Tipping Point, page 30
“Isn’t that what Brits call a woman? A bird?”
“Yeah, I think so. Not sure whether it’s a compliment or an insult, but since it’s not a term we use here I won’t worry about it.”
Mac was already rolling her body sideways and up, forcing herself to get out of bed. Want and need were in definite conflict in her body. Time for a shower, too, though she’d need help if she was going to keep the bandage dry.
“Come on, cowboy. We need a shower. Or at least I need one, and you need to help me reach all the naughty places.”
“I’m your guy!”
“That you are. Husband.” Neil gave a slow smile and dragged himself from the bed.
“Alright. Let’s go shower. Probably not good to smell like sex while having our little end-of-the-world planning seminar.”
* * *
“Okay boys and girls, here’s what we’re doing so far. Annette will be compiling a list of ‘dos and don’ts’ for us to read and adhere to. Not just for the animals, but for our own health as well. Without ready access to medical help, there are a lot of things that could prove dangerous for us, so when she has it ready we need to pay close attention. Things that were silly before will be things we need to take seriously. Let’s not create problems where we use up our supply of meds.”
She let that sink in for a minute, before continuing.
“Kirk and Leigh, we’d like some help from you if you’re willing. For now we just need to get the enclosures finished to make things healthy for the animals. Particularly the ferrets. We’ve got fifty if you don’t count Pickle and Squeaker, and they won’t be housed with the other ones. Fifty in a small area means hygiene and health issues. Not to mention fighting. How are they getting along there?” Kelly shrugged and answered.
“Nothing we didn’t expect. We’ve divided the run. The back door opens into the large part, and the gate opens to the other. We’ve got the twenty eight from Ottawa on one side, and mine on the other side, with the ten from Sault Ste. Marie here in the house.” Mackenzie thought about it.
“Well we knew our current set-up wouldn’t really work long-term, so we’ll sort out plans for that in a little bit. Are you up for some more work you two?” She had directed the question at Leigh and Kirk.
“We’ve been given a great place to live, all the food we can eat, and safety in numbers. Meanwhile people out there are probably already starving. We’d be idiots not to help.” Leigh nodded along before adding her two cents.
“Even if I were a completely selfish jerk, which I’m occasionally known to be, it’s only to our benefit to make sure things work out. We wouldn’t have a clue how to survive without your help, so tell us what you need done.” Mac smiled at her.
“Alright, I need to prioritize the security perimeter. I’ve got a whole bunch of sensors we can put up still. I made sure I got tons of them.”
Kirk and Leigh agreed to expand the chicken pen all the way to the garden, while Neil took on the new ferret enclosure. Kelly piped up to let him know he needed to keep it away from the other pen.
“We don’t know anything about the medical history of those ferrets, and they could have infectious diseases. I don’t want to risk the other ones.” Neil told her he’d make sure of it.
Kelly and Annette would be doing examinations of the ferrets, in addition to handling their everyday care, so everyone would be really busy throughout the day.
“Billy, why don’t you come with me to do the sensors? Cam can go with Neil. It gives us all some time to get to know one another better, since we haven’t had much chance to do that.” With that, everyone moved off to get things done.
The current sensors were wireless, which Mac didn’t trust, so she and Billy grabbed a couple of spools of wire, lockable corrugated conduit, and Cat5e cable.
A direct line with Neil’s cabin would mean she could set up sensors around their place as well, and connect the servers. Kirk and Leigh would have access to everything on Mac’s server, like the hundreds of books stored on it, and both properties could be monitored for security breaches.
She still hadn’t seen the cabin yet. It was always everyone else who had gone over there while she did other things, so she asked Billy what it was like.
“It’s a nice place, though small like dad was saying. Kirk and Leigh might want to remove the wall between the bedrooms so they have more space to get around. It would be really nice for them that way. Dad wouldn’t mind. As far as we’re concerned this is where we live now, not there. You just kind of made everybody feel at home, even though you don’t have the big house up yet.” Mac looked at him in surprise.
