Tapping the cruise control for the first time today, Wendy glanced at the dashboard clock and saw it was only four eighteen p.m. “I feel like a week has happened just since we pulled into that shed,” Wendy mumbled.
“What’s in these boxes?” Jo Ann grunted, trying to move one box to the packed cargo area.
“Food, baby, food,” Wendy smiled. “Open one and take out the packages so we can eat.”
“Can we stop? I really need to pee,” Sally asked in a low voice.
“Can you hold it for ten minutes? I want to get far enough away from the bridge, in case there were soldiers there. The farther we go, the more roads we pass and they won’t know which one we took,” Wendy explained.
“I can hold it,” Sally assured her.
In the backseat, Jo Ann started reading off the menu choices. “Can I have the Chili-mac?” Sally asked and Jo Ann handed the package up.
“I want the stew, if you don’t,” Wendy said and Jo Ann passed it up.
“I’m eating the Ravioli with Noah,” Jo Ann said with a smile.
Feeling it was safe enough, Wendy slowed to a stop in the road and let Sally jump out. Wendy climbed out and did a walk around and found a bullet hole in the wheel guard of the trailer, but nothing else. “They really wanted those cans,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “There is shit everywhere, why risk it?”
“Done,” Sally cried out and was already jumping in.
Not liking any answers her mind came up with, Wendy climbed inside and took off. The girls loved the MREs with all the stuff inside. Wendy thought they left a lot to be desired. “What’s this?” Sally asked and Wendy glanced over at the binocular-looking box. “It’s heavy.”
“Don’t know, but it’s for observing and we need to observe, so I grabbed it,” Wendy said, turning back to the road.
Turning the thing around in her lap, Sally took the covers off the lens and eyepieces and lifted it up, but couldn’t see out. Putting it back in her lap, Sally continued her inspection and saw a switch and pressed it to hear the box whine. “I wonder if it’s a game?” Sally said and lifted the box up and looked through it.
When it was at her eyes, Sally still couldn’t see out and was about to put it down when color started coming on. “This thing only sees in black and white,” Sally moaned, lowering the box.
Reaching over, Wendy took the box and used her legs to keep the steering wheel straight. The box was heavy enough that she needed both hands to hold it up. Looking through the eyepieces, Wendy grinned. “It’s thermal binoculars.”
“Are you sure?” Sally asked.
“Yeah. Arthur made a thermal camera a year ago and don’t tell him, but this thing gives a much better image,” Wendy said, looking around. Passing it back to Sally, “Take a look and then let Jo Ann, but we need to save the batteries until we know what kind it takes,” Wendy said.
Nodding, Sally grabbed the thermal binocular and looked around, then passed it back to Jo Ann. Looking out the side of the Tahoe, “Holy crap, I see a person hiding near that house!” Jo Ann cried out. Dropping the thermal, Jo Ann looked at the house across the field and couldn’t see the person hiding behind some bushes.
“Where?” Sally asked, looking with her binoculars.
Lifting the thermal back up to her eyes, “Behind those bushes in the front of the house,” Jo Ann said. “I can see the outline of a person.”
“Let me see,” Sally said, swapping out with Jo Ann. “I see them,” Sally gasped and then they rounded a curve and lost sight of the house.
“I couldn’t see them with these,” Jo Ann said, holding the binoculars and Sally looked ahead with the thermal.
“I like these. People can’t hide,” Sally told everyone.
“That’s why we need to save the batteries,” Wendy laughed at the girls’ excitement. Then Ryan let everyone know, he was hungry.
Lowering the thermal, Sally looked at the box and saw a round cap. “Are the batteries in here?” She asked.
“Probably, but don’t take them out until you turn it off,” Wendy told her. “How about you let me do it?”
“You’re driving,” Sally said, turning off the thermal.
“Do we have to keep all these helmets?” Jo Ann asked.
“Those things on the front are night vision like I wore last night,” Wendy said over her shoulder.
“All right! I want one,” Jo Ann cheered, grabbing a bottle of water. “Is this another one you took off a helmet?”
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Wendy saw the clip-on thermal she’d taken off the sniper rifle. “No, that one is a thermal like the binocular,” Wendy told her. “My husband bought one and I almost broke his legs.”
“Why? They are cool.” Sally asked.
“He paid two thousand dollars for something that cost almost thirty thousand dollars,” Wendy told her.
“Wow, he can shop,” Sally mumbled in awe.
“Sally, the person he bought it from stole it, that’s why it was so cheap. Besides the fact that it has ‘Property of US Government’ on the side,” Wendy said.
“Well, he didn’t steal it,” Jo Ann said, taking up for Arthur. “Just shows you he’s smart and can really shop.”
Turning to look out the window, Wendy couldn’t help but laugh at the two taking up for Arthur. “In a way, I can see your side, but just having that is a crime. He already has enough shit buried that could have sent his ass to prison,” Wendy told them as Sally got the battery compartment open.
“Hey, we have these,” Sally cried out holding up a battery. “Jo Ann, hand me the batteries with two big As. It takes four.”
“Double As,” Wendy offered as
