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  Shaking his tired arm, Johnathan nodded. “Bill, they committed what we talked about to memory,” he mumbled under his breath, and was filled with pride for the wives and his friend.

  Leaving over a hundred stinkers toes up on the bridge in their wake, they reached the other side and Mary led them onto a dirt road. “That was a workout,” Sandy gasped, shaking her tired arms as she looked behind them.

  “And we didn’t even lose an arrow,” Johnathan said.

  “I want that machinegun crossbow we saw on Mythbusters,” Sandy declared with a nod.

  Laughing, “Remember, they didn’t have much accuracy,” Johnathan said as the dirt road passed between two large fields. Only seeing deer out in the fields and nothing ahead, Johnathan relaxed in his saddle.

  “Johnathan,” Sandy called softly, pulling up beside him. “Did Mary and I do right, leaving our spot and running for the horses at the barn?” Sandy asked, terrified of the answer.

  Never expecting that, Johnathan’s body gave a jerk at the question, and Mary heard the question, slowing down to get closer. “Sandy, if you and Mary hadn’t left right then, we would all be dead,” Johnathan answered in a normal voice which sounded really loud.

  “I was the last out of the barn, remember?” Johnathan told them with wide eyes, waving his arm across his body. “The stinkers never beat on that back bay door. One second it was standing and the next, it was knocked down and a tidal wave of stinkers filled the barn. I barely had time to get on my horse and get out. Those stinkers were literally within arm’s reach of me. If you and Mary had waited just ten more seconds, none of us would have made it.”

  Both Mary and Sandy sighed with relief. “Sorry, but I thought…” Sandy started and stopped.

  “Sandy, the only fault lies with those who led those stinkers there,” Johnathan asserted. “I’ve played it over in my mind a hundred times. Should we have left during the day-,” Johnathan sighed. “I could go on, but I can’t see a way we could’ve left without fighting the stinkers or that group. To be honest and I’m not being an ass, I’m shocked you and Mary knew to haul ass.”

  Looking ahead, a shiver ran down Sandy’s spine. “Johnathan, the stinkers came out of those trees like a tidal wave. They were knocking down trees bigger than my leg. Mary and I used every magazine for our ARs and the .22s. We didn’t even make a dent. There were thousands!” Sandy gasped, reliving the scene in her mind’s eye.

  “You two did great, and you remember that,” Johnathan stated in slower than normal speech, but very clearly wanting the wives to know they did nothing wrong and everything right. “Because of you two, we are still heading home.”

  “Just what he wanted us to do,” Mary breathed out, forcing a smile.

  “Hey, we heard the shots. Bill stopped them from coming after us,” Johnathan reminded them, feeling pride again in his friend. “And I’m willing to bet anything, that explosion was Bill’s way of taking the war to the enemy.”

  Pulling her reins back and slowing her horse, Sandy turned around to look behind them for several minutes. “I’m making it to my baby boy,” Sandy vowed softly.

  Chapter 4

  At the cabin, Kentucky

  Stifling a yawn, Lance brushed Allie’s hair gently. “You’re going to start doing my hair,” Lilly informed Lance, sitting beside him on the couch. Glancing over, Lance saw Lilly go to work braiding Carrie’s hair.

  “You women are wearing me out,” Lance grumbled, putting the brush down and started braiding.

  Walking over while carrying two cups of coffee, Jennifer smirked at the two. “How are your kids this morning?” Jennifer chuckled.

  “About to get beat,” Lance answered, and Carrie stuck her tongue out at her sister.

  Setting the cups down for Lance and Lilly, Jennifer turned around when Ian handed her a cup. “Man, two kids already,” Ian snorted.

  Arching his right eyebrow, Lance cut his eyes over at Ian. “Yeah, what of it?” Lance popped off.

  Sitting down on the sectional, “Just making an observation,” Ian grinned, and Jennifer sat down beside him.

  Grumbling as he braided Allie’s hair, Lance looked over and saw Lilly was almost done. Feeling like a sissy, Lance sighed and continued braiding. “All done,” Lilly announced, sitting back and Carrie turned around and fell on Lilly, hugging her.

  Jennifer couldn’t help but grin when Lilly hugged Carrie back, but still had a worried look on her face. Blowing on her coffee, Jennifer took a sip as Carrie let Lilly go and ran to the kitchen. “Done,” Lance said in a tone of accomplishment.