“Really? I would have thought you’d be irritated with the lack of privacy. I worry about Leigh and Kirk being by themselves like that, though. Anything could happen. I hope there are weapons over there, aside from their bows.” Billy nodded vigorously.
“Oh yeah. Dad left them a rifle and a shotgun, and gave them some instructions. Those bows are really cool, though.”
“They really are. We all took archery lessons together a couple of years ago, and ended up buying our own equipment. We figured silent-but-deadly was a good way to go, just in case. They’re not so good in really close quarters, but they certainly do the job from a distance. We’ve all got compound bows, except for Leigh. She liked the idea of the longbow. Probably a video game thing, but it still works.”
“You think I could get one of you to teach me?”
“Sure. Your dad taught you to use a gun, so he’s not going to have an issue with you learning archery. The silence is a big advantage. Gunshots might draw people here, which we don’t want.
“If you’re into the hunting thing, they’re great for that, too. None of us hunt, though I know how on an intellectual level. Not just the killing part, but everything that’s done after. I just have a hard time with the killing. That’s why I didn’t get any goats that were meant for meat. Eggs and dairy are enough for me. I have a thing about animals.”
“My dad and I never hunted together, though he used to go with my grandma up in the mountains. He just didn’t really want to hang out with any of the hunting types around here, so the closest he came to them was selling them their knives.”
“There is a bit of redneck machismo in the ones around here, isn’t there? I’ve known a few in my time. Guys that like to brag about killing over their limit and then leaving the animals to rot. Now people will be hunting at all times of the year, which is going to cause problems.
“Yet another good reason for us to get these sensors operational. We’re far enough out that most people won’t be able to walk here for hunting, but we might get the odd one. I still have to go over the land registry maps with your dad to see who might be around here, and who might be a problem neighbour.”
It took a couple of hours to cover the area, setting up each motion detector. She screwed them to trees, but buried the wire inside the bark and in a trench inside the conduit. The longer it took, the more agitated she became.
She went back to the house for her bow, and to change into swimwear, so she could shoot the wires across the river, and then run the perimeter over there. It would have been easier if they had a bridge built, but she’d get to that later.
Having looked at the maps that showed Neil’s property, Mac knew there was no way she could cover the whole perimeter with sensors. The best she could do was protect fairly well outside the buildings so Kirk and Leigh would have plenty of warning.
She’d need Neil’s help with his power supply. She wasn’t familiar with his setup the way he was, so it would be better if they went together. She didn’t have any sensors left on her, either.
Mac wasn’t at all surprised to see the changes when they got back. Neil and Cam had the new ferret enclosure well on its way, with a new concrete pad and a surrounding fence almost doubling their current space. The dirt would be put back on top when the concrete was dry.
The surgery area was well underway, with the pad poured and waiting for the shed to be put on top. She left Billy with Cameron to finish things up, and asked Neil to accompany her to his cabin.
They stopped at the house to grab more sensors, and four of the night-vision cameras. When she’d asked, Neil had told her he had a PC tower at the cabin that he wasn’t using for anything yet, so she figured she’d strip it bare and set it up for cabin security. Neil said he had a monitor for the tower, as well as a keyboard and mouse, so Mac wouldn’t need to bring those items.
They loaded the wire and conduit spools in the back of Neil’s truck, and by the time they were done struggling with them Mac was extremely grateful the damn things weren’t full anymore. They filled the truck bed, standing up side by side, and obscured the view through the rear window of the cab.
Despite her earlier shower and the brief swim, Mac was sticky with sweat and grime, and couldn’t wait to get the job done so she could get home and clean up. Then she needed sleep. She only hoped she could stay coherent long enough to set up the server. It could take a long time to load software, never mind the actual setting up of the sensors and cameras.
