Nathan Jones - First Winter

“But you invited 50 people to be interviewed,” Trev pointed out.

Catherine nodded. “Our recruiting standards are rigorous, and we’ll definitely be weighing in the ability to hunt and fight in that. Even more rigorous now, when we might need the veterans more than whatever skills the refugees can bring.”

“All right.” Trev took a breath. “Let’s talk about security measures, then.”

The gathered leaders nodded and motioned for him to go on.

“First of all we’ll need to be more careful going out on expeditions,” Trev began. “I think with the blockheads gone and the military protecting the area we got a bit too complacent. Like that was all it took for things to suddenly be back to normal.”

Lucas laughed wryly. “I doubt that’s going to happen any time soon.”

“Secondly the town itself. The attack on those refugees may have been an isolated incident, and the military is definitely going to tighten security after this, but even so I’d suggest we also take added precautions securing the area. More sentries farther out, to give better advance warning of lightning raids where the enemy is in and out in minutes. I doubt a small group of raiders can throw anything at us we can’t handle, as long as we’ve got time to prepare, but we need to be certain we have that time.”

“It couldn’t hurt,” Matt agreed. “But seriously, do you really think blockheads could get vehicles up here? They’d have to drive through half a dozen military emplacements and refugee camps in the mountains if they took the back roads, and Aspen Hill Canyon is blocked.”

“There are some spots they could trailblaze a path up into the mountains on ATVs, or even rugged trucks or SUVs,” Trev argued. “At the very least we should watch those. And while I doubt they’d risk abandoning their vehicles to sneak into the mountains on foot, we can’t rule out the possibility.”

His friend nodded. “Precautions never hurt. As long as we’re not taking too much manpower away from preparing to survive the winter. How many more people do you need?”

Trev had carefully thought it over. He would’ve liked more, but he’d shaved it down to the bare minimum for just the reason Matt provided. “One extra emplacement running 24 hours, split into however many shifts you want. I’d recommend six four-hour shifts. I’ll train the people taking the shifts on what areas to pay extra attention to, and what to look out for.”

As part of his duty leading the town’s defenders Trev had spent hours and hours scouting around the town, personally covering everything within a mile of the valley so he had a good idea of the terrain. He wanted to know the best places to put lookouts, as well as the best options for using the terrain against any enemy as well as preventing them from using it against the town.

Which was an important consideration, considering Aspen Hill was in a valley. If they didn’t take precautions an attacker could seize the high ground on two sides, not to mention controlling the only road leading past the town. Which would be disastrous.

They couldn’t just huddle up among the houses in an attack. They’d have to get out there and hold the ridges, or even directly attack their attackers if they wanted it to end well.

Matt chuckled. “Just one? No need to be stingy where our safety is concerned. We’ll give you that and also another person to patrol, for the time being.”

“All right, I’ll take care of it tomorrow.” Trev turned to leave.

Before he could Catherine called him back, motioning to the sheaf of papers in her hand. “You lead the town’s defenses, so your perspective on these recruits is important too. We want you on the interviewing committee. Come take a look at these resumes the refugees filled out and see what they have to offer.”

Trev bit back a groan. He’d had an early start and a long, difficult day, and wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed. Instead he nodded and accepted the papers. “All right. Let’s start with the ones the rest of you like best.”

Trev started awake at a hand on his shoulder, staring blindly into the near complete darkness of his family’s cabin.

“Huh?” he whispered in near panic. Being awakened from bad dreams of blockhead attacks would do that.

His dad’s voice answered, equally quiet. “Deb’s at the door, asking for you.” He hesitated, then continued. “She’s, ah, very distraught.”

Nodding, although his dad probably couldn’t see it, Trev pushed aside his covers and stepped into his boots, then pulled his heavy overcoat on over the undershirt and basketball shorts he was using as pajamas in a single room cabin filled with five people and little privacy.

As he carefully picked his way towards the dim light coming from the door he sensed more than saw his dad heading back to bed. He hadn’t heard any knocking, but then again he’d been wiped out from the day he’d had and probably sleeping like a log. Nobody else seemed awake, although you never could tell.

Deb was a dark silhouette outside, sitting with her back to the wall next to the door and her knees pulled up to her chest. From the sounds of it “very distraught” might’ve been putting it mildly; gasping sobs escaped the brown-haired woman, the sort you couldn’t avoid when you were freaking out and doing your best to keep it under control.

Trev shut the door and crouched down beside her, starting to put a hand on her shoulder before he remembered her fragile state. He paused with it hovering a few inches away and spoke instead. “Deb?”

Even cut short, the comforting gesture was a mistake. She flinched away from him with a shuddering gasp, and for several seconds panted as she fought for control, the occasional sob breaking free. “S-sorry,” she finally stuttered. “I know it was selfish to come at this hour. I woke your dad up, and probably everyone else, and I woke you up, and—”

“Deb,” he cut in gently, lowering his hand and settling back on his heels. “It’s all right.”

She took a few more unsteady breaths. “I can’t be asleep right now,” she said dully. “Knowing we were only minutes away from, from them , that if they’d decided to keep coming up the road instead of turning back we might’ve ended up like those poor people, that I might’ve ended up back—”

The brown-haired woman cut off as her silhouette shuddered violently and another sob escaped. Trev heard a soft thump as she leaned her head back against the wall. “I feel terrible for waking you up, but I couldn’t be alone. I mean, I know there were all those women and kids sleeping around me and I wasn’t really, but they’re all strangers and it felt that way.” He caught the faint glimmer of her eyes as she turned to look at him, voice pleading. “Could, could you just sit with me for a little while?”

“Sure.” Trev settled down on the neatly arranged large rocks they were using for a step in front of the doorway, leaning back against the door. “Do you want to talk about our lives before the Gulf refineries attack?”

“Okay,” she said quickly. “Anything so we don’t have to sit in silence.”

“All right.” Trev shifted slightly to a more comfortable position. “Well you know I grew up in Aspen Hill. I mean not here but the blackened ruins we passed on our trip yesterday.”

“I know,” she said in a small voice. “But can you not talk about yesterday?”

Right. He was an idiot. “So anyway I lived there with my parents and Linda and Jim, and Uncle Lucas and Aunt Eva lived just down the street with Lewis and Mary. Me and Lewis are a lot older than our siblings, and our parents shared babysitting since my mom worked, so we were practically brothers growing up. Still are, really. I was enough older than Linda and Jim, and even Mary, that the line was pretty strongly drawn between sibling and someone to play with. I mean I love them, but we were never super close. Especially when I had to start babysitting them as a teenager when I wanted to hang out with friends.”