“Yes, Karl. Mabel has passed.”
Dr. Melton personally checked her an hour later, making the official time of death 3 p.m. The following day, a service would be held for the oldest resident to be laid to rest in the Valley cemetery.
Sharon spoke with Bill about her conversation with one of the best friends she had ever known.
“I’m sad to see her go, but I was there with her and that’s what matters most.”
“We need to gather tomorrow morning for another meeting,” said Bill.
* * * *
They had the usual crew assembled for the news Mabel had shared only yesterday. Sharon told the story exactly as she remembered, ending with the ominous command.
“Burn what?” asked one of the Council to the others.
“Why would we burn our homes?” asked another. Most held up their arms in a questioning stance.
Bill whispered something to John and Samuel before addressing the group.
“Mac,” he asked. “Do you have any questions for Sharon or any of us here about what we have heard?”
“No, sir, but I would like a few minutes to speak with Cory and then use the easel board, if that’s okay.”
Everyone in the room shook their heads yes, with Mac and Cory disappearing outside for ten minutes. There would be no breakfast served to the small group this morning. It wasn’t that kind of meeting, Bill told Rico when he asked about it last night.
* * * *
Mac and Cory were on the same page with security defense. Mac took to the board, drawing a few landmarks, including the Pavilion with the “You’re Here” designation you might see at a mall kiosk or National Park trail. The dome Chapel, Green Mountain, and the Rimrock also were marked.
“Our current borders are here, to the north, and here, to the south,” Cory pointed out.
“Mabel left us a message that can be interpreted in several ways, I suppose,” continued Mac. “I’m not sure how she could have known Baker’s name, but she did. What she said makes sense about them coming over the Rimrock, from one side to the other. Why bring a thousand people through one chokehold, or barrier in our case, when you can fan out and hop from one valley on the other side of the Rimrock to another here, where we stand?”
“Why don’t they just take the valley on the other side?” asked a Council member.
“It’s too big to defend,” said Cory. “It runs nine miles from Big Thompson Elementary School up to Masonville, and then splits two ways. There is a small river running through it, but damming it upstream is not hard to do. The long valley also lacks much of a barrier on the Loveland-facing side, and therefore is open to multiple points of attack. Plus, even if they did settle there, we would never have another day’s peace in our Valley, being so close to them.”
“That’s what we believe she meant by her statement ‘Burn it,’” added in Mac. “She wasn’t referring to Saddle Ranch or the West community’s homesteads or fields, but to the Rimrock itself. We have had our share of forest fires over the years here, with most up on Green Mountain. The keys are controlling the spread and hoping the wind is in our favor. It may be a long shot, but it could be the only option.”
“What exactly are you saying?” asked John.
“We are suggesting a controlled burn across the Rimrock, away from this Valley. There are enough bushes up there to keep a flame, but not enough trees to make an inferno, like on Green Mountain. We use the tractors to build a fire road across the entire Rimrock, like they do fighting forest fires. Timing is everything, though. Too fast, and they come over when it cools—not fast enough, and they will already be on our side. If anyone has a better idea than Mabel, please let me know,” Mac said.
* * * * * * *
Chapter Twenty-six
Raton Pass, New Mexico
David settled in with his new family, as if they had always been together.
Nate and his group, not yet part of the Raton Pass Militia officially, fit in as well as anyone else, David supposed. Everyone worked hard since Lance and his group had left, erecting all of the greenhouses, preparing the soil and planting seeds.
David and Mel gathered the groups at Beatrice’s house after a well-deserved one-day break from all but the basics of work.
“Thank you all for coming here for supper tonight,” said David. “Our Chef extraordinaire, Beatrice, has whipped up a meal fit for the hard work you all put into the greenhouses. Once the food cycle gets going, we will consistently replace what we consume. There will be challenges, but paired with proteins of fish and game, it is sustainable for the long haul.
“The key point moving forward is to not fall into the trap of comfort and laziness. For anyone who has never wintered up here, like Tina, our spring and summer can be deceiving. The more work we do over the next few months, the easier the winter cold and snow will be on all of us.
“Our houses aren’t bad right now without air conditioning; in fact, most don’t even have it installed. Houses like my mother’s here,” he said, “have both a wood-burning fireplace and stove in case of a power outage. Some of the other houses, like where my family and I are staying currently, do not have a usable heat source. They were only occupied in the summer months and didn’t need to be kept warm in the winter. There is a hole in the wall with fake wood we used to call a California fireplace, more for looks than heating of any kind. Why would anyone install one of those in a Colorado home? I don’t know, but the bottom line is we need to covert or build a wood-burning fireplace into each home. For those never having done this, it means firewood, lots of
