Chapter 42

We arrived at our camp. The four men were seated on the ground. The women avoided them as they went into the shower area. Nancy, Joe’s wife, collected fresh clothing for them and went in the shower area. We could hear voices in that area.

After a bit, they came out and moved over to where Joe, Sheila, and I were sitting. She said, ‘You need to talk to these ladies.”

Joe said, “Sure, I believe they can tell us the truth about the men here.”

Sheila and I both nodded and smiled at him. The four ladies looked much better for their showers and clean clothes. I said, “Ladies, what can you tell us about the surviving men from your group?”

“I’m Susan Carmichael and accepted your wife’s offer to join you. I had been married for two years when the aliens came. My husband worked in Atlanta and I believe he’s dead. I worked in Villa Rica as a dispatcher for a trucking company. When the aliens landed, they hit the company’s offices pretty hard. I was trapped when the roof fell in. The only reason I’m alive is that I was under rubble with two co-workers who helped me get free. We watched as some of the men got rifles from their pickups and shot back. Two aliens were killed by exploding their suits. The aliens then bombed the parking area and ended their efforts. I managed to get out and drove in on I-20 to the edge of Atlanta’s crater. I was captured a week later by Gary and Ben. I didn’t see either one when we were freed. I did see Al.” She pointed at the man who spoke to us after their failed ambush. “He was a ring leader in raping us, too.”

That statement earned him hard stares from Nancy and Sheila. He said, “You’ve got nothing on me. Those bitches aren’t telling the truth.”

Nancy drew her pistol and said, “Sit back. The statement was unforced. We’ll talk to you in a few minutes.”

He said, “You can’t make me do anything.”

“Yes, I can.” She shot him between the eyes. He fell back dead. “He’ll sit back and be quiet now.” The other prisoners were looking on in horror. I don’t think they expected that. They were also holding very still and being very quiet.

Joe and I and our spouses walked away a bit. I asked, “What do we do with these guys? I don’t think any of them are innocent.”

Nancy said, “I agree they’re not innocent. I was watching faces when Sheila shot that one. They were sick thinking that they could be next. I think they should be sick because they will be next.”

I looked at Sheila and Joe. They were nodding. “Do we all do it or is someone willing?”

Sheila and Nancy looked at each other and nodded. Sheila said, “You two go ahead. We’ll take care of the trash.” They turned back as we went on.

Joe asked, “What do we need to do?”

“We should check on everyone’s status for supper and for the evening. Tomorrow morning, we’ll finish our traveling. I hope we have no further challenges.”

Joe and I walked around checking on people to make sure all was well which it was. I also set sentries and reliefs for the night. I informed all that we would move out in the morning and complete our trek. I did hear gunshots as our wives disposed of the men we had captured.

During supper, Sheila and I talked about the male prisoners that she did shoot. Nancy was with her and they discussed each one with the women who had been freed. None had any redeeming qualities. It didn’t surprise me as none looked like thinking men nor empathetic men.

In the morning, we loaded everyone including the women who had been prisoner and left for the other side of Atlanta going around to the south. Though badly damaged, the perimeter highway was still passable.

We were at the edge of the crater or craters along the way. The interchange to I-20 east of Atlanta was gone and we had to reverse course and pick up I-20 heading east further out. We came to the Covington Highway 278 exit and took the four-lane through the business area of Covington. It went down to two lanes and we cut right and southeast to go into the rural area of Newton County.

We soon found ourselves in an area of homes on large areas of land much of it pasture. We found an area of farmland that was deserted now but had crops growing wild. We went into the first house we approached and stopped. We went inside and found it deserted and undamaged. I looked out back and saw a barn. Joe and I went there and found two dead horses which had been trapped inside. We opened the doors wide to let the smell out.

Walking outside, we found five cows and three more horses. The animals were seemingly glad to see people. They didn’t seem to want to enter the barn but, once we cleaned the dead horses out, I figured they would reenter. We put out some hay for them and left to look over other areas.

We looked at nine or ten more houses. We found no people nor any signs of recent habitation. We didn’t find any more animals either. At one house, we found no farm equipment until we looked out in a field. It was out there shot up by the aliens. If we used that house and field, the tractor and plow would have to be hauled away. It was all quite pretty though lonely with no people except us.

That night, we divided into the various houses we had searched. Joe and Nancy stayed with us in that first house. Joe said, “Riley, it’s a great area. Nancy and I will find a house close by and work together with you and Sheila to make lives.” I nodded.

Various people spread out to the houses we had inspected. Nancy and Joe joined us for a while. We would look for them tomorrow. Others would continue to check houses in the area. I had a little hope that someone would be found alive. We cooked supper going to our beds moderately early.

In the morning, we had breakfast and then went outside to deal with the two dead horses. It took most of the day to remove the carcasses from the property and clean out the stalls. In the end, we finished and then bathed. Cold water still worked though there was no hot right now. I was looking forward to getting utilities working for these houses.

It was time so we had supper enjoying the meal with just the two couples of us. We talked a while and later went to our beds planning to search for another house in the morning.

When we were conducting our initial search, we skipped over a few houses. We tried a house adjacent to the one where we had been staying. Nancy and Joe liked it and we even found three horses and six cows in a pasture that was partially wooded. I guessed that the animals were in the woods and avoided the aliens that way.

Joe said, “Well, Riley, we’ll be your next door neighbors.”

“That works for me.”

Over the next week, everyone got moved in after having picked houses. Alex had chosen a house two down from Sheila and me in the opposite direction from Joe and Nancy. He had set everyone up with the small FM radios so we could talk. We did on an irregular basis. As folks got settled, some suggested that we meet regularly, an idea which I quickly endorsed. We decided to meet every Friday for supper. In the summertime, it worked well. In winter, we might change that but it worked for now.