Nancy and Chloe walked out with them, closing and locking the doors behind them.  They promised to wait on the ramp and let folks back in.

*****

An hour after they left, Allistor, Sam and Meg were back with the vehicles.  It hadn’t taken long to identify the keys and get the vehicles moving. Sam had come up with the idea to siphon the gas from any of the disabled vehicles that still had an intact tank.  So both trucks and the Mustang had full tanks.

They’d stopped on the way back to explore a couple of houses, including Sam and Meg’s place right behind the diner.  The truck Sam was driving held a refrigerator from their basement, a gun safe, a bunch more food, as well as most of a set of real plates and bowls and silverware.  Meg’s truck was piled high with mattresses, blankets, pillows, and various other household items.  Sam had tried to bring the pool table from their basement, but Meg wouldn’t have it.

When Nancy opened the gates, they drove all three vehicles down the ramp and into the main cavern.  Parking near the fountain, they quickly unloaded.   Amanda and Lilly had scored dozens of legal pads, pens, pencils, and other supplies.  They’d also brought down more toilet paper and paper towels.

Allistor took some time as the unloading was happening to figure out how to list the Mustang.  He’d been going over a ‘pitch’ in his head and thought he had a good one.  Dictating it into the market’s description box, he poured it on thick.  The rarity, history, the thrill of the ride, the roar of the engine.  Then he set the minimum bid at fifteen thousand klax.

That done, he turned his attention to the salvage operation.  Gathering all that were close by, he grabbed a pen and pad and asked, “Okay, let’s talk about priority items.  And where we might find them.”

Sam started it off.  “Radios.  I’d feel a lot better if we could talk to each other while we’re out.  The sheriffs had radios that would work for miles.  We need to round up as many as we can.  And the base system and chargers.”

Amanda added, “Medical equipment and supplies.  All we can find.  Machines, surgical supplies, drugs, bandages, all of it.”

Meg said, “Food, obviously.  Anything in bottles, jars, sealed plastic, basically anything still edible that will keep.  And we have the cold storage and electricity now.  So we can keep meat, vegetables and such viable for a good while.”