The temperature had dropped significantly and Mercy shivered. Flynn brought over the saddle blankets and wrapped one around Mercy’s shoulders. They huddled together for warmth. Conversation was sparse. Mercy looked at the exhausted faces around her. Only Tawny seemed to have any life left in her, she spoke in low tones to Travis, allowing him to wrap his arm around her.
Watches were agreed on. Travis and Tawny took first watch, followed by Rose and Mercy. Flynn and Annalise took the final watch, and Jade and Barnes were charged with preparing breakfast in the morning. Mercy was asleep seconds after lying down. She was woken up three hours later by Tawny and began her watch with Rose. They marvelled at the night sky and the shooting stars.
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning everyone was stiff from the previous day’s riding.
“Reckon we did more than thirty miles yesterday, what with putting distance between us and them locusts,” Rose said, rubbing her knotted muscles.
“What I wouldn’t give for a back massage now,” Jade said, her face scrunched up in pain.
Travis appeared with a bottle of pills, “Aspirin. Here, take two each. Baja Joe said you were city folk. Figured I’d bring these just in case, it’ll take the edge off the pain. We covered more ground yesterday than I intended. I reckon we could make Twentynine Palms by this evening. We’ll see how you all feel by then. We could have a rest day tomorrow if you’re really struggling.”
Mercy looked up. Rose caught her eye.
A rest day?
“Awesome,” Mercy whispered.
“Fucking A,” Rose muttered.
The day was long and hard. Travis pushed the horses over a long section without any water. Mercy was relieved when he led them to an abandoned homestead complete with well. The horses drank their fill and they continued on. The day passed mostly in silence with everyone lost in their own thoughts.
This place is timeless, ancient, it’s broken and alive… a bit like us. Broken and still alive—
Rose’s horse stopped in front of Mercy’s. Mercy looked up. Travis had stopped and was speaking to Barnes. He was pointing to a cluster of buildings in the distance.
Must be Twentynine Palms. At last, I don’t think I could’ve gone on much longer—
Mercy checked the time; 7:16 pm.
Jesus, we’ve been on the move for nearly twelve hours. No, we’ve had breaks in between. So, say ten hours. That’s a long day—
Travis started moving again. Mercy squinted at the buildings.
Hang on, that isn’t a city—
Rose turned in her saddle and pointed at a sign on the road: OLD DALE.
Mercy pulled a face.
Hang on, I thought we were going to be in Twentynine Palms—
Rose shrugged and turned away, too tired to speak.
Travis brought them to an abandoned homestead with its own well. They dismounted and brought their supplies indoors. Barnes and Travis fed and watered the horses, securing them in an open sided barn outside. Flynn and Tawny used the propane stove to make coffee, then they started to prepare the evening meal. Jade and Annalise ran a perimeter check of the property and set sound traps near the house. Mercy and Rose checked everyone’s weapons, field stripping and oiling those in need of attention.
Travis and Barnes reappeared forty minutes later just as Flynn and Tawny were dishing out boiled rice and reheated tinned chili con carne. They all sat down in the dark kitchen and ate in silence. The hot meal lifted everyone’s spirits and soon the conversation started to flow.
Will he mention it or will I?
Mercy accepted a coffee refill from Jade and wrapped her hands around the mug. A cold draft entered the room raising goose bumps on her skin.
Another cold night, well, at least we’ll be indoors—
Travis coughed then spoke, “So, I exaggerated a bit this morning when I said we’d be in Twentynine Palms by tonight. We’ll be there tomorrow by noon, and we can stop for the rest of the day. We might need to do some scavenging, see if we can find some food, and more of these,” he pulled out the bottle of aspirin and placed it on the table. “Twentynine Palms has a natural spring, it’s an oasis in the desert. Early prospectors would use the spring to replenish their water supplies, back in the day. It’s also the gateway to Joshua Tree National Park. There’s a Marine Corps base there too. I gave it a wide berth last time I passed through, but now there’s a few of us I thought we could go and see what we can find.”
