Arthur let Robin run off as he moved around and watched the kids tending to the animals. Everyone could tell Kirk, Pat, and Jim had done it the most, even though Jim still freaked out when the lambs came near him.
After finishing up with the chickens, Arthur turned around to see a naked Robin chasing the baby goats. “Robin, stop chasing the kids,” Arthur called out, looking around for Robin’s panties but thankful she still had on her sandals.
“Kids? She’s chasing the baby goats, not us,” Vicki said, closing the chicken coop.
“That’s what baby goats are called,” Arthur answered, not seeing Robin’s panties anywhere. Giving up, Arthur reached down and pulled a bottle from his cargo pocket when Nicole announced that she was hungry.
“Shawn, grab the nudist,” Arthur said, putting the bottle in Nicole’s mouth and her cry stopped.
“Um, she’s naked,” Shawn said, turning and watching Robin chase the goats. “I’m a boy,” he offered, but moved toward Robin.
As Lucas and Pam started crying in their baby carriers, Arthur turned to the buggy and let out a sigh. “Vicki, start feeding Lucas and Jodi, feed Pam. Just leave her in the baby carrier and hold her bottle,” Arthur said, feeling a headache coming on and the sun was barely up for the long day ahead.
Turning around, Arthur saw Shawn scoop up Robin holding her at arm’s length like she was contaminated, he carried her back to the buggies. Really wanting to go back to bed, Arthur piled in the buggies with the others as Kirk and Shawn drove them back to the house.
“Shawn, Kirk, make sure the trucks are full of gas,” Arthur told them, climbing out. “Everyone else, get in and stay with your buddy.”
Seeing Vicki carrying Pam to the Suburban, “Pat, get Pam’s baby carrier,” Arthur said, walking over to the Suburban. When he opened the back door, Arthur looked down to see a naked Robin climbing in using the running board as a ladder.
Arthur didn’t move until Nicole had given him a burp, then he strapped her in the car seat carrier in the backseat. The car seat carriers just snapped into the car seat mounts and Arthur was certain the person who’d invented it had more than one kid to deal with.
When all the kids were loaded, Arthur started having thoughts of leaving Shawn here to babysit and going to get the stuff on his own. “Can’t do it,” Arthur finally sighed and let Donald and Daisy in the back of the Suburban. He had already left the kids alone the night before last. Only taking Nicole, Arthur had driven into Clarksville and then east to Russellville to scout. Russellville was three times larger than Clarksville with a population of over thirty thousand, but Arthur had spotted more lights from houses in Clarksville. Since the power was out, lights meant people.
Only gone for four hours, the kids had waited up for him, even after working their asses off all day moving stuff.
Holding his AR to his side, Arthur climbed in the driver’s seat and glanced back counting. After counting heads in his Blazer, Arthur grabbed his radio. “You ready, Shawn?” he called out.
“Yeah, I have Kirk, Pat and Beth,” Shawn answered. “I put Kit and Kat back in the house.”
“Okay, and stay behind me. If we have problems, we are coming home,” Arthur called out and then released the transmit key.
“Understand, take back road home and get everyone inside,” Shawn called back.
Nodding, Arthur pressed the transmit key. “Tell your guys to keep an eye out,” Arthur reminded him, then turned the truck on.
Pulling down the driveway, Arthur reached up and pressed the gate button. He slowed to let the gate swing open, then pulled through. Glancing back, Arthur saw the gate closing after Shawn had pulled through. “Very good,” Arthur mumbled.
Driving past Jack and Starlie’s farm, Arthur looked at all the stuff parked around the yard; everything from two more skid steers to a mini excavator. Glancing over at Jim in the passenger seat, Arthur grinned to see Jim scan around them with a serious expression.
Looking in the rearview mirror, Arthur saw Vicki and Jodi had their hands full with Robin, getting her dressed. Risking a quick glance back, Arthur saw all three babies asleep even though Robin was yelling ‘NO’ as Vicki and Jodi struggled to dress her.
Halfway to town, Robin finally gave up and let them dress her.
Passing the retail store, Arthur glanced at the gas station across the street and saw crows picking at the two bodies he’d shot. Next to the pumps was Shawn’s go-kart.
Keeping his speed around forty, Arthur kept swiveling his head around but didn’t see anyone. “Where is everyone?” Vicki asked from the back.
Knowing each of the kids had seen their families die, Arthur cleared his throat. “Either dying or inside,” he told her.
Reaching their first stop, Arthur pulled around the large home improvement center to stop at a large roll up door at the back of the store. Putting the Suburban in park, Arthur looked around before he got out.
Walking to the back-cargo door, Arthur opened it up and let the dogs out as he got his mini jaws of life and moved over to a small pedestrian door. Checking the knob and finding it locked, Arthur put the wedge in between the door and the frame and flipped the switch.
A few seconds later, the door popped open. Putting the mini jaws down, “Donald, Daisy,” Arthur whispered and the dogs trotted inside.
The kids all looked around with wide eyes as Arthur followed the dogs inside. When
