Dark of Winter: Prepper Book Two

Ch. XIX - Get Your Own Sandwich

For the most part I am left alone for the past several days, I leave my radios off: the two-way, the shortwave, the VHF— all of them. I just hang out with Heath and we do our best to pretend everything is okay, we're just a normal family and it's just another day.

I think we both know it's complete bullshit.

Either Heath is humouring me, or he wants to live in this little fantasy with me just a little longer. But I think we both know that sooner or later— likely sooner— we're going to have to face the music and move on. Yet we continue to ignore the outside world; the cold stark realities beyond the walls of the house, the devastating truth that exists just outside the confines of the backyard garden.

We are farmers now. Dirty hands, strong backs, up before the Sun and working until the last light of day. Evenings of sipping tea and reading together by candle light. Our daily ritual has resulted in a magnificent bounty of vegetation born of sweat and toil, calloused hands and tanned skin. We live in a pastoral utopia-- as long as we don't turn on the radios --as long as we cling to our willful ignorance and pretend the world is only us.

It can't last. Every day I expect it will come to and end, so when I hear the knock at the door I know it is over.

The look on Hartt's face when I open the door tells me he desperately doesn't want to be the guy delivering the message, but I also know it's his sense of duty that brought him here.

"Hi Trevor," I say. "Don't worry, I've been expecting you. Or at least, one of you."

"I'm sorry Connor," he says. "Frost has sent someone here everyday to talk to you, we keep turning them away at the gate," he continues, referring to the makeshift checkpoint we now have at the entrance to the neighbourhood. "He's desperate enough to have relayed the message to me through Sabine, it sounds pretty urgent. He is requesting a meeting immediately."

"It's always urgent when they want something from us."

"I think it really is this time."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he wants me to bring you in the TAPV, he wants you to come armed, and he offered to fill the TAPV with diesel for our trouble if I get you there right now."

I'm not sure which part I find more incredulous, that Frost wants me to show up locked and loaded, or that he's willing to give away his precious diesel fuel.

"Does he know the TAPV is running on fumes? That's a shit ton of diesel."

"Frankly, I don't think he cares about that."

"He might change his mind after 250 litres of fuel disappears."

"I don't mean to be pushy, but this is time sensitive and a full tank is a pretty big bonus for a brief chat."

"Okay, okay," I say reluctantly. "Give me a couple minutes to get ready and I gotta do something with Heath."

"Danny has volunteered to watch him, if you don't mind. Freya and Raven are out scavenging-- everyone is kind of busy. Up to you."

"That's fine," I agree, despite my ongoing trust issues with Danny, Heath seems to really enjoy his company and although I am loath to admit it, the interaction seems good for Danny as well.

I change my soiled work clothes, strap the .45 to my leg and head out the door, passing Danny on his way up the drive.

"I'll take good care of him, sir," Danny says. "Don't worry about a thing. Is it okay to give Heath some Skittles?"