by Dave Bowman
“What makes you so sure? How do you know it works that way?” the young man asked suspiciously.
Nick smiled. “Because I’ve got a child genius on my hands these days. She likes to study immunology in her spare time. And that’s how she explained it to me. She hasn’t been wrong about anything yet.”
“Sorry, that’s not good enough for me. Just stay where you are.” He said it threateningly, but he lowered his rifle.
Nick held up his hands. “No problem.”
Charlie stood behind Nick.
“Come on, let’s get out of here, Nick,” he pleaded.
“Just a minute. We can’t just let him die out here,” Nick said to Charlie. Turning back to the man slumped against the tree, he watched as the man grimaced. He shifted slightly, causing blood to pour out of the wound in his leg.
Nick knew the man wasn’t a threat to them. He wasn’t going to shoot them now, and the showdown at Los Gatos had only been a misunderstanding. The Watlah tribe were good people. They would be good friends to have. If Nick could win these people’s trust, it would make the valley safer for everyone. And less lonely.
“Do you have any first aid supplies?” Nick asked, seeing how badly the guy was wounded.
He shook his head no.
“Will you just take some from me? I have some in my pack. I could toss them over to you so I won’t get close,” Nick said. “I don’t think you can make it home to Los Gatos like this, and if you don’t stop that bleeding, you’re going to die.”
The guy looked down at his leg and winced, his eyes crinkling from the pain. He looked weakly up at Nick, then nodded his head.
“Okay, I’ll take them. Just toss them over.”
Nick rummaged through his backpack to find the kit and tossed it on the ground beside the man.
He struggled with the zipper, fumbling with the pack in his hands. He let it fall from his grasp and leaned back weakly against the tree.
“I guess I need some help after all,” he said.
Nick jumped into action, unzipping the kit and removing a small package. He tore it open and began to apply pressure with a clean cloth to the wound. When he saw that wasn’t enough, he took out another package. He started to wrap a long bandage with a pressure bar around his leg.
“It’s an Israeli bandage,” Nick said. “This works great for stopping the bleeding.”
They watched as the bleeding slowed down.
“How are you feeling? Are you cold?”
He nodded his head, closing his eyes.
Nick instructed the man to lie down. Nick put his pack under his feet to elevate them a few inches off the ground. He opened the package of an emergency blanket and spread it across him. He found a bag of trail mix and handed it to him.
“See if you can eat some of this. The calories will help.”
He ate a few bites while Nick worked on the wound. The bleeding had stopped, and Nick cleaned and dressed it. Soon, he was feeling a little better.
“I’m Nick, and this is Charlie. I didn’t catch your name?”
“Daniel.”
“Did it happen while you were cleaning the fish?” Nick asked, glancing at the half-cleaned fish at Daniel’s side.
He nodded. “Yeah, I was stupid and forgot everything my grandfather taught me. Next thing I know, I’m slicing into my leg.”
“Happens to the best of us,” Nick said.
Charlie eyed the custom fixed blade knife at Daniel’s side. "Nice knife," he said. "Is that a carbon blade?"
"Yeah, my grandfather made it for me. I should have been more careful with it. It's sharp as hell."
He looked down at his wound. “I think I’m going to be all right. Thanks for your help,” Daniel said. “I probably would have died out here if you guys hadn’t found me.”
“It’s no problem. Just helping out a neighbor,” Nick said. “We don’t live too far from here, you know. It’s a lodge that’s been in my family for decades.”
Charlie looked around. “How are we going to get him home?” he asked. Turning to Daniel, “How long did it take you to walk here from Los Gatos?”
“About an hour,” Daniel said, sighing.
“You’re closer to our place now,” Nick said. “It’s going to be tough, but we’ll find a way to get you to one of our vehicles. Then I can drive you home.”
“Thank you so much, man,” Daniel said.
“I just hope your friends don’t shoot us when they see our truck,” Nick said, winking.
“Oh, shit,” Daniel said. “Were you the guy that made it to the second barricade?”
Nick nodded. “That was me. I should’ve turned around at the first one. It was a stupid mistake.”
“Damn, sorry about that. We have to keep all the outsiders out so we don’t risk contamination.”
“I understand. You have to look out for yourselves, just like we all do.”
“That was just a warning shot, you know,” Daniel said. “We don’t shoot at people until they shoot first.”
“Yeah, that was Jessa,” Nick said. “She’s a little hotheaded, but she’s all right. So, let’s let bygones be bygones. What do you say? No hard feelings?”
“No hard feelings,” Daniel said. They shook hands.
Daniel looked up at the two men.
“Although, so much for avoiding contamination,” Daniel said. “Well, I guess I would’ve died anyway out here without your help.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Nick said. “But I know you want to be cautious. You’re welcome to stay at our place for a few days if you don’t want to risk contaminating your friends and family.”
“That’s really generous of you, Nick. Again, thank you, but we actually have a quarantine system set up in case something like this happens. If you’ll take me to the first barricade, I can call out to the guys at the second one to let them know it’s me. That way, no one gets shot. Then I’ll put myself in quarantine.”
