The Unnoticed Prepper

[crice118]

Chapter 11

Monday morning, the weekend after Louise enlightened them about the coalition.
“Knock, knock.”

“Penny come on in, I was going over some spreadsheets and looking at different scenarios. Maybe you could help me some. Oh, and I have some cold tea made up in the fridge.”

“Great! That’s sorta what I was coming over about, plus I never miss a chance to be with you. I was looking at my lists last nite after what Louise had to say. I know we spend a lot of time together, but we also spend a lot of time apart as we go around doing the different little jobs such as the gardens, orchards, pasture and hay. Animals we have and what we need to get and where it needs to go. I think we need our own plans on what goes where, how long it could take, which areas need to be rotated for animals and so much more. If we had a weekly plan for evacuation to the arks then we could keep it simple and quick if, no strike that, when we need to bug in.”

“I was thinking along the same lines but more about our needs. What do we not have that we would like in a shtf scenario whether a financial crisis or a pandemic, even if Yellowstone goes. You know they’ve been having those earthquake swarms and even at times the roads and getting so hot at times the asphalt and tar are getting sticky and gooey. I’d like to know how the filters work and get some backups. I’d like some gear whether bio-hazard or just hazard suites if something major like that happened. One of the dangers of that is that the volcanic ash from the ring of fire on the west coast would blow across the land and come down as both dry and as rain and that could clog filters. It’s great that the outtakes are curved down so nothing can fall down in and that there are filters in place, even better that they are washable filters which can be used over and over and the rock wool can be used in hydroponics as a growth medium as well as a way to help keep rodents out of the ventilation system. I really like that there’s no fiberglass batting as that stuff is too itchy and you can breathe it into your lungs. I just want to make sure that on top of what is generically here, we have some of what we normally used in place for up to a year but some things even five years. I love my teas, all the flavors and I think we should be growing what we can or at least have the seedlings or small plants if something major happened and we had to do things from scratch.”

“That’s one of the reasons I love you, Eric. We always seem to be on the same wavelength. I was thinking there’s so much that is not only great to have but some of it is essential. If we have the little pick me-ups of having things we like, then we are better able to stay grounded. We don’t or won’t be more likely to be sick or to be down and not able to think clearly. I wouldn’t mind having 50 years of teas sealed in bags with oxygen absorbers or jars or in the 5 gallon buckets with oxygen absorbers and desiccants. On a different note, those paw stories that I read, they don’t really go over babies, diapers, baby blankets and clothes and other things like that for babies and little children. I know that one day I want children if God will allow me to have them and since the shelters each have room for 12 people. I think we need to expand our thinking.”

“Hold that thought. Penny, I love you dearly and I’m hoping that when you plan to have those children that it is with me that you have them and I do think we need to think outside the box of what most preppers or at least preppers in stories think about, such as if you have a dirty diaper what is the most sanitary, least sickness causing way of taking care of them cause little ones do a lot of dirty diapers. For that matter how do we take care of sick people? What if there is a pandemic or what about radiation poisoning, what if the water or food gets contaminated and someone here gets sick. I think we need to cover situations such as what do we do with waste or contaminated products while in the ark. For that matter there is also animals who do get sick and we would have to take care of that waste also as it couldn’t be composed and all the essential oils and natural medicines to take care of the animals. We need to dry blackberry leaves as that’s good for goats when they get sick. I think we need to make more lists and write down directions or results to add to the current listed plans. Now as to what you were talking about, what do you have in mind, Penny?”

Pulling a notebook towards her, Penny starts writing as she talks. “I think we need to not rely just on what some faceless coalition feels is right. I also think that we need to be aware of what is good for us, the community and the country. I’m not saying we shouldn’t listen to the coalition. I trust Louise, but, and this is a big but, in all my years I’ve never heard of the coalition, I’ve never seen anything of the coalition. Maybe it was ok in the beginning but is it still ok when the Johanssens and my aunt and uncle is gone? I don’t want to be all starry eyed and just take for granted that this mysterious coalition has been grooming me to do some great thing but I don’t want to shut the door on doing something good for the community. How do you feel?”

