Without Law, page 17
The early morning was partially cloudy but a gentle warm breeze gave the day a fresh feel. I could not help but think that it would be a wonderful day for a bath. I stopped at the library doors and took a moment to gaze out across my domain. Even in the clouds it was beautiful, and thoughts of all the survival improvements we could make to the school made me smile.
The morning started just like the previous few had with all of us gathered in the library.
I skipped the coffee again, but I had some cold chunks of meat from the night before set out as a morning meal. Everyone was dressed for the outdoors again, and Tara had a smug smile plastered across her face.
“Based on what I heard last night I was worried you might need to sleep in this morning,” Anna joked.
“Sorry, I guess I can get pretty loud,” Tara said with a shrug.
“I mean, Tav makes it hard to be quiet,” Paige added.
“I don’t do anything half assed,” I said with a wink.
Paige and Tara went red and giggled as they shared a look.
“I’m kinda jealous,” Bailey muttered.
“I think I’ll sit this one out,” Rolly said with a chuckle.
“I’m okay with that,” I said.
“You guys are all idiots,” Anna chimed in with dripping sarcasm.
“More time for the rest of us then,” Tara said.
“Yeah well, we need to make sure our work is done first,” I reminded them. “Rolly and I are on water today. We will take a little extra time to set up some trotlines after we get washed. Paige and Bailey will head out and check the traps while Tara, and Anna stay here and create spears.”
“Are there any more broom handles or anything to use?” Anna asked.
“No,” I replied as I shook my head. “You will have to go into the forest for a little while and find some nice straight sticks that will make nice spear handles.”
“Alright, and what about the tips?”
“We could totally raid the kitchen for more knives,” Tara suggested.
“Good plan,” I said. “I left the twine in the dining hall with the rest of our supplies, but I’ll let you all figure out how to attach them.”
“Woohoo!” Tara fist pumped. “I get a project.”
“You’ll do great at it,” I said as I smiled at her.
“I wrote down a list of parts that the jeep needs,” Rolly started, “Unless we can get what’s on that list the vehicle isn’t going anywhere new. Makes a nice decoration though.” He grinned wide, and the leathery skin of his face folded into deep wrinkles.
“How about the motorcycle?” I asked
“It’s running fine now that it has the new air intake,” the old man confirmed.
“Good. Once we get done with our morning duties, I will take care of the rest of the dogs. Paige, I want you to spend some time in the library once you get back. See what books you can find that might help us. Look for anything related to hunting, traps, or survival.”
“Should be simple enough,” the bookish brunette said.
“Good, now let’s get going,” I commanded. “We are doing really well but we can’t get lazy now.”
Then we headed out of the library in groups of two.
Rolly and I picked our way through the forest together. I carried a five-gallon jug while the handyman, on my suggestion, carried a single gallon container. We got to the stream, filled our containers, and took a quick bath.
I stepped into the stream and sucked in a sharp breath. I knew it would be cold, but was still unprepared for the chill as I waded in until the water was around my waist. I shivered as I started to scrub myself with the simple bar of soap. Layers of caked on mud, sweat and grime rolled from my body as I washed. The smooth stones underfoot made me struggle for balance at several points, and once I lost my footing and splashed into the stream. I laughed as I broke the surface and saw Rolly chuckle and shake his head from his spot on a rock nearby. By the time I rinsed the shampoo from my hair and trudged out of the water I was left feeling refreshed despite the cold. It was the first time I had been truly clean in many, many days.
“Didn’t think I would miss hot showers this much,” I said as I started to towel off.
“Got any survival skills to fix that one?” Rolly asked.
“Wish I did,” I said after I chuckled and shook my head. “I am sure we can figure something out once we get water running to the campus.”
Rolly nodded and fell silent for a moment as he dried his thin and wispy hair. “You ever imagine you would come outta the woods to find a world like this?” he asked.
“Not really,” I replied. “Don’t think any sane man would have expected this, really.”
“True, true,” Rolly mused.
“I sorta wish I had made it back in time to enjoy one last cold beer,” I said as I cracked a thin smile. “What about you? What do you miss most?”
“Baseball,” he said. “Really miss watching the games while having a drink on a hot summer day.”
“Very classic,” I replied.
“What can I say, I am a bit old fashioned,” he said with a shrug.
“Nothing wrong with that,” I said. “In fact, I like that about you. Reminds me of a simpler time.”
“Were you even around for those simpler times?” Rolly asked with a smirk.
“Hey, I heard enough stories to know about what things used to be like,” I replied.
“Maybe I can tell you some more stories sometime,” Rolly said.
“I’d love to hear them,” I said before I stood and stretched. “Come on, let’s get to work. Don’t want the ladies to get too worried.”
Once we had redressed Rolly pulled out some lines and a plastic box full of fishing hooks. They were a little smaller than usually used for a trot line but we had to work with that we had.
“Where did you want to set these up?” the old man asked as he worked to untangle the line.
“Downstream,” I said as I started to help him. “Don’t want to contaminate our drinking water with any of the blood from our bait.”
