“We operate in separate groups but also as a whole to ensure safety for the Valley, working closely with Samuel and his West residents. We do have some crossover with our groups, but it is minimal at this juncture—besides the barricade guards, of course, who are switched out regularly.
“We are all responsible for this four miles of Valley, pristine and untouched thus far by those willing to do us harm. We have had our share of small skirmishes and people to deal with, but it pales in comparison to what’s headed our way. You know the Colonel better than I do; and Samuel, here, along with his daughter, Sarah, know him even better. We are trusting that he and his crew will be our lifeline if it comes down to defending our Valley from would-be occupiers.”
“After only befriending Vlad for less than a month, he came to our rescue, so I’m sure he will pull out all the stops for his mentor, Samuel,” I replied.
“I hope you’re right, but we have to prepare as if he can’t. All in Samuel’s group do not carry guns or weapons of any kind. As I’m sure you are aware, on our side we do. The security force is a blend of both and has seemed to work well so far. Everyone here has a full-time job, and we strive to put people in occupations where they may have experience already, or possibly they just want to try and are willing to put in the time needed to learn the position. The only ones not working are our elders. Do you have any of those with you, Lance?”
“Just Lonnie here!” I joked, getting a few smiles from my side, and “Payback is a...” from Lonnie. “We do have a fair number of kids, though—nine, to be exact.”
“The children here will have chores and schooling soon, but right now we let them play—supervised, of course.”
“I understand,” I told him. “Two of mine were abducted on our way here while playing unsupervised. Thankfully we got them back unharmed.”
“Same with us,” interjected Samuel. “Happened to one of our young boys.”
“The second time never turns out as good,” said Bill. “You’ve met our head of security, Mac, and his right arm, Cory. They have put together a security team that is top-notch, from what I’ve seen. There’s always room for more if it’s the right fit. Your jobs for the next two weeks will be the same as most, preparing for The Great Battle. Vlad, I hear you and Sheila are good under the hood!”
“Yes, Bill, that is correct,” replied Sheila, “and it looks like you have quite a few vehicles around here to keep running.”
“That we do, and it helps both communities to manage a property this size and continue to feed everyone. Here, the vehicles are among the highest of priorities, so I would ask that you two start in the shop tomorrow.”
“What about daycare?” asked Sheila.
I hadn’t thought about it, but now I thought it was a good question.
“Most parents drop off the children. The boys will be in one area and the girls in another. We call it ‘boys’ pattern’ and ‘girls’ pattern,’” replied John. “They will do activities together and in their separate groups.”
“Why split them up at all?” Sheila asked.
“That is a fair question,” said John. “We don’t watch all that much TV around here—and even less now!” he added, with a laugh. “So, all the boys want to do is run around and wrestle, and the girls don’t. Both groups seem to like it that way. But yes, to answer your question, Sheila, we have daycare from breakfast until dinner every day. Speaking of meals, they are communal and eaten in our Pavilion, and sometimes outdoors on the patio. Rico is our Head Chef, and his team always has something for everyone. Mealtimes are posted on the front door of the dining hall. I trust you have all settled into your apartments?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied. “There’s room for all of us, and thank you. It’s been a while since we slept in real beds. I forgot how nice that is!”
“It doesn’t take long being away to have a new appreciation for beds, showers and flushing toilets,” added Bill.
We all laughed as the initial apprehension in my group of how everything would work came down just a bit—not a lot but enough to start.
“Okay,” said John. “Let’s give you all a day to get your bearings. I have arranged a tour of the property, starting from the Pavilion, every two hours from noon to 6 p.m. Please let everyone know and bring the kiddos with you, so they know where basic buildings and boundaries are located around here.
“Lance, Vlad, Jake and Lonnie, can we borrow you for a couple of hours to talk strategy? You were all on the front line, correct?”
“Yes, sir. That is correct, and we would be happy to share what we have learned about them so far,” I responded for us all.
* * * *
Jake, Lonnie, Vlad and I left word to tell our other halves we would be a little late this morning.
“You call her your other half?” I asked Vlad.
“You mean Anna?”
“Of course,” I replied.
“Then yes, I do,” he said with a smile and a don’t-ask-me-any-more-questions look.
Mac got out the easel marker board and quickly drew the boundaries and landmarks, similar to what he had done for the Council only days ago. Each point of interest was circled, including nearly the entire top of the Rimrock, I noticed, but only a tiny part of Green Mountain.
“You think they are coming over the Rimrock, don’t you?” I asked.
“What makes you say that?” said Mac.
“I grew up here