Charlie nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.”
“You’re going to need to clean that wound. And change the bandage regularly. And what about food and water?” Nick asked.
“The quarantine house is all set up for that. We’ve got some medical supplies in there,” Daniel said.
Nick nodded. The operation at Los Gatos seemed to be well organized and efficient. They had thought of everything.
They let Daniel rest while they started to fashion some crutches out of saplings. He’d need something to help on the long walk back.
“People who get the Hosta virus start to show symptoms within one to three days,” Nick said as he worked. “If you’re fine after three days, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Daniel nodded. “Yeah, that’s what they were saying on the news. So I’ll be in quarantine 72 hours.”
They finished the crutches and admired their work. “We’re getting good at this,” Charlie said.
“Yeah, we’ve had a lot of practice lately,” Nick said.
Soon, the three of them set out for the walk back to Nick’s lodge. Daniel moved as quickly as he could, but with his injury, their pace was glacial.
They took a shortcut to the clearing where the vehicles were parked, bypassing the homestead. By the time the three of them had climbed into Nick’s truck, it was well into the afternoon.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the first barricade on the road to Los Gatos.
Daniel craned his head out the window and let forth a loud call. It was similar to a crow call, but slightly tweaked to represent a signal to his tribe.
The call was returned.
“Okay, you can go around the first barricade, but then stop,” Daniel said.
Nick followed the instructions and parked the truck.
“It’s me, it’s Daniel Parker!” He called.
Nick and Charlie opened their doors slowly to help Daniel out of the truck. Standing with rifles behind the second barricade were nine young men, watching curiously.
<
br /> Daniel shook Nick’s and Charlie’s hands. “I’m very grateful for your help. May it be repaid to you ten times over.”
“We’re happy to help,” Nick said. “You know where we are. Come pay us a visit sometime.”
Daniel smiled warmly. “If I’m still alive in three days, you bet I will.”
Nick and Charlie watched as Daniel hobbled forward a few yards. There, the young man addressed his friends in Kiwa, their native language. The group of men exchanged a few words, and Daniel looked back at Charlie and Nick. Slowly, the young men behind the barricade raised their hands in greeting to the two outsiders.
Daniel waved goodbye to Nick and Charlie, then trudged forward on his crutches. The young men at the barricade turned and retreated toward the general store behind them. Daniel went the other way, disappearing around the corner as he apparently headed toward the secluded quarantine area.
“You’re a good man to do all that, Nick,” Charlie said as they climbed back in the truck and turned it around.
“It may be the end of the world, but we can still be neighborly,” Nick said.
They drove home as the sun began to set, their stomachs growling in anticipation of a roasted duck dinner.
9
Bethany Jones had never stolen anything a day in her life. And now here she was, raiding the pantry in a stranger’s house. The owners had obviously taken advantage of their Costco membership. The shelves were stocked with giant containers of packaged foods. There were cases of sodas and stacks of juice boxes, but only one case of bottled water. The food would last her a month, or maybe a little more. But the liquids wouldn’t last more than two or three weeks.
“Hey, little guy. It feels like you’ve got the hiccups again,” she whispered as her hands went to her round belly. The baby was moving all the time now, as if to tell her he would be arriving soon. In just one month, she would become a mother.
It would be the worst possible time to run out of food.
She grabbed a jar of applesauce and a spoon and sat at the table. So far, she had been lucky when it came to finding a place to live. She had found this house with a spare key underneath a potted plant on the front porch. All she had to do was let herself in. And inside, there were no dead bodies.
She wondered what had happened to the family who had owned the house. Had they died far from home? Were they still alive, trying to get back home? What if they were to walk in on her sitting at their kitchen table and eating their food? She shuddered and pushed away her fears.
They were probably dead. Just like almost everyone else.
She had only spent two years as a married woman. Nathan had been a good husband to her in their short time together. He was thrilled when she became pregnant, watching her belly grow with excitement. He would have made the best father.
She had to tear herself away from his lifeless body when he passed. And worse, she had to leave him lying in their bedroom, along with their two cats who had also died. She was in no shape to be digging a grave, though she hated leaving Nathan like that.
When she came to her senses after losing Nathan, she realized just how alone she was. All of her friends, family, and the hospital staff were gone. She herself remained healthy, and there had been no change in her pregnancy. She still felt the baby kicking like normal, letting her know he was still there.
She would have to have her baby alone.
When she was still at her house and trying to decide where to go, she sometimes heard gunshots. And once, when she walked to the corner store to see what food she could find, she heard voices inside the store as she approached it. They were men’s voices – and they didn’t sound friendly.
“We’ve got everything we need, don’t we?” one had said.
“Almost everything. Only thing we’re missing are some women.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find one or two sooner or later. They can’t hide forever.”
The laughter coming from those men had struck fear in her heart. She ran back home, their voices echoing in her head.
