He Who Hates to Wait

Posted on Sat Aug 3rd, 2024 @ 3:04pm by Hale Stratton & Alonzo Blazevic

1,530 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Road Ahead
Location: Quinn Hunting Cabin, Augusta, Maine
Timeline: September 7, 2010 - 10:00 a.m.

An early morning spent fortifying the Quinn Hunting Cabin was Alonzo’s responsibility. Ed had taken care of gathering and chopping firewood, and Alonzo had René assist him with making noise makers, empty cans and aluminum tins strung together to act as a bit of trip wire. Alonzo figured putting some up along the tree line of the cabin could help act as an early alert system to the not dead enough or those well enough alive, but not approaching with peaceful intent. It had been in the process of searching around for nails, digging through some drawers that Alonzo had comes across some matches. Handy he had thought at the times, though his continued riffling through had yielded more finds. Some business cards. One of which he had tucked into his back pocket until he and Hale could talk again.

When Alonzo did get that opportunity, seeing Hale brought about a bit of a stirring of emotions. Emotions that he knew he was fine to experience and display around others, but Alonzo kept those in check. He wouldn’t be as cautious standing close to Hale or feel embarrassed for gazing at the man, but he wasn’t about to run towards the major and leap into his arms like some wartime housewife waiting for her sailor to return home.

Instead, Alonzo played it off calmly though clearly happy to see that Hale was back, approaching the major with a steady pace. “Hatches battened down, Sir” he reported with a laissez-faire salute. “No casualties to report either. Frenchy is still with us” added Alonzo. “I set up a bit of my makeshift alert system around the perimeter. I did find something that might be useful.”

"Tell you what," Hale said, smiling as Alonzo approached, "I"ll show you mine if you show me yours."

Alonzo couldn't help but feel the tugging at the corner of his lips, an evident smirk. He looked at Hale. "I think I'll save that for the privacy of a bedroom," he said playfully. Though he pulled out the business card from his back pocket and handed it over to Hale.

"I know it's a bit of a long shot to assume the place hasn't been broken into and raided, but hey it's a gun shop. I could use an upgrade and it may be worth a trip to see if there's anything left" offered Alonzo. "I'm going to have to find ways to be useful to the group now that we have other people to tend to the kitchen stuff."

"As could I," Hale said, with a slight smile. "All I had was a pistol when all this kicked off. This is a good idea. What I brought? More mouths to feed. Let's see." He slanted his gaze up and to the right as he started counting on his fingers. "Vienna's brother. He's some sort of a doctor. Rene's sister and grandfather, if you can believe that, all the way from France. Some guy named Ragnar. Oh yeah, Serena's brother, a Marine named T.J. and two others, Kimberly and ... Lydia. So a lot more mouths to feed and ... goodies."

Alonzo shook his head "Every time you leave it seems as though you come back with more people. Are we starting a cult? Because I need to know these things if I'm going to be in one," quipped the journalist. "I hope that means a lot of goodies. You have more mouths to feed now. I do think we are going to have to start acting like one of those crazy end of the world cults that think the government is after them because we need to start arming ourselves better and stocking up on weapons."

"Medical goodies," Hale said as he moved closer to Alonzo. "And as for jobs, I might have an idea or two in that regard. For you, I mean. Aside from handing out flowers at the airport." He grinned cheerfully, "and of course learning the proper chants as any good cultist would."

"Rah rah soldier boys rah" Alonzo said with mocking enthusiasm. "What did you have in mind? I don't think I too bad as carpenter. Windows are pretty sturdy now."

"Not a good cultist, I see," Hale said, chuckling slightly. "Driver," Hale said. "I was thinking you could drive and do some scavenging for us. What do you think? And you're already well on the way. A gun shop, especially not so well known, is just what we need." He paused a second, remembering something that had occurred to him earlier. "I want to teach Ethan how to ride a motorcycle."

"And do you want me to go scavenge alone or am I driving other with me?" Alonzo asked. He figured Hale was not about to send him off on his own into potential danger, but he was ready if need be.

Hale laughed as he took in Alonzo's expression. "No, when we send a team out, when there's something that needs doing. You'd be the designated driver. I left Vienna behind the wheel at the hospital and she darned near had a heart attack."

Alonzo nodded. "I suppose I wouldn't mind that. I do unfortunately know my way around vehicles. Need anything hot wired, you've come to the right person. Need an oil change, the works, I can do the basics."

"See," Hale said, nodding in approval, "that you can do. And scrounge. Of course. You could join the Logistics Committee and help fill Serena's shopping lists." He mock-shuddered. "Someone has to do it."

"I'm sure people are just lining up to be on the shopping committee" quipped Alonzo. "Is there a security committee? That sounds fun," he added playfully nudging Hale in the arm. "I can do whatever needs done."

"Yes, there is," Hale said. "Me, Tim, and the new guy, T.J. for now. Then anyone who's willing to learn. Take some training with one of us and then, pass a test. Not asking anyone to become a soldier or go through what we did, just enough to know how to handle themselves with the not-dead-enough and be able to shoot what they're aiming at. Take orders. That sort of thing. The rest, well, that comes with experience."

"Maybe there's more for me to do than clipping out coupons" teased Alonzo. If only the world were back to the normalcy of coupons and paying for items. "I'm going to need more than a cute little glove box revolver, and I'll need the training to do so."

Hale repeated himself since it didn't seem to get through. "As I literally just said. You'll get training, pass a test, and then you can go out in the field with us. Drive. Help protect the community. As for the weapons," he waved the business card, "we'll make that our first stop."

"I know" Alonzo replied. "I'm just letting everything sink in. It feels like a lifetime ago that I was nursing a mug of backwater coffee from questionable diners, chasing leads on deadbeat stories that had no notoriety just to keep money in my wallet."

"Whereas I was doing more of this," Hale said. "Down time, being back in the States, felt like a rare and precious thing. And now? Different challenges, maybe, but it's still ... the same."

Alonzo looked at Hale and carefully brushed up against him. "Except you have me now," stated the journalist. "And a bunch of kids," he added.

"Teens I can handle," Hale said, fixing Alonzo with a look that was somewhere between the one that crosses your face when you find yourself in a mine field and the one you have on when you find yourself in the path of an oncoming bus, "but babies?" He mock shuddered. "I'll take guard duty over that any time."

"I know the feeling," Alonzo replied. "Should head back to our ever growing family."

"Yes, we should," Hale said. "A lot of miles between us and my cabin. You know, I have a king sized bed in the sleeping loft with actual sheets and blankets and everything. Practically had to build the loft around it but so worth it. It's home and before long, we'll be sharing it. You, me, and Ethan."

"It's starting to sound like family," Alonzo replied. He gave a small smile at Hale. "I wouldn't mind mind that. Ethan practically has none. I'm too afraid to even think what happened to my mother or my brother."

"Yes, it does. You know, maybe they'll show up in Wisconsin," Hale said, with a slight grin, "seems like family keeps showing up all on its own, doesn't it?"

Alonzo nodded. "More than you know," the journalist prefaced. "People just keep popping up and coming out of the bushes," he added.

"C'mon," Hale said. "We have to get moving. Sooner we get to Wisconsin and start building, the better things will be for all of us."

"You got it, Sir," the journalist replied teasingly. He liked to occasionally be playful with Hale's military experience. "Wisconsin Ahoy," added Alonzo.

"That's the Navy," Hale mock-grumbled as he gently shoulder butted Alonzo. "I like the Sir though ..."

 

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