Fiddlehead (The Clockwork Century 5)

“Thinking beyond the first option isn’t cowardice. If we beat this, you stay alive, and Gideon stays alive, his credibility intact. His editorial finishes taking the nation by storm—we all know the story is well on its way around the globe, so maybe, if we’re very lucky, it takes the South by storm as well. The war ends. The walking dead are vanquished. Stepping stones, doctor. Stepping stones. ”

“Send him out, or we’re coming in!”

Grant said, “See? They’re backtracking. They aren’t threatening to burn the place down anymore. First blood was ours, and the first retreat is theirs. ”

“Maybe they couldn’t reach Haymes?” Wellers suggested, but he put a question mark on the end.

“That would make sense,” Gideon mused. “They’re rather marvelously disorganized out there. ”

The president peered out once more. “You could be right. And if you are, that’s one more advantage. We’re racking them up, over here!”

“Until they actually try to come inside. ” Polly stood at the edge of the foyer. She spoke from the shadows behind the staircase, where no one could see her very well. “Then what do we do, Mr. Grant?”

“Then, my dear, when they try to come inside, we forcibly keep them out. Wellers, now that we’ve gotten the house as secure as possible, it’s time to ask: Does Abe have any other guns on the premises?”

“I’m sure he must. ”

Polly answered. “There’s a cabinet in the cellar. ”

“There’s a cellar?” Grant hesitated. “Oh that’s right. And it opens to the outside?”

“Yes, sir, it does. ”

Gideon threw up a hand, volunteering himself. “Polly, take me to it. I’ll secure the cellar and bring up guns for everyone. ”

Wellers was taken aback. “Mary, too?”

“Abe said she’s a better shot than he is,” Grant replied.

Gideon groaned. “I’ve seen her. She’s not terrible, but close enough. Still, he’s in that chair, and his hands barely work—so technically, he’s right. Doesn’t matter. We need every able body, and Mary’s able enough. Polly, take me to the guns, and be quick about it. ”

“Good plan,” Grant said, endorsing it. “Now, Wellers, I want you to stay here and man the front. This is where they’ve been trying to communicate from, up until now, but they’ll be investigating the rest of the house, testing doors and trying their luck in other places. I’m going to do some reconnaissance. And as soon as Gideon gets back from his mission, I want him to relieve you. ”

“All right. ” Gideon agreed over his shoulder, one hand on Polly’s arm so she could lead him through the darkness.

The president’s instructions to Nelson Wellers followed behind him. “When he returns, you take the east wing. I’ll patrol the west. Do your best not to answer them, except with bullets. They may know your voice. Let’s keep them guessing about who’s inside. ”

Polly drew Gideon into the large entryway, past the parlor and its unattended fireplace, burning low. Softly, she asked him, “Are you really going to give Mary a gun?”

“If she’ll take one. ”

“So … that’s a yes?”

“Yes,” he affirmed. “She doesn’t have to shoot well or wisely; we only need people who can shoot from inside, at various locations, giving the impression that the whole house is occupied … and there’s not just the six of us to hold down the fort. ”

“So you’ll give me a gun too?”

“Yes, and I’ll expect you to use it. ”

“I don’t know if I can,” she whispered. “Watch out for that—yes, there. There’s a step before the door. ”

He caught himself before he could fall, smacking one hand against the frame in order to steady his balance. “You can, and you will if you have to. This is the cellar? I’ve never been down here. ”

“There’s not much to see,” she said vaguely. “Some storage, is all. Canned things, preserves. No books, though. ”

“No books?”

She shook her head as she unlocked the door with a key from her apron pocket. “No. Mr. Lincoln says it’s too damp, and he loves them all too much to keep them there. ”