Kiamichi Refuge (14 page)

They turned to leave, but Gus and Micah lagged behind, stopping to pick up a couple of bags of their belongings.

Tanner, Ian, and Erin had just stepped out into the alley behind the shop, when suddenly, a man stepped out from behind a dumpster, pointing a large gun at them, and grinning.

“Well, now. You gents plannin’ on keepin’ that little gal all to yerselves? That’s mighty narrow-minded. You boys just back up. Turn around and put your hands on that wall, high up. And spread them legs. Now!”

Staring hard at the man, Tanner caught a glimpse of movement behind the other dumpster. Then, shoulders slumped, he moved to obey. As he passed Erin, he whispered, “Play it up.”

Bewilderment flashed momentarily in Erin’s eyes, but she knew Tanner must have a plan of some kind. She smiled seductively at the gunman. “It’s about time a real man showed up around here,” she purred, running her hand down her side to emphasize her figure.

A flying foot seemed to come out of nowhere to kick the assailant in the throat. He dropped like a stone.

The owner of the foot grinned at Erin, then bent to retrieve the punk’s gun. He called to Tanner, “Hey pal, how come I always seem to be saving your butt?”

Tanner strode over and grasped the man’s hand. “Shane, I seem to recall bailing you out of trouble a time or ten.”

“Yeah, I guess you have, at that.”

Erin gulped. “Is…is that guy dead?”

“If he’s not, he will be soon. It’s kinda hard to breathe with a crushed windpipe.”

Gus and Micah came out the door just then.

“We were only a few steps behind you, but we couldn’t help. Sorry.”

“No problem, Gus. Shane saved the day.”

Shane nodded to Gus, then asked Tanner, “What have you all been up to in there?”

Tanner glanced at Erin, one eyebrow cocked as if to ask a question. She gave a slight nod.

“We were getting Gus and Micah out of town and to a safe place, but we got interrupted by some looters. You wanna to join us?”

Shane grinned. “Is there food? If so, count me in. I’m hungry. Where are we headed?”

“Out in the woods, to Erin’s lodge, and we’re taking the scenic route. Follow us.”

They moved quietly over to the door of the empty building, and slipped inside, bolting the door behind them. They waited, listening to the yelling and cursing of the convicts as they moved down the street.

“We left all those bags of supplies in Lydia’s back room. I hope they’re still there.” Erin muttered. “It’s getting quieter over there. What are they doing?”

The day grew silent, then they heard an engine start. Tanner moved to the boarded up front windows and found a narrow slit where he could see the street.

“They’re all piling into an old van.” He hesitated. “And they’re leaving. Looks like they’re headed out of town, but we couldn’t be that lucky.”

“Let’s get out of here before they come back,” Ian urged, starting for the door.

“Hey, Ian, how about we show you a trick?” Tanner joked. “Micah, lead the way.”

Micah took them downstairs to the tunnel. Ian was shocked to learn of the secret passage. As they made their way under the street to Lydia’s, he listened to Gus and Micah explain how it came to be built, and how Micah discovered it.

”I can’t believe that I grew up in this town, playing and exploring in every nook and cranny for years, and never had a clue that this was here.” Ian shook his head in amazement.

“I’m just glad that Micah knew about it. If not for him, those punks would have found us. I’m not afraid of a fight, but the odds were not in our favor,” Tanner added.

Erin found the bags that they had left behind, right where they dropped them. “Hey, everybody grab a couple of these, please, and let’s go home.”

Late July

That evening Jen and Tanner had guard duty, so after dinner, Erin put five flashlights on the dining table, then called a meeting for everyone else. They gathered in the living room, with the younger folks sitting on the floor or dragging chairs in from the dining room.

The story of the day’s adventures in town had already been related over dinner. Micah had beamed when he received praise as the hero of the hour for saving Tanner and Erin from the bad guys.

Erin looked at each one of her new group members. The way that Micah had saved them by using the tunnel had made an impression on her. She realized that keeping the caves secret from the group was a dangerous decision that could cost them in an emergency, and she had changed her mind about revealing it to the others.

“I have a few things to tell you tonight. First, I was going to call Ken and Terri earlier. I tried my phone, and then Jen’s, then Sarah’s. The phones are dead. It was inevitable and expected, but that makes it even more important to let people know if you go outside of the lodge. From now on, nobody goes out without taking a handheld radio, especially if you are going to be out of sight of the lodge.”

Second, I hope that each of you will look on the rest of the group as family from now on. We have to stick together, and we have to take care of each other. What we saw in town today proves that one person alone does not have a chance against a gang of thugs. I’m afraid that what we saw today was only the beginning.”

Things are going to get worse, and we all need each other, so if you have a gripe or a problem with someone, work it out. If you do not want to completely commit to being a part of this group, say so now.” She waited, making eye contact with each one, but nobody said a word. “Good.”

