ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Yes, you did. That’s okay. You’ll be safe here.”
Her facial expression softened.
“I’m Bruce Denning.” He held out his hand. “You said your name is Windows?”
Windows raised her head and sniffed. “Yes, it is.”
“That’s an unusual name.”
“It’s my nickname. I got it because I’m really good with computers.”
He bent down on one knee in front of the little girl. “You must be Cindy.”
Cindy glanced over at Windows for guidance, who nodded. The girl extended her hand. “Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.” Denning gave her hand a friendly pump. “Have you ever fed chickens or slopped pigs?”
Cindy shook her head.
“Would you like to?”
The girl’s face beamed.
“I’ll introduce you to them later.” Getting to his feet, Denning motioned to the farmhouse. “First, let’s get you ladies inside. You both could use a warm meal and a hot shower.”
Windows sniffed back a tear. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t tasted my cooking.” Denning headed back to the farmhouse and waved for Windows and Cindy to follow. The two fell in behind him, hugging each other tight.
Denning could almost hear the teasing Anna would give him if she were alive at the moment.
CHAPTER SIX
Once the raiding party got back to Gilmanton, Linda took over and organized the team to care for the survivors, leaving Robson with nothing to do and no orders to give. That suited him fine. Though he never admitted it to the others, he had grown weary of being in charge. Leading his people had proven difficult enough. Now he had thirty others, most of whom he didn’t even know by name, to be responsible for. If someone else wanted to step up and take over for a while, Robson would not complain.
Linda oversaw the unloading of the Ryder and organized the effort like an assembly line. Simmons prepared each of the survivors a breakfast of peanut butter on stale crackers, cheese, and beef jerky. Wayans, who was still experiencing pain from his wounds but had grown restless lying around doing nothing, mixed powdered protein drinks. As each survivor finished eating, he or she would be seen by Linda, who provided a cursory physical, treated any illnesses they had with the prescription medicines commandeered from Super Walmart, and started them on a regimen of vitamins. They then headed outside to where Roberta and DeWitt had set up a makeshift shower stall fed from a thousand-gallon water container located behind the garage. They stripped out of their old clothes, threw them into an empty fifty-five gallon drum, and received a buzz cut and a shave of the pubic region, with DeWitt assisting the men and Roberta the women. Everyone got a long shower with medicated shampoo to kill lice. After cleaning up, DeWitt or Roberta led each person to a windowless back room inside the warehouse where Dravko and Tibor distributed clothes. After that, the survivors were free to do what they wanted. Several went back inside the garage, found a place to lie down, and slept. A few went off into a private corner to cry. Most, however, ventured outside and collected into groups, chatting amongst themselves.
After wandering through the garage for an hour and realizing the others had everything under control, Robson went outside. He saw Caslow expanding the size of the mass grave. Robson crossed the street and stepped up beside him.
“How many more did we lose last night?”
Caslow did not even look up. “Four.”
Damn . “It looks big for four people.”
“I assume we’re going to lose more, so I figured I’d dig them all while I’m at it.”
“Good idea,” Robson said. “When you’re done here, Roberta and DeWitt have collected everyone’s old clothes in a drum out back. They’re infested with lice and bugs. Burn them before they spread into the camp.”
“Sure.”
As Robson walked
“Yes, you did. That’s okay. You’ll be safe here.”
Her facial expression softened.
“I’m Bruce Denning.” He held out his hand. “You said your name is Windows?”
Windows raised her head and sniffed. “Yes, it is.”
“That’s an unusual name.”
“It’s my nickname. I got it because I’m really good with computers.”
He bent down on one knee in front of the little girl. “You must be Cindy.”
Cindy glanced over at Windows for guidance, who nodded. The girl extended her hand. “Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.” Denning gave her hand a friendly pump. “Have you ever fed chickens or slopped pigs?”
Cindy shook her head.
“Would you like to?”
The girl’s face beamed.
“I’ll introduce you to them later.” Getting to his feet, Denning motioned to the farmhouse. “First, let’s get you ladies inside. You both could use a warm meal and a hot shower.”
Windows sniffed back a tear. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t tasted my cooking.” Denning headed back to the farmhouse and waved for Windows and Cindy to follow. The two fell in behind him, hugging each other tight.
Denning could almost hear the teasing Anna would give him if she were alive at the moment.
CHAPTER SIX
Once the raiding party got back to Gilmanton, Linda took over and organized the team to care for the survivors, leaving Robson with nothing to do and no orders to give. That suited him fine. Though he never admitted it to the others, he had grown weary of being in charge. Leading his people had proven difficult enough. Now he had thirty others, most of whom he didn’t even know by name, to be responsible for. If someone else wanted to step up and take over for a while, Robson would not complain.
Linda oversaw the unloading of the Ryder and organized the effort like an assembly line. Simmons prepared each of the survivors a breakfast of peanut butter on stale crackers, cheese, and beef jerky. Wayans, who was still experiencing pain from his wounds but had grown restless lying around doing nothing, mixed powdered protein drinks. As each survivor finished eating, he or she would be seen by Linda, who provided a cursory physical, treated any illnesses they had with the prescription medicines commandeered from Super Walmart, and started them on a regimen of vitamins. They then headed outside to where Roberta and DeWitt had set up a makeshift shower stall fed from a thousand-gallon water container located behind the garage. They stripped out of their old clothes, threw them into an empty fifty-five gallon drum, and received a buzz cut and a shave of the pubic region, with DeWitt assisting the men and Roberta the women. Everyone got a long shower with medicated shampoo to kill lice. After cleaning up, DeWitt or Roberta led each person to a windowless back room inside the warehouse where Dravko and Tibor distributed clothes. After that, the survivors were free to do what they wanted. Several went back inside the garage, found a place to lie down, and slept. A few went off into a private corner to cry. Most, however, ventured outside and collected into groups, chatting amongst themselves.
After wandering through the garage for an hour and realizing the others had everything under control, Robson went outside. He saw Caslow expanding the size of the mass grave. Robson crossed the street and stepped up beside him.
“How many more did we lose last night?”
Caslow did not even look up. “Four.”
Damn . “It looks big for four people.”
“I assume we’re going to lose more, so I figured I’d dig them all while I’m at it.”
“Good idea,” Robson said. “When you’re done here, Roberta and DeWitt have collected everyone’s old clothes in a drum out back. They’re infested with lice and bugs. Burn them before they spread into the camp.”
“Sure.”
As Robson walked
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