Chapter 14: A Little Horse Trading

The sun was still peeking through the surrounding tree cover as the convoy finally entered downtown Harrisonburg. David had argued that most criminals would avoid the early morning hours like the plague, which had generated its own spirited discussion.

“How do we know how late potential criminals sleep now that everyone has no lights, media or entertainment to keep them up after sunset,” Greg asked, clearly confounded.

“I’m just going by my assumptions that most criminals, of all stripes, basically turn to crime because they’re not that creative,” David tried to explain his reasoning. “Basically they’re lazy, taking the easy way out. Such types aren’t likely to wake up at the break of dawn.”

“Maybe not, but if good people turn to theft or self-defense to help themselves survive, then they very well might,” Monique argued. “Need I remind you that most of the supposed ‘criminals’ from the past were poor blacks who had no way of moving up the same economic ladder that everyone else had access to.”

“While that may be true, I know many blacks who worked hard, applied themselves, and refused to take the easy way out,” David countered, getting a bit defensive that he’d even broached the topic.

“Well, going in under cover of darkness is definitely out,” Alice declared, wanting to end the pointless discussion. “It makes sense to arrive early, long before anyone is likely to show up, so we can scope the place out.”

“That makes sense, especially since those supposed ‘cops’ were waiting for us to arrive. If they were lying in wait for us, then it makes sense that others would too,” Melissa pointed out, looking nervous at the idea of open gunfire. She’s managed to miss the shootout the previous day, and wasn’t looking forward to facing it anytime soon. While Alice and David knew how to handle themselves, she’d spent most of her life avoiding guns, seeing no point in learning how to shoot.

David felt his heart sink as they found the streets strangely empty.

He had hoped there’d be some sign of people, even if no one was up and about yet. While Harrisonburg wasn’t exactly a big city, its pre-Death population roughly equaled the total of David’s entire county. Yet as he slowly drove past the surrounding neighborhoods, with the many silent homes and weed-choked lots, David detected no signs of movement, and no evidence that anyone had been active here for weeks. He hadn’t expected to find many people, but he had hoped to see some sign of life.

Instead the streets were empty, showing no sign that anyone had attempted to clear the abandoned vehicles, decaying bodies or cut a path through the rapidly growing weeds. Either no one was left alive here, or they simply didn’t care about their surroundings.

Glancing at the vehicles behind him as he slowly eased through an empty intersection, the traffic lights above sitting dark and silent, David grinned as Greg signaled his turn. Old habits are hard to shake, he thought as he turned at the sign leading to James Madison University, located just before they reached the heart of the city.

Because they came in on Route 35 from the west, they avoided the more common and heavily trafficked north/south approach on Route 81, so it wasn’t that unlikely they’d missed more activity there. But they’d counted on this approach, as they hadn’t wanted to attract a lot of attention—just in case there were a lot of survivors—until they could get established first. Their odd collection of vehicles was anything but subtle.

“This is going to be a big job,” Melissa said as she climbed out of their semi, glancing around at the school’s many buildings. “This place is huge! How are we going to find anything?”

“It’ll be fine as long as we each focus on our own tasks,” David assured her, trying to get everyone focused and moving, rather than discussing how difficult it would be. He wanted everyone established and their positions set up before they encountered anyone. “We need to split up to cover a lot of areas,” David instructed. “It looks like we won’t have any help, but hopefully that means we won’t have any trouble either. There were campus maps posted on the way in if you need to check them. Tom, you take the Computer Science department. I think we’ll all need to help carry these generators inside. Alice, since we know that both good guys and bad know we’re here today, try to establish a decent lookout so we’re protected if anything happens. Afterwards, I’ve got specific tasks for each of you, but I don’t want anyone going anywhere alone. I also want each of you to radio in every half hour, just so we know where everyone is. I realize that Tom will likely be too busy playing with his toys to remember, but I want to know where everyone else is so we’ll be aware if there’s trouble.

