“It has, Sarge,” Lewis shook again. “Good hunting.”
“Same to you. If you would, ask Smith to come around before either of us leaves so I can say goodbye.” Davis turned and ducked back into the command tent, leaving Lewis to make his way back to his volunteers.
The mood of the camp was slightly tense when Lewis arrived, with everyone waiting for him: Ben’s and Gutierrez’s squads had rejoined them once they were sure the blockheads were leaving for good.
“So?” Rick demanded, a few others murmuring their agreement of the question.
“The military plans to follow the blockheads and harass them from here to the Canadian border if they have to.” Lewis waited, seeing the tense looks on his friends’ faces. They were as tired of fighting as he was, and while everyone was glad the Gold Bloc was retreating he doubted many were eager to follow them and keep up this war.
He didn’t want to keep them in suspense too long. “However, the military is cutting loose a lot of the volunteers. They want their experienced soldiers waging this guerrilla war, so we’re free to go home with his thanks for our service.”
The squads erupted in cheers, nearly as exuberant as when they’d seen the Gold Bloc forces leaving earlier, which quickly became handshakes and backslaps, and even hugs as the tense mood vanished in a spontaneous celebration. Lewis finally let his own grin escape and headed over to join them, mobbed with his own share of handshakes and backslaps.
They were going home.
Of all his celebrating squad mates, Trev noticed that Deb and Grant weren’t taking part. Grant had always been a bit reserved and was off on his own, obviously still mentally recovering from what they’d just been through, but Deb was sitting near the others looking troubled and ignoring the nearby conversations.
He’d expected her to be with Alice, but the blond young woman was with Rick and the two were in a world of their own. Whatever Alice had shared with Pete, it looked as if she’d made her choice now.
Trev made his way over to Deb, dropping onto the other end of the log she was sitting on. “Hey.”
She looked up and tried to smile. “Oh, hey.”
“Everything okay?”
The brown-haired woman nodded unconvincingly. “We won. The blockheads are running with their tails between their legs. Everything couldn’t be better.” Trev nodded, unconvinced, and waited. Sure enough after about half a minute of silence she continued in a quiet voice. “I just wish I knew what to do now.”
He wasn’t quite sure what she meant. “Are you thinking of going with the military to harry the retreating armies?”
Deb turned to eye him, almost looking hurt. “I’ve considered it,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t mind getting a bit more payback for what they did to me and the others, and the people from Newtown they killed.” She sighed and looked away. “But that’s just a small part of me. I’m mostly just tired. Now that it’s over I want it to stay over, even if I don’t know what else to do.”
Ah. Trev had been thinking of her as part of the squad, to the point that he’d assumed she’d come back to Aspen Hill with them. If that was what she wanted. But he’d never actually told her that, so he supposed she wouldn’t know. “You know we’re all heading back to rejoin our people and prepare for the winter,” he said quietly.
She nodded, giving him another slightly hurt look. “Yeah. I heard.”
“You’re part of the squad, you and Grant. I’d sort of assumed you’d come with us, if that’s what you want.”
Deb’s face lit up, a lot of her worry vanishing beneath a sheepish smile. “I’d hoped you’d invite me, but I was too afraid to ask.”
Trev smiled back. “It’s a good community. Good people. You’ve earned that.” He stood up and started to rest a friendly hand on her shoulder, then hesitated.
Noticing it, Deb covered by reaching up to shake his hand. “Thank you, Trev. For everything.”
He nodded and moved to rejoin the others.
He wanted to talk to Chauncey. Ostensibly to get his opinion on inviting the non-Aspen Hill volunteers in their squads to come home with them, but mostly just because it had been a long time since he’d really had a chance to have a conversation with the retired teacher, and now they had plenty of time.
He found the man sitting on a rock, amidst a forest of the AK-47s and MP-443 Grachs they’d collected from the dead blockheads at the base of the slope. He was carefully cleaning a rifle that he’d taken apart and set on a clean cloth at his feet.
Trev supposed it was generous of the man to do the task so everyone else could celebrate, but he kind of wished Chauncey had taken a chance to relax himself. He came over to crouch beside the older man. “What’s the verdict? Did our new weapons survive their tumble cycle down the hill with tons and tons of rocks?”
“Fewer than I’d hoped, but still enough to arm half the townspeople that don’t already have weapons. On the plus side we’ve also got plenty of replacement parts.” His friend grimaced. “I’m more worried about our ammo distribution. We’ve got tons of .762 and 9mm rounds for all these AK-47s and Grachs, not to mention more spare magazines than we know what to do with, but yesterday’s fighting used up pretty much the last of our .556 and .45.”
“Yeah.” Trev frowned. “I guess we swap over to the blockhead guns, then. Davis would probably love to have our M16s and 1911s anyway, since the military will want to use standardized weapons where possible. I’m guessing Lassiter and Erikson probably still have enough 5.56 and .45 that the weapons will get some use.”
Chauncey nodded thoughtfully. “That could work. Although you realize that Aspen Hill probably still has a bit of ammo.”
“And lots more guns that use it,” Trev answered. “More than we have ammo for. Besides, the valley refuge is lacking other supplies we might be able to get.”
“True,” the retired teacher agreed. “Let’s see if Lewis wants to trade, and what.” He bent back over the disassembled rifle, focusing on his work.
At least until Rick approached, waving. “Hey Dad, aren’t you going to join us?”
The retired teacher looked pointedly down at his amputated leg. “Really?”
The younger man grinned. “Oh don’t give me that. You’re getting around just fine on your crutches these days. And you know I’ve been working on carving a prosthetic for you.”
Chauncey sighed and set the rifle part he was holding back onto the cloth, reaching for his crutches. “I suppose so. As long as you’ve got a camp chair for me.”
Rick’s grin widened, and he winked at Trev has he helped his dad to his feet and walked with him back towards camp. “I wanted to ask what you thought about Alice.”
It was Chauncey’s turn to smile, although he was trailing Rick enough that his son didn’t notice. “What about her? She lived with us for months, she’s not exactly a stranger.”
Trev caught the flush of embarrassment on the back of Rick’s neck. “I mean about Alice and me,” his friend corrected.
It was Trev’s turn to grin as he watched father and son walk away. Then he glanced down at the weapons, and with a sigh sat down on the rock to finish maintenance on the rifle Chauncey had left half cleaned.
He wasn’t the only one getting serious. Lewis, who’d been off with Jane in their own world for the last few minutes, abruptly clapped his hands and shouted over the hubbub of the crowd. “All right, people! It’s early morning and we’ve got nowhere to be.”
There was a slightly confused pause at that, at least until his cousin continued a grin. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but nice as this little shindig is I’d rather move it to a valley a ways north of here, where all the rest of our friends and family happen to be waiting for us. I figure we can get there today if we push, even loaded down with supplies.”