The Homecoming
18
After 36 hours of constant monitoring we managed to piece together that more then a half dozen bombs had simultaneously been set off in various cities around the world. They were timed to go off during the Christmas Mass in Rome and at the exact same minute in Moscow, Washington, Jeruselem, Berlin, and at least 2 in Houston where a World Peace Conference was in progress. Responsibility was being claimed by a little known group calling themselves The United Front for World Reform. We later heard that President Warren was gravely ill and the government had been moved to some secret secured place in the west with Vice President Robertson supposedly enroute there by an unknown route to assume office if need be and finally that the grid was down in about 30% of the world.These events on top of the inclement weather and a 6.5 earthquake along the San Andrais had caused widespread chaos and Martial Law was in effect in the U.S. All holiday activities had been cancelled. ***** The men expanded the range of patrols to 4 miles in each direction on both the upper and lower highways leading into Sanctuary and had set up an outpost and holding area at the upper and lower end of the county road. The Long Feather's Shack was being used at the upper end and an RV was placed at the lower end; 4 men or women were assigned in rotating 4 hour shifts to each outpost. Mike and Kyle had people working overtime transforming wagons into sleigh mobiles while John and the boys were busy teaching the children and older people to make and use snow shoes and still others were providing ski lessons and instructions on building and setting snares and traps. By January we had people patroling 24 hours a day with hot drinks and soup being served around the clock in the kitchen. We put DVD players in the community and meeting rooms and provided movies, puzzles, and games for people to occupy themselves with when they weren't working or sleeping. and had also moved the day care over to the main building. Everyone had been asked to conserve their use of power and heat wherever possible and spend their spare time in the public areas. They were also asked to keep an eye on their neighbors. ***** "The antenna seems to be working pretty well according to Sam, he says the news we're managing to receive is less garbled then before and shortening the shifts from 8 hours to 4 has helped too. The kids are much more alert" Danny said when the subject was brought up at the meeting. "Most of what we're hearing is talk about winter storms and people freezing to death in unheated buildings or stalled cars, the flu is still spreading but seems to be weakening - at least the death toll isn't as high but that may be just because it's not being reported and there are rumors of open gang wars in several of the major cities with entire blocks going up in flame." "Any good news?" Ellen asked. "Well, that depends on what you consider good. There's talk of other communities like Sanctuary spread around this country and others but --- this news was accompanied with a warning to any of them who were monitoring the broadcasts to close their ranks and not trust anyone at face value." "Most of this information seems to be coming from just a few sources but the signals move often, the kids are starting to recognize certain handles and voices though and have noticed they keep moving around; they heard one of them say something about drawing too much attention and needing to go silent for a few days until she found another rabbit hole." "If you were to ask me to venture a guess I'd say we have a small group of the resistance who aren't too popular with the present militia forces and have made it their mission to keep people like us informed." Wes added. ***** By the time the snow quit for awhile there was over 4 feet on the ground and people had actually cut steps up from their doorways in places to reach ground level but Mother Judy and Cora both still insisted on coming out. In the mornings someone would pull a sleigh that had been rigged with a chair across the bridge and carry them over to the house or the community center where they would spend the day and then pull them back in the evening. We hunted and checked the traps each day and collected the eggs and milk and kept the barn warm enough for the animals by compost and portable heaters and tried to keep everything as normal as possible while we waited and prayed. ***** The 4 person patrol on the Low Road had gotten almost to Paxton Lane where they normally made the turn around when they noticed smoke coming from the chimney of the old Stewart place. This house had stood empty for almost 5 years so they decided they better check it out. They skied up the driveway to within site of the house and stopped; while the others covered him David moved to within calling distance. "Hello, anyone there? Do you need help?" The answer to his enquiry came quickly when a shot was fired scattering snow and ice at his feet. David jumped back and held his hand up to the others and tried again. "I'm Pastor David Carpenter of Sanctuary and we can offer you food, medical help and shelter if you need it. We are right up the road." "Did you say David Carpenter? Lt David Carpenter, one of the 3 musketeers?" said a tall black man in cameoflage coming out of the tree line to his left. "Praise God, I was beginning to think we wouldn't find you people in time. Is my Grandmother with you? Did she make it? He said hugging David. Pete treked back to Sanctuary to pick up a wagon and some help while the rest waited and tried to get the women and children who were inside prepared to go. ***** "There's how many?" Kevin said. "13. 10 of them are children, a couple of them look to be handicapped in some way and several look real sick. They all look like they're half starved." "David seems to know the man; he was asking about his grandmother and I'm assuming the blonde haired woman on crutches is his mate, he called her Sara, but..." "But what?" Danny said as they turned up the driveway. "I swear, there's something familiar about her." ***** "Ms Jo. Ms Jo, come quick. The flags are up at the cabin: all of them." "Mother Judy needs to be helped over to the com center quickly. If she's not sitting there when the sled pulls up she'll try crossing that bridge on foot alone. Hurry. I'll explain later." While we all waited Dragon and Angie quickly set up an examination table in a corner away from the food tables where sandwiches had been set out beside the soup pots and hot drinks and White Eagle was preparing a chicken and herb broth for the ones who were too sick or weak to eat solid foods. Mother Judy and Cora wrapped in their deer skinned robes sat outside the doors in the frigid air waiting. When the sled pulled up 3 children and a young dark skinned woman were carried directly to the infirmary while the rest were helped inside. "You made it boy," she said hugging the younger man when he had finished carrying in the blonde haired woman from the wagon and sat her down beside them. "Yes, Gran