Wendy stopped and hugged Noah tight, “I love you too, Noah,” Wendy cried as she dropped to her knees. Jo Ann and Sally, with Ryan in her arms, came over and hugged Wendy and Noah. “We all love you, Noah,” Wendy whimpered.
If a gunshot in the distance hadn’t have broken the moment, there was no way of telling how long the group would’ve stayed there. Jo Ann let go and looked west where the sound had come from. “That sounded further,” she said, wiping her face.
“It was,” Wendy said, getting to her feet. “Let’s get Noah cleaned up and dressed. I still have to get the gas from the vehicles.”
“If you take Ryan, we can do it,” Sally offered and Wendy looked down at her. “We can swim, but we will wash Noah on the steps that go into the swimming pool.”
Nodding as she looked from the girls to Noah, “Okay, but please, be quiet. I will never be far, but I don’t want anyone to know we are here,” Wendy said and the girls nodded.
Putting Noah down, Wendy took Ryan and put the carrier back on. “I fed him already,” Sally said as she and Jo Ann took Noah by the hands and headed to the swimming pool.
Wendy followed them over and set down the diaper bag. “I have the baby shampoo, washcloths, and towels in the diaper bag,” Wendy told them.
As the girls got ready, Noah seemed to be thrilled as he watched them. Since they were in wetsuits, the girls just sat down on the first step and started washing. When Noah didn’t fight them, Wendy moved off while grabbing the empty fuel cans.
She stopped at the house with the small utility trailer and set the gas cans down. Walking over, she picked up the tongue and pulled the trailer back through the fence to see the twins washing a very happy Noah. Putting the trailer down, Wendy went into the garage. Saying a soft prayer as she reached for the roll up door of the garage, Wendy saw the electric motor over the cars. ‘Battery Backup’ was in huge white letters on the box.
Debating on whether to try it, finally Wendy moved to the side and pressed the open button. The door rolled up as the motor hummed and Wendy was surprised at how quiet it was. When the door was open, she climbed in the Tahoe and backed it out into the yard. Climbing out, Wendy looked at the open gate and walked over, closing it but not locking it.
Patting Ryan as she walked back to the trailer, Wendy wondered how many more Noahs were out there. Finally, she reasoned not many because not many would have had access to water like Noah had. “I’ll take care of any I find,” Wendy pledged, picking up the trailer’s tongue and moving it over to the Tahoe.
Putting the trailer on the ball hitch, Wendy was thankful for that as she locked the trailer down. She stopped as she was about to hook up the lights. “Be damned if I drive with lights,” she mumbled.
It was four p.m. when Wendy stopped. She looked at the small trailer with six full red five-gallon gas cans strapped on. The minivan still had a full tank of gas, but Wendy hadn’t found any more gas cans and several more gunshots had sounded out to the west.
She walked over to where a very clean and dressed Noah played with Jo Ann and Sally. Before Wendy spoke, everyone stopped at hearing engines to the west. They all listened as the noise faded away. “That was more engines that time,” Sally said, looking up.
“Yeah, and they were heading the same way that the last ones were,” Wendy said, looking back down at the kids. “Guys, I want to leave at dark. I’m not driving with lights because I don’t want people to see us.”
“How will you see?” Sally asked, clearly not liking that idea.
“We will have a full moon tonight and the skies are clear,” Wendy answered, kneeling down and patting Sally’s leg. “But I have a night vision scope if I need it.”
“Oh,” Sally said, feeling a little better about it.
“Guys, can I ask a big favor?” Wendy grunted as she sat down on the grass.
“You don’t have to ask,” Jo Ann giggled.
“I need to get some sleep before we leave. Do you want me to sleep out here and you keep watch or inside?”
The twins didn’t even look at each other as they spoke simultaneously. “Outside.”
“Okay,” Wendy said, laying her head down on Ryan’s blanket. “You have your watches, so wake me at eight p.m. or if you hear anything close.”
“We will,” Jo Ann promised as Wendy closed her eyes. Before the twins went back to playing with Noah, Wendy was already asleep.
Chapter Twenty Seven
When in doubt, just aim and pull the trigger
Wendy felt a hand grab her shoulder and jerked back as she sat up. “It’s me,” she heard Sally say. Turning around, Wendy saw Sally kneeling in the grass beside her. “It’s almost eight.”
Blinking her eyes, Wendy looked around and realized the sun was already setting. “Did either of you hear anything?” Wendy asked, getting up and seeing Noah asleep beside Ryan on the blanket.
“A few gunshots and engines. One was from where we left the jet ski and it sounded like that big boat that passed us,” Jo Ann told her. “Um, we only have one pack of crackers, half a jar of peanut butter and one can of soup. Sorry, but Noah was really hungry.”
Reaching out and caressing Jo Ann’s face, “Baby, don’t apologize for taking care of the little ones,” Wendy smiled.
“But we have to find more food,” Jo Ann moaned.
“And
