opportunity.”
Terry looked exasperated. “What opportunity?”
“Well, I can’t really say without knowing how many men you have. I have complete faith in your ability to pick your moment. Good luck, men.” With that, Bill got to his feet and walked inside. Terry and Seth spent the next thirty seconds staring at the front door.
Finally, Terry said, “Well, I suppose we’ll just have to figure it out.”
Seth grunted. “Sometimes, I hate that guy.” Then he threw back his head and laughed.
“Look on the bright side, Seth. At least you won’t spend the night manning a machine gun on the barn roof.”
“Yeah, instead I get to sleep in a barn and charge into battle with a bunch of ignorant townies,” Seth said, still smiling.
“Hey, those are my people,” Terry said with false offense. “Besides, it could be worse.”
“Yeah. It could be zombies.”
They were still laughing when they backed Big Bertha up to the cooking tents behind the tavern. Sam gave them enough food for half of Manchester, it seemed when the cargo bay was two thirds full. “You can bring back whatever you don’t need, boys.” Sam slapped the locking bolt on the steel truck doors and waved them away with a shooing motion.
Terry took his usual exit through the western gate, with Seth handing out mock salutes left and right. Five minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the old elementary school. Terry was shocked. There were at least fifty men shuffling through the charred ruins of the school just to alleviate the boredom. The playground looked to hold over two hundred more. The scattered men made a token move for cover when the truck come down the road, but recognized Terry as he pulled into the weedy schoolyard. Terry saw the large man in overalls from Jared’s house and pulled over to him. Rolling the window down as he spoke, Terry greeted the man over the idling truck. “You brought a lot.”
“Yeah, I’m kind of surprised too,” the man said.
“Any more coming?”
The man shrugged. “We got here early. There could be more behind us.”
“What’s your name, sir?”
“I’m Dale Ferrell.”
“Pleased to meet you Dale. Sorry I didn’t catch your name earlier.”
Dale held his hand flat at belly button height. “No problem, Terry. Last time I saw you, you were about this high.”
“You know my folks?”
“I know your mother mostly. Long story,” Dale said with a teasing grin.
“Uh... ok. Listen Dale. Which way did you take to get out here?”
“We came out Powers Bridge Road. It’s a straight shot.”
“Right. We’re going to take a quick run up the road to see if any more folks are coming. Would you mind taking charge until we get back?”
“Sure, I suppose. What should I do?”
“There should be a gap in the back corner of the fence. Just get everybody to hike out that way. Skirt to the north of the trees until you see an old barn. That’s where we’ll set up and work out a plan. We’ll bring food.”
“Will do. See you there.”
“Ok, Dale. Thanks.”
“No problem. Hey, go slow. The bridge is out.”
Terry smiled and said, “Will do.”
Forty minutes later, Terry and Seth had found two more groups of Manchester men walking to the school. He had given them directions to the barn and apologized for having no room to offer a ride. Like the first gathering of men, they seemed to be in good spirits. Terry understood. In Manchester, there were two aspects to life. Work and hunger. Anything new would be seen as entertainment, at least until the reality of battle set in.
“We may need more food,” Terry told Seth on the way back to the barn.
“Don’t think so. That’s a lot of food back there.”
“You’d know better, Big Guy.”
Terry drove the truck through the Carroll’s old gate, and swung around behind the barn. The sun was still blazing hot on the south side of the barn, but was beginning to soften to orange in the west. Terry was wondering what he would do
Terry looked exasperated. “What opportunity?”
“Well, I can’t really say without knowing how many men you have. I have complete faith in your ability to pick your moment. Good luck, men.” With that, Bill got to his feet and walked inside. Terry and Seth spent the next thirty seconds staring at the front door.
Finally, Terry said, “Well, I suppose we’ll just have to figure it out.”
Seth grunted. “Sometimes, I hate that guy.” Then he threw back his head and laughed.
“Look on the bright side, Seth. At least you won’t spend the night manning a machine gun on the barn roof.”
“Yeah, instead I get to sleep in a barn and charge into battle with a bunch of ignorant townies,” Seth said, still smiling.
“Hey, those are my people,” Terry said with false offense. “Besides, it could be worse.”
“Yeah. It could be zombies.”
They were still laughing when they backed Big Bertha up to the cooking tents behind the tavern. Sam gave them enough food for half of Manchester, it seemed when the cargo bay was two thirds full. “You can bring back whatever you don’t need, boys.” Sam slapped the locking bolt on the steel truck doors and waved them away with a shooing motion.
Terry took his usual exit through the western gate, with Seth handing out mock salutes left and right. Five minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the old elementary school. Terry was shocked. There were at least fifty men shuffling through the charred ruins of the school just to alleviate the boredom. The playground looked to hold over two hundred more. The scattered men made a token move for cover when the truck come down the road, but recognized Terry as he pulled into the weedy schoolyard. Terry saw the large man in overalls from Jared’s house and pulled over to him. Rolling the window down as he spoke, Terry greeted the man over the idling truck. “You brought a lot.”
“Yeah, I’m kind of surprised too,” the man said.
“Any more coming?”
The man shrugged. “We got here early. There could be more behind us.”
“What’s your name, sir?”
“I’m Dale Ferrell.”
“Pleased to meet you Dale. Sorry I didn’t catch your name earlier.”
Dale held his hand flat at belly button height. “No problem, Terry. Last time I saw you, you were about this high.”
“You know my folks?”
“I know your mother mostly. Long story,” Dale said with a teasing grin.
“Uh... ok. Listen Dale. Which way did you take to get out here?”
“We came out Powers Bridge Road. It’s a straight shot.”
“Right. We’re going to take a quick run up the road to see if any more folks are coming. Would you mind taking charge until we get back?”
“Sure, I suppose. What should I do?”
“There should be a gap in the back corner of the fence. Just get everybody to hike out that way. Skirt to the north of the trees until you see an old barn. That’s where we’ll set up and work out a plan. We’ll bring food.”
“Will do. See you there.”
“Ok, Dale. Thanks.”
“No problem. Hey, go slow. The bridge is out.”
Terry smiled and said, “Will do.”
Forty minutes later, Terry and Seth had found two more groups of Manchester men walking to the school. He had given them directions to the barn and apologized for having no room to offer a ride. Like the first gathering of men, they seemed to be in good spirits. Terry understood. In Manchester, there were two aspects to life. Work and hunger. Anything new would be seen as entertainment, at least until the reality of battle set in.
“We may need more food,” Terry told Seth on the way back to the barn.
“Don’t think so. That’s a lot of food back there.”
“You’d know better, Big Guy.”
Terry drove the truck through the Carroll’s old gate, and swung around behind the barn. The sun was still blazing hot on the south side of the barn, but was beginning to soften to orange in the west. Terry was wondering what he would do
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