relative safety of being on the road vs. staying here. I don’t think we have enough info to do that yet.”
“Yeah, I agree, that is the basic problem,” Frank said. “And as much as I hate to go there, if it does turn out that we need to make a stand, we’re going to have to get better organized, or somebody is going to get the drop on us.”
Frank looked over at Jerry, and he nodded back at Frank.
“It’s been quiet for quite a while,” the Sheriff said. “If things went well, the Major ought to be back before too long.”
“Hopefully we won’t see the other side come back through here,” Jane said. Hilda looked at her and nodded.
“You heard from your deputy lately, Sheriff?” asked Jerry.
“No, as a matter of fact,” he replied. “I’d better go radio him.” He got up and went downstairs, and out to his patrol car.
“That Sheriff is a little passive, isn’t he?” asked Jackson.
“Yes, bless his heart, he’s no leader,” Hilda said. “Nice enough guy, and he’s always here quickly when I need him, but this world is way beyond his capability.”
“Yeah, Jerry and I were talking about that too,” Frank said. “We’ll need to fill in for him at times. At least he’s not one of those proud types who wants control even if he can’t handle it.”
“He’s a real good shot with a long gun,” Charlie said. “As good as Jeb.”
“He didn’t even fire off a shot in that altercation we had this morning,” Jerry said. “And he only brought his handgun.”
“Yeah, good at shooting a gun and good in a fight are two different things,” Jackson said.
“Hey, I can’t get an answer from the Deputy,” shouted the Sheriff from the parking lot next to the store. “I’d better go out there and check on him.”
The other men leapt to their feet.
“Wait for us, Sheriff, we’re coming too,” Frank shouted. “And get your shotgun this time.”
“Okay,” he shouted back.
“Hilda and Jane, want to hold the fort up here?” asked Charlie.
“Sure,” Hilda said. “I’m not a bad shot myself. How about you, Jane?”
“I can shoot,” she said, looking nervously over at Frank. “Don’t you go getting yourself killed back there. Take Lucy.”
“I’ll be fine, honey,” Frank replied, grabbing Lucy’s leash. “Keep a good eye out here. If anything is going on, they might try to surround us. Wish we had Jeb up here with you girls.”
“Stop by his rig and ask him to come over,” Hilda said. “He’ll come. He’s not hurt that bad, and the stairs aren’t that difficult.”
“Alright, we’ll do that,” Frank said. They all went down the stairs.
“You two might want to stop by your rigs and get weapons,” Jerry said to Jackson and Earl.
“Way ahead of you, buddy,” Earl said grimly. Jackson nodded.
The men got to the Sheriff, who was pulling the shotgun off of its holder in the patrol car.
“Good, you brought the dog,” the Sheriff said as he closed the car door. He looked at Jackson and Earl. “You two got rifles?”
“Yep, we’re going to get them now,” Earl said. They trotted off to their coaches, which were next to each other. Both came out with bolt action hunting rifles. Earl was emptying a box of ammo into his hands and stuffing rounds into his shirt pockets.
“There’s Jeb’s rig, I’ll go over,” Frank said. He went over and knocked on the door.
“It’s open,” Jeb said. Frank pushed the door open. Jeb was getting dressed.
“Heard the gunfire, huh?” asked Frank.
“Yep, figured you needed me.”
“Could you go up on the roof of the store and help Hilda and Jane while we’re in the back? We can’t raise the Deputy that’s in the blind.”
“Sure, I’ll do that,” he said. “And I have a whole box of .270 rounds with me this time.”
“Excellent. See you in a little while.”
Frank rejoined the men.
“He going?” asked Jerry.
“Yeah, he already was getting dressed when I got there. He heard the
“Yeah, I agree, that is the basic problem,” Frank said. “And as much as I hate to go there, if it does turn out that we need to make a stand, we’re going to have to get better organized, or somebody is going to get the drop on us.”
Frank looked over at Jerry, and he nodded back at Frank.
“It’s been quiet for quite a while,” the Sheriff said. “If things went well, the Major ought to be back before too long.”
“Hopefully we won’t see the other side come back through here,” Jane said. Hilda looked at her and nodded.
“You heard from your deputy lately, Sheriff?” asked Jerry.
“No, as a matter of fact,” he replied. “I’d better go radio him.” He got up and went downstairs, and out to his patrol car.
“That Sheriff is a little passive, isn’t he?” asked Jackson.
“Yes, bless his heart, he’s no leader,” Hilda said. “Nice enough guy, and he’s always here quickly when I need him, but this world is way beyond his capability.”
“Yeah, Jerry and I were talking about that too,” Frank said. “We’ll need to fill in for him at times. At least he’s not one of those proud types who wants control even if he can’t handle it.”
“He’s a real good shot with a long gun,” Charlie said. “As good as Jeb.”
“He didn’t even fire off a shot in that altercation we had this morning,” Jerry said. “And he only brought his handgun.”
“Yeah, good at shooting a gun and good in a fight are two different things,” Jackson said.
“Hey, I can’t get an answer from the Deputy,” shouted the Sheriff from the parking lot next to the store. “I’d better go out there and check on him.”
The other men leapt to their feet.
“Wait for us, Sheriff, we’re coming too,” Frank shouted. “And get your shotgun this time.”
“Okay,” he shouted back.
“Hilda and Jane, want to hold the fort up here?” asked Charlie.
“Sure,” Hilda said. “I’m not a bad shot myself. How about you, Jane?”
“I can shoot,” she said, looking nervously over at Frank. “Don’t you go getting yourself killed back there. Take Lucy.”
“I’ll be fine, honey,” Frank replied, grabbing Lucy’s leash. “Keep a good eye out here. If anything is going on, they might try to surround us. Wish we had Jeb up here with you girls.”
“Stop by his rig and ask him to come over,” Hilda said. “He’ll come. He’s not hurt that bad, and the stairs aren’t that difficult.”
“Alright, we’ll do that,” Frank said. They all went down the stairs.
“You two might want to stop by your rigs and get weapons,” Jerry said to Jackson and Earl.
“Way ahead of you, buddy,” Earl said grimly. Jackson nodded.
The men got to the Sheriff, who was pulling the shotgun off of its holder in the patrol car.
“Good, you brought the dog,” the Sheriff said as he closed the car door. He looked at Jackson and Earl. “You two got rifles?”
“Yep, we’re going to get them now,” Earl said. They trotted off to their coaches, which were next to each other. Both came out with bolt action hunting rifles. Earl was emptying a box of ammo into his hands and stuffing rounds into his shirt pockets.
“There’s Jeb’s rig, I’ll go over,” Frank said. He went over and knocked on the door.
“It’s open,” Jeb said. Frank pushed the door open. Jeb was getting dressed.
“Heard the gunfire, huh?” asked Frank.
“Yep, figured you needed me.”
“Could you go up on the roof of the store and help Hilda and Jane while we’re in the back? We can’t raise the Deputy that’s in the blind.”
“Sure, I’ll do that,” he said. “And I have a whole box of .270 rounds with me this time.”
“Excellent. See you in a little while.”
Frank rejoined the men.
“He going?” asked Jerry.
“Yeah, he already was getting dressed when I got there. He heard the
Similar Books
