Eric Walters - The Rule of Three

“Would that be all right, Dad?” Lori asked.

“Of course. I just don’t want the two of you going too far from the house without somebody to watch you.”

“I could go with them,” Brett volunteered. “That is, if you have a third horse.”

“They do have three!” Rachel exclaimed.

“Actually, I thought that maybe…” I started to say.

“It would be wonderful to have you go along with them, Brett,” Mr. Peterson said before I could finish. “It may sound paranoid, but it’d be comforting for me to know that they had a police escort. You know how to ride?”

“I was born and raised on a farm,” Brett said. “I learned to ride a horse before I learned to ride a tricycle. I may be a cop now, but I’m a hayseed at heart.”

Mr. Peterson laughed and put an arm around Brett’s shoulders. “Then it’s even better to have you around. Come on, son!”

He led Brett, Lori, and Rachel away to the barn; Todd and I trailed behind.

“I figure that isn’t exactly how you imagined this was going to play out,” Todd whispered. “Very smooth on your part, very smooth.”

“Not another word or you’re going to have a long walk home.”

Rachel looked happy but a little nervous on top of her horse. Lori looked comfortable—and beautiful. Brett looked like he was on a poster for some cowboy-style cologne from Ralph Lauren.

“Lori, I want you to stay away from the woods and the trails that are close to the road,” Mr. Peterson said.

“Yes, Dad.”

“And listen to Brett here.”

“ Okay , Dad,” Lori said.

The three of them set off, leaving the rest of us out in the yard in front of the house.

“I think we might have some pie in the kitchen, right, Susie?” Mr. Peterson said.

“Freshly made in the farmhouse’s original woodstove, and still steaming,” she said. “Enough for everybody to have at least two pieces.”

“That would be great!” Todd said.

“Actually, why don’t you go inside and have a piece, maybe even a second.” Mr. Peterson turned to me. “Lori mentioned that you’re handy with tools.”

“He’s good with almost everything,” Todd said.

I ignored the crack. “Herb is pretty good, too,” I added.

“I’ve got a problem with one of the mowers and could use help fixing it. Could you two give me a hand?”

“Our pleasure,” Herb said.

Todd headed off to the kitchen with Mrs. Peterson, and Herb and I followed Mr. Peterson. Not only wasn’t I going to spend time with Lori, but I wasn’t even going to get any pie.

“It sounds like things are getting tough out there,” Mr. Peterson said as we walked along. “I was hopeful that a police officer would have more information.”

He’d been asking Brett all sorts of questions as they were saddling up the horses, none of which Brett had answers for.

“You know, Adam’s mother is Brett’s commanding officer,” Herb said.

“Really?” Mr. Peterson said, sounding surprised. “I’d like to ask her if she could send some patrols out this way.”

“I know she’d want to help, but your place is beyond her jurisdiction and she’s pretty short-staffed,” I said.

Herb let out a big sigh. “I don’t want to be the one to bear bad news, Stan, but let’s be honest, there are no signs of anything being restored. There have been assaults and looting, and the police are pretty well powerless to do anything.”

Herb wasn’t saying anything Mr. Peterson didn’t already know. “I told my wife we can’t count on anybody except ourselves,” he said.

“Farmers are pretty good at being self-sufficient. You have plenty of water, right?”

“We have a well we use whenever there’s a problem with the regular water supply.”

“Excellent. I want you to know that I have lots of chlorine and I can give you enough to make your drinking supply safe for consumption.”

He’d emphasized the word “give,” but I could tell he was going into negotiating mode. What was he after now?

“I really appreciate your offer,” Mr. Peterson said. “Very neighborly, but our water is completely safe for drinking.”

“And you have enough?”

“There’s enough for us, our animals, and even our vegetable garden.”

“That’s one of the things I miss by living in the suburbs,” Herb said. “My folks lived out in the country and we always had a garden when I was growing up. We grew most of what my family needed for the year.”

“Our kitchen garden here is probably a lot bigger than that. My wife cans and preserves some, and we have a cold cellar for potatoes and carrots. It provides for us all year, and we sell the excess at a stall at the top of the lane all through the summer season.”

“I assume you have at least one functioning tractor,” Herb said.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“You didn’t drag that hay wagon down the drive without a tractor. You have a generator as well?”

“Yep, we do.”

“It’s the rare farm without one. Obviously, be careful with lights at night,” Herb said. “With no other lights out there, you’d be visible for a long way.”

“That’s good thinking,” Mr. Peterson said.

“That may have been how those people found you last night. Think of moths to a flame.”

“We’ll be careful of that tonight.”

“Water, livestock, and food don’t just make you self-sufficient—they make you a target. This is a lot of property to defend, although there are things you could do to make it easier for yourself.”

“Such as?”

“For starters your hay wagon on the driveway needs to be moved.”

“How come?” I asked. “It stopped us from driving up to the house.”

“There aren’t enough moving vehicles to have to worry much about that,” Herb answered, then turned back to Mr. Peterson. “Your biggest worry is somebody using it as cover to open fire on your house.”

Mr. Peterson looked startled. “I hadn’t really thought of that.”

Who would have—other than Herb? I didn’t know whether to be impressed or worried that he was being a little too paranoid again.

“And I noticed those bales of barbed wire behind the barn. Those could be used to put up some additional fencing around the back of the house and garden to provide a perimeter defense.”

“That would be good if I had the manpower to put it up. There’s only me, my wife, and Lori.”

“Would a fourth set of hands help?” I asked.

“What do you have in mind?” Mr. Peterson asked.

“I could stay and work on it today.”

“You’d do that?”

“Sure, if it would help,” I said.

“Well, I believe it would. Thank you, son.”

“Herb could take my car and drive everybody else home when the riders get back.”

“It might not work to have somebody come out and get you later today,” Herb said.

“I could stay the night, if that’s okay with you,” I said to Mr. Peterson. I was happy to help him, but I didn’t think he needed to know I was also more than happy to have some time with his daughter.

“That’d be just fine. Do you think your parents will be all right with this?”

“They’ll be fine,” I said. I told him about my dad being halfway across the country, and Herb said he’d look after the twins. He’d also talk to my mom when he saw her. And then he said something I didn’t want to hear.

“Adam, I’m not sure if leaving just you here is the best idea,” Herb said. “If four would help, then five would be better. Do you have space for two overnight guests?”

“You’d stay, too?” Mr. Peterson asked.

“I’ve got to get back, and so does Brett, but I don’t think anybody would mind if Todd stays on as well. I can let Todd’s parents know when I get home.”