“Greg, I’m guessing that ‘Integrated Science and Technology’ includes the old fashioned areas of farming and land management, so you and Melissa can check it out and see if you can discover anything useful. Monique, why don’t you and Debbie attack the Education department and pick up some better early education material than the typical children’s books we’ve found in the local libraries? That’s in Memorial Hall, a bit north of campus. After he’s done in the computer center I’ll have Tom attack the Science Library for more specific reference works. Mattie and I will try the technology center over there,” he added, waving at a nearby building. “We’ll look for the servers that should house any on-line course work we can use. If we find anything useful we can create coursework on individual laptops to give anyone we discover. Any questions?”

“It looks like Integrated Science and Technology includes geography and the environment as well as telecommunications,” Greg answered, reading the signs as they went along. “We’ll find what we need to. I also noted the Eastern Mennonite University is here too. They may be a better place to look for farming samples.”

“Good, we can check there later, but we want to do as much as we can before we’re supposed to meet people at noon,” David warned them. “We want to have the area covered by then, to ensure we’re protected if anyone shows up looking for trouble.”

As David was helping Greg wrestle the generators off of Greg’s semi, David’s secure earpiece sounded in his ear.

“Dad, this is Alice. In case you haven’t noticed, we have a bogie,” she told him, showing she was modeling her actions on the old Soviet era spy and war movies they’d watched together when she was younger. “I haven’t been able to locate him, but I keep seeing movements when he thinks we aren’t looking.”

““Yeah, I’d noticed something odd,” David said as he debated the best approach to take. “We’ll ignore it for now. If they meant us harm, they’d have attacked us by now. The fact they’re waiting means they’re more interested in what we’re up to and whether we’re a risk or not than they are in what they can steal from us. Try to get to your overview without alerting them what you’re doing. While I don’t think they mean us any harm, I don’t want to spook them either.”

“Will do, and I’ll let you know if I learn anything or notice anyone else. By the way, how did you determine we were being observed?” Alice asked, not having noticed her father watching out for anyone.

“I noticed that the area around us has been cleaned up. Obviously someone was here before us, and judging by the pile of dead animals lying around and the lack of any new ones since, they weren’t put there very long ago.”

“Clever,” Alice noted. “But why didn’t you warn anyone, then?” she asked.

“As I said, if they’d meant us harm, they’d have attacked when we first stopped to assign tasks. Anyone watching would have assumed we were planning how to address security, so anyone looking to hurt us would have struck before we could get prepared.”

“I should have figured you were a step ahead of the rest of us,” she noted as she entered the building behind Tom, preparing to dash out the back in order to better see what these people were doing. “Still, I’d rather know before they decide to attack the next time,” she warned him in an unhappy tone.

Everyone carried Tom’s equipment in and moved on to their own tasks. They’d return periodically with supplies, never taking too much, only enough to serve the group’s needs while still leaving plenty for anyone else. The one exception was David and Mattie, who found and disassembled the University’s server farm, carting the equipment out to the Semi.

“Dad, we seem to have another one,” Alice informed him as he started loading the equipment.

“Thanks,” he answered, surreptitiously touching his ear as he tried to subtly survey the surroundings, seeing nothing. “Where are you?”

“I’m on top of that tower thing attached to the performing arts center,” she replied. David paused after hopping down from inside the trailer, stretched, and peered out of the corner of his eye. His daughter was well-hidden but he still caught the faintest hint of the top of her head poking up from the roof several stories above the street

“Any idea who it is?” David asked, surreptitiously touching his ear as he tried to subtly survey the surroundings, seeing nothing.

“No, this new one is pretty well hidden as well, but it doesn’t look like they’re working together. The new person is a woman—average size, dark hair, wearing a flannel shirt. I still haven’t seen the first person, but I’m pretty sure I’d have noticed if there was anyone else.”

“Again, let them watch, but be prepared to react if necessary. I like that these people are cautious, not accepting us blindly. But if there are two, there could be others who may not be as passive.”

“I didn’t tell Tom what was going on, should we inform the others?”

“I already know,” Greg said, interrupting their discussion. “David asked me to monitor the radio. I informed Melissa.”

“And I warned Mattie,” David answered. “Tom and Debbie are better off not knowing as they’d give us away. I’ll tell Monique when I see her.

