When The Fault Breaks: Life Will Never Be The Same Page 13

  Henry and his crew continued working on the cave. "Now that it is clean and prepped we need to start to build. The first thing we need to do before we close it in is to support the roof."

  Tom asked, "Hey Henry why don't we do that after we get it all closed in so we do not have to worry about the weather?"

  "For one thing it will be harder to bring in the logs and beams we will need if it is all closed in Tom."

  Maria, a pretty Latino, with black hair, from Flagstaff, AZ. was standing next to Henry as he was describing what was needed and felt she had good idea.

  "May I make a suggestion Henry?"

  "Sure Maria, anyone is always welcome to put their two cents worth in, especially if they will be living in it, so please let's hear it."

  "We have already knocked down all the loose limestone from the roof so it won't fall on our heads. So what if some of us work on the front wall, while others work on the inside supports you want?"

  Henry replied, "That's a great idea Maria."

  "Gracias."

  Henry continued, "We can make the front like they did at Mesa Verde stacking and cementing rock together."

  Inside the cave, workers took dozens of small two-inch diameter poles laid them flat and tied them to larger poles making large squares. Old tarps were put on top of the squares, which were then raised to the roof and held up by even larger poles. The grid of squares covered the entire roof making it look cool, and the tarps provided the additional benefit of preventing the dust from falling on us.

  Meanwhile a team was hard at work outside the cave making the front wall.

  "We need to use medium to large river rocks to make the front wall, then we can use the limestone slabs we removed from the cave and the ceiling to make the fireplace."

  Kenny asked, "Just how do you plan on holding it all together?"

  "We are going to make our own cement, much like the Romans did for the coliseum Kenny."

  Henry reached down and picked up a hand full of sand and small bits of limestone and replied.

  "We take all these little bits of limestone and sand, smash it to dust then cook it in the fire for several hours. Then we scoop it from the fire, including some of the ash, mix it with gravel and a few other ingredients, and add some water and you have cement. There is a bit more to it than that but it's not important right now."

  By the time Henry and his team collected the materials for the internal structure, the wall team had laid out the outline of the wall and fireplace and had started baking the limestone. Over the next few days the concrete was ready and the interior walls were taking shape.

  Many of the upright poles that support the roof structure were also used to make the inside walls. This method worked to both, reduce the trees that needed to be cut, and to act as cross supports for the roof. The interior walls were designed to provide the families staying in the cave with some privacy, but remained open enough to allow for heat circulation

  After the concrete formula was worked out, the outside walls were built, which included a few of the RV windows with reinforced insulated shutters inside and out. The front door was made out of crossed layers of four-inch diameter limbs that were trimmed to be flat. I tell you it made one hell of a door. It could stop a .50 cal round from a Desert Eagle fired at it at close range.

  Chapter 11: The Fort

  I had turned my attention to Fred and his team. We did not need everyone working on the cave and Fred's team needed to get their camp set up so they had a place to live. They needed a location big enough for the Command Center and two small barracks, one for the men and one for the women. So while the cave was under construction by everyone else, including most of Fred's team, a few of us formed a scouting party to find a location.

  Fred turned to his men and called out.

  "All right guys, the cave dwelling is under way but we need a place for us to live. Bradley, I want you to take Allen and Paul and head down valley to find a good spot to build the compound. The rest of you keep working on the cave until we find a location, after that most of you will get to work on ours."

  Bradley responded, "Yes sir Sarg, how far down valley do you want us to look?"

  "I don't want you to go too far, but I also don't want to be very close to the cave either, maybe a mile max."

  "Yes sir, we're on it."

  Fred stopped Bradley before he took off and said, "There are some very precise criteria I want you to look for. First and foremost, it needs to be defendable, that means high ground. I don't want the structure to be able to be seen from down valley, so it needs to be tucked into the forest."

  "The location needs to be near the stream for several reasons, but it also needs to be high enough above the stream so that it won't be flooded during rainy season. It needs to be on a large plain, and if possible one full of Aspens to build the fort with."

  "Yes sir Sarg."

  Fred added, "Make sure to take your bows with you, so you can bring back some game when you return."

  Bradley turned and called out, "Yes sir … Paul… Allen, get over here."

  Paul and Allen stopped what they were working on and came running over and stood in front of Bradley.

  Paul answered, "What's up Brad, what do you need."

  "I want you two to get your day packs together, we are heading out on a scouting mission, oh and make sure to bring your bows for hunting, be back here in a half hour ready to go."

  Together they responded, "Hell yea," and off they went.

