After the Change
Chapter 9: Burt

Copyright© 2011 by Old Fart

Well, Amanda was certainly a new experience. She knew what she wanted and she went all out to get it. I must say I was happy with the result. Me, a man who hadn't touched a woman other than my wife for close to twenty years. Maria and I mind talked when I found out about the troubles and saw what Amanda was doing and she told me I knew what I had to do. Somehow, I don't think she would have been the same if I'd called her six months ago and told her I wasn't coming home until the morning because I just met someone and was going to take her to bed.

Something had been bothering me since I found out about the punks trying to pull the protection racket here. I had no idea how to use the weapons currently in vogue. The last time I used a bow and arrow was as a kid, when it was still acceptable to play Cowboys and Indians. I never threw a spear, the closest thing being on the track and field team in high school, tossing a javelin around. The same with a sword. I had a few mock sword fights with sticks when I was a kid but had never even held a real one. I'd never had a crossbow in my hands but I imagined, out of the available weapons, that would be the easiest to learn. I suppose I could hit the side of a barn with one but I had my doubts about a target. Or a man. And I was supposed to lead these people.

When I woke up, I realized there had been nothing to worry about. I now had the knowledge to use any weapon in existence well beyond an expert level. In mind talking with Maria, I found that she and Bev were now experts in modern weapons, as well. Then she set up the equivalent of a conference call with Grace, and she confirmed her family (and my daughter) had woken up as arms experts, too. Good old Dreamer.

I went into the room where Oscar was lying down. Amanda had a bowl of water and was wiping him down with a washcloth.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful. He needs his bandage changed. Just take off the old one, clean the wound, and put some of this on it before you put on a new bandage." She pointed to a jar with some yellowish paste in it.

"I can do that."

"Good. That will give me time to get started on breakfast while Susan finishes her chores."

I lifted Oscar's head and unraveled the bandage that was wrapped around his head. Once I got that off, there was a square something like the gauze I was used to. That took a little work to get off without opening up the cut.

It looked like he'd been bashed in the back of the head with a shovel. Someone had shaved around the wound. It was seeping but it didn't seem to be infected. I cleaned it as best I could and scooped a couple of fingers of goop from the jar. It had a pleasant spicy odor and softened as it absorbed the warmth from my fingers and his head. Soon there was a nice layer, almost like a lifeguard's nose only yellow.

There was a small stack of the cloth squares and a roll of bandage on the table next to the jar. I picked up a square and put it over the wound, then secured it with some bandage. I eased Oscar's head down on the pillow and felt his forehead. I felt a sharp jolt in my elbow and he jerked as if he'd been shocked the instant the palm of my hand touched him. Then he opened his eyes and looked at me. He brought his hands up a few inches off the bed, trying to make fists and failing and I could see a reaction in his eyes. There was some fear there, some confusion and even a little anger. That only lasted a few seconds, then he relaxed, as if he realized I was no threat.

He tried to speak but couldn't. There was a pitcher half filled with water and a glass on the table. I poured some into the glass and raised his head enough for him to take a few sips. When he was satisfied, he nodded and looked up at me.

I put the glass down and he said, "Who are you?"

"My name is Burt. I'm the Senior."

"I'm Oscar. What happened to me?"

"You were attacked. There were three of them. They also took your son."

He struggled to get up but I held him down.

"He's OK," I said. "Three scouts went out and found the camp and he was fine. They can't harm him if they want to use him to convince The Town to pay them off. Most of the townspeople are leaving with us in about an hour to bring back your boy and a couple of women that are also being held captive. We'll also take care of the men who did this to you. You don't have to worry about them harming anyone else ever again."

I think he was getting ready to fight me and try to go after them when Amanda came in the room to tell me that breakfast was almost ready. She was carrying a cup of coffee for me and dropped it when she saw him.

Amanda ended up staying with Oscar, feeding him and herself. She was going to take care of him instead of riding out with us. Susan fed the rest of us breakfast.

This was the second day in a row that I had fresh eggs for breakfast. Fresh as in still warm from being underneath a chicken when they were cooked. Chickens that were allowed to wander and weren't kept in an area smaller than a paperback book and pumped full of chemicals. That alone would make a big difference in taste; eating them fresh from the source just made it that much better.

The eggs were just the start. We also had homegrown bacon, fresh picked fried tomatoes and homemade bread with fresh churned butter. Susan had brought in the milk we drank straight from the cow.

Susan was friendly but wasn't hanging all over Val like she had been the day before. By the time we were finished eating breakfast, Oscar was sitting up. Amanda and he were leaning into each other and had their arms entangled. Oscar seemed to have a pretty good appetite so I guess he was well on the road to recovery. Susan and Connie had made us all sandwiches and we took them and some fruit with us.

It took about fifteen minutes to saddle up and ride over to the pipe plant. We left our saddle horse in the barn. If anyone shot any game, there was bound to be room in some of the wagons. I didn't say anything, but I thought we might also need them to transport some of the captives. We arrived at the pipe plant early but most of the people who were going were already there. I met with Garth and Hector and they fixed Val and me up with longbows.

Hector took the lead. There were 27 of us and we were able to ride four or five across for most of the trip. Ricky and Connie stuck with us and were watchful the whole time. Their bows were over their shoulders today and their arrows were in their quivers, but I'd seen how fast that can change when Connie spotted that pheasant.

We made decent time and the sun was just past its peak when Hector slowed and pointed.

"The slope down to them is just past those trees," he said.

We stopped and I told the group just behind us to get everyone to take care of the horses, drink and grab something to eat if they wanted and get any bathroom chores out of the way. Garth, Hector and our group of four went to the top of the slope, then snuck down to a clump of boulders about halfway down the hill to get a better view.

Michael looked pretty good other than a yellow bruise under one eye. The women looked as bad as I'd been told. There were two men lying on the ground, chained by the neck with their hands behind their backs. One looked like his nose was broken and he groaned every time he moved so I assumed he had some broken ribs. The other had two black eyes and it looked like there was something wrong with his right arm, though it was hard to tell with his hands chained together. Both men had fresh abrasions on their faces and both got kicked by a couple of men on their way to rape the women. The leader was sitting in front of his lean-to talking to another couple of men. Most of the rest were in the big tent, either resting or asleep. Connie told me she counted 22 plus the prisoners. All eight horses were still tied up but none of them looked well enough to carry anyone for any distance.

I sent Val back to get the troops organized and lead them. As soon as we fired, everyone was to rush them and just take out anyone other than the prisoners. The medic was to get somebody to assist him and head right for the prisoners and give them whatever emergency help they needed. Somebody else was to go with them to remove the chains from all of them. As Val got up to leave, I said, "Five minutes."

I assigned targets to the five of us. Garth and Hector had the two rapists, I got the leader and Connie and Ricky were going to take out the two others with him.

When the five minutes were up, I said, "On three."

As soon as I finished the count, there were five arrows in the air. Mine went into the leader's left eye and the arrowhead stuck out of the back of his head a couple of inches. The two talking to him got arrows through the neck and ear. I saw Connie reach for another arrow, swing to the left and let fly. One of the two with the women was still upright but he slumped as soon as the arrow she shot went through his heart. Either he moved or someone was a poor shot because the first one was sticking out of his arm.

Connie's second arrow was still in the air when over twenty people ran down the hill. Connie and Ricky each got four or five in their beds before the crowd reached them.

 
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