  Spinning around, Allie hugged him and then leaned her head back, looking at Lance’s now long hair. Taking the brush from Lance’s hand, she climbed on the sectional and stood behind him. “Your hair is long,” Allie declared as she started brushing his hair.

  “I can keep it out of my eyes,” Lance grunted as Allie brushed his hair back. Lilly looked over and saw Lance’s black hair was between his shoulder blades.

  Moving over, “I didn’t know your hair was that long,” Lilly chuckled.

  “Mom never let my hair touch the back of my neck,” Lance laughed. “I’m sure when she gets here, she will find some scissors.”

  Pulling a rubber band off the handle of the hairbrush, Allie pulled all of Lance’s hair back and tied it up in a ponytail. Feeling the rubber band being put on, Lance’s eyes got wide. “Allie, what the hell are you doing?”

  Looking down at her work, “Wow, you look like Ponytail,” Allie grinned in awe.

  Turning back to look at Allie in awe, “Segal?!” Lance cried out and Allie nodded.

  Jumping up, Lance spun around, leaping up on the sectional and ran over the sectional jumping off the back, almost making it to the men’s bathroom with the leap. Flipping on the light, Lance skidded on the floor and looked in the mirror. “This is cool as shit!” he shouted, turning his head side-to-side to see the long black ponytail.

  Putting her coffee cup down, Jennifer snapped her fingers. “Allie, give me the brush,” Jennifer said. Allie turned to Jennifer like she was about to unleash. “Don’t,” Jennifer warned. “Give me the brush because you know I can say stuff to Lance.”

  With a long brooding sigh, Allie walked along the sectional, stepping over Lilly’s lap. “Here,” Allie moaned, thrusting the brush out.

  “Thank you, ladybug,” Jennifer smiled, and Allie grinned and jumped off the sectional, running to the kitchen. Turning to Ian, “I’m not as little as Allie to stand behind you on the couch, so sit on the floor,” Jennifer said pushing Ian.

  Trying not to spill his coffee, “All right, chill,” Ian groaned, sitting on the floor.

  Putting her legs on each side of Ian, Jennifer started brushing as Lance strutted back in. Lilly winked at him, “I like it,” she said slyly.

  “Dude!” Ian cried out, grinning. “Hell, yeah!” Ian shouted and rolled his head back. “Are you doing that to me?”

  Pushing Ian’s head until he was looking ahead, “Duh,” Jennifer droned. “You know, if Lance wasn’t my best friend, I would be jealous.”

  Turning around on purpose, very quickly, so his ponytail whipped around his neck, “Really?” Lance asked.

  Nodding, “Yeah, even my mom and dad said so,” Jennifer admitted, brushing Ian’s hair as the ladybugs came back carrying coffee mugs.

  Leaning over, Lance sniffed the air when they walked past. “Hot cocoa? You didn’t want coffee?” Lance asked, then saw all the coffee mugs on the table. “Is there not any left because I’ll make some more,” Lance offered, turning to head to the kitchen.

  “No, there’s some left, but we wanted cocoa,” Carrie said.

  Setting her mug on the coffee table, Allie turned to Lance while holding her left hand sideways beside her mouth, shielding it. “Coffee makes us have to poop real bad after we drink it,” Allie whispered.

  Lilly snorted while she was taking a sip and had coffee come out her nose, spilling some on her shorts and legs. Jumping up, she put h
er mug down and holding a hand over her nose, took off running to the bathroom.

  Walking over, Lance hugged Allie and then reached back to grab his ponytail. “Thanks,” he grinned, and she hugged him again.

  After coffee the group headed outside, and all three dogs charged out, knocking Lance over. “Damn it, Dino!” Lance bellowed, getting up and brushing the dirt off. He looked over and saw George and Judy playing chase with Dino. “That Dino is even able to run that fast is a miracle of science.”

  They headed into the gym and started working out. Ten minutes in, everyone’s cellphone went off and Ian was the first to grab his. Tapping the screen, he saw the tigers on a camera on the west side. The male was carrying a deer in his mouth and the female was following him to the treehouse.

  “Pussies got that other doe,” Ian said, tapping the screen and turning the alarm off.

  “Damn doe woke me up twice last night tripping sensors,” Lance grumbled, grabbing the sixty-pound dumbbells.