  Bradley turned back to Sarg.

  "Sarg I will get my gear ready and we will set out in about a half hour."

  "Thanks Bradley I know I have the right guys on the task and that you understand how important finding the right place is for everyone."

  "I do Sarg we will find a good spot. We will be back as soon as we can.

  Sarg and I headed back to the cave to check on how it was coming along.

  "I hope they find a good spot Fred."

  "I have Bradley on it Peter, if anyone can find what we are looking for he will."

  "You seem very confident in him."

  "That's because Bradley was the one that found the place we were planning on being. He has an eye for seeing past the trees and knowing how it will look when all the trees are gone."

  "That is a good skill to have, it seems you picked out the right guys for your team."

  "That I did."

  Off they went looking for their new fort, they headed downstream looking for the perfect location. Finding the perfect place was important, and Bradley, Paul, and Allen all knew how critical it really was. They had not been gone long when Allen stepped out from some heavy brush and saw it.

  "Brad, come quick I think I found the place."

  Bradley came running over and so did Paul, Allen pointed out a large grove of Aspens on the inside of a very large bend in the stream. It was sitting on the second terrace above the stream and unlike the terrace below, it did not have recent signs of flooding. Most of the plain was covered by aspens about a foot in diameter and they were perfect for building the fort walls and buildings.

  Bradley said, "Well Allen it looks like you found our new home."

  "Thanks, but I don't want to settle in yet, Sarg still has to come look at it and give the go ahead."

  "Trust me, he will give the go ahead, so let's not keep everybody waiting, let's go get Sarg and see what he thinks."

  Paul asked, "Hey Brad, should we find some dinner?"

  "That's not a bad idea, why don't the two of you stay here and see if you can bag a buck and I will go get Sarg."

  "You got it, come on Allen lets go get some fresh meat."

  "I'm with you, Paul you take point."

  While they were hunting Paul asked Allen, "Why don't we get with a couple others and build a cabin down here for us? One not too far from the fort so we don't have far to go but a nice place so we have some privacy and quiet."

  "That sounds like a great idea. I think I saw the perfect place a b
it down valley of here on the other side of the stream."

  "How did you get there?"

  "There is a huge log down over the stream that we can just walk across."

  "Let's head that way looking for a buck."

  "Okay, who do we want to stay with us?"

  "Well I don't know about you, but I have my eye on that blond Kathy."

  "The one from camp?!"

  "Yea that's the one. We've been spending a fair amount of time together whenever we can. We've taken several long walks as we made our way down here. What about you, do you have someone you are interested in?"

  "As a matter as a fact I do, its Jenny."

  "Our Jenny?!"

  "Yes, we have been close friends since long before the quake. We never hooked up before but now we are in a different situation and everything has changed. There are far fewer girls than guys in this new community and I don't want to be one of the ones that are alone. I think this may be the perfect way to see if she is interested in me that way."

  "Go Paul go," Allen laughed.

  "What do you mean, you are trying to hook up too," Paul laughed.

  Allen and Paul continued their trek through the woods for a short bit when they came upon a small clearing. It was a nice spot, not very big just a nice flat area for a cabin with lots of trees. It overlooked a small beaver pond not far from it.

  "There it is Paul it's not very big but it will work for a nice cabin. I would bet you everything that there's fish in that pond."

  "That is not a bet I would wager against," Paul laughed.

  "It looks like it would be a good place to call home."

  "I sure hope so, because it's not like we have many options."

  "Okay Allen you head west and I will head the east, I'll give you a holler after the kill."

  "Alright Paul, I will see you when you come running to help me with my buck."

  "Yea right it's more like you will be coming to me Bro."

  While Paul and Allen were out looking for some game, Bradley had already headed back to the cave to give Sarg the news. He was sure they had found the perfect place for the fort, it was about a mile from the cave. The location was far enough away that they would not disturb the others, but close enough to protect everyone.

  Fred and I were still near the cave supervising the progress when Bradley came up to Sarg.

  Sarg asked, "What are you doing here, you should be down valley looking for a site for us?"

  "I think we have already found the perfect spot."

  "That fast? That's great news, how far away is it?"

  "Maybe a mile Sarg."

  Fred turned to me and asked, "Hey Peter do you want to join me to go look at the location?"

  "Sure… Hey Ben why don't you come too?"

  "Okay, I will be right there."

  Fred called out, "Tom, put someone else in charge of your crew and you come with us too."

  "Okay Sarg … Tony you take over here while we go check it out."