That night, she had gone looking for a new home. She needed a place to stay while she figured out what to do. She couldn’t bear to be in her house while Nathan lay dead in the next room.
She looked down at her applesauce. The house she was in now would only provide temporary refuge. She knew she would have to find someplace better. She would have to get to a place where she could grow some food, and hopefully find a gun or two and learn how to use them.
But first, she needed supplies.
New Beginnings Birth Center. Bethany had driven by the small facility and seen the sign many times, but she had never been inside. She had never thought much about natural childbirth. Her birth plan involved a hospital bed and an epidural. But now, she found herself in a dramatically different world. Now, she was expecting to have the baby without any help.
She cringed as she threw a big rock through the glass door. The glass shattered, and she let herself inside, praying that no one would hear her and come to investigate.
She was surprised to see how well-stocked the birth center was. A far cry from the crunchy granola hippie environment she expected, the back rooms were lined with bookshelves and the closets were filled with medical supplies. She began to place stacks of packaged gauze and towels in the suitcase she brought with her. Scissors, disinfectant, antibiotic ointment, Vitamin K shots, even Pitocin to control postpartum hemorrhage and supplies for IV fluids. She scanned the books and selected the ones she thought would be most useful.
She stepped over the broken glass, struggling to lift the heavy suitcase over the door frame. Looking around the empty street nervously, she slipped out the door and hurried back to her temporary home.
She had packed everything she would need for herself and the new baby, along with most of the food and water.
All that was left was to find a vehicle with enough gas to get her to a farm. Her own car had only a quarter tank, and there was no way to refill. She would have to find a vehicle with the keys still in it and a full tank of gas. And that meant she would have to do what she dreaded most – pull a dead body out of a vehicle.
10
The fall planting was almost done at Nick’s lodge. With the soil amendments from Santa Fe and Liz’s new knowledge from gardening books, the prospects for homegrown food were much better. The patch was well tended from everyone’s attention. Motivated by a desire for fresh food, the group worked the soil and weeded without complaint.
Charlie and Nick were cutting firewood, and Mia was gathering kindling. Liz was returning to her guard post after having a break for lunch. She scanned the tree line yet again and sighed. At least the gunshot wound in her leg was healing quickly. Soon, she would be able to get around more.
Jessa was working on a fence to keep any little critters out of the garden. Nick was grateful that she hadn’t brought up going to Colorado again. Maybe she had come to her senses after all.
Liz heard what sounded like a crow caw and noticed that Nick became alert. He motioned to Charlie and they both stopped what they were doing. Nick returned the call and waited. The sound, coming from the forest below, repeated once more.
“I think we’re getting a friendly visit,” Nick said. “It sounds like somebody from Los Gatos.”
Then, shouting across the meadow, “Daniel! Come on up!”
All four heads turned to watch as a figure emerged from the forest, giving a big wave.
Nick and Charlie went down to meet him halfway. The three men returned to the top of the hill, where introductions were given all around. Liz and Jessa were happy to meet Daniel, who they had heard about. Though Mia was shy, she was also excited to see someone new.
“You’re getting around on your injured leg even better than I am after a week,” Liz said. “How is that possible?”
“My mom knows all the plants around here. She makes a salve that works wonders,” Daniel said, smiling. “I’ll bring you some next time if you want.”
&nb
sp; “That would be great,” Liz said. “I’m so tired of sitting around all day.”
“And I’d like her recipe,” Jessa piped up.
“So, you didn’t catch the Hosta from us,” Nick said.
Daniel shook his head. “No, I didn’t. It’s been over seventy-two hours and no sign of the virus. I’m out of quarantine, and I just wanted to come by and say thanks for your help.”
“Welcome to our little homestead,” Nick said. “It’s not much, but we’re proud of what we’ve done.”
“We’d offer you some lemonade, but our lemon trees probably won’t have fruit for another twenty years,” Charlie joked. “We do have some packaged drink mix, though.”
“Sounds delicious,” Daniel said, laughing.
They all sat on the porch, enjoying the reconstituted drink. Having a friendly visitor was a welcome change for everyone, and they chatted excitedly. Everyone had questions to ask and stories to tell.
“My family is very grateful to you for your help,” Daniel said. “And we wanted to invite you to visit Los Gatos and meet some of the village.”
Nick raised his eyebrows. “That’s very nice of you. I would be honored to visit. Are you sure everyone is okay with that?”
Daniel took a sip of his drink and nodded. “Yes, the whole community met to discuss it. The tribal council decided it would be good to have contact with people outside Los Gatos now that we know the risk of contamination is gone.”
He winked at Mia. “You were right all along.”
Mia smiled and looked shyly away.
“Well, that would be great. I’d love to see how you folks are doing things over there. It’s good to have some friendly people in the valley.”
“The Council decided they would like you to visit alone for the first time, Nick. The rest of you guys can come later, but they wanted to meet you first. I hope you understand,” Daniel said, glancing at Jessa, Liz and Charlie. “It’s a big adjustment to let outsiders in for some of the villagers. It’s better to go slowly.”