Brandy Creek (Book One Completed)

On the move already (Part 11)

Natalie

Okay, so we didn't get to far on foot. I quickly realized that the nearest town would take way to long to walk to. So I smashed into the first car we found. Instead of driving down to Jamestown, I head east to Oneida. It looked about the same size on the map. I make Lex drive so I can pull out my map and pen. I prefer to drive but I was happy that he had stepped on the gas, more then happy to step on the gas and drive as fast as he wanted through the winding roads.

We past a rest area and a forest reserve station, all the way down to the first home. We park in front of the pretty two story. I draw a little square in the map as precisely as I can. We both get out, I wrap up my map and pen and shove it back in my pocket.

"Radio?" Lex asks. He didn't have his own, we just had mine. Mato didn't see a reason to give us two, because we were supposed to stick together like glue. I hand over the radio and he clicks it. "Alpha one from Cookie."

Cookie? I had to laugh at that. We were slowly making our way to the house, I didn't see any cars, but a play set for a child off to the side. I hoped they got out of here. Off to the left of the driveway there is two pallets of firewood, with a roof over it. The radio comes alive with Mato's deep voice. "Send it Cookie."

I don't think I wont chuckle at that every time I hear it. Lex smiles at me and wiggles his brows. "We are about twenty minutes east on 297 almost to Oneida. Going to check out a house right off the road."

"Copy." Mato said.

I take the radio back and clip it to my back pack strap. Lex asks me a question while we walk around the doors testing to see if they we locked or not. "Are we grabbing things or just clearing?"

"Since we are so close I think we can let them know whats here after we clear it and we move on. If they want to come get whatever they can." I said trying a window and it slides up. I tsk. "The firewood will be helpful especially when it gets cold. Wont have to worry about electric heating."

"Yeah I don't think we'd have the time to load up the wood." Lex's voice seems distracted as I stick my head into the window, moving the curtain aside.

"Looks clear enough." I pull my upper body out then slide into the window left leg first. I totally haven't broken into many houses. The room I end up in is the living room, all browns and forest green. It was trying to emulate a cabin, the kid toys scattered kind of ruined the vibe. The living room is roomy, the kitchen and a small dinning table behind it. Up a few steps to the left looks like a loft area, made into the master bedroom.

As I go up the steps I see clothes thrown all over, a spot in the middle of the bed empty. They had hurriedly packed their things, but a lot of it laid on the floor and bed. Moving to the other side of the house I find two smaller bed rooms and a bathroom. One room had cowboys on the walls, a toddler bed along with a almost full closet. The other room is done in light gray with pink and yellow followers, and a crib. There was stuff like baby diapers sitting in the open drawers, onsies and what not.

"There's a decent amount of food and formula in here." Lex calls from the kitchen.

"A lot of clothes and toys in the bedrooms." I say coming back out into the small space.

"Should call it in." He says going over to the last door, opening it to a garage. I peak in after him, he flips on a light. There are a few bikes, one of those carrier things you attach to the back of a bike to haul children or pets. Then there was the few tools, a lawn mower, weed whacker, and chainsaw.

I picked up my radio. "Alpha one from Spider."

Walking back to the kitchen I move to the back door, peering out of the small window on the door. Mato's voice comes in. "Go for it Spider."

"The house we are at is clear." I move to the kitchen to see the three tubs of formula. It was clear there was much more but its gone now. "It has clothing, formula, diapers and firewood among other things. It was clear getting to here, if you wanted to send someone to grab the stuff."

I wasn't sure if I had missed any code terms, I only knew the basics of it. There was a moment he didn't answer and I worried a little that it wasn't important radio traffic. Lex hadn't stopped me, he was just riffling through cabinets grabbing bags and containers to put stuff in.

"Copy, I'll get Boy Wonder and a few teens to your location. Stay put until they are there."

I raised my brows at Lex. "He's sending teens out?"

He shrugs. "We don't have many guards for the camp, we can't send out to many people who know what they are doing. I'm assuming he hates the idea but he can't send Wyatt by himself to gather everything." He looks up at me, I grab the formula off the top of the fridge. He had started pulling all the random things that might be remotely useful. "Don't like the idea of teens coming out?"

"Its not that they're teens." I say sighing grabbing one of the tote bags he had found. "Its that they are untrained for defending themselves. Adam said you would start training.."

"For 18 and up." Lex says. I throw him a frown.

"Should really train 15 and up." I say back and I cut him off when he starts to speak. "Even before zombies people would put their kids in karate classes at age 8. Some people started to teach their kids about shooting guns and bows when they were young. I think 15 is a great age to learn how to at least defend yourself and how to handle a basic firearm."

He packs away some cans and bags of food as he thinks about what I said. I work with him, packing the kitchen and he turns to me when we have everything but the stuff in the fridge in bags. "I'll talk to Mato about your idea, of training 15 and up. We wouldn't make it mandatory but would have that option, if he went for the idea."

"Remind him that there are zombies in the world now, teens will have to learn how to at least defend themselves at some point. And its better now then after something bad happens."

"Hey I think your right, at the very least we should offer the chance." He puts his hands up then smirks at me. I roll my eyes at him.

I move to the kids rooms with a container from the living room that had held remotes, newspapers and random things. I filled it with diapers, wipes and a assortment of creams, topping it off with some basic baby clothes. I find some random diaper bags, and a small back pack and fill those with everything I can.

By time I get the container and two bags full of things I hear a car pull up to the house. Lex says. "I'll get them."

I fill up a third bag and hear the front door open. Bringing it out I see Wyatt come in, with Casey and a boy I haven't meet yet. I nod to them. "I have the baby stuff packed, we packed most of the kitchen already."

Wyatt smiles at all the stuff. "Clothes will help a lot, you know how baby's and toddlers are. Always dirtying shit up or puking on everything."

"And most of the kids in our group only came with a bag or two of stuff." The boy pipes up taking one of the diaper bags. "Mom didn't have time to pack before dad rushed us out."

Wyatt turns to me and Lex. "You guys can keep going now, well pack up as fast as we can and take it back. If Mato allows it well come back once more for the wood."

Lex gives his back a pat as he passes. "Good luck Boy Wonder."

"Have fun Cookie." Wyatt teases him about the name and I crack a smile. It takes everything in me to not snicker at it. Lexs fake huffs at the door. It makes the teens laugh at least. I follow Lex out to the car, letting him take the drivers seat.