professionalhenchman

    Brian finished strapping on the heavy pack, bouncing up and down a couple of times to settle it around his hips. It was just about dark enough to set out again, and he figured he should hit the Davis Compound well before dawn, and the outermost pickets well before then. It was much safer traveling at night, particularly on the way back from one of his scavenging runs. He regretted once again that Sarah hadn't been able to accompany him on this one, both for her company and for someone to watch his back. Still, the worst part of the run was over, and he should be safe once he reached the pickets.
    Besides, most of the vermin out here wouldn't recognize the value in what he was carrying anyway. The rolls of aluminum foil didn't seem too valuable, until you realized just how hard it was to get aluminum from ore without access to massive power plants. The guys back at the compound would appreciate the several pounds worth he'd pulled out of an old kitchen store. The rest of it was spices, a few tins of coffee, and several still-sealed ones of cocoa powder. Sadly, the bar chocolate hadn't survived well in the heat, though he'd brought back a few sealed packets that were closer to blobs than bars, figuring someone might want to take a chance on it still being good. He hoped this stash would stay hidden long enough for him to make a couple more trips, as he could get some good value out of this stuff. The early looters had taken all the staple foodstuffs, the knives, and other survival-essential items, but there were quite a few luxury goods left, and the Davis Compound was finally stable enough that people began to have a chance to miss things like cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, and coffee. While some of these were available from the greenhouses on the old University campus, most of that space, like everywhere else, was devoted to staple foodstuffs. The stuff he'd found wasn't anywhere near the quality they'd been used to before things fell apart, but they were a great sight better than nothing to people who missed some of the old familiar tastes. This load should do very well at the coming trade meet, well worth the risk of wandering out into the badlands of Sacramento. He'd even found a sealed six-pack of Pepsi, which he'd made sure to bring back, knowing that his friend El would appreciate them, and he owed her for helping him and Sarah set up their garden awhile back.
     He checked his compass for a bearing on the compound, then tested that his sword was loose in its sheath. Originally a wedding gift that he'd found somewhat silly, that sword had saved his life several times out here since, and he once again quietly gave thanks to the friend that had given it to him. Preparations complete, he set off towards the compound, alert for any trouble on the way.