Tom removed the man’s binding and told him to sit down and talk. “Now that we’re gathered together, and no one got shot, we want to invite you to join our group. We have plenty of safe, warm shelter, food, and hard work to earn your way.”
The man glared at Tom. “Why should we believe you? You came in here and captured us against our will.”
Kate pointed at the man. “And just how should we have contacted you during an apocalypse where everyone is scared and trigger happy? Jackie and I walked up with pistols holstered, and your wife pointed that big hog leg at us. We chose to meet you like this to avoid killing you and your wife.”
“Why can’t you just leave us alone? We aren’t bothering anyone,” the woman said.
Tom smiled and stood up. “You’re camping on our land. It’s been in my family since the 1800s. So yes, you’re bothering us. Besides, we mean it when we say your baby and the rest of you won’t make it through an Oregon winter up here in the mountains. You can join us or leave now, but you can’t stay here. If you join us, we have rules for protecting all of us that have to be obeyed.”
The man was still doubtful. “I don’t know about joining you.”
The woman said, “I’m Doris, that’s my husband Jerry, son Jacob, and Madeline, our sweet baby girl. We call her Maddie. Tell us more about what you have to offer and what you expect from us.”
Thirty minutes later, Jerry and Doris agreed they would move to the group’s compound. Jerry didn’t like the blindfolds or the month of probation, but he’d decided that caution was needed these days. Tom ended the discussion. “Fetch your personal items. I’ll send a crew up here to get your equipment, tent, and those hidden supplies up at the pond.”
Jerry’s head snapped around with his mouth open. “How did you know about the hiding place?”
“Never talk about your hiding spots around the campfire. We knew you to be good people and what you planned to do before we met you. Never go into a situation where you don’t have all the facts unless it’s the last resort,” Tom preached, just as his grandpa had done with Jackie and him long ago.
They only walked down the hill a hundred yards before Tom saw the old pickup winding through the trees climbing the mountain. The truck stopped, and they helped the family into the truck with Rick driving. Tom got in the bed of the truck with the boy. “Home, James!”
Rick drove around the backroads for an hour before going to the bunker.
Jerry griped about the arduous trek through the barn and hidden doors, but was pleasantly surprised when he was told to remove the blindfold. “Hey, it’s warm in here. My, what a view out that window. Where are we?”
Tom motioned for them to sit at the long kitchen table with the rest of the team. Tom banged a saltshaker on the table. “Listen up. Jerry, you won’t know where we are until you pass the month-long trial. Suffice it to say we drove around enough, so you don’t have a clue where we are now.”
While Tom talked, Granny B took charge of little Maddie and rocked her in Granny B’s rocking chair. Tom could hear Granny B humming to the little girl. He stopped and motioned for the others to listen and then said, “You might have trouble with a spoiled baby before Granny B gets done with her.”
Everyone laughed, and Jackie went back to being serious. “I plan to interview you two tomorrow to see what skills you have, and we’ll make work assignments in a few days. We have a working ranch and some farming. Tom told you about guard duty and defending our home here. Tom and Kate will be in charge of your weapons and survival training. Granny B will give classes in edible plants, skinning animals, and other survival skills. Any questions?”
Jerry said, “I was in the National Guard and can handle an M4, 9-mm, shotguns, and light machineguns. I’ve worked on ranches, and I’m very handy in a machine shop.”
Doris looked around the room. “This’ll be so much better than freezing our tails off up on the mountain. As far as skills, I was raised on a little farm up by Grants Pass. I can grow vegetables, tend rabbits, pigmy goats, chickens, and pigs, and I know my way around a kitchen.”
Greta moved closer to Doris. “You can help me with my rabbits.”
Lucy chimed into the conversation. “Our rabbits! Do you know how to skin and clean rabbits?”
“Yes. We sold the meat as well as tamed rabbits for pets. I tended to two colonies. One was New Zealand Whites, and the other was Californian. What breed do you have?”
Greta and Lucy looked at each other. Tom saved them. “They have a few wild bunnies.”
“Oh. That’s better than nothing. Jerry, perhaps we could send them up to our old place to fetch some of our rabbits and pygmy goats.”
Jerry looked angry. “That would be too dangerous.”
Tom asked, “Where did you live?”
“We lived on the Bald Mountain Farm property. I worked as a maintenance and general hand, and my wife was the cook and cleaning lady for the Smith family. We had a cottage on an acre and raised a large vegetable garden, the rabbits, and goats. We provided meat and vegetables to the ranch hands and then were allowed to keep the rest to sell it for profit. I didn’t get paid a lot, but we didn’t pay anything for the home or supplies to raise