Rose nodded, “Yeah, we figured this wasn’t Twentynine Palms. Looks like another ghost town but at least there’s water for the horses, and a place to bed down. You did good Travis, we’re sure covering ground.”
Travis shrugged, “Don’t thank me, thank the horses, they’re doing all the hard work. But yeah, we’re further away from Arizona here, so we’re less likely to run into the Phoenix bandits. And sticking to the road we’ve been able to skirt Iron Mountain to the north and Eagle Mountain to the south which has saved time. We still need to keep our eyes open, just because we’re in the desert doesn’t mean there’s no danger.”
“So what was this place then?” Annalise asked.
“An old mining town. The whole area is riddled with mines,” Travis replied.
“So, what were they mining?” Flynn asked.
“Gold,” Travis answered. “In the 1800s there was lots of mining activity around here… in the Pinto Mountains. Things pretty much shut down at the beginning of World War II. There was a bit of a mining resurgence in the 1980s which is when these houses date from. So yeah, there’s gold in them hills.”
“Fat lot of use gold is any more,” Jade said. “I wonder if all that gold is still sitting in Fort Knox.”
“It’ll be there until someone decides it’s valuable again. People need shit to horde, it’s in our nature,” Annalise said.
“Yeah, gold rush, gold fever, gold standard, solid gold,” Flynn said.
“Don’t forget goldfish,” Rose said, yawning.
“OK, people. Reckon it’s time to get some sleep. I’ll take first watch,” Travis declared, standing up.
“I’ll second you,” Tawny said, stifling a yawn.
“OK, me and Rose will take second watch, then Annalise and Jade. Flynn and Barnes can do breakfast and haul water for the horses in the morning. Fair enough?” Mercy said.
Everyone nodded their assent. Mercy caught Travis’s eye. He smiled.
Better that I tell everyone what to do. They might resent it coming from Travis—
Mercy lay on her bedroll beside Flynn. Her head torch flicked across the wall as she rolled onto her side. Spidery writing on the wall caught her eye, she peered at the words: TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED.
That I know. I wonder what happened to you buddy. I hope you had a few tomorrows after you wrote that—
Mercy closed her eyes and was asleep in seconds.
The night passed without incident. Mercy woke to the smell of coffee. Flynn’s tuneless whistle came from the door. She smiled then stretched her arms and legs. The stiffness from the riding was slowly improving.
It’s not so bad. My body’s adapting—
She sat up and looked over at Flynn who was carrying water in from outside.
“Hey, you’re awake sleepy head,” Flynn said, a lopsided grin on his face. His expression changed, “You missed Annalise’s drama.”
Mercy frowned, “Annalise’s drama? What happened?”
“Oh, she found a scorpion in her boot,” Flynn replied.
“A scorpion?” Mercy sat up, she looked across the room at Annalise who was supervising Barnes’s coffee making. “Is she in competition with Rose now?”
“Yeah, no… whatever. Barnes said it was a giant hairy scorpion, quite common around here apparently. Check your boots before you put them on,” Flynn said.
“I take it she wasn’t stung,” Mercy said, she cast a glance at her boots.
“No, she deposited the critter outside. Everyone lives to fight another day,” Flynn said,
over his shoulder. He moved off towards Barnes and Annalise with the water.
Thanks for the tip—
Mercy packed her gear and put her boots on. She joined the others for hot coffee and porridge. Early morning light filtered in through the shutters.
“I miss chocolate and ice cream,” Jade said, staring at her porridge.
“Let’s not start this,” Rose growled. “It always ends in tears.”
“I miss pancakes and syrup… and blueberry pie,” Annalise said.
“Apple pie with cinnamon and cream,” Flynn added.
“Peppercorn steak and chips,” Tawny said.
Mercy’s stomach rumbled at Tawny’s words. Mercy looked at Travis, “So, Travis. You said there’s a Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms?”