Now, there’s something that you should know. My uncle was more than someone who wrote survival manuals and post-apocalyptic novels. He was a man who spent years preparing for a collapse.”

This lodge was part of that, as was his house in town. He bought this place because it’s hard to find, but also because of one very special feature. Some of you grab one of these flashlights, and I’ll show you.”

***

Erin opened the entrance to the cave, and led the group through to the cavern. She pointed out the various types of containers and told them what was in each type.

“The food here won’t last long with so many of us. That’s why we have veggies growing in pots on the deck, and why we have to limit portion size. We will be canning as much as we are able this summer. There’s clothing, too. Not every size, but Uncle Ernie bought yards of denim, fleece, cotton, and flannel, plus patterns for simple clothing in all sizes, even for baby clothes. There’s a sewing machine in my room, an old Singer treadle, so I hope someone knows how to sew.”

“I can do that,” Frances Martin offered. “My mom had my grandmother’s treadle, and she taught me how to use it. I sew pretty well, and I’ve been wondering what I could do to contribute,”

“That’s great. I can sew some, too, but right now, I’m busy growing food. Now, everyone, follow me.” Erin took them across the cavern to the exit cave.

“This cave continues for a long way, all the way through the mountain. There is another exit, at least one. I have a map of the cave system, and everyone needs to get familiar with the way out. And someone needs to explore the caves to the west, through the exit on the other side of the cavern. We need to know if there is another entrance.”

If necessary, the caves will be a safe place to hide out for a while. That’s another reason to conserve food. We may need to take refuge here, and the food stored in the cavern will be all we have.”

Ian grinned. “Now I know why you wanted all those mattresses. We’ll get busy in the morning and move them in here.”

***

“You know, those caves seem to be beckoning to me. I can’t stop thinking about the ones we haven’t explored, wondering where they go, or if there are more caverns.” Erin and Tanner were, as usual, the first ones up, except for Ian and Sarah, who were on guard duty.

Tanner glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “And you’re looking for a partner to go off on an adventure with you.”

“Well, not just any partner. It would help if he was tall, and very handsome,” Erin tilted her head and looked up at him, batting her eyelashes and smiling coyly in her best imitation of a simpering debutante.

Tanner laughed and nodded. “Let’s go, then. That is, if you think I meet those qualifications.”

“You’ll do, I suppose.” Erin couldn’t hold back a chuckle any longer. “Oh, yes, I think you’ll do.”

While Tanner told Ian and Sarah where they were going, Erin packed some snacks and filled two canteens with water. Tanner took the backpack and Erin grabbed a notebook and a pen so she could draw a map of what they found. She stuck a flashlight in her hip pocket and shrugged on a light jacket.

“Ready?” Tanner asked.

“Yep, and eager to see what’s there.”

The cave that they intended to investigate branched away from the northwest corner of the cavern, mostly toward the west. It was rougher than the caves they had already seen, with an abundance of rocks and pebbles on the floor, making it a challenge to navigate.

About thirty yards in, they had to stoop to get through a section with a low ceiling. They emerged in another cavern. It was large, but not as big as the cache cavern. The floor was sandy, with only a few rocks, and the walls were dry.

“This would make a wonderful place to set up as sleeping quarters if we need more room, or if we have to hide for a while. We could even store some of our supplies here.” Erin turned slowly, examining the irregularly shaped space. “The cave continues over there, and there’s an opening over on the other side, too. Let me sketch this out, then we’ll go on.”

While Erin added the new cavern to her map, Tanner walked the perimeter, shining his light into the smaller of the caves that Erin had pointed out.

“Hey, it looks like there’s another small cavern through here,” he told her.

Erin closed her notebook and joined him. “Can you squeeze through that opening? It’s not very big.”

“I think so. Do you want to go that way, or through the other one?”

”Let’s go the other way. We’ll come back to this one later if we have time.”

They continued to explore that branch, which sloped uphill, sharply at times. Erin jotted down notes and drew all the twists and turns they encountered. Finally, they came around a bend and saw a light ahead.

Cautiously advancing, Tanner knelt and looked through the low opening. “I’ll have to crawl to get through, but we need to see where we are.”

He turned his flashlight off and dropped to all fours, creeping forward carefully until he could see out. Then he turned and signaled for Erin to follow.

A thick cluster of beech saplings grew right outside the cave entrance, providing camouflage for the dark hole.

Where do you think we are?” Erin wondered.

“I’m not sure. Let’s see if we can figure it out.”

Tanner took Erin’s hand and led her around the beeches and to a narrow ledge where they could look down.

A small stream flowed past, far down the slope. Erin’s eyes followed it upstream and she gasped.

“I know where we are! That stream is on the western edge of the property, and there,” she pointed, “is the little pool that I showed the girls when they came to visit back in the early spring. We’re pretty close to the road, too.”