we made it - just in time I think. Let me introduce you to my wife." he said as Sara looked up for the first time. "Momma!" she screamed as she collapsed to the floor. ***** "She's awake. Kevin says you can all come over but don't expect her to be too coherent she's under heavy sedation." Dragon said when he joined us in the office where we were waiting for news. "You go, Mike and I will stay here with the children. For now they're fine right here in front of the fire with their blankets and pillows, I expect most of them will be asleep soon anyway." ***** "Missy - Sara - should be fine," Kevin said later as we were all sitting in front of the fire in the house "I had to rebreak the leg to set it and she's in a lot of pain but I see no signs of infection and the fever is caused by malnutrition and pnumonia due to exposure not the influenza. She actually fainted from relief." "I think she had about given up hope of making it home before they lost anyone else." Starr said. "I gathered from the children they'd had to abandon the van days ago and started walking with Abraham and Missy dragging makeshift stretchers behind them carrying 2 of the children and what meager supplies they had. They lost a boy named Calvin and Patty collasped on the way. Then yesterday Missy fell and busted her leg and couldn't walk. He loaded all 3 of them and the baby on one stretcher and between him and Raja they managed to keep moving until Missy spotted something shining up a snow covered side road and convinced him to turn up it. That's how they came to be at the house where David found them." "The children said Ms Sara kept telling them they were going home and as soon as they got there everything would be alright." ***** "Jo, Mike and I would like to requisition a double house when the weather breaks and in the meantime we need housing for the children who are already here and the one's the cards said we were to expect as well as for ourselves and possibly 1 or 2 more adults. We have decided to accept the task The Lord and The Goddess have asked of us." Starr said when she came downstairs the next morning. "Okay find out how many rooms each are occupied on the 2nd and 3rd floors and how many are empty and also how many people are currently in the bunkhouse area. Also see if we have any mobils that are side by side that can be connected and how many bedrooms they are and then send someone to gather the council. Where are the children now?" "In 4 next to our room, we dug up some sleeping bags and clothes and opened the connecting door, but they're coming down to go eat as soon as they finish washing up and dressing. Why don't you come join us for breakfast." she said going out the door. ***** "So that's it, I figure we can set the rooms up with bunkbeds so we can put 4 children in each room if we have to, plus 2 rooms for the houseparents and a comman room. That means a total of 7+ rooms and bath facilities; any suggestions?" "Yes, how many people did you say were in the bunkhouse right now?" Joe asked. "9, most of them your people. Why?" "Well, seems to me the simplest and most permanent solution would be use the bunkhouse. We can start by putting whoever's in there in with families who have room or in the house for now and split both the bunkhouse and the public facilities in half. Then we can connect the showers and facilities at the end we designate for the children's home directly into the bunkhouse so they have access from the inside. We can do all this now because basically we're working inside so the snow won't be a factor. Later if we need more space we can easily do the same thing to the other end and make a girl's side and a boys side and we can put a small apartment in the center for Mike and Starr with access to both sides. Bunk beds and cabinets are easy to put in and I'm sure we can come up with mattresses or sleeping bags. Shouldn't take more then 3 or 4 days if we get everyone to help." "Okay if everyone agrees we can post a volunteer sheet and get started in the morning. Joe, you and Kyle and Mike can work out the details." "Now; White Eagle I need you and Ashara and anyone else you can get to help to go through the clothes annex and see if you can come up with clothes for the children since they literally have nothing but what Lizzie and Ashara pulled out last night , say at least 3 or 4 outfits a piece - you can let the kids in to pick out their own stuff if you want, I think the annex needs to stay closed for now though because I don't think these are the only ones who will arrive with nothing." "John they're going to need snow shoes before they're all down with pnumonia from tracking through snow that's waist high. Can we manage that and maybe a sled or wagon they can use to pull the little ones." "Can anyone think of anything else? Okay then. Let's get started." "Joe will you go with David to talk to your people in the bunkhouse? Oh and Ashara make sure the children get a couple of toys or something and a $10.00 credit voucher for each of them for themselves will you." ***** "Everything's going to be alright now, Momma. We just have to stay strong; no matter what." Missy said. "After Diablo threw the pipe bomb in our window that killed Topaz and disfigured my face to make an example of us I almost gave up. I'd been doing some things I'm not very proud of and the LA Police Dept were considering charging me as an accessory in Topaz's death if I didn't testify against Diabllo and his gang. I knew I wouldn't live to testify if that happened. I had to dissappear and I asked for help from someone I knew". "The next day this big black man walked into my room carrying an infant girl and said "get dressed, we're leaving." "There was something about him that made me trust him - or maybe I just didn't care. Anyway we left; Missy Jorganson disappeared from the face of the earth that day and until yesterday we've kept our heads down and kept moving. As you've probably guessed that man was Abraham; the baby was Tee-Tee, Topaz's daughter." "The rest of the children just sort of appeared along the way; the first 2, Gary and Debbie we actually found hiding in the back of our van one night after we'd stopped at a gas station and the rest showed up here and there, 1 or 2 at a time." ***** "Abraham tells me you're converting the bunkhouse into a dormatory for the children and that Ms Starr and her husband have been led to be surrogate parents. He also said Tee-Tee is staying with the other children until I am well enough to take care of her - which is good, she needs to be with people she's used to - but I just want to make sure everyone knows she's mine - ours. She is as much a part of this family as Paul or Cindy or Bobby even if we can't make it legal." "I'm glad to hear that, now, all you need to do is quit worrying and concentrate on getting well so we can get you and Abe and MY grand daughter settled into your own place. In the meanwhile the children would like to see you and their friends. Abraham has them waiting outside."
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