“I think you have a good point, I think they are on the up and up but all we have is hearsay. I want to do something important but like you, I think a bit of protecting us and our interests is very important. Until I find otherwise, I will be planning to use all these resources to prepare and plan for crises for us and for our community. I think looking ahead for the possibility of children, ours I hope and others is good thinking. Also, the elderly may have special needs. I we need to look beyond just who can be of value as most people can be of value, I think we need to look at who can keep the future recovery feasible. We need to look at resources, books, videos on dvds, look for skills, capabilities. If a major catastrophe occurs, we need skills beyond ours and we need defenders. I think we need to feel out the people in the coalition to make sure it’s not a puppet army. If we don’t know others and don’t know what they think, maybe they are thinking something other than what we think they are. Convoluted, I know, but cloak and dagger only works if everyone is bought in on the same ideals.”

“Eric, you bring up some good points. I think first of all we need to pray together for guidance and wisdom and as you said prep for us as well as the arks. I am a little concerned that I don’t know about the ark on my aunt and uncle’s . . . I guess I need to say my property as the probate is finished and the property is mine now, well, I don’t know where this ark is but others do and I don’t know who they may be.”

“Yes, it is a little disconcerting that others know things about your and I guess I need to think of this as my property as the probate on my property is over, also. I wonder how that fits in with the coalition’s plan as I can’t think that my relatives would have not left something explaining things, unless, there more and they were concerned to leave anything in writing on it. Penny, let’s keep on with our lists. I think a trip to the big city for some ‘fun’ is in order. There is a Babies ‘R Us and other stores where we can get some items on the lists we have and other things we will be adding on. I think we need to some of our discussions to ourselves but talk to Louise and her ‘others’ enough not to make someone think something might be up. Well, my love let’s work some more on these lists.”

“Lead on, McDuff.”

[crice118]

Sorry, lost my link to here and just refound it. I have several which I will post one right after the other.

Chapter 12
Riiing. Riiing. Riing. Rii . . . “Hello, Penny Kempton. I’m sorry I can’t take your message in person but my friendly answering machine will hold your message for me. You know the drill. Beep. “Yeah, Hi Penny, it’s Eric. I’m running to the feedstore to get some things. Was wondering if you wanted to go or if you needed anything. I”

“I’m here, I’m here. Eric, hi, I’d love to go, if you’ll give me 10 mins, I’ll be ready, so you want to come on and I’ll have my list and my money.

“This is Eric’s machine. He can’t talk right now. He’s on his way to pick up the most beautiful woman in the world. Beep. Beep. Beep-beep”

“Eric, you’re a nut! See you in a few. Love you.”

“Not as much as I love you, Babe. I’m on my way.”

Penny kicks off her shoes and runs upstairs pulling her sweaty shirt off and throws it in the hamper on her way past the bathroom to her bedroom. Pulling out a clean t-shirt and grabbing her brush and headband she is reaching for her wallet and keys and going out the door when Eric pulls up. Checking to make sure the lock is secure, Penny lightly runs down the steps towards Eric’s big truck and stops.

“Eric what on earth is on the truck bed?”

“They’re my new holding bins.”

“They look like 55 gallon white barrels and blue drums.”

“Oh, they are Penny. Brand new and ready to take on loads of grains and some liquids. The farm fuel barrels are in the trailer.”

“Looks like you’re ready for some heavy duty purchases. What cha’ buying?”

“Filling in some holes on personal buying. I don’t like having someone else being the sole decision maker on what I need to take care of me. The money’s released from probate and I plan on filling some holes as I see them and not just what a group tells me I need. Don’t get me wrong, what they’re wanting to buy is good but I don’t like someone else in charge.”

“I don’t think I can agree with you more, that’s why I’m eager to buy some things. Are we still on to go to the city later on today. Sorry we didn’t get to go this weekend but when a water pipe breaks, you got to go with the flow.”

“Ouch, Penny don’t quit your day job, that is so not funny. At least it didn’t break in the middle of winter at 12 degrees like I’ve experienced before.”

