“Fat chance,” Ian said as the girls came out one of the two middle doors on the left side of the cabin. “We can start as he tries to call his dad. We can keep Dino outside and stay armed. Lance parked close enough; we can form a line with Allie and Carrie. We’ll just unload it here on the floor and put it up tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” Jennifer smiled and headed toward the back door.
The girls went with Ian as Lance lifted his phone to his ear and heard ringing. “Son,” his dad answered.
“Look, Dad, I’m sorry about earli—”
“Lance! You have nothing to apologize for, son. That was on me. Bill got us a laptop that can connect via satellite, a satellite phone and a small solar charger. We found out the cell tower close to us is solar and is working only in the afternoon. But enough of that.” His dad paused, and Lance could tell he was grinning. “It’s good to see you.”
“Huh?”
“We hooked up to the security system here. That’s how I knew to call you. The vehicle sensor at the bottom of the hill went off. I wanted to tell you someone tried to breach the front door.”
“Yeah, we found the crispy critter.”
“It was Donald Pierce’s son, the brother of Glen Pierce that lives down the valley. We let them cut hay in the field.”
“Well, he was trying to jack our stuff.”
“Yes, he has a side-by-side parked at the bottom of the hill near the power station.”
“We’ll get it tomorrow. You know when he tried to get in?”
“Six hours and nine minutes before you pulled up in the field.”
“Uh, Dad, do the Pierces know what this place really is?”
“No, son, the only people that know are the parents and Doug. Jason was told to get there because we could survive there, but Bill didn’t want to tell him what was there. Even the moms didn’t know how much we put there in different areas until we told them when this started. Don’t get me wrong; when we brought them in last year, they were very happy and added stuff we neglected. We just didn’t want them to know what we spent.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” Lance sighed, grinning and rolling his head back to lay it on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. “I wish you would’ve told me and Ian, but I understand.”
“I’m sure Doug told you this was the year you two were going to find out. After the stuff you two have done and never cracked, we figured you two would keep the secret better than us.”
“Dad, I’m really sorry for cussing you.”
“Son, that was my fault. I tried to call before you left the vehicle but couldn’t get through. I wanted to warn you about Donald’s son. I didn’t know what would happen if you turned the juice off—if he could get up and come after you.”
Lance laughed as he rubbed his face. “Shit, after what we’ve been through, one stinker is an easy kill.”
Silence filled the phone for several seconds, and Lance thought he heard his mom crying in the background. “Son, I’m sorry you can even say that. We should’ve been there.”
“Dad, I checked. They didn’t send out a memo that dead people were going to get up the first week of March. You always tell us hindsight is 20/20, but learn from it. Let me tell you, boy have we.”
“I take it you had problems on the trip up?”
“Sh— Well, you can say that. Stinkers charging us the entire way, people trying to kill us as we drive down the road, other people trying to chase us down and kill us, dodging wrecks, psycho cows blocking the road, and several of us found out when you shoot several magazines through your AR, it will burn the crap out of you.”
“Did you have to kill breathing people?”
“Fu— Oh yeah, I don’t know how many, but they tried to kill us first or make us stop, which Uncle Doug said was the same as killing us. We shot them so I’m thinking we killed them. Oh, and I ran over a few so I think we killed them as well but we didn’t stop to check if they were dead.”
“Son, from now on and until we get there, if you even think or get a feeling that someone wants to hurt you, kill them. Don’t think or hesitate; just do it.”
“On that you can be certain. Ian and Jennifer saw what a group of bikers were doing to people on the side of the road, and it wasn’t pretty.”
“Other than that, how did you do?”
“I hate driving. I thought it would be fun, but I feel like I gave birth, and I saw a show at school about that, and just the thought of that makes me sick.”
“Did the Hummer hold up well?”
“If it wasn’t for that Hummer, I wouldn’t be talking to you; that I know for a fact. I wish I could tell Uncle Doug thank you for that.”
“He knows, son, and he also left that Hummer to you in his will.”