“For now, just keep watching,” he concluded. “Mattie and I got all the servers; since we’re immune we’re going to try some of the dorms, seeing what kind of things we can find in the student’s items. I figure they’re the best source of new music and entertainment for both us and that we can offer other people.”

“The students’ door will likely all be locked...” Greg started to explain.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, we plan on breaking into the RA’s room and grabbing the master keys. They’ll open everyone’s room,” David finished for him.

“Just don’t get started on their pornography,” Alice teased, knowing he’d never allow himself to be so easily distracted from his tasks. “Otherwise we may not see you for some time.”

“Hey, you’ve never caught me watching porn,” he protested.

“You forget, we found your stash at home. While we may not have caught you in the act, we know what your interests are.”

“Just like you know what every man’s interests are. Despite what people want to believe, fantasies don’t always define the man. Anyway, keep busy; don’t let them catch you watching.”

“David, show time’s approaching,” Greg’s voice crackled over David’s earpiece. “We’re almost done loading stuff onto the truck.”

“Yeah, we’re on our way out.”

Exiting the dorm where they’d be overwhelmed by the stink of death, David and Mattie entered the central courtyard where everyone was waiting. He was well aware of Alice’s position, hiding atop the bell tower at the other end of the open courtyard, she was the only one not waiting with the others. Positioned as she was, she had an excellent vantage point from which she could observe everyone, her powerful rifle with the scope she’d been practicing with lately poised to deliver a lethal rebuke to anyone wishing her people harm.

“How’s it look, Alice?” David asked surreptitiously, masking his question by scratching the side of his face.

“Seems fine,” she answered, keeping her message brief. “Still only the same two people, and they don’t appear to be dangerous. They’re only observing.”

David reached the center of the complex and stopped in the middle of the road leading through the campus. When the others had contacted him earlier, asking what they should do next, he’d instructed them to clean up more of the carcasses, so now the campus looked much better. Standing in place, he turned in a slow circle, clearly surveying the area around him. He still couldn’t see the group’s stalkers, but he trusted Alice’s assessment of the situation. She’d taken on the role of security with the professionalism it deserved.

Finishing with a nod, he called out to anyone listening.

“OK, we’ve been here for long enough and you’ve had time to determine whether we represent a risk or not. It’s time to either put up or go home,” he challenged them. He figured they should know their intent by now, but he also wanted them to realize that, friend or foe, they were fully equipped to defend themselves and anyone associated with them. “Come on out and say hello or simply try to get by on your own.”

There was no answer for many long seconds, and no movement giving anyone’s location away. Finally there was a motion in some overgrown shrubbery on the outskirts of the complex to his right. A young man stood, the look on his face plainly suspicious even as his eyes contained something of a hopeful look. The weeks since the Great Death had swept through had not been kind to him—his skin looked sallow, his long hair and beard in need of good washing, and the plaid shirt and jeans he wore looked wrinkled and dirty. Frankly, he looked so thin it looked like the wind might blow him away, and the shirt he wore, while probably an old favorite, no longer fit him, making him look that much worse. Steadying himself, he marched towards David.

The man started out hesitantly, but the closer he got to David, the more assured his approach. He finally stopped about six feet from him.

“You’re ... You’re that guy on the radio?” he asked hesitantly, as if he hadn’t spoken to anyone in months and was afraid of speaking aloud.

“Yep, that’s me,” David replied, angling his right hip, the one sporting his pistol and holster, away from the skittish man in the hopes of further calming him. “The name’s David Scott.” Pointing at his companions, he introduced them each by name, one by one, giving each an opportunity to voice their own greeting. “And my daughter Alice is stationed right up there, making sure none of us gets attacked,” he explained, pointing her out to him.

The man cocked his head, taken aback by David’s casual manner, countered by David’s militant attitude. But that was David’s intent. He wanted to assure these people—who had probably been trying to get by and avoiding anyone they met—that he wasn’t a push over, and that they not only were aware of everything around them, but that they could defend themselves against whatever they needed to.

“My ... My name is Jeff Mayes,” the newcomer replied. He still looked a little jumpy, his gaze shifting from one person to the next.

