Survivalist Reality Show: The Complete Series

by Grace Hamilton

  RC shook his head. “It closed a couple years ago. They couldn’t get a doctor to stay.”

  “Oh,” Heather muttered.

  “And if they don’t have medicine?” Tabitha asked.

  RC looked pained as he continued watching the bickering. He hadn’t volunteered his own opinion, which was nothing new. He always preferred to sit back on the sidelines. Regan knew that, when he did talk, it would be a well thought out answer. She’d wait.

  “I say we look for more gas and take the van all the way around. I don’t want to lose anything or anyone,” Geno stated firmly.

  “I want to go into town. Hide the van. Drive to the swamp if you want and I’ll catch up to you, but I’m going in,” Tabitha retorted.

  “No, you’re not!” Geno all but shouted.

  It wasn’t long before everyone had begun talking at once. There was a lot of talking and very little listening. Regan found herself raising her hand when trying to get a word in edgewise. There was no point, though. There were too many opinions.

  Regan leaned toward Wolf. “I’m going to take a walk,” she whispered.

  He stood up with her and the two of them walked away together. They only walked across the road, not wanting to get too far from the group or Lily; especially with night falling and the risk of human predators nearby.

  “What a mess,” he grumbled.

  She smiled. “It usually is when we have a big decision to make. It’s moments like these I could almost envy a dictatorship.”

  He chuckled, but went serious again quickly. “I can’t put Lily’s life at risk any more than it already is. She’s too weak to fight back. She can’t even walk. She cannot be anywhere near that town.”

  “I understand. I don’t want her in danger, either, but if we don’t do something, it isn’t danger from others that will be our problem.”

  “I know,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut as he turned his face toward the sky, as if the answers were in the stars.

  “What if it isn’t as bad as we’re making it out to be?” Regan offered.

  He nodded, considering it. “All Diana and Ray said was that they were unfriendly to the reservation. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re dangerous in general, and you’re not Native American. If they’re prejudiced, we can send you and Fred in with Tabitha. We don’t want to antagonize them, after all. I mean, I do want to do exactly that, but I can swallow my pride if it means they will help my daughter. We’ll arm you and Fred.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Regan said, nodding her head and hoping he would enforce it. She wasn’t actually sure it was a great idea to go in armed, but after the pharmacy incident, she realized it was more than likely that they’d have to fight their way out of a situation if the townspeople were as unfriendly as they’d been described.

  Plus, although it had never truly been said and Wolf hadn’t officially been anointed, they all looked to him to be their leader. He was the one they all trusted to do right by them, and Regan felt the same. If he said they’d go in armed, they would.

  “Fred is adamant. He doesn’t want to take the risk, just as Tabitha is adamant she wants to,” Wolf said, his eyes back on hers. “I can’t ask Fred to do something he doesn’t want to. Maybe Geno will volunteer.”

  “Wolf, I know there’s safety in numbers, but maybe in this one situation, we should let everyone decide for themselves. You said it after the island burned. You can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want to do. It’s their lives, their choices. I’m with you, though, and I think your idea is great. We don’t need Geno or Fred, either—I think I’ve proven I’m quite capable of taking care of myself and Tabitha.”

  “You have to know it’s a huge risk. What if they hold you captive?”

  She winked. “You’ll save me.”

  “Regan,” he growled.

  She put her hand on his cheek. “I don’t mind the risk. It’s for Lily. I’m ready for it.”

  He shook his head. “We have so much to lose if this goes bad.”

  She shrugged. “If there are others who want to leave and head to the reservation or head to wherever, it’ll be okay. You’re stuck with me.”

  He looked down at her. “If we split up, who takes the supplies? Do we divvy them up? How is that going to be fair? Most of the stuff is technically Heather’s. What if she wants to leave and take stuff with her? How are we going to divide up the guns?”

  Regan smiled sadly, shrugging. “I don’t know. What I do know is that all the arguing is counterproductive. We’ll never get anything done. If they want to leave, they’ll leave. I’m certainly not going to be begging anyone to go against their better judgment if it comes to it.”

