Second Chances Read Online Free

top, about a half mile in diameter. It had rocks jutting up on one edge, forming a wall about twenty feet high. That was perfect for their needs. Not only that, but it was sloped all around, and best of all, only lightly wooded with some rocks and boulders they could use sprinkled about. The plateau top was about a half a square mile of prime space John thought, and he aimed to get it. John noted there were some additional rocks nearby and a creek near the south base, which was also good.
    John trundled the dozer over using his precious fuel to get to the spot. Then he used the dozer to clear a stretch of land while Eric and a guy named Earl drove his borrowed loaders to build an earth and rock berm around the site. It took a while to talk the guy with the ancient Peterbilt tractor-trailer truck to tow John's six cargo containers and other gear up the hill. John had to use his dozer to help the truck along on the slow climb; it got stuck a few times.
    The containers formed part of the wall near the rock wall. Logs knocked over by the dozer were also used for the outer wall, stacked horizontally until they had the time to figure something better out. A really tall, bald guy and a short, pear-shaped black woman kept an eye out for animals with a pair of rifles. John was grateful in a way but annoyed as well. With all the havoc they were making, no sane animal would be nosing around to investigate.
    Still, when they stepped up a couple others did as well. A woman took a hatchet and hacked at the tree limbs with a pair of teens she bullied into the job. They made a pile of limbs, and then one got the idea to make a shelter out of it. John shook his head, but he was too busy to intervene.
    A teenager bullied what looked like her dad to come help as well. He drove a black Chevy truck up the hill towing a loaded flatbed, then went back to get a horse trailer and then more stuff. Once the others realized what was going on, that started them talking about what they were going to do.
    Crashing and animal sounds in the forest opposite their landing field had people reluctantly move in to their partially-built base camp by lunch time. John looked up in time to see cars moving up the improvised road. Of course they had to park anywhere and everywhere...usually right in the way of him or someone else. He was sorely tempted to use the dozer or loader to move a few vehicles.
    Eric took charge doing his best to organize them to pull their gear into the fort in a somewhat orderly manner. Everyone had their own zone, a place they could build their own home on. Some were pretty jealous over their holdings. Of course it was every man for himself; no one helped the others pull their gear in. Trust was fleeting for some; it seemed there were already reports of theft.
    A few staked out their home on the plateau leaving one person at their new home while others moved gear. That of course diminished their available manpower. The few with little belongings did their best to attach themselves to those who did. John shook off a few grifters as he parked the vehicles in a neat orderly row. He'd been pissed when one lady had used one of his loaders to move her gear in, burning his fuel. He'd taken charge of it and locked it down when she'd come back to base camp.
    John swore as he worked tiredly to bring his own essentials in as night fell. The temperature dropped fast as the sun set, not that it bothered him or the dogs. They and his vehicles were essential to move stuff. But a few flakes of snow in the air did make him realize they were in a climate that had snow. And most likely, it was either late fall or early spring. He hoped it was near spring.
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    Getting people to work together was hard over the next two days as they brought the rest of their stuff in. John left a lot of his mining equipment for last. Eric tried to get people to work together, but everyone chafed under him. They had their own wants, their own needs to look after.