  We all jumped on an ATV and started cutting a road to the location. We were headed down valley and maybe half way there when we heard Paul's yell echo up the valley "WOO Allen I got a BIG buck."

  We continued down as far as we could on the ATV and only had a short way on foot before Bradley could show us the spot they had found.

  Sarg looked around and asked Tom, "What do you think?"

  "Hell guys you hit the jack pot here, it's just right. Look at all those trees and they are all almost the same size. Perfect just perfect."

  Fred added, "It's just right Bradley, we will be able to build a very large fort here. Well Bradley you did it again."

  "Sorry Sarg I don't get to take credit for this find, Allen was the one that found it. He just came on it and knew as soon as he saw it that this was the right place."

  "Well he was right."

  "Sarg we have plenty of people working on the cave and most of the clearing is done, there is no reason that you can't take most of your guys off it. It looks like you have a bigger job here then they do there."

  "Thanks Peter I think we will finish out helping today and I will start our guys on the fort tomorrow. In the meantime, Tom, I want you to go back and have anyone that is not actively hands on working on the cave to pack up all our gear and bring it here. We are going to be staying here from now on. Oh by the way, have a couple of them cut some of the obstacles out of the way for the road down here."

  "I will get right on that Sarg."

  And off he went. Just then Paul and Allen came in the clearing dragging a big buck.

  "Hey Sarg looks like it's a good day today. Is this a good spot for the fort?"

  "It is Paul, and that's a nice buck you nailed there, and Allen you did a hell of a job finding it. Why don't you guys stay here while the gear is brought down and prep that buck for roasting tonight. Find a good spot to make a fire pit and get that all going. I will have your gear brought to both of you. … Good job guys."

  "Alright Sarg, by the time you guys get back we will have the fire going and the buck roasting on a spit. Hey Sarg do you want a piece of the heart when we get it out?"

  "No that honor belongs to the two of you."

  Fred asked, "So, Bradley, how much further down valley did you guys go?"

  "This is as far down as I have been, but I think Paul and Allen have both gone further down. Why do you ask?"

  "No real reason I just wondered, we will need to scout even further down before

  long."

  "That's not a bad idea Sarg let me know when you go and Ben and I will join you, that is if you are game Ben."

  "I would be happy to have you guys with me Peter but I don't think it will be until after we have this place well under way. One of the things we will be looking for is a place to build a couple of blinds."

  "Another good idea Fred, ones you can see far down the valley."

  "That's the idea."

  Sarg left Bradley behind with Paul and Allen. Tom had already taken off to give the rest of his team their marching orders, so Fred, Ben and I continued to look around the area to get a feel for the site. We were headed off to the west of the stream and found a good spot to set up their generator.

  They didn't need a field for growing because others would be providing their produce for them in return for meat. It looked like it would be a good place to build a very large fort. One big enough for everyone to take shelter in if some group came in making trouble, at least for a short period of time.

  By now it was getting late and I still had not even started working on my ranch. The girls had stayed there and were staking out where they wanted the cabins built. By the time I made it back they were finishing up dinner. I would be starting on ours the next day.

  That night everyone stayed where they were sure to spend many more years. This was the second night in this new land for all of us, but for the first time everyone felt it was home. I it was a somber night.

  The next day the cave crew continued working on the cave while others began working on their own sites. At the same time Fred's team attacked the grove of trees with a passion. Fred put Tom in charge of getting everyone going on clearing the site.

  Tom called out, "All right everyone let's get moving on this, you are all going to be divided into four groups of four, and each group will be responsible for a different task. Paul you and Allen are in charge of two. Henry, you and Doug are in charge of the other two. All four of you select your teams and get started."

  Tom brought Paul over to a tree and explained to him what he wanted.

  "Okay Paul I need you to attach this big pulley to the bottom of this tree. Then attach one end of the hundred-foot cable as high up the tree in front of it as you can. Feed it back through the pulley and attach it to the winch on the ATV. Then winch in the cable until you see the dirt on the opposite side of the tree being pulled start to move."

  "We will be using the winches to pull down the trees so we don't have stumps to deal with. Then Allen's team takes o
ver for a bit, I will mark out the perimeter."

  Tom continued, "Allen, Doug, you guys take your teams and shovel away the dirt around the base of each tree exposing the roots. Start by cutting the roots on the same side as the winch, and then cut the rest of them working your way back."

  "Paul after the roots on the winch side are cut put more strain on the cable and start pulling the tree down. As soon as the rest of the roots have been cut you should be able to just pull over the tree, stump and all."

  "Henry after the tree is down your guys start to limb it and cut it from the stump."