  Moving to the head of the bench, Ian spotted Lance as he pressed the dumbbells out in wide flies. “I was going to hunt that doe down this Sunday,” Ian chuckled.

  After the workout, everyone moved to the mats and started practicing Krav Maga while the video played. Walking outside, Ian and Lance pulled their tank tops off, wiping the sweat off their faces. They stopped and waited while the ladybugs ran to the chicken house collecting eggs.

  Hearing pounding feet, they turned to see the dogs chasing the goats. “I have to give it to goats,” Ian said, panting hard. “Since this started, all the animals know, keep your mouth shut or shit comes to eat you.”

  “Yep,” Lance nodded. “I’m glad the ladybugs believe that damn loud rooster ran away.”

  “Hell, I don’t know why we had to hide the fact we chopped his head off and cooked his ass,” Ian huffed. “We have four more roosters that don’t have to keep crowing.”

  Seeing the ladybugs running back with the egg basket, “They liked that one because he would follow them around the yard,” Lance said.

  “All the chickens follow them,” Ian pointed out as the ladybugs reached them. Lilly and Jennifer stepped out of the gym and stopped, staring at Ian and Lance standing half-naked in shorts. Their muscles were engorged with blood, showing every defined muscle they had. Their thighs were so pumped, their shorts looked way too small now.

  “They have got to stop doing that shit,” Jennifer panted.

  Giving a groan, “I’m a cradle-robbing cougar,” Lilly moaned, feeling guilty.

  “Please,” Jennifer scoffed, punching her arm. “Lance has fallen for you, and you back out now, we stay outside for a week, so I can kick your ass ten times a day.”

  Shaking her head, “No,” Lilly said, turning to Jennifer. “I can live with it.”

  Weaving an arm around Lilly’s, Jennifer grinned as they walked over, and everyone headed inside. With some showering and others starting breakfast, they swapped out while keeping breakfast going. After breakfast, Lilly walked upstairs and saw Lance’s gear he would wear laid out on his bed neatly.

  “When the hell did he do that?” Lilly mumbled. Moving over to her bed, she laid out her gear and sighed. Pulling on the silk long john pants with the plastic disks they called the stinker suit, Lilly picked up her combat pants. After pulling them on she adjusted the knee pads, then grabbed the 3D scent proof pants. Pulling them up to her knees, Lilly grabbed the top of the stinker suit and pulled it on. Thankful she didn’t have to wear the camouflaged combat BDU jacket anymore, Lilly pulled her suspenders over her shoulders to keep her pants up.

  Pulling up the 3D pants with suspenders, Lilly put on the 3D jacket and then lifted the tactical vest with a grunt. “Fucking thing weighs more than me,” she mumbled, pulling it over her head. Strapping the sides down, Lilly bent over to buckle the drop platforms on each leg.

  Walking over to her gun rack, Lilly pulled out the 22/45 pistol with a suppressor, shoving it in the holster under her left arm. Grabbing the XDM, she shoved it in her right thigh holster. Grabbing her AR, she walked over to the bed and shoved her feet into her boots.

  Stomping her foot in frustration, “Fuck!” Lilly shouted as Lance came up the stairs. Lance froze when he reached the top of the stairs and saw Lilly storming toward him. “I have to fucking pee now!” Lilly screamed as she walked past him.

  When Lilly was at the bottom of the stairs running for the bathroom, Lance raised his eyebrows. “Glad I’m a boy,” Lance mumbled and moved over to his gear.

  After he dressed, Lance looked over and saw Lilly’s helmet, gloves, and mask on her bed. Grabbing them, Lance grabbed his AR and jogged down the stairs. Lance put Lilly’s stuff on the table and tightened his gear up.

  Sitting at the table, Jennifer looked over at Ian who was smiling. “It’s not funny,” Jennifer snapped. “You know how many times I’ve put all that shit on and had to pee?”

  The smile dropped off Ian’s face. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Be glad it happens here.”

  “I’ve pissed on myself outside the fence, buddy,” Jennifer snapped. “Be damned, if I pull my pants down outside so a stinker can bite my ass and I can’t run.”

  “I peed in my pants last time,” Allie admitted.

  Jennifer looked over with a knowing nod. “You are very smart, ladybug,” Jennifer confessed.

