do not plan to give Bailey alcohol poisoning,” I laughed. “We can all hear you.”
“We would never,” Tara scoffed, then she whispered to Anna. “He’s on to us, we’ll talk later.”
We continued on through the woods for another two hours or so before we came to the field by Betty’s house. I hung back at the tree line to watch for a moment.
“I don’t see anybody,” Anna said.
“Neither do I,” I said. “But get your pistols just in case. Let’s clear the place.”
“Alright.” Paige nodded.
“House first, then barn,” I said, and the girls nodded. “Let’s go.”
I took off toward the house in a low run with my pistol held down toward my feet. When I reached the house I didn’t hesitate, I simply threw the door open and cleared the entry area.
Anna came in and flanked to my right, and Paige to my left. Bailey and Tara headed upstairs, and after a moment each area was called out as clear.
“This place is a disaster,” Anna said when I found her in the living room.
“It’s not great,” I agreed as I looked at the surrounding wreckage.
It seemed nobody had occupied the house for long, but it looked like whoever had been there had thoroughly gone through every cupboard, drawer, and piece of furniture looking for anything to help them survive.
“Betty’s not going to be happy about this,” Bailey said as she came into the living room as well with Tara and Paige behind her.
“No,” I agreed. “But we’ll get it cleaned up for her soon.”
“I’m glad she didn’t come with us,” Tara said. “I do not want to see that lady mad.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever really seen Betty angry,” Paige mused.
“Let’s keep it that way,” I said.
“Alright,” Anna said with a clap. “Onto the barn?”
“Yes,” I said. “Let’s clear it, then head to Briar’s place.”
“Hey,” Paige said, and she pointed to the floor of the dining room. “What’s that?”
“Let me see,” I said and I moved to inspect the stain on the floor.
“It looks like blood,” Paige said with a frown.
“You don’t think somebody was killed here, do you?” Bailey asked from behind me.
“It seems like quite a bit of blood,” I said. “But it could have been someone who was injured and looking for shelter.”
“This is how you get ghosts, you know,” Tara said dryly.
“For once I agree with Tara,” Anna said. “Someone dying in your house is definitely how you get a ghost.”
“We don’t know for sure that someone died,” Bailey said.
“She’s right,” I agreed. “We only have the blood to go off of. Someone could have stayed here until they were able to travel once more.”
“Is that what you really think?” Paige asked with pinched eyebrows.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “But there’s nothing we can do about it now, so there’s no use in stressing about it. Let’s go finish clearing the area.”
It didn’t take long to clear the barn, and it seemed it had mostly been left alone. There wasn’t much sign of a disturbance, but it was a barn so there wasn’t too much to disturb without the livestock occupying it.
After we had cleared Betty’s farm, we continued through the woods to Briar’s place.
