Chapter 7

Pat went over to Anna, "After the girls are in their rooms and you're sure they're asleep I want to have a meeting with all of the adults. Make sure that none of the girls comes down with you. It's very important."

"Who in the hell put you in charge?" Anna snapped.

"God damn it, shut the hell up Anna," Pauline snapped, "Just do it. You know, a little of you goes a long way."

Pat walked out of the kitchen with Pauline right behind him. They walked for a while checking out the amenities of the motel. Pat opened a door and saw that the motel had a gym room. In the corner was a large hot tub.

Pat looked at Pauline, "Is there a lock on that door?"

Pauline looked and nodded and Pat told her to lock it. Pauline locked the door and when she turned Pat was next to the hot tub and was taking off his clothes. Pauline walked over and began to strip. They both entered the hot tub at the same time.

Pauline sighed, "Oh this is so good. I could stay here for hours."

"This is a God-send," Pat grinned, "I was hoping that we'd find something like this. This will work the kinks out."

Pauline got a serious look on her face, "We haven't found anyone else alive since that black hole passed. Do you think that we'll find anyone?"

"I really don't know. I don't even know how we survived unless the lead and the radiation in that cave combined somehow to protect us. If it had to be a combination of lead and radiation we just might be the only ones left on earth. There's not too many places with both lead and radiation in the same combination as that cave."

"You scared me when you started talking about how the animals might become vicious," Pauline said, "Do you really think that will happen?"

"I promise you that it will happen. We'll have to learn to live with the new dangers. Animals that we have always thought were so cute will now become our predators. Animals will always be searching for ways to make us their next meal. That's why I want to teach everyone about guns and gun safety."

Pauline became quiet and they sat in the hot tub each with their own thoughts. After about fifteen minutes Pat said that they ought to get out and go find Anna and see if the girls were asleep yet.

They dried themselves off without speaking and then made their way to find the other adults.

Pat and Pauline waited in the kitchen for a while until the other two adults came downstairs. Anna and Sarah came into the kitchen. Anna was leading the way trying to put herself in charge of the group.

"Now, what's so important that you had to call a meeting," she said haughtily.

Pauline almost shouted at Anna, "For God's sake Anna let him speak before you snap his head off."

Pat pulled out his pistol and Anna gasped, "Where did you get that. Throw that away right now. I won't have guns around my girls."

Pat started talking to the women, "Look, we haven't seen any signs of humans since that black hole passed. If there are people out there we have no idea if they will want to do us harm or not. If all authority has vanished people are going to start to make their own rules. Another problem is the animals. Pretty soon the animals that have relied on humans to feed them are going to get hungry. When that happens they're going to start to revert to their wild state."

Anna snapped, "I won't have guns around the girls."

Pat continued, "I want each of the adults to take a pistol and four magazines. I'll give you a quick course on how the use the weapons. Make sure that the girls don't see the guns. They'll jump to conclusions and we don't need twenty terrified teenagers right now."

Anna started to say something but Pauline cut her off, "Anna, what he's saying is for our protection. We have to get used to this new world. Nothing is like it was when we started out on this trip."

Anna blustered, "Well ... I just ... I don't think the girls..."

Pat spoke to Anna in a low voice to calm her, "Anna, there's a good chance we might never have to use the weapons. But then again, if we need them ... well, I'd rather have them if we do need them."

Pat saw Anna pondering what he said, "You don't trust me anyway Anna so you'll have a gun handy if I get out of line."

Even Anna smiled at that. Pat began to instruct each of the women on how to carry, use and safety the pistols. He warned them again not to let the girls see the guns.