She suggested that Neil install the cameras while she took care of loading the computer, one on each corner of the house to cover every wall, and most of the yard, too. She could only hope Neil wasn’t as tired as she was. She stared at him for a minute.
“What?”
“Just wondering if I should be asking you to go up a ladder right now. You’ve got to be pretty tired.”
“I slept more recently than you did, honey.”
“Maybe, but you didn’t get as much sleep either, and it couldn’t have been all that great since we were in the car.”
“I’m fine. I drank another cup of coffee while you were getting stuff from storage. The one in the console is for you. I forgot to give it to you.”
“Thank the tiny baby Jeebus!” Neil laughed as she snatched it up and started gulping.
“I’m guessing that means you need the boost right now?”
“God, yes. I’m heading perilously close to crashing, and I need at least some wits about me to set up this system.”
“There’s tons of coffee in storage at the cabin. I made sure I stocked up. Why don’t I put on a pot before I do the cameras. We can drink enough caffeine to keep us up ‘til dawn.”
“Deal.”
“So what did happen with those people from Ottawa? Did Cameron tell you anything? I completely forgot about it when I was talking to Billy and we were working on the sensors.”
“She told me a bit. I guess the guy was drunk and leering at anything female. She said he gave her the creeps, so she was happy to see their taillights disappear.”
“Fuck. I hope they like it where they are, and that we only gave them enough fuel to get them where they were going. They know where we live now.” Neil gripped her hand.
“If they come back and cause problems we can deal with it. In fact, I’m pretty sure we can handle anything.”
28
PARTING SHOTS
Gerry watched the interfering prick as he followed the snotty whore back into the cabin. He’d come here to show that fucker who he was messing with, ratting him out to his old man and getting him kicked out on the street.
“Family fucking emergency, my ass. Cocksucker,” he spat, thinking of the sign on the door at the knife shop.
As a bonus he’d found out why the son of a bitch had stuck his nose in his business. Apparently he was getting it on with the city-bitch now. Well, they’d soon see about that. So far as he was concerned, he’d had dibs on her. Not that he wanted to touch her now. No, now he just wanted her dead. It was her fault his life was such a mess now, after all.
He had been standing there watching as the snitch put up all those cameras, sniggering about their stupidity. Did they really think the cops were going to come running if an alarm went off? Hell, the cops were busy in town trying to keep the stores from being looted. They didn’t have time to worry about some dickhead out in the boonies. Considering how busy they were, Gerry didn’t figure they would have much time to worry about one that was missing, either, much less some city-bred cunt.
After what seemed like forever, the fuck-face from the knife shop finally came back outside. Gerry put his rifle stock snug against his shoulder. He was sighting along the barrel, his finger tightening on the trigger, when something tugged at his shirt and pulled him just the smallest bit off on his shot. Still, he was pleased to see the stain spread across the asshole’s shirt just before he went down. Now he just needed to put him out for good.
He became aware of the dampness running down his belly when he tried to operate the bolt on the rifle to load another bullet. He looked down in shock to see the arrow protruding at a severe angle through his chest. The end with the barb stuck out in such a way that it was blocking the movement of his right arm. That was when the pain kicked in and he noticed what a hard time he was having trying to draw breath.
He collapsed on the ground, only vaguely aware when the rifle was kicked out of his reach. The figure running past him was nothing more than a blur as Gerry’s last remaining air made the blood in his throat gurgle. He didn’t know or care who it was that had killed him, but he didn’t think he was going out alone. That was enough for him.
* * *
The crack of the rifle had Mackenzie bolting from her chair. Hearing her daughter screaming for her sent ice through her veins. She ran out the door and launched herself from the porch, with no idea what she would find.
Cam stood over Neil’s body, soaking wet and trembling from head to foot. Mac dropped to her knees beside him and felt for a pulse. It was racing, but it was there beneath her shaking fingers. Panic and hope mingled inside her. She whipped out her knife and sliced the front of Neil’s t-shirt so she could peel it back and see where he’d been hit.