  Wolf nodded his head, that familiar look of authority back in his eyes. “I think they need someone to take charge. They need to be told what the best course of action is. They don’t know what to expect and they’re reacting to their own fears.”

  She laughed softly. “These are full-grown adults who all have minds of their own, Wolf. I don’t know that any of them will appreciate being told what to do… but, on some level, you’re right. They’re worried about their futures. All of us are, but my main focus is Lily’s future.”

  “Thank you,” he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

  “You know all of us care about her and everyone wants what is best for her, but getting to a unanimous decision about how to take care of her is going to be next to impossible.”

  “What about you?” he asked, turning to face her and looking directly into her eyes.

  “What about me?” she hedged.

  He looked at her. “What do you want to do?”

  She took a deep breath. “I want to get Lily the help she needs. I’ve already said that.”

  He nodded. “By going into town?”

  “If that’s what it takes—yes.”

  “So, you’re hesitant?” he questioned.

  She shook her head, evading his gaze. “I don’t know. There are so many variables. I will march right in there if I have to and I mean that. Maybe… I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders again as she thought of the possibility of their group splintering into pieces over this decision. “I think we need to sleep on it.”

  He sighed. “You’re right. There’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

  “Except sleep,” she offered, knowing he was as exhausted as the rest of them, if not more so.

  “We’re about ten miles from town, so I think we should be safe enough if we stay here,” he muttered, looking up and down the deserted highway.

  She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. “Let’s go back over there. I don’t hear screaming. Either they killed each other or they’ve all fallen asleep.”

  He grimaced. “Do we have to?”

  “Nope, not if you don’t want to.”

  They stood in silence, listening to the night songs from the forest animals.

  “It’s beautiful tonight,” he commented.

  “It is. And that song you were singing earlier, it was beautiful, too.”

  “Thank you. It has been a long time since I’ve sung anything.”

  “Heather said it was a song of healing,” she said.

  He nodded. “It was. When I was younger, and my dad was much more involved with our tribe, we would participate in healing rituals. We did a lot more back then. I miss those days. Things were much easier,” he said wistfully.

  “I think we all feel like that, even if in those moments those were tough times. I really liked your singing, Wolf, honestly. I hope you’ll do it more often. I don’t know if it’s allowed, but I’d like to learn some of the songs. They were so calming. I really felt everything kind of melt away as the three of you sang,” she said, watching the sun set in the distance.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I would love to teach you.”

  “How does Travis know the songs?”

  He shrugged. “I imagine Heather must have taught him.”
>
  “Does Lily know them?”

  He shook his head. “No. Sadly, I never took the time to teach her. I should have. I’ve denied her a part of her heritage. I know she’s heard the songs and knows of some of the rituals and customs, but I promise I’m going to teach her when she’s better. I want her to feel connected to her roots.”

  Regan smiled. “Good. I think you should. You’ll be in the perfect place to do it.”

  “Thank you,” he said as they walked back to the group that had grown quiet.

  Everyone had bedded down for the night—beyond Tabitha and Geno, who were still arguing from their place a few feet away from the rest. They were taking first watch. Regan had a feeling they’d volunteered so that they could finish their argument in relative privacy, even though their voices were still carrying in the silent surroundings. She could hear Tabitha arguing for a trip to the town and Geno shutting her down at every turn. Regan understood Tabitha’s need to fix Lily, though. It was her thing. Being unable to help the girl was making her crazy.

  14

  Regan woke early, the sound of soft murmuring stirring her from sleep. The voices were coming from the van, but Regan looked around and saw most everyone still sleeping. The spot next to Geno was empty, which meant that Tabitha was in the van. Regan quickly got up, careful not to disturb Wolf as she made her way to the back of the van, pulling open the door that had been propped open a few inches with a stick lodged in the doorway.

  “Hi,” she whispered to Tabitha, who was changing the bandage on Lily’s arm.

