This section is from Ivan's perspective.
My opinion on the newcomers was changing again, my face souring as I focused on Derrick. The man was a monster in every right of the word. He was injured and in pain, yet he moved around with ease, working harder with one arm than I ever wanted to. Malcolm and I were burnt out, sitting side by side on the ground, our breaths heavy as we watched Derrick finish trimming the dehydrator and smoker. I was still recovering from the bike ride here, but come on! How much gas could one guy have?
"Done," Derrick announced, walking toward us. "What's the next thing we are doing?"
I glanced at Malcolm, noticing the fear and exhaustion in his eyes, and burst into laughter. My gaze shifted upward, taking note of the sky, noticing that the sun wasn't even at its highest point yet. Trembling with chuckles, I replied, "Man, we got more stuff done than I usually do in a week." I sighed, then added, "You don't have to prove your keep anymore. You can slow down."
Derrick looked down at me, confusion painted on his face, his eyes fluttering in a repetitive blink. "I'm not. I'm just working." That's when it hit me – he was barely sweating, his hands steady and without a single shiver of exhaustion.
"Shit," I mumbled under my breath, envious of his seemingly endless energy, stamina, and strength. It was like comparing a dying candle to a roaring bonfire.
"Oh, youth! Must be nice," I grumbled, my voice laced with jealousy. Louder if I said, "Wait till you get our age." I said, patting Malcom on his shoulder.
My eyes lingered on Derrick. He was well over my height and wider in the shoulders than any average man I've seen, not in a superhero movie. He had scars on his arms and face. Wondering what his story was. His facial expressions were always a little off when he wasn't having a conversation. His face, even with the scruff of a beard forming, was young. He was younger than my oldest, for sure.
"Come on," Derrick urged, snapping me out of my thoughts. "We've got more work to do before sundown."
"Fine," I conceded, reluctantly standing up. "But you better not push yourself too hard, or you'll burn out like the rest of us."
"Ha! Trust me," he replied, his voice unwavering. "I won't."
"Malcolm, seriously, where did you find this guy?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by Derrick's relentless work ethic.
"Uh, well," Malcolm hesitated, looking at Derrick, who was now organizing some tools and scraps nearby. "He saved me in a bar fight. So I hired him as a bodyguard. He slowly added assistant duties." I couldn't help but chuckle at the image of the two of them in a bar together, their personalities so different yet somehow complementary.
"Hey Derrick," I called out to him, smirking, "Wanna jump ship and follow me?" His smile looked a little off when he responded, fueling my suspicions about him.
"I have a boss who I follow." He said simply, not elaborating further.
"Fair enough," I shrugged, "I firmly believe in stealing good talent, but it's good to see you are loyal."
My stomach growled loudly, demanding attention like a neglected pet. I slapped it absently and turned to Malcolm. "Well, that worked up an appetite. I'm assuming that we need to get some food soon. Can one of you ask the women if they want us to make anything while we're making ourselves some food? Check the garage and chapel. I doubt they walked into town."
"Sure thing, Ivan," Malcolm replied, pulling himself up on shaky legs, exhaustion evident in his movements. "I'll go and find them."
As he left, I felt a weight on my chest - not just from hunger but also from the unanswered questions that swirled around Derrick. There was something about him that I couldn't quite put my finger on, and being alone with him felt dangerous, like a well-trained dog loyal to a neighbor. I shook off the feeling, reminding myself that there was work to be done and people weren't evil on average.
As Malcolm's retreating figure disappeared from view, Derrick offered me a hand to stand up. I took it, feaeling the strength in his grip, a nervous laugh leaving my lips.
"You two seem like good guys," I said, doing my best to sound casual. "So do the sisters. What's up with Malcolm's wife?"
Derrick's hand tightened around mine, almost painfully so, before he let go. His eyes narrowed slightly, a smile gone from his lips, but his voice remained steady and even. "Not so good. But you should ask Mr. Allen about his wife and choices."
I nodded, feeling intimidated by his sudden change in demeanor. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a darker side to him. But it was gone as quickly as it came as he smiled and looked around.
"Come on, let's get some food going," I suggested, trying to bribe him with food.
We walked slowly to the outdoor kitchen, our footsteps crunching on the gravel instead of a conversation. There, we found several large mixing bowls filled with processed meat. My jaw dropped, realizing that both the garage freezers had already been dealt with.
"Wow," I muttered, impressed despite myself. "I didn't think that would get done this fast."
Derrick smirked. "Yeah, Maria is good and fast, but not cheap."
"Let's take a break," I suggested, heading towards the outdoor chairs around the now-empty fire pit. The sun's rays bore down on me, drying out the sweat and warming me through.
Waiting for Malcolm to come back, my mind revved up, thinking about the morning, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Derrick. My instincts told me that there was something dangerous lurking beneath the surface, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was.