A grin split Lance’s face. “I still wish I had Uncle Doug here instead of the Hummer, but I can still ride in the Hummer when my butt stops being numb. Did you know he was a SEAL?”
“Yes, son. You look tired. Your mom says you need to go rest, and I agree with her.”
“No, we have to unload that damn trailer and get that meat in the freezer.”
“It can wait if you put the meat in the ice chests frozen. Each one of those ice chests cost as much as a small freezer, and they are supposed to hold ice for twenty days.”
“Dad, not being a smartass, but as much effort as it took to load the stupid things, we aren’t taking a chance.”
“Did anyone else drive?”
Lance huffed. “No, Ian is still scared to drive after pulling Mr. Bill’s truck through the wall of the garage. I’ve never seen Jennifer drive, so I wasn’t taking a chance.”
“Well, Ian’s dad will talk to him in a minute,” his dad chuckled. “Jesus, son, how much stuff did you pack in that trailer?”
“Let me tell you, Jennifer can pack like no one I’ve ever heard of. That trailer is packed top to bottom and side to side as is the back of the Hummer and a few cases strapped to the top.”
“Doug did tell you what was there, didn’t he?”
“Not really, Dad, he… He didn’t have the time.”
“I understand, son, and I’m proud of you. Your mom wants to talk, so I’m getting off. Just get the ice chests out, and shove them in the cooler then get some rest.”
Lance suddenly jumped off the couch, looking around the room. “You can see us?”
“I told you we hooked into the system. Until you go downstairs into the special room and turn on the house, we can stay connected to the system. You do that tomorrow, and open Doug’s folder first. It will tell you what needs to be done in what order,” his dad said as Lance looked around the room for the camera. “Son, the smoke detector on the wall beside the screen is the one I’m looking at you now on.”
Lance walked over, looking at the smoke detector. “More Bond stuff.”
“Love you, son. Here’s your mom.”
“Love you, Dad.”
“How’s my baby boy?” his mother’s voice filled the phone on the verge of tears. Hearing it, tears filled Lance’s eyes. Normally, being referred to as “baby” made him feel like a little kid, and he would brush it off. But today, he felt like a little kid and wanted his mom.
Looking up at the smoke detector, Lance forced a smile. “Your baby boy is doing good, Momma.”
Behind him, the others were working hard to unload fast as Lance talked on the phone. Even Allie and Carrie could tell Lance was spent. His words were slightly slurred, and as he stood, he wobbled on his feet. The pile was rather large when Lance walked over and handed his phone to Allie.
“Mommy!” she cried into it.
Stepping over to the sink, Lance wiped his face so the others couldn’t tell he had cried. He had tried not to, but he just couldn’t stop. Turning on the water, Lance washed his face off then just stuck his face under the faucet.
Ian walked up, panting, and shoved Lance aside and stuck his head under the faucet. Pulling his head out, Ian gasped for breath. “Need your help with the fucking ice chests.”
Lance spun around and saw the pile that stretched from one side of the cabin to the other. “You unloaded it all?” he cried out.
“Yeah, we want your ass to conk out in case we have to fight, run, or play chess, amigo, and you are ready to drop.”
Lance turned around. “Dude, I was going to help.”
Seeing that Lance thought he let them down, Ian turned off the water and shook his head, sending a shower around him. “We know you would’ve, brother. That’s why we worked hard and fast. Even Allie and Carrie are worried about how tired you are. So am I.”
Dropping his shoulders and casting his eyes down, Lance leaned against the counter. “I miss Mom and Dad,” he said in a hushed voice. “I cried just hearing Momma’s voice. I didn’t want to, but I did. All I wanted to do was jump in her lap and let her hug me.”
“Don’t think I’m not going to cry when I talk to Mom and Dad, brother. Let’s get the ice chest in so you can rest.”
Lifting his chin, Lance nodded and headed for the back door, which was propped open. “Hold on for a sec,” he said, stopping by it. Moving to the side, looking at the door edge wise, Lance saw how thick it was.
