Jake nodded. “It means something different in Chess. It refers to planning your strategy based only on the position of the pieces rather than what the opponent is likely to do. It’s how you want to learn to play when you’re a beginner. Later on, as you better understand the game, you play the player. The pieces on the board are only an expression of your opponent’s personality; therefore the opponent is your problem. The pieces on the board are only incidental.”
15
BAD TIMES
The time we spent together at the cabin includes some of my happiest memories since the world toppled over. As I mentioned, there were times during this period in which I experienced discontent with bouts of depression, however Lizzy, Jake, and Billy were always there for me when I needed them or ready to back away when I needed my own space. Even my daughter, who was so young at the time, could tell that I needed the leeway to work through the dark things inside of me, displaying the poise and the wisdom beyond her years to grant it. My family circle, which had collapsed under the weight of the Plague, had expanded again to include Jake and Billy, who transcended the position of simple friendship. They became necessary.
“I want to thank you both,” I told them one night. We were all sitting on the front porch enjoying the last light of the day before the sun went down completely. “I don’t know what inspires a person to invite a total stranger to come live with him, but you’ve saved my life in more ways than I can express.”
“Well, we weren’t just going to leave you,” Billy said and cleared his throat.
“Yeah, I know,” I said. “But you extended that same invitation to Jake at some point and then to Otis later. What is it that makes that seem normal to you? I’m not complaining, but that wouldn’t have been anything you did before, right? People don’t just invite strangers they meet to come live with them.”
“Well, they actually did,” Jake said from his spot on my left. “People used to put ads for roommates in the paper or online all the time, which was essentially inviting strangers to move in, just as you say.”
“Aside from that,” Billy said. “It’s something I think I picked up from Jake.”
“Me?” Jake asked.
“Yap. I can’t say why I really invited you to come along for the ride outside of the fact that you made a good drinking buddy and generally weren’t a horse’s ass. I think I was also lonely too. But I didn’t set out to start collecting strays. The original plan when I left California was to avoid strangers at all costs. Just figured it was safer that way.”
“So what changed?” I asked him.
“Jake’s refusal to live in an evil world. He made it clear to me early on that he wasn’t willing to avoid people just on the chance that they could be dangerous. He simply wasn’t interested in living that way. When I explained that this was an excellent way to get killed, he said that was fine. I realized that he meant what he said. The point he was making was that he would choose how to live in the world on his own terms and, if the world had truly become a collection of evil people, he really had no interest in living in it, therefore choosing to die on his own terms.”
I looked at Jake, not knowing what to say. I could think of nothing appropriate. He only looked out across the glen, at peace.
“His attitude helped me to realize that there isn’t so very much worth holding onto anymore if we don’t hold onto that core aspect of ourselves. We’ve all lost nearly everyone; our friends, loved ones, and families. What we’re left with—what we have to look forward to is a life harder than anything we’ve ever known. What the hell would be the point of gutting it out if the only people left in the world are those you either won’t trust or must actively try to kill?”
Billy took a pull from his coffee mug (which was absent any coffee). “I learned this from Jake, and I agree. I’m not doing it.”
“Guys,” Jake said, sitting forward in his chair.
Far across the valley, we saw headlights emerge from the overlapping tree lines of the cleft entrance. The vehicle slowly rolled into the valley over the dirt road. When it had advanced fifty feet, a second set of headlights appeared behind it.
Billy jumped up from his chair while pulling his keyring from his pocket. “Elizabeth, you come with me right now.” He looked at Jake and me as he passed. “You two get your rifles but keep them low.”
Jake was already moving for the front door as Billy and Lizzy disappeared off the side of the porch. He came back with my rifle, his AK, and Billy’s shotgun. He laid each on the table and then handed me the Tavor. As I checked the chambers of first the rifle and then my pistol, I heard the roll-up door of the garage cycle up and then back down again. Jake had gone back inside the house.
Billy hurried back up onto the porch and picked up the shotgun to check it. He racked the pump to load a shell into the chamber, then pulled one off the sidesaddle and thumbed it into the tube magazine to top it off.
“You locked the garage?” I asked.
“Yeah. I left the keys inside with her. The locks can be opened from the inside without the key. She’s safe for now.”
Jake emerged from the front door carrying the two protective vests. He handed one to me, which I pulled on hastily, and offered the other to Billy, who turned it down. “You wear it, Jake,” he said. “Shit happens to you more often anyway.”
The vehicles were about halfway to the house by this point. The light had been low since before they entered the valley with the sunset hidden behind the rim; it was now downright dark.
Billy looked over to me: “Get inside the house and see what kind of vantage you can get in the front room. Keep it dark in there and crack a window for your barrel.”
I complied, grabbing my mag pouch hanging by the front door as I went and breathing deep to calm my nerves. I could feel my heart hammering away. I picked a window that gave me a wide viewing angle of the whole entryway and porch and then slid it open just far enough to give my rifle a good range of motion. I pulled over a footstool to sit on so that I wouldn’t have to shift around while crouched, which could cause movement that might be seen.
“Think it’s the squatters?” I heard Jake ask through the window.
“No way to tell but I’d say likely so,” Billy said.
“How do you want to do this?”
“Play it by ear,” answered Billy. “Keep that thing handy but keep it muzzle-down for now. No reason to think they’re not friendly until they prove otherwise.”
“Very well,” said Jake and I heard him work the action on his rifle. The sound of slow footsteps across the planks of the porch told me he was spreading himself out from Billy’s position.
Billy stood within my field of view off to the left, waiting. The vehicles (two full sized trucks) were just pulling up to a stop. They left the headlights on, bathing the porch and house in a harsh light that washed out all color. It was hard to see them when they got out, but I counted seven as they came to stand in front of the trucks. Positioned in front of the light as they were, it was impossible to make out any feature, build, dress, or attitude. I could see that they were armed.
Everyone regarded each other silently for a few moments before Billy said, “Well, hi there!”
I heard the sound of someone scoffing from their general direction. A disembodied voice said, “Uh…evening.”
Without missing a beat, Billy continued, “I’m guessing you were the fellas who came through this way about a week or so ago?”
“Yeah, that was us.”
“Thought so.” Billy shifted his weight over to his other leg. He was holding his shotgun out in front of him though it wasn’t pointed at anyone in particular. I couldn’t see Jake at all. I swept my rifle barrel over the entire group to make sure I could get all of them from my position (it required me swinging the butt of the weapon rather than moving the muzzle) and then put the red dot on the one in the middle. “Didn’t know if you guys would be coming back or not. Been a while.”