Travis nodded, “Yeah, it’s to the north of the city, on its own land. I’m sure it’s been raided before. Probably nothing left now… but you never know.”
Mercy took a sip of coffee, “Yeah, even if we could find some field rations it’d be good.”
“What’re you saying? You don’t like my food?” Travis said, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, it’s all been downhill since the bacon ran out,” Mercy replied, ribbing him.
“I’ll have you know porridge is the food of the gods,” Barnes said, finishing his share. “Besides, I made it, so you’ll all like it. Understood? No complaints accepted.”
A horse neighed outside.
Travis picked up his rifle, “I’ll go and check on the horses.”
Tawny jumped up, “I’ll come with you.”
Mercy looked at the window, “Are the horses eager to get moving?”
Jade shook her head, “They were a bit on edge earlier on. Travis reckons there’s some coyotes out there somewhere. We had a look around but didn’t see anything to worry about.”
Coyotes or something else—?
They set out thirty minutes later on the north side of Route 62, keeping their eyes on the Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness Area to the north, and the Pinto Mountains to the south. Mercy patted her grey mare and stared at Travis who was riding out front.
So, Twentynine Palms is the gateway to Joshua Tree National Park. All these great names, all this history. Gold, desert, and water. Elemental forces—
They reached Twentynine Palms five hours later. Travis took them to Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Centre at the Oasis of Mara, on National Park Drive. The streets were deserted apart from the sun baked remains of long abandoned vehicles. They watered the horses at the spring then settled them in the shade behind the visitor centre. Mercy and the others entered the empty building. Some of its windows were broken, the rooms were filled with desert dust and sand.
“Want to come up to the roof and scope out the town?” Rose said, pointing at the stairs.
“Yeah, let’s do it,” Mercy said, grabbing her binoculars.
They climbed the stairs and walked out onto the flat roof.
Mercy glanced at Rose, “I’ll take the north and east, you check the west and south.”
“On it,” Rose said, she moved off to the left.
Mercy went over to the edge of the roof and sat down on the safety wall, dangling her legs over the side. She pulled out her binoculars and looked north. She adjusted the focus and swept the horizon from left to right.
OK, so lots of buildings at the foot of those hills. It’s probably the Marine Corps base Travis was talking about—
She spent a few minutes examining the distant base before directing her binoculars east.
Yeah, that’s the way we came in—
Movement caught her eye just off the main road. She brought the binoculars to bear on the spot. She froze.
Shit—
Chapter 27
Ghosts
We’re not alone—
“Rose. Over here. Quick—” Mercy’s voice was low, urgent.
“What is it?” Rose said, coming over to Mercy.
“See over there? Back along the main drag,” Mercy pointed. “The house on the corner with the three palm trees.
Rose looked through her binoculars. She made a hissing sound through clenched teeth, “Yeah, got it. It’s a horse alright, all saddled up. Its owner can’t be far away.”
Mercy scanned the house, “The blinds are down on all the windows. I can’t see inside. It’s just the one horse as far as I can make out. Widen the search area, see if you can spot any others.”
They spent the next few minutes scanning the area for other riders.
“Nothing,” Rose said, finally.
“Me too. Nada,” Mercy said. “So, what do you think?” She swept her binoculars back to the house.
Goddammit, the horse’s gone—
“Fucker’s gone,” Rose announced.
“Yeah, we missed it,” Mercy replied. She swore. “Stay here Rose, I’ll go and get Travis, see what he thinks.”
“OK,” Rose said. She shook her head, “I thought this was a ghost town, but I guess it ain’t.”
Forget ghost town, I hope they’re not those ghost people Mojito told me and Tawny about—
Mercy went down to the others. She told Travis what they had seen from the roof.
Travis pulled a face, “I’ve never seen anyone when I’ve passed through here before. I’ll come up and have a look. It could be a lone traveller, or it could be a new group moved into the area. Either way we need to be sure.”
Travis accompanied Mercy up to the roof.