“Yeah, I did the same thing,” Ian said, moving over beside him. “I knew the doors were heavy with a hinge that runs the entire length of the door and the pneumatic assist at the top. But after what Doug said, I wanted to check it out. The door is four inches thick. If you feel the bottom, you can feel a three-inch-thick steel plate and a one-inch carbon plate. It has an aluminum skin, and that is what is juiced up. The frame is insulated, and that’s about the only thing I can tell other than it is made out of some thick ass steel.”
“It’s a fucking vault door.”
“Just like Jen said, we are the new pigs running from the big bad wolf and ended up in the house made like a vault.”
Shaking his head, Lance moved over to the trailer to see Jen and Carrie sitting on the ice chests. Jennifer looked up. “Sorry, Lance. We tried, but the damn things won’t move.”
“I’m a little mad that you even tried.”
Jumping off the ice chests, Jennifer reared her shoulders back like she was getting ready to fight. “I’ll kick your ass for thinking that.”
“No thank you.” Lance smiled, holding his hands up.
“Carrie, Carrie,” Allie came running into the trailer, holding out the phone. “My momma wants to talk to you.”
Carrie’s face lit up with a smile as she ran over and took the phone. “Hello, Ms. Mary.” Allie came over as Carrie walked into the house, talking to Allie’s mom.
Allie looked up at them. “Momma said Carrie needed someone to talk to.”
Jennifer wiped her eyes. “Yes, she did,” she said, spinning around. “I’m not taking one end by myself.”
Letting out a groan, Ian moved to the end with her. “Oh great, I get one end all by myself.”
“But you’re such a stud muffin,” Lance said, giving a heave. They lifted the top one off and slid it to the back of the trailer. “Let’s just get them inside and close up,” Lance gasped.
The sun was coming up as they closed the back door with all the ice chests sitting side by side next to the staircase leading down to the basement. “Ian, your mom wants to talk to you,” Carrie said, walking over wearing a gigantic smile.
Wringing the sweat off his face, Ian took the phone. “Hey, Mom.”
As Ian walked away, Lance stood at the top of the stairs, looking down into the basement. “Lance, we aren’t even going to try it until Ian is here, so stop thinking about it,” Jennifer said, dropping down on an ice chest, panting.
Taking several steps back, Lance just stared at the first one in line. Unbuckling his chest rig, Lance let it fall to the floor and shook his arms, loosening them up. “Lance, I mean it, don’t,” Jennifer said, slowly standing up.
Charging forward, Lance extended his arms, catching the top of the ice chest and sliding it across the floor. “Move, you cocksucker!” he screamed, shoving the ice chest toward the stairs. When half the ice chest was over the first step, gravity did the rest.
The ice chest tilted and slid down the stairs, hitting the bottom with a crash. Looking down, Lance saw it was on its side, still closed, and looked unhurt. “Piece of cake,” he grinned, taking a few steps back.
Jennifer moved over beside him, shaking her head. “I now know you are more pigheaded than Ian.”
Lance grinned. “Now!” he said, and they charged the next ice chest, screaming many unkind words as it slid across the floor and down the stairs.
When they had all but one down, Jennifer looked at the pile at the bottom of the stairs. “They are down there, but we will still have to wait for Ian to move them to the freezer,” Jennifer said, stepping back and joining Lance for the next charge. “Fuck it; I’ll unload them where they land.”
“It’s a walk-in cooler, not a chest freezer,” Lance grinned. “Now!” They charged, shoving it down the stairs, and it joined its companions in the pile. Ian walked over, holding out the phone to Jennifer.
“The mommas want to talk to you,” he said. With a shy grin, Jennifer reached out and took the phone.
“Hello,” she said timidly. “Hello, Ms. Wilkerson.” She smiled then listened to the phone. “Yes, ma’am, I’ll call you Ms. Mary then.”
They watched Jennifer walk away, chatting with Ian’s mom. “That was nice of them,” Lance said, heading downstairs.