“Oh, that would be brutal, makes me think of something else for the lists.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense, what did you think of.”

“Let me tighten my seatbelt as we hit the road. You know water is so important and so is sanitation and composting toilets are great, but if we hit a disease crisis, we may need to quarantine and water and sanitation need to be separate and with no possibility of backflow. We also need to have setups for fixing different systems and the tools, equipment and supplies to make repairs.”

“Yeah, I agree. Like this weekend, if that leftover pipe hadn’t been here with some supplies, it might have had to wait until Monday to fix and there could have been some sewage contamination in the soil. Not a pleasant thought but we need to expand our mentality for prepping. It’s not so much as what the news is saying but what they’re not saying.”

“Hey, I agree, Iraq, North Korea, race violence, gun control and police violence and shootings. Info on these seem to be little and far between while Hollywood and sex and victimization is front page news. I mean it’s important but these other potentially serious events are being overshadowed as if they don’t want you to know about them.”

“I get the feeling that something is on the edge of happening. Along with all the disasters which have been happening, it feels like the bottom is getting ready to be torn out. Penny, I think we need to go into high gear, my animals are going to be ordered today for pickup in two days on Wedneday.”

“Eric, I’ve been ordering some supplies, such as long term grains, seeds, and a big amount of everything I can think of. I, also, ordered some bulk supplies from some of those preparedness places, for dairy, eggs, and shelf stable items both dehydrated and freeze dried, but mostly Tattler rings and jars for storage. I guess I didn’t think of barrels.”

“That’s why we’re soul mates, I didn’t think of jars and rings but I got a bunch of the barrels for food and other items.”

“Speaking of other items, I think we need 2 sets of backups things for the vehicles including the tractors. I’d also like to get things to make drum stoves, rocket stoves, and additional solar panels and batteries. The farm has $50,000 in emergency operating expenses and we already save our own seeds so I also think we need to expand our seed selection and bring some warmer zones plants for a conservatory. If we’re smart about it we can get a lot of starts and sprouts which can grow to dwarf size, especially citrus plants and even some small banana plants and pineapple. I have several walipini greenhouses back on the farm and I even have some greens growing through the winter in several of them.”

“Penny, you never cease to amaze me. Does anyone else, like Louise know about them?”

“No, it was something I’ve been working on to see how well they do and not something I’ve shared with anyone, except you now. I didn’t want anyone telling me that was stupid or laugh at me. There are a lot of things I’ve done which no one knows about and I was waiting to see what your thoughts were before I brought it up as it is a family secret but I knew about the ark on the Kempton place but we also have another one as my aunt and uncle did not fully trust anyone, except me. I was only supposed to tell my husband and I’m jumping the gun, but I plan on marrying you, Mister and I’d like it to be sooner rather than later.”

“I have things I haven’t told anyone about either as I wanted it to be finished before I showed you and as for marrying you? Maybe you should put this ring on your finger and I’ll go ahead and ask. Penny, will you spend the rest of your life allowing me to love and cherish you, have children with you if God allows and provide and take care of you the rest of the time you live on earth?”

Eric holds out a beautiful antique ring, small but beautiful, just right for not getting snagged in farm work but beautiful enough to dazzle. “It was my grandmother’s.”

Penny speech for all of 30 seconds, starts crying and answers Eric with her own proposal.

“Eric, I will marry you only if you allow me to be your other half and treat you as well or better than you treat me. I love you and would love to have as many children as God allows. I feel time is short to prepare for what is coming, but I want to face it as your bride and wife.”

Eric pulls over and tenderly takes Penny in his arms and says, “I will, I do and I have loved you and will do all I’ve told you and accept your . . .” Eric lowers his head and says right before kissing Penny, “counter-proposal.”

[crice118]

Chapter 13

“Timothy, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Eric Thompson. Eric, this is a old school friend of mine.”

“Don’t let her fool you, Eric, she was my biology and math savior. If she hadn’t tutored me, I would never have graduated high school, “Mooch” saved a lot of our butts by breaking it down so simple that we could understand it.”

“”Mooch”? Why’d you call her that?”

