Without Law 14, page 10
“I guess that’s true,” the brunette agreed.
“If they don’t want to talk over the CB, then they might actually have some sense,” Anna said.
“You wouldn’t respond to a message like that?” Bailey asked.
“Hell no,” the redhead chuckled.
“I’m inclined to agree,” Renee said.
“I’d go and scope out the situation before I revealed myself,” Anna added.
“Good ideas,” I confirmed. “And if anybody has good sense, then they’ll probably do that as well as they can. Unfortunately for them, they won’t get a great view since we’ll be behind the wall.”
“Still, better to be cautious in that scenario,” Anna said.
“I agree,” I said. “We’ll see how this plays out.”
Renee led us back to the fort, and we gathered our backpacks and took them to the room that she led us to. It was a large, ornate room with a huge four post bed similar to the room that we’d stayed in when Brody had been there.
“I hope you’re not giving us the fancy room,” I teased.
“Most of the rooms are fancy,” Renee laughed. “But this is just one that happens to be empty.”
“You don’t have enough rooms for all of your people to have their own, do you?” Paige asked, and her eyebrows pulled together with confusion. “I know this place is huge, but I didn’t think it was that huge.”
“It’s not,” the dark haired woman agreed with a shake of her head. “Most people have chosen to stay in rooms together. Either in groups of three or four. I think it helps everyone to feel safe. Besides, these beds are massive. They’d feel quite lonely by yourself.”
“I don’t know,” Tara said as she flopped onto the huge bed. “I could get used to this.”
“Whatever,” Paige laughed. “You’re the biggest cuddler out of all of us.”
“No,” Tara said. “I get cuddled. Bailey’s the cuddler.”
“I’ll agree with that,” Bailey replied with a shrug.
“Alright,” Renee said. “Well, I’ll leave you all to it. You’re welcome to roam around, of course, and let me know if you need anything. I’ll be in my office. Otherwise, try to stay cool.”
“Thank you, Renee,” I said, and she closed the door and left us alone in the room.
The fort was made mostly of stone, and the room we were in was no exception. It was a great relief from the sweltering heat outside since the stone stayed fairly cool.
I was drenched in sweat already from being out in the garden, so I pulled my shirt off and reached into my bag for a clean one.
“Yum,” Tara said, and I looked up to see her staring at me with hungry eyes.
“That is a nice view,” Anna said, and she sat on the bed next to the platinum blonde.
I chuckled and shook my head at them, then I pulled on another shirt, and they let out a collective ‘awww’ of disappointment.”
“Alright,” I said with a clap of my hands. “We have our plan for tomorrow ready, so I was thinking that we could spend the day here getting to know the place a little better.”
“What do you mean?” Bailey asked.
“Are we doing reconnaissance on Renee?” Paige asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Not exactly,” I answered. “But if we are considering moving here, then I want us to know how things work. We should keep an eye on the guards, how they keep watch, how many are on duty at a time, and so on and so forth.”
“Alright,” Anna agreed. “I like that.”
“We can also see how their supplies are used,” Paige pointed out. “And what chores they do.”
“Exactly,” I said. “We also want to see how well protected they are in case they do become a target for the North Koreans.”
“Should we tell Renee about this?” Bailey asked.
“Why would we tell her?” Anna countered.
“It just feels kind of wrong,” Bailey said, and she bit her lip. “Renee is our friend.”
“She is,” I agreed. “And we’re not doing anything to harm her. None of this information will be used against her, if anything I’ll speak to her about what she could improve around here as far as security.”
“Besides,” Paige said. “If we told her, then she might try to make sure everyone is on their game, and that messes up the whole experiment. The point is to see how they are on a typical day.”
“Paige is right,” I said with a smile. “And I promise, if we see anything that we think could be improved, then I’ll speak to Renee about it after the meeting tomorrow. Okay?”
“That seems fair,” Bailey said with a small nod.
“Should we split up?” Tara asked.
“I think that’s a good idea,” I agreed.
“I call Tav’s team,” the platinum blonde said with a raise of her hand.
“Of course you do,” Anna said with an eye roll.
“You’re just jealous I got to it first,” Tara said, and she stuck her tongue out at Anna but quickly pulled it back in with a giggle when the redhead reached for it.
“I’ll be on Anna’s team,” Bailey offered.
“How about you girls split into teams of two,” I suggested. “I’ll go it alone.”
“No fair,” Tara pouted. “I called dibs.”
“I can go alone,” Paige said with an amused shake of her head. “You go with Tara.”
“Alright,” I agreed. Paige was smart enough to do reconnaissance all on her own. All the girls were really, but I preferred for them to be in groups since that was less suspicious than running around by themselves. They tended to attract more attention than I did.
We all got into our pairs and headed back out to the fort. Paige, Anna, and Bailey went right while Tara and I went left. We walked around and took note of the number of guards and their attitudes. Most of them seemed vigilant, which I hadn’t expected. Not that I thought Renee was a poor leader, I just knew that oftentimes people got lax with their duty after a few hours.
