“Why don’t we get set up for the night, eat something, and, Barry, you can take a look around, see if what we need is here,” Jared announced as he slipped his left shoulder out of his pack strap, allowing the heavy ruck to fall on the ground.
“We can keep watch from inside this warehouse; no need having eyes up front. Someone blows through those glass doors and the neighborhood will know it,” John added.
“Teams of two,” Jared said. “Claire and I will take the last watch; Barry and Devon, you take the first; and John, you and Stephani can take the middle.”
When no one argued, Jared unpacked his little stove and set it up. He heated water and poured it over a packet of freeze-dried stew, stirred and closed the packet. It would take ten minutes for the stew to be ready for consumption, but in the meantime, he would ready his sleeping bag and have a look around the warehouse.
When his meal was ready, he beckoned Claire over and offered her the first go at the meal. The meal was designed to feed two backpackers. Claire took the meal and inhaled half of the packet’s contents before sheepishly handing the packet back to Jared, who only smiled, trying to put the girl’s nerves at ease.
Chapter 28
After Barry and Devon’s shift ended, John sat on a crate next to Stephani. They could both hear the rhythmic breathing of the two off-going guards within less than a minute, signaling just how exhausted they all were. If there was a positive thing to be taken from the new world, it was no one tossed and turned at night. By each day’s end, people left alive were so utterly sapped, they would have slept through a heavy metal concert.
John swallowed hard and glanced over at Stephani, who was staring directly at him. He was about to start explaining himself for no reason, when she spoke.
“Claire and I need tampons,” she stated as if she were pointing out the need for more water.
John’s face reddened as he tried to speak, but was unable. He had no sisters and had never been subjected in any way to his mother’s menstrual cycle. John was acutely aware this happened to women, but had never been in a situation forcing him to deal with it.
Stephani smiled wryly. “Yeah, we need tampons, and I know all you tough guys with your guns and all probably don’t want to deal with this, but the alternative is far worse. I need them now, and I’m sure Claire will soon.”
“It’s here?” was all John could think to ask, like the it was some added threat he would have to overcome.
“No, but it will be and soon,” Stephani replied.
“You can tell when it’s coming?” John said, burying himself deeper.
Stephani leaned in with brows raised, giving John a look that screamed duh without uttering the word. “Do you tough guys know when you need to leave a shit?” she asked sarcastically.
John sat quietly in the dark, unwilling to participate in the conversation any longer. He knew he’d upset the woman, but he wasn’t sure why. John found in his life, when he tangled with something so complex, he couldn’t understand it, he usually left it alone. Deep down, he knew this was different, he was going to be spending a lot of time with Stephani, and so far, they had not got off to a great start. John only felt in control when they were facing imminent danger; otherwise he felt like he was walking around her in shoes five sizes too large.
The following morning Jared and the rest of the party woke, ate, and packed their gear. Barry took Jared and continued his search of the warehouse for everything they would need to power the ranch house. Barry explained he’d talked briefly with Devon and found Solar Green sold different packages for solar power. A couple of the packages included everything needed to take a normal residence off grid.
Unfortunately, Devon’s high school paper was more of an overview and not a down and dirty how-to paper. Barry told Jared he’d talked extensively with Dwight during their trek back to San Jose, and Dwight had imparted some knowledge about some of the nuances of different off-grid equipment Barry hadn’t been aware of. Barry and Jared searched the entire showroom and office area, collecting manuals and other documents they deemed necessary for the completion of the mission.
Jared followed the man around for an hour before realizing Barry was almost identical in his approach to work as Jared had once been. The man Jared was following muttered to himself and not once acknowledged Jared’s presence. After an hour and a half, Jared left Barry to his work and returned to the warehouse, where he found John standing near the hallway, looking through the window leading to the showroom from the warehouse.
“I don’t think he needs my help.” Jared chuckled, shaking his head as he rubbed his index knuckle against his upper lip.
John cocked his head, looking at Jared. “We got another problem.”
Jared waited for John to tell him what this new problem was, wondering how they could possibly deal with any more issues.
“Girls need—ah, they’re getting their periods, I guess,” John stammered in a low tone as he made a furtive glance in the women’s direction, making sure they couldn’t hear him.
“They told you that?” Jared gasped in disbelief.
“Stephani told me and then got all upset. We sat for four hours and didn’t say a fucking word to each other.”
“What did you say to her?” Jared pressed, wanting to know out of curiosity as well as for self-preservation.
“She said it was coming, and I asked how she knew, and she got all pissy.” John shrugged.
“I’ll take her out,” Jared stated.
“Take her out? You can’t take her with