From the placement of the wound, Mac knew the shot had most likely gone through his lung. That meant she had to keep blood from compressing his good lung, so she rolled him onto the side that was damaged. Any blood filling the chest cavity would stay around the wounded area, instead of affecting the healthy lung. She checked his back. The second wound confirmed a through-and-through.
“Get me the satellite phone from the truck!” When she had it in her hand she unfolded the antenna and called Billy, who still had his dad’s phone.
“Billy, get Annette over here right away. Tell her it’s a gunshot wound. Rifle I think. Lung shot. Now Billy, now!” She ended the call to get him moving, and sent Cam into the cabin for the electrical tape she had in her backpack.
“Hey, cowboy. What the fuck do you think you’re doing out here anyway? Getting shot and all that shit? You think we’ve got time for this?” He smiled up at her even though it was more of a grimace than anything else.
“You’re too sympathetic,” he gasped.
“No talking, cowboy. You’ve got a smart mouth on you, but this time use your smart brain. You need what air you’ve got. You’ll be okay, though. You could survive on one lung, but that’s not going to be necessary. We’ll make sure you keep this one.” He just smirked at her, taking her advice not to talk. Most likely because it caused him agony.
Seeing him struggle to breathe, Mac died a thousand deaths, but she knew he would be okay. Even without going to a hospital, a punctured lung could be dealt with.
Cameron came out of the house with towels and the tape Mac had asked for. It wasn’t until then that it occurred to her to look around for the shooter.
“Fuck! Where is the fucking bastard? Why did he stop shooting when we’re all sitting ducks here? We need to get him moved.” Cam stopped her.
“He’s dead, mom. It’s okay.” Mac dropped back onto her knees.
“Wait. What? Dead? How?” Her hands were shaking as she tried to get a patch of Neil’s skin dry enough to tape over the wound. Neil’s moan of pain drilled a hole through her heart that she had to ignore if she wanted to keep him alive.
“I killed him,” Cameron whispered.
“Oh, Jesus.” As much as she wanted to comfort her daughter, it would have to wait until Annette was there to take over. She had to cover the exit wound in his back, which was only slightly larger than the entrance wound.
By the time the truck pulled in and Annette and Billy jumped out, Mac was just finishing. Annette shoved her hands out of the way.
“Let me work here,” she snapped. Billy tried to reach his dad, but Mac jumped up and pulled him away, wrapping her arms around him.
“Billy, look at me. He’s going to be okay, but you have to let Annette do her job.”
“She’s a fucking vet!”
“Yes, and humans are actually easier to work on than a cat or dog. She has more medical training than you realize. It’s okay, Billy. Your dad is going to be okay. We’ll make sure of it.”
Mackenzie gripped him tightly, but pulled Cameron to her as well.
“We’re all going to be okay. I promise you. He can breathe. He’s got a punctured lung, but they heal. I made sure his other lung wouldn’t collapse and I covered the holes until Annette could get here. He’s not going anywhere.”
She kept the kids with her, one on each side, as they all watched Annette work on him.
“He’s stable enough for now,” Annette reassured them. Then she suggested they try to get him in to a hospital anyway, just in case. Mackenzie called 911, hoping they still had their phones up and running, and fuel in the tank of the ambulance.
Mac managed to get through to a dispatcher. When the police arrived ten minutes before the ambulance, Mackenzie was grateful to whatever supreme being was responsible when Gilles stepped out of the car. Between her husband being shot, and her daughter killing the shooter, she needed all the friendly faces she could get. They all did.
As hard as it was for her, she decided to let Billy go in the ambulance with his dad. She said goodbye to Neil with tears in her eyes, hating that she wouldn’t be in the ambulance with him, but she knew there was no way Billy could drive right now, and he was the only person other than her who would know how to get to the hospital in Parry Sound. She knew Gilles would take her, but they would need their vehicle.
