so we both carried one in our pack.
One thing about Tom, he was a true Southern gentleman most of the time, unless he was mad about something; then he was a different man. I'd once attended an awards program where he'd been presented a silver star for some heroic act he'd performed in Iraq during a combat tour and when I later asked him about it, he'd simply replied, "Those Iraqi's made me mad."
Lightning filled the air and thunder cracked sharply as we cautiously made our way back to camp. The temperature dropped a bit and I could see each breath I took. I glanced at the other two, looking for symptoms of hypothermia, only they looked fine. Vickie was tired, of course, but not one complaint from her. You'll do and I'm glad to have you as part of our team, I thought and then my mind moved to the group we'd just seen. We need to move camp and do it quickly.
*****
Once back at camp, I pulled the women near as Tom pulled guard. I explained what we'd found on the recon and that we needed to move out of the area. The only problem that concerned me was where were we to go? So, I asked the women and waited.
"We want to stay in the woods, if we can." Sandra added, as soon as I'd finished speaking.
Carol frowned and said, "My old place is in the woods, but I'm not sure how safe it is."
Sue suddenly grinned and said, "How about Jackson?"
Alisa shook her head and said brusquely, "Sue, do you know how stupid what you just said sounds? Jackson? Do you really want to live in Jackson with no police? Hell, I wouldn't live there with the police."
Sue lowered her head. "I'm tired of living like an animal in the woods. We can make peace with people and stop the killing. I think it'd work."
"If we moved to Jackson, you wouldn't have to worry about living anywhere for very long." I said, and then quickly asked, "Any other ideas?"
"Maybe those men you saw were friendly." Sue said as she raised her head and smiled.
"And," Vicki said, he eyes narrowed in anger, "maybe you're a damned fool! I saw those guys and they were hard looking men. I have no doubt in my mind they're killers, just by the way they moved. They'd kill John and Tom, and then use us for sport! I think we "
To defuse the situation I said, "That's enough! We can't risk contact with them and it's not likely they're friendly anyway. Since things ended we've been alone, and I want to stay that way if we can. Small groups can move, hide, and be fed easier than large groups."
Sue crossed her legs and arms, glared at Vicki, so I added, "Look, I don't care if all of you like each other or not. However, I suggest very strongly that each of you try to avoid arguments in future, because we must be able to depend on each other or survival isn't possible. And the first serious problem I have, both parties will be banished, understood?"
Sue stood, and in the heat of anger asked, "You'd banish people over an argument? I thought we had the right to argue! This is America, right? I know my rights!"
Dolly, not liking the tone of Sue's voice, growled.
I gave a light smile at her stupidity, because this woman needed to wake up and smell the horse apples scattered all around us. "No, this is not America, or at least as we remember our country! We have no government, so you have no rights." I felt my anger growing so I continued, " I am the leader and what I say goes, or you can leave right this minute."
I knew if she left, Tom would go with her, so I was as surprised as her at my words. I didn't care if Sue left, and took her liberal attitude with her, but Tom I needed. But, I'd already spoken, so I waited.
After many long minutes she sat in the dirt and lowered her head.
I wasn't sure what to say next, so I did like I had in the military, I issued an order. "Let's get all our gear packed, horses ready to go, and get some food in us. We're leaving today."
*****
Five hours of hard riding placed us a little over ten miles. While the trip had been rough, we'd not moved as quickly as I'd
One thing about Tom, he was a true Southern gentleman most of the time, unless he was mad about something; then he was a different man. I'd once attended an awards program where he'd been presented a silver star for some heroic act he'd performed in Iraq during a combat tour and when I later asked him about it, he'd simply replied, "Those Iraqi's made me mad."
Lightning filled the air and thunder cracked sharply as we cautiously made our way back to camp. The temperature dropped a bit and I could see each breath I took. I glanced at the other two, looking for symptoms of hypothermia, only they looked fine. Vickie was tired, of course, but not one complaint from her. You'll do and I'm glad to have you as part of our team, I thought and then my mind moved to the group we'd just seen. We need to move camp and do it quickly.
*****
Once back at camp, I pulled the women near as Tom pulled guard. I explained what we'd found on the recon and that we needed to move out of the area. The only problem that concerned me was where were we to go? So, I asked the women and waited.
"We want to stay in the woods, if we can." Sandra added, as soon as I'd finished speaking.
Carol frowned and said, "My old place is in the woods, but I'm not sure how safe it is."
Sue suddenly grinned and said, "How about Jackson?"
Alisa shook her head and said brusquely, "Sue, do you know how stupid what you just said sounds? Jackson? Do you really want to live in Jackson with no police? Hell, I wouldn't live there with the police."
Sue lowered her head. "I'm tired of living like an animal in the woods. We can make peace with people and stop the killing. I think it'd work."
"If we moved to Jackson, you wouldn't have to worry about living anywhere for very long." I said, and then quickly asked, "Any other ideas?"
"Maybe those men you saw were friendly." Sue said as she raised her head and smiled.
"And," Vicki said, he eyes narrowed in anger, "maybe you're a damned fool! I saw those guys and they were hard looking men. I have no doubt in my mind they're killers, just by the way they moved. They'd kill John and Tom, and then use us for sport! I think we "
To defuse the situation I said, "That's enough! We can't risk contact with them and it's not likely they're friendly anyway. Since things ended we've been alone, and I want to stay that way if we can. Small groups can move, hide, and be fed easier than large groups."
Sue crossed her legs and arms, glared at Vicki, so I added, "Look, I don't care if all of you like each other or not. However, I suggest very strongly that each of you try to avoid arguments in future, because we must be able to depend on each other or survival isn't possible. And the first serious problem I have, both parties will be banished, understood?"
Sue stood, and in the heat of anger asked, "You'd banish people over an argument? I thought we had the right to argue! This is America, right? I know my rights!"
Dolly, not liking the tone of Sue's voice, growled.
I gave a light smile at her stupidity, because this woman needed to wake up and smell the horse apples scattered all around us. "No, this is not America, or at least as we remember our country! We have no government, so you have no rights." I felt my anger growing so I continued, " I am the leader and what I say goes, or you can leave right this minute."
I knew if she left, Tom would go with her, so I was as surprised as her at my words. I didn't care if Sue left, and took her liberal attitude with her, but Tom I needed. But, I'd already spoken, so I waited.
After many long minutes she sat in the dirt and lowered her head.
I wasn't sure what to say next, so I did like I had in the military, I issued an order. "Let's get all our gear packed, horses ready to go, and get some food in us. We're leaving today."
*****
Five hours of hard riding placed us a little over ten miles. While the trip had been rough, we'd not moved as quickly as I'd
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