Once CJ was freed from the family drama, he called a meeting between Saul, Roger, and Rubio Trinchar. The four men followed him into the bar below the apartment that CJ had taken for his own. Monty decided to tag along considering the children were tiring him out with all the running. The three men sat on bar stools while CJ went around behind the bar.

  “Look, I’m leaving today.” He held up a hand to forestall any complaints. “Rubio, you’ve been here since the beginning so I’m comfortable leaving you in charge. I’d like Roger to focus on doing the same thing he did to the town that he did to the old folk’s home. We need to fortify this position against other humans. The boundary should keep out monsters but that’s all. We need to control who comes and goes. Anyone disagree?”

  “You’re right. I don’t like that you’re leaving but you’re right.” Replied Rubio before continuing. “Have you already talked to the others?”

  “No. I’m going to ask for volunteers though. I don’t know the state of my old refugee camp and my relationship with their leadership was neutral at best.” CJ answered wiping his hand over his bald head.

  “He borrowed money from them before the world ended.” Added Monty before jumping up onto the bar. “They treated him little better than bait.”

  “If that’s true, why are you going back?” asked Roger as he gestured for a glass.

  Instinctively, CJ grabbed a glass and produced a twenty ounce bottle of soda he got out of the textile factory’s vending machine. Roger cracked it open and poured some into the glass before taking a big swig.

  “I’ve got some friends back there and one of them is a doctor. We’re going to need a doctor if people are going to try settling here.” Explained CJ.

  “He’s also a no phone. I’m betting CJ intends to fix his slate.” Monty started before he gestured for a glass himself. “Maybe he’ll get a healing class or something. You’re so transparent. How were you ever a good magician?”

  CJ poured a glass of water from a water bottle he produced from his inventory. Monty leaned in to clasp it between both paws, nose twitching making his whiskers bounce, before CJ snatched it up and began drinking from it. Monty’s ears dropped down around his head, but his eyes were hard as diamonds.

  “Ah that was good.” Said CJ before emitting a loud belch.

  That was when Monty dove at him, tackling him to the ground behind the bar. Monty began to jump up and down on CJ’s head as he was sprawled out on the ground.

  “Give. Me. Another. Glass. Of. Water.” Monty said each word upon landing.

  “Are you serious right now? Is this how your leadership acts?” asked an incredulous Saul. “Why am I here? I have no intention of volunteering for this mission.”

  “Alright, alright. Get off me!” said CJ stumbling back to his feet. He straightened his tux jacket before he continued. “Saul, you kept your people alive under harsh conditions. How?”

  “Well, cards on the table, I used to be an agent for Mossad before moving to the US. I had various survival training and can manage myself in a fight.” Answered Saul.

  “Do you think you can train others?”

  “I don’t see why not. The real question is would you trust me to do so after how we met?”

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  “Don’t worry about that. I was in no danger, but I find some misdirection helps in tense situations. It really did feel like you could snap my arm though.”

  “That would be Krav Maga. It’s probably why I got the class Sensei. It gives me bonuses to train others in martial skills. My levels increase faster while training others as well.”

  “That’s great.” Rubio chimed in gesturing to Saul. “I was never much of hand to hand guy. I’d love to learn some of that. I can teach firearms. I taught most of us.”

  “Look, I think we should teach those who’d like to learn.” CJ started as he poured out water for everyone including Monty. “There’s not going to be absolute safety anymore. Those days are over. Firstly, I think we should block up the roads into town with all the derelict vehicles. That might prevent industrious gangs from just riding into the center of town. It’s a stop gap until Roger can come up with something better. There’s an old auto parts store on the west side of town. The roofs caved in for…reasons. But you should be able to find a lot of material to work with there, Roger.”

  “I’ll check it out and see what I can come up with before you get back.” Added Roger as he stroked his chin. “I have some ideas to fortify some of the living spaces. If you find any blueprints while you’re out there, they’ll help tons. Firstly, I’m going to get showers and stuff up and running with the combination of a mana boiler idea I had and standard plumbing. Should cut back on the cost of making things from scratch.”

  “What about food?” Saul brought up after putting his glass down. “We need to feed these people and apples will only go so far. I don’t care how good Leonard’s Chef class is, there are only so many things he can do with apples.”

  “I don’t have that worked out yet. We’ll have to start a garden or something.” Replied CJ.

  “What about the big box stores? Surely we can raid one of those that hasn’t been hit yet.” Roger added as he looked at the skeptical faces around him. “Look I know they would be the first places hit but I’m talking Costco and Sam’s Club. Big box stores with a capital B. No way are they all cleaned out with the few people we’ve seen rampaging through whatever’s left. All those people that took the deal are gone for now. Shit, there might be huge tracks of land left un-plundered.”

  They all took a minute to think about that. CJ thought most people would look for others to hold up with and wait for things to blow over. Especially the no phones. They wouldn’t have any idea what was going on unless someone told them.

  “An online retailers fulfillment center.” Rubio started excitedly. “That would have everything we could ever want. Since no one is getting deliveries anymore, all that stuff is just sitting in their warehouses. Sure, any fresh produce is long since spoiled, but canned goods and prepacked stuff should still be there.”

  They planned and plotted for another thirty minutes before the four men broke off to go their separate ways. Monty and CJ started toward the west end of town before being stopped by Elena.

  “So, you’re going to take volunteers, but you aren’t going to ask us? How does that work exactly?” she asked.

  CJ stood still. It was almost as if he could thunder clouds roiling around her head. He’d anticipated slipping away with Monty and coming back with those he could liberate from Skippers clutches. All this time CJ knew there would be a little retribution when showing up on their doorstep again. While he trusted Elena and by extension Jenn, he didn’t want to involve them in his personal matters. They’d helped enough and could probably use the rest. His next words would have to be carefully thought out.

  “I… uh…”

  “Jenn!” Elena called out, “he was gonna leave us behind this time and was too much of a coward to say anything.”

  “Fuck!” cringed CJ.

  Jenn came running up with a full backpack and being followed by a very jittery looking Marty.

  “I found him.” Jenn said as they finally caught up. “Are we ready to go?”

  “Wait, Marty, you’re coming with?” asked CJ dumbfounded.

  “Well,” Marty began as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. “Saul told me you could really use my help and If I was just gonna piss on stuff in town, I might as well piss on stuff in the woods.”

  “Are you any good in a fight? There’s definitely going to be some fighting.”

  “Saul told me he wouldn’t want to go into a life or death struggle with anyone else.” Elena added while gesturing toward Marty who only seemed to get more bashful. “Something about him being a real terror when the shit hits fan.”

  “It’s not like that. My class abilities… are just really strong.”

  CJ looked him up and down. He just looked like your average stoner. If the world hadn’t ended, CJ was sure was his rat’s nest of white guy dreadlocks would be under one of those colorful Jamaican hats.

  “Really?” CJ asked. “What class did you pick?”

  Marty drew in a deep breath before answering.

  “Budzerker. It sounded funny at the time.”