“You may as well come out,” David quietly said, touching his earpiece. “I’d rather they get a chance to meet you.”

“OK, but if someone shoots at you, you’re on your own,” she responded dubiously, but she trusted her father in this case, and realized they had to demonstrate that they trusted these people as much as they wanted to be trusted. David didn’t bother responding.

“So you’ve been listening to our broadcasts?” David asked just to keep the conversation moving, even as he scanned the area behind Jeff.

“Actually, I’ve been listening to you for quite a while,” Jeff replied, suddenly standing up straighter and taking on a more confident manner. Apparently he’d come to a decision, and it looked like he’d decided to trust them. “I was horrified when you went off the air, but when you came back on, it convinced me that you knew more than anyone else about how to stay safe.”

Seemingly ignoring his response, David stepped to the side, again calling out beyond him.

“OK, you’ve seen we aren’t interested in hurting anyone, you may as well come out as well.”

Startled, Jeff spun and peered at his former hiding place to see who might have been sneaking up on him. It took a few moments, but eventually a woman stepped out from behind the corner of a building where she’d been observing them. She was pale, looking like she’d been out of any direct sunlight for some time, wearing simple utilitarian clothing of heavily worn but essentially clean flannel shirt that was clearly not meant to impress anyone. Her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail keeping it out of her face. Unlike Jeff’s initial hesitancy, she boldly marched forward, seemingly no longer concerned with any potential risk in revealing herself and determined to demonstrate to David that she could take care of herself.

“Hey there, my name’s David Scott, and this is Jeff Mayes,” David said in greeting as she drew near, not getting too close to either one.

“Jessica Ervin,” she replied simply. It appeared that, having watched David and Jeff conversing, she’d already decided she trusted David’s group, at least, and didn’t want to appear weak or hesitant. David considered that maybe it was a bit of a power play, trying to prove that she would be a strong potential member of their group.

“I’m glad you were both so cautious,” David said casually. “We ran into some trouble yesterday with a couple of bandits pretending to be policemen. It didn’t turn out so well for them, but it shows you need to be cautious now.”

“Police?” Jeff asked, concerned. “Where might this have been?”

“It was as we were approaching the city on 35. It appeared they’d also heard our broadcast and were lying in wait for us, hoping to take what we brought along to trade.”

“From what I’ve heard, there were a couple of ex-policemen who were stopping cars, offering advice on where to find resources and what homes were still habitable in exchange for certain ‘offerings‘,” Jeff suggested.

David shrugged. “Unfortunately, these people made the mistake of drawing down on us instead of asking if we wanted help. Anyone should know in this new world of ours that you don’t draw your gun unless you expect to use it.” He paused and let his blunt statement sink in, and then continued. “Had either of you ever met these guys? Do you know whether they were actually officers?”

“Uh, no,” Jeff admitted, glancing at Jessica to see if she knew more than he did. However, she seemed content to merely observe the two men. “I’d never met them, I just heard others comment about them.”

“Well, they certainly didn’t appear to be police from what I saw of them. What’s more, it looked like they’d stripped a dead officer of his uniform just to fool unsuspecting people. But I’m intrigued by your reference to others. Do you represent a local community of survivors here?”

“Heavens, no,” Jeff said with a snort. “I ran across a couple of people over the past couple weeks. Nobody wanted to talk, but we did manage to exchange some basic information from a distance. I never had a need to travel in that direction, so I never encountered those two.”

“Ah,” David replied simply. “How about you, Jessica, do you know of any others around here?”

“No, I don’t.” Her monosyllabic reply dropped flatly. When she made no move to elaborate, David just cocked his head, looking at her as if trying to figure her out. That seemed to crack her reserve. “I’d heard you on the radio too,” she suddenly blurted, afraid her ‘independent woman’ facade might be misinterpreted as hostility. “As a single woman trying to survive on my own, I knew to be wary of people, but so far I hadn’t encountered anyone. Although I’ve seen a few people, I’ve avoided them. You’re the first people I’ve spoken to since...” She let her statement peter out, seemingly unwilling to expose the sour wounds of her experiences to anyone else quite yet.