  When Lilly stomped into the kitchen, she saw more of her gear on the table. “I’m pissing my pants from now on after I gear up,” she vowed.

  Ian gave a snort, looking over at Lance. “You ready to talk to them?” Ian asked, and everyone looked at Lance.

  “Talk about what?” Jennifer asked, getting up and buckling Lilly’s left drop platform with six more magazines for the AR.

  “I want to let the bear trap people know they aren’t alone,” Lance replied, and everyone froze looking at him in terror. “Hey, we aren’t telling them where we are, just that they aren’t alone. It would be nice if we had some help patrolling. Even if they only patrolled one section, it would help us a lot.”

  “You promise they aren’t coming here?” Allie asked with fearful eyes.

  “Ladybug, they aren’t coming here unless we ask them and if they try, we will shoot their asses,” Lance proclaimed, and Allie sighed with relief.

  Giving the drop platform a tug, “I like the idea we would have help patrolling,” Jennifer admitted, getting up and moving back to her chair. “When do you want to contact them?”

  “Tonight, on patrol,” Lance replied, and Jennifer gave a sigh as she came to a stop.

  “How long have you two been talking about this?” Jennifer asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

  “Since we got here,” Lance admitted, and Jennifer dropped her hand, looking at Lance in shock. “We can’t fight this war alone, but we don’t have to let others in here. We can help each other and not live together. But the bear trap people are the only ones who have half a brain and they aren’t collaborators. If the few other survivors we’ve found continue to hang on, we’ll talk to them but so far, they all look stupid.”

  Grabbing her gloves and putting them on, “So, where do we meet them to talk about it?” Lilly asked.

  “In that trailer we saw them ransacking when we were emptying Bones’ house,” Ian answered.

  “Who meets and who covers?” Lilly asked, putting her mask on.

  “I was thinking you and I could cover,” Lance answered, then waved over at Jennifer and Ian. “And they do the meet.”

  Picking up her helmet, “Don’t like that,” Lilly replied curtly, putting her helmet on. “How about Jennifer and I cover while you and Ian meet them.”

  Seeing Lance’s face, Jennifer knew he was about to argue. “Whoa, I like that!” she snapped. “We are big girls and can take care of ourselves. I don’t want them to see girls at our first meeting. Not that we are scared, but it might make them think we are stretched in manpower.”

  Pulling out a round can, Lance opened it to spread black face paint around his
eyes. “That’s sound reasoning,” Lance admitted, looking over at Ian.

  “Shit. Jennifer has been begging to shoot someone with the M14,” Ian laughed.

  “Okay, we make contact tonight and tell them we’ll meet tomorrow night,” Lance said, pulling on his face mask. Jennifer gave a shiver, looking at the very detailed grey skull painted on the mask. Only Lance and Ian had painted their masks.

  Putting on his helmet, “If we get the relays up before shop time, want us to come back and get Allie and work on putting up more barbed wire?” Lance asked, looking over at Ian.

  “Nah, we need to get the other bots put together,” Ian answered, getting up.

  Ian and Jennifer headed to the front door as Lance and Lilly walked out the back. After letting Lance and Lilly out with Dino to do a sweep and set up relays, they closed the gates and headed to the greenhouse to start work. Walking around the cabin, Jennifer reached over to hold Ian’s hand.

  “Can I ask you something?” Jennifer asked, looking up at Ian.

  “Sure,” Ian grinned, squeezing her hand.

  “When did you and Lance go to the Nazi compound?”

  Giving a long sigh, “The first night we patrolled,” Ian answered.

  “How many times?”

  Shrugging, “Three times,” Ian admitted. “After reading what Uncle Doug had on them, we had to check them out.”

  “Ian, I’m only disappointed you didn’t tell me,” Jennifer said, and she saw Ian perk up. “How many times have you two been to Pineville?”

  “Four,” Ian finally admitted as they walked into the construction area for the greenhouse. “It was before the mass of stinkers showed up.”

  “I figured,” Jennifer laughed, putting her AR and tote bag on a sawhorse. “Please tell me before you do something like that again.”

  Putting his AR beside Jennifer’s, Ian nodded. “Okay, but don’t freak out when we do,” Ian bargained, pulling on a tool belt and checking the battery on the impact drill.

  “Sorry, but I have to worry about you,” Jennifer protested, slapping his arm.