Rolly nodded, picked up his gear, and started to trek down the stream.
I followed the man and it wasn’t long until I spotted a nice wide spot that would allow for a bigger line. I took one end of the line and crossed the stream before I tied it off to a nearby branch.
Rolly did the same on his end, and we started to fasten and bait the hooks. They trailed off the main line on strings of their own and shifted and swayed in the water.
“I haven't done this in years,” Rolly commented.
“Seems like you kept pretty busy at the school,” I replied.
“Oh yeah, always was something to do, and then when I did manage to get time off never felt up to fishing. Always seemed like just more work.”
“Might not be a leisure activity right now, but it is still kinda fun,” I said as I baited the last hook and let it splash into the water
“Sure is.”
“Plus, I think the girls will be thankful for something that is a little less gamey than our usual fare,” I said with a chuckle.
“Those rabbits weren't too bad though,” Rolly said as we moved on to another spot to set up a second line.
“Yeah but the bear is not only gamey, but pretty greasy too,” I said.
Rolly chuckled, and the both of us spent the next twenty minutes swapping stories about fishing and hunting as we set up the second line. Then we finished up, grabbed our water, and headed back towards the campus.
“Tav, I wanted to say thank you,” Rolly said on the return.
“What for?” I asked.
“For helping us out, and being a good guy,” he stated. “I mean, hell, we are building up a decent stockpile of clean water, our food supplies are growing instead of shrinking, and everyone is happier having you around.”
“I am glad I could be of some use,” I admitted. “Though this is nothing compared to the position we will be in if Lanceton turns out to be full of supplies.”
“Sometimes you’re too humble,” Rolly said with a chuckle.
“Nah, just doing my job,” I said. I had never been much of a gloryhound, and it would certainly do me no good here.
A little sunlight broke through the scattered clouds as we arrived at the campus again, and the two of us exchanged satisfied smiles.
“Rolly, it’s been a pleasure,” I said before shaking his hand.
“We should do it again soon,” Rolly joked. “Well, I’m gonna go make a list of parts I need for the jeep.” He gave me a curt nod and headed out.
I met up with Anna and Tara by the firepit where they sat working on spears.
“How was the morning?” I asked as I plunked down the gallon jug.
“Not as good as last night,” the platinum blond said before she gave me a wink.
“I’ve heard all about it,” Anna said as she rolled her eyes. “Over and over again.”
“Sounds like you two had fun then,” I chuckled. “Can you ladies do me a favor and start a fire? I want to make a second water run.”
“Sure,” Anna said with a nod. “Are we desperate for water though?”
“No, but now that we are bringing in a steady source of protein I wouldn’t mind getting back into better shape. A nice weighted run would be a perfect start.”
“You mean you could look even better?” Tara asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I could fill out a little,” I admitted.
“Well then, have fun and don’t let us stop you,” Anna said.
I made a stop by the dorm, grabbed a new jug, and headed back out towards the stream. It had been a full year since I had really had an opportunity to do any real exercise. Before my woodland retreat every morning was started with at least thirty minutes of pushups, squats, and sit-ups followed by a five-mile run.
Over time I had to stop exercising because I did not have the protein to support my physique. Now though, between our meat, and the protein powder we had in our supplies, I thought I might be able to get back into my preferred form.
The half-mile run was easy despite the slightly rugged trail, and I filled the jug and returned in less than an hour. However, as I dropped off the water with the spear maidens, I could feel the burn in my arms from carrying the water on my return trip.
“That didn’t take long,” Tara commented.
“I’m a decent runner,” I said.
“Oh yeah?” Anna asked. “Maybe I finally found my running partner.”
“Just make sure he has time for the rest of us,” the platinum blond said with a grin.
“We’ll see,” Anna replied with a wink.
“Well, I have some dogs to round up before they become a problem,” I said. “If you get this water boiled up, I think you will be free for the day.”
“Before you head out to play cowboy, you might want to stop by the library,” Anna said. “Paige came by earlier and said that she had found some great books.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” I said before I smiled, waved, and headed off.
As I entered the library, I found Paige sitting in one of the few pools of sunlight.
She had two books opened and a mess of wire, sticks, and twine were scattered around her. The brunette didn’t even look up as I entered. She just adjusted her glasses and continued to work on what appeared to be some sort of trap.
“I found some excellent books,” she commented. “This first one is all about wilderness survival and has a large section of traps. The second here is just knots.”
“Sounds perfect,” I said as I knelt beside her. I picked up some small lengths of wood that had notches cut out of them.
“Those are to make a peg snare,” Paige explained before I could even ask. “I am putting together a bunch of pieces and then, if I can find someone to go with me, I want to find some more places to set these all up.” She still didn’t look up. Her attention was focused on a diagram of an advanced snare trap in the first book.
“Well, looks like you have had a productive day,” I said.
“You have no idea,” Paige said proudly as she turned to grin at me. “Bailey and I caught a rabbit earlier too. She even mustered up the courage to kill it and clean it. She made a face the whole time, but she didn’t throw up or complain.”