All of these men looked out in the appropriate directions, though. They still chatted among each other, but they didn’t seem to have a problem focusing on their assignment.
We walked along the wall and saw some of the civilians below working. Renee had taken advantage of the lake and started to catch a lot of fish for everyone to eat. There was some being smoked below, and I could smell the aroma of it. My mouth watered as I breathed it in, and I made a mental note to ask Renee how they smoked their fish because it smelled amazing.
The more we walked around and checked out the place, the more I was convinced that Renee ran a tight ship. Actually, I didn’t even think that she pushed them to perform so well. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to do their jobs, and I wondered if it had something to do with the fact that they used to be under Brody’s boot. He had treated them like garbage, and I knew that they had hated him for it, but now they had Renee, and she was kind and understanding. It was amazing the difference a good leader could make in the attitudes of those below them.
The girls and I met back up in the room later in the afternoon and discussed what we had seen. The consensus was that the fort ran quite smoothly, though I did notice that, at least for tomorrow’s meeting, there could be a few more guards set up facing the water.
We had no way of knowing how anybody was getting here. I wouldn’t think it odd if somebody had a boat and used it to come to the meeting. If they didn’t have any other vehicles then that would be the quickest way to get here, and I was all about efficiency.
A knock on the door pulled us away from our conversation, and I called out for whoever it was to come in.
“Hey,” Renee said as she opened the door. “I was seeing if you all were hungry.”
“Starving,” Paige sighed.
“You’re always starving,” Anna teased.
“Yup,” the brunette chuckled.
“Well, dinner is ready,” Renee informed us. “Come join everyone.”
“Sure,” I agreed. “Thank you.”
“We smelled the fish that was being smoked earlier,” Tara said as we followed Renee down to the courtyard. “It smelled delicious.”
“I’m glad you thought so,” she chuckled. “Because that’s what we’re having.”
“It even smelled better than the smoked fish we make at home,” Tara said, and she narrowed her eyes playfully on Renee. “What’s your secret?”
“I’ll never tell,” the dark haired woman said seriously, then she let out a laugh and gave Tara a little shove. “I’m just kidding. I add a few things in with the wood. I’ll show you after dinner.”
“Thanks,” Tara laughed. “You had me there for a second.”
The courtyard was full of people and tables and chairs had been brought out for everyone to sit down. I smiled as I watched civilians dish up plates full of smoked fish, potatoes, and vegetables. It was such a contrast from how it had been with Brody. With him, everyone had eaten bread and stew while he had huge feasts prepared for himself. I felt bad for participating in a couple of those meals, but at that point we didn’t have a choice. We had needed to keep Brody happy for our plan to work.
Now, though, it was nice to see the civilians sharing in the fruits of their labor. The aroma that came from the table set out with food was absolutely magnificent, and my taste buds tingled as we got in line to fix our plates.
Most everyone else had served themselves by then, and there was still plenty left, so I took a generous portion of fish and grabbed some potatoes and green beans as well.
Renee led us to a table nearby. There were civilians sitting there already, but they welcomed us with pleasant smiles then went back to their conversations.
I took a bite of the fish and closed my eyes as I savored the flavor. It was absolutely delicious and smoked to perfection.
“This is amazing,” I said after I swallowed.
“Soooo good,” Tara moaned.
“I’m glad you like it,” Renee said.
“Thank you to whoever cooked,” Bailey said loudly, and she glanced around.
A few civilians smiled and waved in her direction, grateful for the appreciation.
“So,” Renee said after a few minutes. “I saw you all wandering around today. Did you find anything interesting?”
She said it with a smile, but I was still slightly surprised that she had noticed we were keeping an eye on her people. Renee was cunning, though, and I should have known that she’d notice.
“We were that obvious?” I asked with a smile.
“I figured you just wanted to see how things run around here,” she said with an understanding look. “Especially after we talked about the move.”
“I hope that’s alright,” I told her.
“Oh, of course,” Renee said.
“I bet it was Paige,” Tara said with a shake of her head. “You gave us away.”
“I did not,” the brunette scoffed.
“No, no, nothing like that,” Renee laughed. “I just went to check on you all a few times and when I found you I saw you watching what was going on.”
“Right,” Tara said, and she winked at Renee. “It wasn’t Paige. Of course.”
Paige chuckled and rolled her eyes at Tara’s joke, and I was glad that the girls’ sense of humor mixed well together.
“Did you find anything interesting?” Renee asked again.
“It seems that everyone is happy to do their jobs,” I told her. “You should be proud of that.”
“I’m proud of my people,” the dark haired woman said as she looked around fondly. “But I didn’t do that. They work hard all on their own.”
“I was thinking that you could use a couple more guards facing the water,” I said. “At least for tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Renee agreed. “You think somebody will show up on a boat?”
“It’s possible,” I said with a nod. “Probable, even.”
“I’ll make sure to add a couple extra guys up there,” she told me.
“Thanks,” I replied with a smile.