“Anything new Rose?” Mercy asked.
Rose shook her head, “Nothing. All quiet out there.”
Travis pulled out his binoculars and started scanning the area.
Mercy glanced at her watch; 3:27 pm.
“OK, so we’re supposed to be resting the horses now aren’t we?” Mercy said.
“Yeah, that was the plan,” Travis answered.
“So, let’s do that. We’ll leave them here with the water and shade. Some of us will stay with the horses and a few of us should go and look at that house. It’s on the way to the Marine Corps base which we were going to check out anyway, right?” Mercy said.
Travis nodded, “Yeah, let’s go to the house. But the Marine Corps base is about six klicks away, so maybe best to do that tomorrow when the horses are fresh. We can all go together… strength in numbers.”
Mercy considered Travis’s words, “Yeah, makes sense. Let’s you, me, and Rose go check out the house then.”
Rose spat on the ground, “I reckon Tawny will want to go with you. How about I stay up here and keep watch? The house is only half a klick away. I’ll have your back. If anything kicks off me and the others can come running.”
Travis looked at Mercy, “Works for me.”
“Let’s go,” Mercy answered.
Flynn, Mercy, Tawny, and Travis walked north up Utah Trail. They turned right into Old Dale Road and stopped at the house. Wind chimes tinkled in the breeze. Shuttered windows hid the interior of the house. Mercy chewed her lip.
No sign of life—
“We’re gonna have to go in,” Tawny said.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Flynn responded.
Tawny shrugged, “It’s the only way to find out anything.”
Mercy looked at Travis, “What do you think Travis?”
“I agree with Tawny. We may find something useful, might get some clue,” Travis answered.
“OK. Me and Tawny will go in. I want you two guys out here with eyes on the street watching for trouble. We good?” Mercy said, racking the slide on her pistol.
Travis looked at Flynn, “Yeah, we’re good. We’ll take you up to the front door. Watch out for traps and trip wires. It’ll take about twenty minutes for your eyes to fully adapt to the dark in there so just use your flashlight.”
Mercy nodded and pulled her torch out from her pack. They opened the gate and approached the single story house. Mercy stopped short of the front door and turned to Tawny. The wind chimes tinkled again.
“You g
etting any trope vibes Tawny?” Mercy asked.
Tawny leaned into the door and placed her hand on its cracked wood. She twisted the handle and opened the door a fraction. She hesitated and took a breath, closing her eyes. “Yeah, there’s death in there alright, but it’s not recent. It’s old death, long gone—”
Mercy held her pistol at low port and nodded. She glanced up and took a step back.
Jesus—
“Tawny, step away from the door,” Mercy said, her eyes darting left and right.
Tawny moved away from the door and followed Mercy’s gaze up to the porch ceiling. She frowned, “Is that—?”
“A pentangle,” Mercy finished for her.
“Yeah, that. A pentangle,” Tawny echoed.
Flynn and Travis ducked under the porch to look.
“It’s an inverted pentangle in a circle,” Flynn said. “That’s not good. Look… this has weird shit written all over it. Maybe we should just give this place a miss.”
“Whatever it is, it looks old, like it was painted some time ago. So, let’s not jump to any conclusions shall we?” Mercy said. She caught Tawny’s eye, “Ready?”
Tawny switched her pistol’s safety off, “Yeah, after you sister.”
Mercy waved the others back and stood to one side of the door. She reached across and pushed it open.
Nothing—
Crouching, she picked up a small stone from the porch floor. She threw it into the hall.
Nothing—
Mercy glanced up at the pentangle then returned her attention to the door. She stepped across the threshold and moved slowly down the corridor, weighing each step.
Smells stale, musty—
A floorboard creaked, Mercy froze. Her heart pounded in her chest. She waited.
Nothing—
Daylight reached the end of the corridor. Mercy looked down, her eyes narrowed.
The Survival Chronicles | Book 8 | Final Mercy Page 17