Chapter 63 Reconnaissance
1686words
Robert has for many years been the caretaker of the property. He lives alone in his wooden hut deeper into the dense blue gum woods where he hides from the community as a hermit. He withdrew from society after he had almost been killed as a teenager. That fatal day he visited his nephew and slept over when his uncle killed his whole family in a gruesome family murder. He was left for dead with his throat cut. He lost his vocal cords and also his one eye and over his glass eye now runs a horrible scar. He has no use of his face muscles so that he can't show emotion and needless to say, people don't understand or tolerate him.
Kennedy and Robert inherited the smallholding. She is much older than he is and could easily be his aunt. She had to handle all their finances. She didn't want to live on the smallholding and rather chose to live in a flat above her hair salon in town. She built this big log house opposite the original pinewood house and rent it out while Robert dwelled deeper in the woods on his own and kept an eye over the property. Things were tough because the pine dwelling haunted tenants because of inexplicable occurrences and phenomena. It became known as a ghost house in town and it didn't help that the family murder had taken place in that house.
That family murder was also the reason for Robert and Hunter's close friendship. Hunter, just back from the bush war, assisted Murder and Robbery in the investigation of the case. He pitied the teenager, the only survivor of the tragedy, and visited him frequently when he had business in town. Hunter knows sign language and he and Mrs. Kennedy are the only ones who can communicate adequately with Robert.
A few days ago Hunter phoned out of the blue and urged Robert to put off all the lights on the smallholding that night. Luckily they had no tenants. Then they were invited to join the community on the Eastwood Estate where the army would protect them. Robert refused bluntly. His sister could join him on the smallholding. Chloe Eastwood, who leased the ghost house in a difficult time of her life and developed a close friendship with Hunter who sorted out her problems as her private detective, also has a special place for Robert in her heart. She especially came over to visit them and explain the anarchy that would be at hand shortly and begged them to move over to the Eastwood Estate. Adverse to human contact, Robert refused bluntly. Kennedy then decided to join her brother and to endure their fate when it engulfs them. And then a stroke of small luck hit them when Hunter in the nick of time arrived with Chloe's beautiful dogs and a load full of supplies and joined them.
They converted the ghost house into a store where most of their provisions are kept. The ghosts will never-ever agitate their supplies. The three of them moved into the big log house. Chloe's massive, muscular Boerboels might be a bit old but they are still downright dangerous and well-trained. There is little wrong with their ability to smell and hear. Buddy and Batista are excellent well-breeds and will warn them in time if some intruders somewhere invade the smallholding so that Hunter and Robert each can take a dog and wait in ambush for the perpetrators.
Hunter rises and prepares himself for the day that lies ahead. He walks through to the sitting room.
"Hello, Aunty. I see you are progressing very nicely with that traditional blanket you are crocheting. I'm simply mad about these blankets. I always remember how years ago when I was a teenager I slept under one my grandmother had crocheted. And, thank you, Aunty, for the nice breakfast you left for me again in the kitchen. I'm feeling on top of the world to face the day."
Kennedy looks up and smiles while she peeps over her reading glasses with the silver chain around her neck. Her head shakes a little bit because of her age when she reacts: "If you wish, you can sleep beneath this one in winter if we still breathe."
Hunter smiles. "Thanks, Aunty, I would like that but why ‘if we still breathe?'"
"I don't know, my child, you are talking about horrible things going on outside and one day those things will come and sniff us out. I don't know in which form fate will come, but that it will come is sure. I'm almost finished, Robert is lopsided with his crooked hip and, telling you with due respect, you are no chicken anymore."
Hunter coming closer, bends over her and pecks her lightly on the cheek. "Well, alone we stand little chance, but with Chloe's lions here, prospects look good."
"Maybe against a small group of intruders, but what if a whole gang finds our place?"
"Aunty, we have blocked the path leading here with trees at the entrance and planted bushes in the path. No one will drive in here or follow the original bush path because it is blocked and will shortly be overgrown. When we now want to go into town we will have to walk to Robert's hut via the footpath where we store our vehicles and then take the bush path from his place to the national road. If people on foot come in the direction of our well-hidden islet, the dogs will warn us and I will then attract their attention and lead them on a side track to one of the neighboring smallholdings and so they won't discover us here. Robert and I constructed fake hide-outs on three of the neighboring smallholdings pretending that someone lived there who scampered as soon as they came in sight. So, our guests will hang out there for only a short while and then proceed to look for a better place to stay and pass us. I will then have the opportunity to spy on them and make sure they stay away from us."
Kennedy shakes her head meekly. "I thank our Dear Father every day that He sent you to us. With you here with us, I have a little hope. I wish Robert wasn't so averse to people. It would have been much better for us to have moved to the Eastwood Estate. I could even have done ladies' hair over there."
"Aunty, you can still move there, why not?"
"And leave you all alone here? Never! Together we will survive or together we will perish. Age is rather the biggest punishment, my child. The hardest age is old age. Look how my head is shaking and my hands trembling when I stop my crocheting. I don't want one day to struggle myself to death to die and it is only around the corner and not a wide corner anyway. It would be better if fate comes and takes me early here on our lonely little islet in the middle of these dense woods before age gets his chance to come and ruin and chastise me like the rogue wants to do so dearly."
Hunter splits his sides but then becomes serious and earnestly looks at her. "Aunty, I warned Robert yesterday that I'm going into town today for the first time to check it out and to bring provisions if I could by any chance. Two weeks have already passed from the outbreak of the plague and I think the time is ripe."
Kennedy lets go of her crochet work and looks at him shocked. "No, please! Don't get itchy now, it is quite unnecessary. We have got enough supplies. You are just going to search for your fate and what will we do without you?"
"Aunty, it is far better that I go this early to see how I can help myself in town. If I wait too long and we are running low on provisions it will mean that I will have to take unnecessary risks. Now I can go and make a reconnaissance of the situation in town and can plan precisely before I go and get supplies next time because we are not desperate at this stage."
"Are Robert and the dogs accompanying you?"
"No. I will go alone. Robert and the dogs must keep the fort here."
"Alone? With what? Just as you are?"
"I've got a gun, a pistol, a bow and arrow, and a samurai sword and even a few dangerous knives, Aunty, and a simple Perspex shield that I can pull down over my face should I come too near someone in town. I also have a backpack with antiseptics and a syringe. All of it awaits me in the storeroom and I will collect it before I take the footpath to my 4x4."
"Promise me you won't just climb out of your vehicle there today. Check everything carefully. Next time you can get out when you are sure the surrounding area is really safe and don't drive into spots where you can get stuck or get a flat tire. I don't like the idea a bit! You don't even have a sentry on lookout when you go inside somewhere. When you come out, you could be surrounded."
"I promise I will think of everything. That is the reason I want to go now so as not to venture so much later on. Keep on crocheting my blanket. It will distract your thoughts somewhat."
"Oh, darn damn yow!"