It felt good to know that Renee would take my advice when I offered it. She and I had always gotten along, but if we were potentially going to live at the fort one day then we needed to know how we would interact as leaders. We couldn’t both be fully in charge, not without working together. I felt good knowing that she would default to my opinion when it came to matters of security.
She was a smart woman, but she wasn’t trained the way I was. She was smart enough to recognize that, though, and to ask for and accept the help that I offered.
After dinner was over we played a couple card games with the civilians, but once the sun started to set I led the girls back to our room to head to bed. It was early, but I wanted them to get a good night’s rest, especially since we had no way of knowing when everyone would show up for the meeting.
The broadcast we’d sent out had told people to show up at noon, but I didn’t trust anyone to hold to that. They could be early or late. I wouldn’t blame someone for not wanting to wait around if they arrived early. I had no doubt that wherever these people may have come from, it was a hard journey to get here, especially if they were on foot.
Even though it was early, the girls fell asleep quickly, and I followed shortly behind. The next morning I pried their arms and legs off of me so that I could maneuver myself out of bed.
I quickly got dressed before I plugged in the old electric kettle that Rolly often used to make coffee for us at home. I’d brought a small bag, and he’d lent me the kettle so that I wouldn’t need to make a fire or anything. I was glad that the fort had power, too. Renee had managed to get everything running and powered by generators and fuel from the refinery. She was a smart woman.
The sun was barely up over the horizon, and I looked out the window at the sky as the water heated up. There were still some stars that were visible, but the bright blue and yellow of a new day slowly emerged as I stared outside.
“Mmm, do I smell coffee?” Paige asked, and I turned to see her sit up in bed and rub her eyes before she reached for her glasses.
“You do,” I chuckled. “It’ll be ready in just a few minutes.”
“Aren’t you banned from making coffee?” Bailey asked as she leaned up and stretched.
“I never agreed to that,” I retorted with a laugh
The girls were all in shirts and underwear since they hadn’t bothered to bring pajamas, and I admired them as they slowly woke up.
Bailey had on a white tank top that I could clearly see her nipples through and a pair of pink panties. Her shoulder length blonde hair was messy, but her blueish gray eyes were bright when she looked at me.
Paige’s long chestnut hair was down, and it hung all around her and nearly enveloped the top half of her body. She wore an oversized Piper College T-shirt and a pair of boyshorts underwear. As I watched, she pulled the hair tie from her wrist and pulled her hair into its usual messy bun.
Tara rolled over and stretched out her whole body. She had on a black bra and panty set, and even though it was first thing in the morning her makeup somehow still looked perfect. Her ample breasts pushed to the sky as she stretched, and I smiled at her sexiness even when she was still half asleep.
Anna sat up to reveal a mane of red hair that hung down to her waist. She had on the T-shirt she’d worn the day before and a simple pair of black panties. The redhead yawned and stretched, and her shirt rode up slightly to reveal the smoothness of her stomach.
The dorm common area that we stayed in had windows, but they were further away from where we slept, so I didn’t get this great of a view in the morning at home. That was one thing about the fort that I could definitely get used to.
I served the girls coffee, and shortly afterward Renee called us down for breakfast. After that, though, I posted myself on the wall and kept an eye on the garden and the surrounding area. I didn’t see anyone around trying to scope the place out, but then again if they were any good at reconnaissance, then I wouldn’t have seen them.
The day was hot, and a layer of sweat coated me as I watched from the wall. About an hour before noon, though, I decided that it was time for us to head to the garden. If anyone did show up early I didn’t want them to have the opportunity to get into place before we were there.
I led the girls and Renee over to the garden, and we all got into position. Nobody spoke as we waited, and I watched the sun intensely to help pass the time. It had been about half an hour since we’d gotten ourselves set up, and I was starting to feel as though nobody would come.
The sun moved slowly across the sky and soon it was precisely noon, and we had still yet to see anyone.
“It’s about time, isn’t it?” Renee asked.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
A few more minutes passed, and I could feel my body become more on edge. I was ready for whatever came our way, but I wanted it to come already.
“There’s someone coming,” Bailey shouted suddenly, and my heart rate accelerated even more.
It was time to meet the neighbors.
Chapter 7
The sound of an old engine caught my attention, and I closed my eyes and listened to see if I could figure out exactly what it was.
It was familiar, but it also sounded like something I’d heard a million years ago.
“It’s an old truck,” Bailey called before I could place the sound. That made sense, though, especially when I heard the thing backfire.
An old truck seemed like a good sign. It meant that whoever it was was savvy enough to get it running again. Now we just had to see if they were going to be as intelligent in this situation as they had been with their truck.
“Weapons are welcome,” Anna announced after the engine cut off. “But they must be holstered. You’ll find all of ours holstered as well.”
I heard some murmuring, but after a moment the redhead looked at me and nodded.
A second later a group of four men walked through the gate by Anna. She kept her eye on them and watched them carefully, but it was clear that all their weapons were holstered. The men were slightly dirty looking, and they seemed hesitant as they walked into the garden, but once they saw Renee and I, they gained a bit more confidence and came up to us.
