do to make
your home more secure,” I said. “There are also some things I can show you
that’ll help you protect your girls if more of them come.”
“I’d like that very much,” said Hope. “Thank you.”
“Hope, do you understand that I have to leave? I have to
leave tomorrow morning. I can’t stay here.”
“I understand.”
Walking inside, I saw Katie sitting at the table. She looked
at me without expression, returning to her book. “I’m sorry I walked away from
you last night. Believe it or not, I’m just as scared as you are. Sometimes I
make…bad decisions.”
“Why did you come back?” asked Katie, staring down at the
pages.
“I want to make your home safer,” I said. “Will you help me
with that?”
“Will you stay?”
“Katie, look at me.”
She raised her head, tears welling.
“Just like you, I want to go home,” I said. “But my home is
far away from here. When I finish helping you make this house safe, I need to
go and do the same with mine.”
“Will you teach me how to shoot a gun?” asked Katie. “I’ll
feel better when you leave, knowing how.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Okay, what do you need me to do?”
I told Katie and Mary Anne to gather all the lumber they
could find on the property. I dismantled part of the guest house, removing
sheets of plywood to cover the broken windows on the main house. On the other
windows I created slats that could be removed but also quickly replaced if
Mother Nature – or more cowards – decided to pay them another visit.
Installing more slats on the doors, it would take a very
strong man several attempts before breaking through. I knew it was impossible
to keep someone out who was desperate to get in, but it would buy the family enough
time to ready their weapons, concentrate their firepower, and give whoever
broke through one hell of a fight.
Gathering all the guns left behind by the dead, the girls
had three pistols and two shotguns. Ponytail’s bolt action rifle was too heavy
and complicated for teenage girls to operate with confidence. Shotguns were a
better choice.
I spent a few hours showing them how to use, clean, and
maintain the weapons. We went through drills on what to do if someone was
coming after them. We set up several fallback locations in the house, creating
blinds that utilized cross firing positions. (I felt odd teaching a
six-year-old how to use a gun, but in this new world it made perfect sense.)
Covering the pool to slow down the sun’s effect for growing
algae and bacteria, the family had easy access to 30,000 gallons of water. The
pool service that had kept it clean and properly chlorinated was gone, so I
showed them how to add the right mixture of chemicals to keep the water safe.
They had enough supplies in a test kit to check the levels for two months.
After that, they’d need to boil anything they planned on drinking.
They had food to sustain all of them for a week. After that,
if help – or the power – didn’t come, they were on their own. Hope had a small
garden in the backyard. I told her to turn it into a bigger one as soon as
possible. I pulled her to the side and talked with her about scavenging and
looting. She didn’t have a problem with either.
After no sleep the night before and a long day securing the
house, we were all exhausted. As the sun was lowering, I had one more job to
do. I placed several signs in the front yard near the road. Anyone passing
would have no doubt it was a house they didn’t want to mess with. The signs let
them know they were being watched. One step into the kill zone, and they
promised no part of them would be wasted.
Hammering in the last stake, I sat in the swing under the
oak tree. The sky wasn’t acknowledging a sailor’s delight, but I felt better
about the family’s ability to weather the storms. Sam gave me a push.
“Long day, huh, Cowboy?”
“But a good one,” I said. “They’re better prepared now. I
don’t think any of them will
your home more secure,” I said. “There are also some things I can show you
that’ll help you protect your girls if more of them come.”
“I’d like that very much,” said Hope. “Thank you.”
“Hope, do you understand that I have to leave? I have to
leave tomorrow morning. I can’t stay here.”
“I understand.”
Walking inside, I saw Katie sitting at the table. She looked
at me without expression, returning to her book. “I’m sorry I walked away from
you last night. Believe it or not, I’m just as scared as you are. Sometimes I
make…bad decisions.”
“Why did you come back?” asked Katie, staring down at the
pages.
“I want to make your home safer,” I said. “Will you help me
with that?”
“Will you stay?”
“Katie, look at me.”
She raised her head, tears welling.
“Just like you, I want to go home,” I said. “But my home is
far away from here. When I finish helping you make this house safe, I need to
go and do the same with mine.”
“Will you teach me how to shoot a gun?” asked Katie. “I’ll
feel better when you leave, knowing how.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Okay, what do you need me to do?”
I told Katie and Mary Anne to gather all the lumber they
could find on the property. I dismantled part of the guest house, removing
sheets of plywood to cover the broken windows on the main house. On the other
windows I created slats that could be removed but also quickly replaced if
Mother Nature – or more cowards – decided to pay them another visit.
Installing more slats on the doors, it would take a very
strong man several attempts before breaking through. I knew it was impossible
to keep someone out who was desperate to get in, but it would buy the family enough
time to ready their weapons, concentrate their firepower, and give whoever
broke through one hell of a fight.
Gathering all the guns left behind by the dead, the girls
had three pistols and two shotguns. Ponytail’s bolt action rifle was too heavy
and complicated for teenage girls to operate with confidence. Shotguns were a
better choice.
I spent a few hours showing them how to use, clean, and
maintain the weapons. We went through drills on what to do if someone was
coming after them. We set up several fallback locations in the house, creating
blinds that utilized cross firing positions. (I felt odd teaching a
six-year-old how to use a gun, but in this new world it made perfect sense.)
Covering the pool to slow down the sun’s effect for growing
algae and bacteria, the family had easy access to 30,000 gallons of water. The
pool service that had kept it clean and properly chlorinated was gone, so I
showed them how to add the right mixture of chemicals to keep the water safe.
They had enough supplies in a test kit to check the levels for two months.
After that, they’d need to boil anything they planned on drinking.
They had food to sustain all of them for a week. After that,
if help – or the power – didn’t come, they were on their own. Hope had a small
garden in the backyard. I told her to turn it into a bigger one as soon as
possible. I pulled her to the side and talked with her about scavenging and
looting. She didn’t have a problem with either.
After no sleep the night before and a long day securing the
house, we were all exhausted. As the sun was lowering, I had one more job to
do. I placed several signs in the front yard near the road. Anyone passing
would have no doubt it was a house they didn’t want to mess with. The signs let
them know they were being watched. One step into the kill zone, and they
promised no part of them would be wasted.
Hammering in the last stake, I sat in the swing under the
oak tree. The sky wasn’t acknowledging a sailor’s delight, but I felt better
about the family’s ability to weather the storms. Sam gave me a push.
“Long day, huh, Cowboy?”
“But a good one,” I said. “They’re better prepared now. I
don’t think any of them will
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