Cause she was always mooching favors off us for manual labor with experiments in food in exchange for tutoring. She would tutor while we were making windrows for the hay. She’s use the harvesting of potatoes to do algebra broken down so we could understand and do it in class. She made the knowledge easy to do when she broke it down and I still use it today cause she explored it so well. I can hear her now. “Timothy, I hate to be a mooch but if you could give me a little of your time harvesting the sweet potatoes, I’ll explain a quadratic equation. If you got the other guys together to help then you all could be taught while I mooch some work off you. She’s always been mooching favors, as she calls them, I always looked at them as trade-offs. ”

“Timothy, glad to meet you. I don’t think I’ll use that nickname but, yeah, I’ve seen her in action with others and me. I learn so much from her that whenever she says ‘I have a favor to ask’, I’m already getting up and moving to her.”

“Yeah, she always has her game plan worked out with it being beneficial to both sides. She rarely resorts to cash unless she knows you have a dire need for it.”

“If your name is Timothy then why does your name tag say ‘Robert’? Did you take over for someone else and not get a new name tag?” Eric says with a grin.

“No, a lot of us have nicknames because of something stupid we did or something we’re known for. It’s sort of a warning code if we ever call each other by our right names. About a year and a half ago, some idiot came in wanting to rob us. One of the gang was here and wanted to order some grain and when they heard me call one of the other workers by his real name where he could hear, he left and called the Sheriff. Came in quiet like and caught the guy with no one getting hurt, seems he was in trouble in town and skipping bail. Thought he’d get traveling money by knocking over a feedstore since the items seem big ticket but not as many people.”

“That’s a good idea, especially since that is what your nametag says. It would prevent anyone from knowing that something is being said without words. But you didn’t answer my question, why do they call you Timothy?”

“It was in ag class, I was new at working in the feedstore and was going to get a discount for the class. We were going to order seed and fundraise to go to the state Future Farmers of America conference.”

“Yeah, I was in FFA, too.”

“Well, I didn’t know the codes well yet and ordered 10 times what we needed and was looking at Timothy grass when I thought I was looking at Bluegrass. Mooch actually turned it around and we contracted with some of the busy and some of the older farmers and rejuvenated their grazing lots, pastures and fields for the seeds and labor at an improved restoration rate and scattered their manure for them at the same time and aerated the soil with some broadforks. Ended up making twice what the original plan would have and wiped out the bill for conference, rooms and food with some sightseeing. It went over so well, that the ag class does that every year for interested farmers. Win-win all the way around. Discount for ag class, experience in soil assessment and restoration of grazing land, work experience on grunt work, farmers not able to for either health or time constraints get better forage fields. Plus for a small cut of the profits, home ec makes our drinks and fixes meals for us which nets them some money to invest in equipment not in their budget or the ag students who are in woodworking make dehydrating systems and some of the ag students trade in a bushel of something the home ec dehydrates or cans for use during the winter and early spring when everything is so high in the stores or not available. The first thing they got help with was development of a commercial kitchen to do the canning and dehydrating. It lets them learn how to do it right and safely and helps to keep food on the table at home. The kitchen can be leased by families to can their fall produce which helps the school apply more money to more gadgets and training. They even bought a home freeze-dried unit and are building up from the lease money to get a new one every year until they have five then rotate them out with the money when one goes bad. It has been a real life-saver for many of the families for food through the year with so many having to work and farm and still not make a decent living, but the food preservation cuts down on food a lot with a lot of people bartering or trading crops. The stores aren’t hurt any because they can sell more of the durable items which people couldn’t afford and more supplies such as pectin, jars, rings for those who haven’t got the Tattler rings yet. They’ve also selling things such as you only might find in Lehman’s in Ohio and more people are preserving their own meat such as jerky, and things like sausage casings, curing kits and supplies to make your own marinades and curing such as non-iodized salt, sleeves to cover hams to hang, the hanging kits to keep varmits from getting on the hams and a whole bunch of other stuff useful for making it these days. Most people are at least partially able to provide their own food or have extry to trade for what they don’t have. Since you’re Mooch’s fiancée, she may or may not have told you these things, yet.”

