"That would make finding them really easy if they did."
Dave pointed to an SUV and headed to it. Josh continued walking towards a truck. These vehicles had just been left right in the middle of the road so there was little chance of them getting bogged in the neighbouring fields. However, all the extra vehicles on the road made driving a challenge.
Dave got into the SUV that he picked out and was again surprised by the way that the keys were still in it. How had this chaos hit them so suddenly? Dave started the SUV and drove it back to the intersection. To the west of the cafe was a fenced off house. Dave drove close to the house's fence and parked right over the gap between it and the cafe. Dave turned the engine off, locked the doors on the passenger side and got out.
Dave had barely started walking west along the road when he saw Josh coming back with a large truck. Dave stopped and watched Josh park the truck across the street just west of the houses on either side of the road. There was a small road giving access to some of the back houses and fields. Dave was impressed both by the size of the truck and Josh's driving. The truck made a tight fit and blocked the entire street. Josh turned the truck engine off, got out of the truck and came over to Dave.
"That's not a great wall," said Josh, "but I think we're doing pretty good."
"No complaints from me."
"Now what?"
Dave looked at the sky. "Even though there is still a good amount of light left, I think we should stop for the day. Firstly, we've made a lot of noise so I'm expecting visitors. Secondly, I don't want us to wear out and get injured. Finally I want to do some reading while there's still some light."
"That sounds great. I think I'll join you with that reading."
"But while going back let's take a detour to the camping store. If we grab a few things every time we go back to our base then we'll eventually get ourselves really set up nicely."
"Anything you're looking for?"
"I'd love a barbecue. I'm sick of cold food."
"That could be heavy."
"A portable camping version might be doable."
Josh waved towards Charlie. "I know Charlie will miss us but let's go. I could do with some food, and I'm getting really thirsty as well."
* * *
It was late in the day and the sun was starting to sink below the horizon. It wasn't daytime bright but one could still read a book by that light. Dave and Josh were sitting on some foldable chairs near the hut where they had set up their makeshift new home. Dave closed a heavy book on human physiology. Josh noticed and closed his own book on camping. Dave sighed.
"You sound exhausted," said Josh.
"I can't help it. I've never studied anything medical before. I've not even done a first aid course. Every time I read something I just find myself realising that there is yet another field that I have to learn right from the very beginning."
"That makes sense. Back in the day we respected doctors precisely because they studied so hard in order to build up their skills. If they had to spend several years studying both in university and then a hospital then I can't see anyone else just picking up all that knowledge in a hour or so of reading."
"I get it. I feel like I'm being chased by the clock so I'm frustrated by how slow I am."
"How about this? It's getting late. Let's have some dinner and watch the sunset."
"That's a hell of a subject change you crazy twat."
"And somehow you have the nerve to say that to me after what you've got planned."
"I've not told you about my plan," pointed out Dave.
"I can guess enough of it. At least enough to agree that it needs to be done."
"Keep in mind that I'm still trying to figure out this plan. I want it to be flexible so that I can respond to any discoveries."
"I'm there. I'm also starving as fuck."
Dave laughed and stood up. "I'll go grab some cans. Anything that you want?"
Josh stood up and handed his book to Dave. "Maybe something with meat. I'll fire up the barbecue so that we can warm them up."
"Don't forget to try out the billy as well."
"What do you want? Tea or coffee?"
"I'd like to have a good sleep so I'll go with a tea."
"Tea it is."
Dave walked into the hut and looked down at the spare stretcher. The contents of his backpack had been taken out and spread over the surface of the stretcher. Dave put the two books that he was holding into a pile with his other books on the stretcher. There were some cans on the stretcher but Dave left those as a part of an emergency stash.
On the floor next to the stretcher was a card board box filled with soup cans taken from the supermarket shelves below them. The supermarket had a significant stock of soup cans and Dave felt confident that himself and Josh could live a whole year on this roof top. Although winter might be a bit severe.
Dave picked out two random meat-based soups and walked out to the barbecue where Josh was lighting it up. Back in the hut there were some fancy fuels that they could have used, but that was a very limited stock. Instead Josh had found a lot of loose wood around - just as expected for a semi-rural area - and was burning those. Dave placed the soup cans on the foldable table next to the barbecue.
"Anything that I can help with?" asked Dave.
"Getting the fire started is the only tricky part. The rest is just a matter of putting a can on the hot plate and waiting."
"I'll go check on Charlie and see if he wants dinner."
"Say 'Hi!'