“That’s impressive,” I said. “Glad to see Bailey is willing to get her hands dirty.” I started to flip through the book on knots. Most of the useful knots I already knew how to make. Though the easy to follow instructions might come in handy when trying to pass on my knowledge to the girls.
“She is stronger than she seems,” Paige said as she went back to work on her trap. “I think she just needed to be put into a position to prove it.”
“Agreed,” I nodded. “You haven't happened to find any maps today have you?”
“Actually, I have,” Paige said as she pointed towards our morning conference table. “Look there.”
I walked over to find a diverse selection of maps. Some of them, such as the world atlas and United States roadmap, were not immediately useful. Though the pocket sized hiking maps, and vermont state maps could be worth more than gold.
“Perfect,” I mused.
“I also found a bunch of old paper maps made when they did geological studies around this area,” Paige called out. “I’m not sure if they would be as useful though.”
“Anything that gives us a better understanding of the area is good,” I said as I looked to her again.
“Then I will gather those too,” she said as she smiled and nodded.
With the aid of the maps I figured it might be possible to locate some plots containing houses or ski cabins that were off the beaten path and away from any main roads. It was not uncommon for people who wished to get away to find land in a more remote location and disappear. Those houses, if no one was left inside, would be perfect for scavenging since they weren’t likely to be picked over by any marauders who stuck near roadways.. They might also tell us if we had any lakes or rivers close enough to utilize.
“This is great stuff. Nice job,” I said before I smiled at the mousy brunette. I gave one last wave and headed out of the library.
For Anna’s plan to work I would need to get the dogs up the hill. So I laid what remained of Champ’s body in the parking lot, gathered the wheelbarrow, made a stop by the freezer full of old meat, and grabbed my rifle before I headed down the hill.
By the time I reached the town, a trail of rotting meat led up towards the campus behind me. The stench was appalling and more pungent than I had assumed it would be. It wouldn’t be long before the creatures caught the smell of reeking food and started picking their way toward the trap.
I rinsed the wheelbarrow with some unboiled water and made a quick stop by the truck. I filled the wheelbarrow with tools and hurried back to the school. By the time I reached the school, I could hear the dogs fighting over the meat at the bottom.
I left the wheelbarrow by the shed and hurried to the roof of the middle building. From my elevated vantage point I had a nice view of the surrounding area and I watched as the trio of canines ate their way up the hill. That gave me plenty of time to get into a comfortable position.
I waited, the rifle firmly placed on my shoulder, for the dogs to reach their dead alpha.
The Rottweiler seemed to lead them now as they carefully moved from one piece of bait to the next. After each small tease the three dogs would look around for danger and move on up the road. The brown mutt would occasionally try to take more than his share but one snap from the new alpha would put him in his place. The black lab seemed perfectly content with his place and never once did anything to challenge the big boss. They reached the top, checked for danger once more, and started to feast on Champ.
Once they did, I lined up my first shot. I knew I would need to be quick as they would likely scatter after the first one dropped. I let out a slow breath, closed my left eye, and squeezed the trigger.
The black dog fell, and the other two stopped eating and stared at the corpse. A second sharp crack filled the air, and another dog went down. The last one bolted and started to run down the hill, so I shifted my aim so that I could lead the target and fired off the last shot. There was a yelp as the last dog stumbled, fell, and then rose again. I’d hit it in the lung, and knew it would bleed out in a few moments, but I didn’t want it to suffer so I took in another deep breath and shouldered the gun again. The final crack of the rifle downed the wounded creature. My work was done and, at least for the moment, we could travel down to the town safely again.
Everyone was waiting for me when I reached the bottom of the building.
“Nice shooting,” Rolly said.
“Yeah, I am glad we get to learn from you,” Anna added.
“Oh, there are better shots,” I commented. “Plus, I used one more bullet than intended.”
“Still impressive by our standards,” the hippie said with a grin. “So is the area safe again?”
“Yeah, that was the whole pack,” I assured them. “Paige, I want you to skin and gut the two dogs still in the parking lot. Show the others how it is done.”
“We still aren't, like, eating them right?” Tara asked.
“Still no need, but they will make good teaching tools, and we can always use the meat as bait for better eating,” I explained.
“You sure you don’t want to show them yourself?” Paige asked.
“I trust you can handle this one,” I said before I turned to Rolly. “I picked up some tools while I was in town earlier setting the bait. Left them sitting in the wheelbarrow by the shed.”
“I noticed,” Rolly said. “They are some nice tools. Some of them barely look used. We’ll get good use out of em.”
“No gifts for us this time?” Anna teased.
“I thought about it but worried you might be starting to get spoiled,” I joked.
“I totes like being spoiled though,” Tara pouted.
“That’s why I have to be so careful,” I said. “Now don’t you girls have some dogs to carve up?”
“At least they aren't cute anymore,” Bailey said as she looked out to where the furry corpses waited.
“Just remember that given the chance they would have happily munched on your face,” Anna said cheerfully.
