Home Coming

Well we arrived after midnight (2402 hours exactly) to our loved ones waiting for us in the pouring rain. Many road and bridges were swamped from all the rain, so the way here was slow and treacherous. They also had to be sure it was us; a predetermined radio call and countersign were used before we got too close. We have teams of forward observers away from Home Base armed with rockets we scavenged from the National Guard Storage Depot that would put a hurting even on our vehicles if someone were to capture them and return as a ‘Trojan Horse’.
We Laid Peter to rest in our cemetery, which is nothing more than a plot outside our walls, in the rain and then unloaded the trucks. It was near 0300 when I finally got ‘home’, a concrete block room inside the National Guard Depot we took as ours. My wife, Odessa, was extremely glad to see me. I almost missed our de-briefing the next morning at 0900.

Since we had the next few days ‘off’ (no guard duty, no outbound missions, etc.), I will take some time to relax, check to see how my Dad is doing, and look in on Eillen. Reports of her condition have not yet improved. Watson said I should take some time to write up the background, how we got here, who we are, that kind of thing. I may or may not get time to do that. I just want to relax and maybe take a small crew into to town and hunt for survivors, destroy some Z, you know, relax. We have had a few sightings of people running around in town quickly and from building to building. They didn’t have the bandit ‘look’ but who knows. I was told a small crew of heavily armed men came knocking while we were up in Lexington. The people here repelled their advances with extreme hostility. I feel better knowing that my Wife and Dad are safe even if I am not around. Sure, sure, hero complex, male chauvinist, some other label insert here. (I forgot control freak, thank you dear.) I am writing this little bit today after making my rounds and talking to people. The morale seems okay. People would love to widen our fences and make our home bigger. We’ve already looted Lowes for as much as we can, and even started an indoor garden there. We reinforced all the walls, used metal over the glass doors, and even opened the roof in some spots to let rainwater inside. We are building terraced vegetable gardens now that the weather seems to be warming finally. It seemed easier to leave some people there than trying to drag all the supplies to the base to make gardens. We do have some here, with a stream just out back and the soil is good enough, but having more than one food supply is just good thinking.

Watson just walked in and said we should have the solar panels working in a few days at Home Base and the ones on Lowe's roof is making the grow lights work at night enough that we already have some sprouts. Good thing I grew up on a farm or I could be bored out of my mind. Odessa’s job keeps her busy; she helps in all the food preparation, storage, and some cooking. At first she hated it, but she began to see she had a skill that could be put to use, feeding a lot of people with next to nothing. Well, that’s about it for now, the day is too dry and pretty to be cooped up in my room tapping on these keys.
I think I will grab my gear and head over to Lowe's and have a look around. The Major is sending some people over to transfer supplies and to send Watson over to check on his stills. I know this is Kentucky, but it’s not what you think. We are making fuel. I’ll tag along as guard for Watson, besides I want to see this still of his, I have some ideas.

Over.