“There’s so much been going on learning about my relative’s place, the Johanssens, that my head has been stuck close to home getting the place in production this year and preparing for high production and rotations next year. Makes me proud that I am going to be a part, am becoming a part of such a sensible community. Almost as proud as the fact that I am the most blessed man to have Penny as my fiancée.”

Penny who had moved away while the men talked came back with a list she had written of a lot of things they were prepared to purchase and order that day for pickup then and later in the week and month.

“Hey, Timothy, would you mention to other customers that Eric is in the mood to purchase some animals. I put the list of what he’s looking for on the bulletin board, how many, and maturity levels. Also, if someone is selling but don’t have what is on that list, they can call me and maybe make some deals or outright purchases. You know who has the best what but don’t want to necessarily turn someone down if what they have is good but not necessarily state fair show. Here is my list and here is Eric’s so let’s get down to when what is available now and what is available later. When we do get married, you’re invited to the get together, of course.”

“Mooch, as part of my wedding gift, why don’t you let me give you a brace of Wyandotte hens and two roosters. Gold-laced or silver-laced, your choice.”

“Gold laced, Timothy, definitely gold-laced. And with that, you are going to go to lunch with us at Bella’s my treat!”

“Well, Eric, it looks like us gentlemen are escorting this fine lady to lunch. Let’s get all this figured out and Mooch can go ahead and place the order at Bella’s.”

[crice118]

Chapter 14

“Man, this pizza is amazing! Every time I’m here it’s like the sauce is a little different.” Eric takes another bite and closes his mouth in bliss.”

“That’s because it is.” Isabella Duncan comes up behind Timothy and gives him a hug from behind while leaning over his chair to kiss him. “I make it from scratch during the summer harvest time and mix the ingredients fresh each day.”

“Hum, maybe just a touch more oregano next time.” She comments before sitting and helping herself to a bite of Timothy’s pizza before feeding him another bite. “You must be Eric. I’ve heard that Penny found herself someone. You better be genuine and treat her right. I know where some hemlock is.”

Eric looks at her with startled eyes and everyone starts laughing at him. “Relax, Eric. Bella is my sister from another mother. We’ve been friends forever and a day. She does know where the hemlock is and how to cook with it so a person would die with a smile on their face. She is a herbalist of the highest order. Chinese, Tibetan and Indian, that’s Indian from India, ayurvedic medicine as well as Native American Indian and tribes from Central and South American and the Islands of the Gulf and Pacific and some African and Middle Eastern, and European medicinal knowledge. The women in her family have all been yarb or herb women and most midwives or something in the medical field. Bella is both a medicinal yarb woman and has culinary herbs as many are dual purpose. She also has a photographic memory, so she really does know her herbs and spices. She is a major asset for our group of friends and compiles several copies of what she runs across.” Penny takes another bite as she pauses in her explanation.”

Bella looks into Eric’s eyes a moment before starting to speak again. “You must really be the real deal as Penny NEVER reveals such information. None of us do, so you have been vetted and I will trust you based on that that.” Eric looks at her stunned as she turns to Timothy. “I got the all-call phone, fax and text SEEDS. I’ve already placed my orders and since it was capitalized, I ordered 3 times the amount. Some additional packaging including bottles, both plastic and glass with lids re-useable, bags, both mylar and plastic as well as brown, and some wooden boxes and various types and materials of utensils. I’ve also got orders or acknowledgements from all the others.” Turning to Penny, Bella continues, “I’ve also ordered 4 times on the children’s types and payment has already been used and confirmed.” Bella picks up Timothy’s water and takes a sip then takes another bite of Timothy’s pizza before turning to Eric, a little lost looking but also amazed as he is comprehending what is going on. Bella without missing a beat continues her conversation with Eric. “What I do is also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine, and as you’ve probably guessed, I’m quartermaster for our little group for medicinal and culinary seeds as well as having assess to assets including asses, of the donkey kind. They are my animal specialization as they can work within my gardens with them being smaller and able to fit within the spaces between my small gardens and they are also very, very patient. Welcome to the group, I accept you as Timothy does also. And yes we are a couple, just as you and Penny are now a couple.”