I heard steps and opened my eyes to see Derrick standing just out of the way a few feet away. He was looking around, but I didn't realize how he appeared so silently next to me!
"Are you boys done with everything?" Malcolm returned, accompanied by Tsu and friends from the chapel. Her eyes were soft with concern as she took in my exhausted state.
I nodded, rubbing my aching shoulder. "Yeah, thanks to Derrick over there." I pointed at him and joked, "We need to check him for steroids." His face flushed, clearly offended, but he mumbled something about being clean.
Tsu just laughed and waved it off, her smile brightening the atmosphere and my mind and soul. "Well, we're done with the meat prep, too, but the chapel freezers are still frozen. So, let's leave that for now. I'll make lunch."
"Sounds good to me," I said, settling back into my chair as the sun beat down on my face. Though it was comforting now, I started sweating.
Derrick busied himself with various tasks around the outdoor kitchen while Malcolm sat next to me with Maria's sister and kid, chatting amiably about the day. I tried to pay attention to their conversation, but my mind started drifting off into a troubled nap.
"Hey, Ivan," Malcolm called out, drawing me back to the present and out of slumber. "You alright, man? You seem a bit...distracted."
"Sorry," I replied with a forced smile. "Just tired, I guess."
Just then, Tsu called out. Her warm voice made me smile. "Food's done, let's eat lunch. Someone should get the kids." Maria's kid piped up almost immediately, "I'll do it."
As we settled around the table, the children filed in, their laughter a welcome addition to the group of people.
"Here you go," Tsu said, handing plates of food to me and Malcom. The smells of seasoned meat and fried frozen vegetables filled the air, and for a moment, I was able to forget my concerns.
"Thanks," I murmured, digging in eagerly.
"Good food, Tsu," Malcolm complimented between bites. "Thank you," she replied, smiling warmly. "I'm just glad we could all enjoy it together."
Putting the fork on the plate and balancing it on my knee, I let my mind drift again. The food has softened my attitude and outlook on life and judgments.
"Uh-hum." The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled me from my dazed thoughts again as I opened my eyes, squinting against the sun. Derrick had materialized between Malcolm and Jackob, one of our residents in the apartment complex.
"Ivan, the water still doesn't work, and Tsu said that she can't fix it," Jackob said, annoyance etched across his face. "I saw you and wanted to ask if there was something you can do to get water running again?"
"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I wasn't exactly a plumber; he wasn't exactly the most pleasant person on the planet, but I knew the others were counting on me. I sighed, thinking of what to do. "I'm gonna eat and start on it," I told him. "Do you want to grab some of our water right now if you need water?"
Jackob's eyes flickered with skepticism. "Where did the water come from?"
I shrugged, unsure of the specifics myself. Tsu chimed in, her voice efficient and practical. "I've been grabbing water from the lake, filtering, boiling, then filtering again."
"Ah," Jackob said, disgust washing over him. He grabbed a pot of water before leaving without another word.
As he disappeared from view, I felt a twinge of resentment. He complained too much.
I looked around and noticed that Derrick was back to eating. Eyes darted to the pipes protruding from the pillars on the property like skeletal fingers reaching out of the ground.
"What are those pipes?" he asked, his curiosity piqued, finishing the last of his food.
"My uncle installed a bunch of wells on the grounds all the way to the end," I explained, running a hand through my hair and pointing to the edge of the property at the T-intersection. "He always maintained them."
"Where are the actual pumps?" Derrick questioned more, his brow furrowing.
I shrugged, not wanting to think of Uncle Boris. "Not sure. Uncle took them off for winter, died, and I never put them back up."
"Would it be in that black hole of a warehouse?" he asked, gesturing towards the looming structure in the distance.
"Maybe," I conceded, unable to offer any more certainty.
He looked at me with a tiled head. It reminded me of how Teruo's old dog would look questioning. "Mind if I look around?" I shrugged.
Without another word, Derrick strode towards the warehouse with a speed that left me breathless. I shook my head in awe, muttering, "Where does he get that energy from?"
I relaxed in my chair again. Derrick, being not here and busy, gave us a minute or 3 to just relax. I glanced at Malcom, and he was 2% awake. The kids ran off. Tsu and Maria cleared up the dishes. Maria's kid and sister were somewhere. I finally just settled into looking at the birds flying around and relaxing.
That didn't last long.
Derrick emerged from the warehouse, triumphantly hoisting one of the pumps above his head like a trophy.
"Found them," he announced, his voice surprisingly steady, clear, and loud from half a football field away. "There are a few boxes of them in the warehouse. We can pop them in easily enough. Ready to go?"
I sighed, feeling the exhaustion clawing at my soul as I exchanged weary glances with Malcolm. Both of us shook our heads, knowing the battle to keep up with this man was still going to continue.
"Derrick. I need to explain to you the art of relaxation." I said with a sigh, pointing to a chair.
He walked up far too quickly and said, "Wasn't that what we did while eating?"