“This is great,” Tanner decided. “We have three ways in and out so far, counting the pantry, and water available close by. How about we find a spot to sit down and relax while we eat a bite, then we’ll go back to the new cavern. We’ll still have time to check out that other cave, I think.”

***

“We need to name these caverns. There are three so far, and it could get confusing. I already call the big one ‘cache cavern.’ There’s another one in the east cave that has a seep and a small pool. I’ve been through that one all the way to the entrance, but didn’t go outside. I had no idea where I was, and didn’t want to wander around in the woods alone. We could call the cavern with the pool ‘spa cavern’ or ‘the seep’ or something. What could we call this new one?” Erin pondered, standing in the middle of the cavern in question.

“How about giving it a hotel name, since you thought of using it for a sleeping area? Maybe ‘Miller Inn’ or something like that.”

“I know! We’ll call it the ‘west wing’ for now. It’s on the west side, and sort of oval, like the Oval Office, and that’s easy to remember. And the one with the pool can be, oh, I don’t know. What about ‘the cabana’?”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s go see what’s through that other opening.”

They entered the unexplored cave, and to their surprise, it also slanted upwards. About twenty yards in, it branched, and they took the branch on the left, which also curved to the left. Just short distance in, they found that it was a dead end, with just a small, high opening that would be a tight fit for a cat.

“Tanner, look.” Erin’s voice was full of apprehension as she pointed at the cave floor.

Tanner stepped closer, and saw the remains of an old campfire. Ashes and partially burnt sticks lay scattered, looking like they had been there for some time.

“Someone knew about this cave. Someone was here,” Erin whispered. “The questions that arise from that are how long ago they were here, and whether they are still alive and in the area. If so, they could find our cache, and us.”

Worried, the two returned to the point where the cave branched and entered the passage to the right. It sloped downward sharply, then leveled out, and was much longer than the other branch. A hairpin turn to the left, and the cave suddenly widened into a long, kidney-shaped cavern, about twelve feet wide and twice that in length. At the far end, they could see a light.

The opening to the outside was high, maybe five feet above the cave floor, but the wall was rugged and sloped, making it easy to climb up. Once Tanner had checked it out, they both climbed up and exited the cave, discovering that there was a large rock overhang sheltering a wide, level area low on the side of Erin’s mountain. The opening to the cave was at the far eastern end of the overhang. They scrambled down the slope and stared through the trees, then turned to each other, grinning broadly.

Less than thirty yards away, beyond the wooded area where they stood, was a clearing, and in the clearing, they could see the white shape of a delivery truck. They could just make out the words painted on the side, McClure’s Furniture, and past the truck, the lodge.

***

When they got back to the lodge, Tanner asked Ian and Shane if they would help him get the dog food and other preps from his training kennel. Erin heard them talking and wanted to go along, but Tanner didn’t like the idea.

“Things are getting more dangerous every day, and I don’t want to risk your safety. Besides, those bags of dog food are heavy and I doubt you could lift them.”

“But I can load up the other supplies, can’t I?”

“You could, but we can get it just as easily. Three can ride in the front of the truck, but if we have four, we’ll have to leave a space in the back, so we won’t be able to bring as much stuff. Please, stay here where you’re safe.”

Erin looked rebellious for a second, but then her shoulders sagged and she gave in. “Okay. I’ll stay here, but you be careful, all of you. Take the backroads in or something. Just stay out of town. There are a lot more of those convicts than there are of you.”

The three men got permission from Sarah to siphon gas from her Explorer and put it in the delivery van, then they headed for the kennel. They loaded over two thousand pounds of dry dog food and over a hundred cases of canned dog food, plus everything else they could fit into the back of the truck. There wasn’t room for all of Tanner preps, so they hid the rest in a locked storage closet and hoped that it would still be there when they got around to coming back for it.

“Man, I had no idea you were so into prepping. You had a lot of supplies here,” Shane remarked.

“Well, Erin insisted on paying me for Blitz, so I spent it all on preps. There’s a lot more, too, hidden at my grandparents’ place. We can get it later.”

Unloading the truck went quickly, with Richie and the girls helping. The cache cavern was starting to get crowded, but they managed to fit the load in somehow. Tanner was concerned about rodents getting into the dog food, but Erin showed him some tubs of rat bait, which they scattered around on the floor of the cavern near the big bags of canine chow.

***

Rumbling thunder in the distance woke Erin before daylight the next day. She washed up and got dressed, then padded into the kitchen to make coffee.

Tanner moved soundlessly into the room and watched her for a few moments. The stress of the past few weeks was beginning to show on her lovely face.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered. She jumped, almost spilling her coffee, then smiled sleepily.

“It is a good morning, isn’t it? I feel better now that everyone knows about the cavern. We have a fine bunch of people with us, and now the caves will provide security for any of us who need it, regardless of what happens to the others. What are your plans for the day?”