Turning to Eric, Penny explains, “Eric, our little group is composed of several of my contemporaries. As children we noticed that something was going on with the adults. We also noticed that some of the children appeared to not be as ‘bright’ as some of us, that’s when Bella’s grandmother told Bella that those of us eating natural and staying away from the processed and packaged food were developing as God meant us to. She had a theory that the government or someone, either pharmaceutical companies or shadow government or someone else were turning the American children into dumbed down worker bees. She had seen something similar back in her homeland from some of the diets of children producing lesser intelligent children, children who did not reach their potential with only diet and lack of basic food elements. She was alarmed but her son said that he would look out for his children. Bella’s grandmother thought the children needed to know so they could take an active part in their protection of their mental development. She mixed herbs known to increase healthy blood flow, immune system health, brain function and mixed it with a healthy dose of prayer for protection from God through His angels. She was a deeply religious Jew who was also a Christian and everything she did she prayed about. She knew all the herbs of the Bible as well as in Jewish practice and all Bella’s medicinal training was overshadowed with that so that Bella’s use of other medicines do not include those belief systems. She does not make little of them but she does not accept them, only the herbs and material things and even some of those she does not use as it is counter to her beliefs and practices. It is very complicated. Anyway, she taught and talked to all of the children of the group so we were forewarned and appear to be much more mentally aware and capable than other children who eat sugary sweets too much, not enough healthy and too much artificial or altered foods. I could not speak of this until at least two others of the group approved. You see, we knew of the coalition but decided to make our own instead of waiting until the adult coalition decided we were ready. We also set up our own money system and following what the adults were doing made more and started our preps but going beyond as we were trained to be more capable by our parents, grandparents and each other. We are aware and have been since children that there appears to be a plan to dumb down America. We have made ourselves watchmen over our community and planned against the misuse, abuse and harm to children and others. I’m sorry to have had to keep this from you but if you were the man I thought you were, you would understand.”

“Penny, I love you and respect you. Your foresight relieves my mind on a number of issues and I thank God that He has led me to you. I trust you and thank you for trusting me. I understand and am proud of what you have done. I don’t look at it as anything to be sorry for but instead as something essential for the protection of others. I am glad you have such a system in place ‘cause I know that you have a better chance of safety if what I feel may happen occurs.” Turning to Timothy, who has remained silent until now, Eric asks, “Ok, what I understand is that SEEDS is a code word which was preplanned for a shtf scenario with capital being an extreme case and the call down is TEOTWAWKI prep in high gear. And Timothy you initiated it based on what Penny handed you and that others have put their purchases in and that others based on their specialties are last minute Black Friday shopping mode before things break down such as in maybe a HEMP from North Korea or someone posing as them while the dumbed down masses are watching stars dancing, bachelors picking out a bride from a group of competing women and many are zoning out on video games. You can’t help those who don’t want to rise up above the norm but you can be ready to help when shtf and survivors arise. Not everyone will but those who do may be helped along by your group, am I right?”

Bella looking at Penny quips, “Not only good looking but smart as well, I think you have a keeper.” And Bella winks with a smile.

[crice118]

Chapter 16

“Eric, I want to make a little detour before we go to Mark’s.”

St. Clair Pawn Shop.

“OK, Penny, a pawn shop?”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, it may look seedy but it’s not the look so much as the atmosphere which is valuable.” Stepping into the shop, Penny addresses a plain looking mousy type girl. “Hey Kat, how’s it going in the hock business?”

“Penny, you know it’s the interpersonal loan business for the upwardly mo-bile clientele. Only the best quality items to the highest caliber characters.” The mousy girl replied with a vague northern, Jersey type accent.

“Business that good?”, Penny asks looking all around the shop.

“If business was moving any faster, I’d have to use a train to move shipments and have to work nites, too. I’m thinking of expanding business, maybe go all the way over the state line. There’s even prospects down to the south into other businesses territory. Even some prospects over by the pond and some back by the lake.” The girl, who still hadn’t looked at directly at Penny, stood up and stretched.

Still looking around the shop Penny glances at Eric before looking down into the cases where some guns are stored. “What do you think just happened here, Eric?”

Staring at Penny for a minute and then looking at Kat, Eric doesn’t approach either just turns to the girl called Kat and has an intense look on his face. “I’m thinking from the hint you gave me before, about not judging a book by its cover that Kat is more than just a pawn shop employee or owner. And business moving faster, maybe she is moving something somewhere and it might be happening at nite and she’s moving from all around the area. The bit about the interpersonal loan, I don’t know maybe favors owed and owing people favors? Maybe upwardly mobile clients is roving clients or someone who doesn’t have a home shop?”

Penny turns to Eric and smiling starts talking. “Kat is our weapons, precious metal and hard to get items person. I’ve already talked to her today but just to let her know I was bringing you by and she was cool with it. Interpersonal loan business refers to the movement of precious metals while upwardly mo-bile clientele is with the larger shipments of hard metal versus just paper like a lot of people have. Only the best quality items to the highest caliber characters refers to top end armaments for distance and firepower are items to make the biggest impacts or sniper rifles. Business was moving any faster means that top speed in getting things done and use a train to move shipments means everything is continuously moving as a train doesn’t stop and start for someone to rest and have to work nites is everything is going well but a backup plan for more volume with a second shift is in place if we need it. I’m thinking of expanding business means that contacts and orders have already gone out with maybe go all the way over the state line referring to international orders. There’s even prospects down to the south refers to Mexico for south and into other businesses territory is South America. Europe is over by the pond and some back by the lake is Asia. If she had said by the hotel by the lake then that would have been the Pacific Islands and/or Australia. For Africa it would have been over by the park and Indonesia, India those would have been the big town by the lake. And last but not least across the bridge would have been the Middle East. If Kat had said can’t complain then there was serious trouble, and if she said I can’t complain then she was in trouble and needed help. If she hadn’t of stood and stretched, then that meant someone was watching her at that moment.”

“Penny, I never would have guessed all that and what I did get was because of the hints earlier and you warning me to not just take things at face value. How did you come up with all that?”

“Don’t really know how much you know about cyphers, but back in school we read in a book about cyphers and using a book, chapter, page, paragraph and word to send message between people for secret messages. We thought about it and decided looking up a message like that is ok but something real time would not work for that so we thought of a key language. Each specialty has its own key words that messages could be spoken in front of people without them being aware of it. It helped when the older people was trying to keep us out of what they were doing, so we turned the table on them and with the help of a few who thought that we were a valuable asset being wasted because we were “children”, came up with our own secret within a secret organization. I mean if anything ever happened to the adults we would have been up a creek because we knew nothing. We couldn’t afford to take that chance and we have “children” who have their own special talents and jobs. They are building their network as a safety net for themselves if something happens to us older ones. Somethings we have in common but some is separate.”

Eric turning to Kat begins, “Kat, you’ve just met me and you’re willing to trust me because of Penny. I won’t put your trust in jeopardy, but why just give all these secrets to me?”

“Eric, you’re an outsider, a no body, no connections to us, nothing that anyone would think ties in with us. You are our ace in the hole. You can go places in a shtf scene and no one would know you and with just a few key words in a sentence get a phase or plan started if someone was suspicious or watching. You purposely have been kept out of the loop so you can be a gray man, someone no one would suspect of being connected or able to initiate plans, sort of our dead hand. We drop you in and if we’re compromised, you initiate a fail-safe for us.”

Eric standing there with his mouth just hanging open just stares at Kat for a couple of minutes then turns to Penny and bursts out, “My word! That is absolute genius!” Putting his arms around Penny, Eric swings her around and says, “I never would have thought of all this. Thank God, you pulled me in and let me be on your side. I’m can’t imagine what else has been set up but I know it has to be spectacular!” and then Eric kisses Penny til she is breathless.

After taking a deep breath, while Kat is laughing, Penny weakly says, “I think it is about as spectacular as that kiss and it will knock your socks off just li