  Lily moaned softly, her head rolling back and forth on the pillow made from a blanket. It hurt Regan’s heart to see the poor girl suffering, but this sight was nothing new.

  “Hi,” Tabitha replied, her eyes full of sadness.

  “How does it look?” Regan asked, already knowing by the look on Tabitha’s face and the putrid smell emanating from the wound that it wasn’t good.

  Tabitha shook her head, her eyes wet from holding back tears. “She’s incredibly ill. We have to get something and fast. This infection is serious. Her heart rate is too fast. Her body is fighting and losing.”

  Regan felt her stomach twist in knots at the thought of Lily’s suffering, but the proof was right in front of her. The girl was breathing fast even though she was lying completely still on the makeshift bed. Regan had heard Tabitha get up hours ago to relieve Heather on watch—apparently, she’d been sitting here ever since.

  “No more Tylenol?” Regan asked.

  “I gave her the last a few hours ago. It barely touched the fever,” she said, settling the freshly wrapped arm on a folded blanket that kept the arm elevated.

  Tabitha started sponging Lily’s head and skin then, trying to cool her body to make her more comfortable. It wasn’t working. Lily was in rough shape. Her skin had grown more and more pale, and there was a constant sheen of sweat covering her body as it tried to fight the infection.

  “Hey,” Heather said softly, coming up to stand next to Regan at the back of the van.

  Tabitha looked up, and Regan could really see the tears in her eyes now. “Hi.”

  “Any improvement?” Heather asked.

  Tabitha shook her head. “No.”

  “I’ll take over. You need a break,” she offered.

  Tabitha nodded her head and very carefully stepped out of the van. Heather climbed in, taking over for Tabitha without saying a word. The two women had been taking turns, watching Lily around the clock.

  Regan and Tabitha watched Heather pick up the cloth and begin the sponging process even as Wolf came to stand beside Tabitha. She wiped her hands on one of the many towels Heather had insisted on bringing along. They were certainly coming in handy now. He used his head to gesture her away from the back of the van. Regan followed the two of them across the road.

  It was the equivalent of stepping out of the hospital room.

  “How is she?” he asked, a grim look on his face.

  “Wolf, it’s serious. I don’t know if we can wait until we get to the reservation. She’s taken another turn for the worse and is steadily declining.”

  He ran a hand through his long hair. “I’ve been looking at the map. The road veers off to head into town, but if we have Geno keep going on the road we’re on, he’ll be a good five miles away from town. I think that’s a safe distance for the van. We can scope out the town and see what we’re dealing with. If it looks to be dangerous, I’ll tell Geno to get Lily to the reservation and we’ll meet him there. If we find medicine, great, but if not, hopefully someone at the reservation has something they can do to help her.”

  Tabitha was nodding. “You want us to go to town to ask for medicine?” she asked hopefully.

  “Yes. I think it’s our best option. Our only one, maybe. I know there are some who disagree, but I have to try.”

  “I agree,” Regan said, the sight of Lily so clear in her mind that she no longer saw any other choice.

  “I’m all in. You know that. Geno will get over it,” Tabitha said.

  Regan felt happy there’d been a decision made. “Have you told anyone else?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Not yet. My plan is to have Geno, Dad, and Heather go with Lily. If Fred wants to go with them, that’s fine by me. Travis already told me he wants to check out the town. He’ll need to run it by Heather, but that’s what I’m thinking. Tabitha, don’t feel obligated to do this. You can stay with Lily and Regan and I can go into town.”

  She scowled at him. “I’m going and that’s that.”

  Regan nodded her head. “Sounds good to me. I think we need to move now, though. Take advantage of the low light,” she said, looking up at the cloudy sky filtering in the sunrise.

  “I agree, so let’s get everyone loaded up. I’ll talk to Heather,” he said, looking toward the van.

  Wolf left the two of them alone. “Are you okay?” Regan asked Tabitha.

  Tabitha nodded. “I can’t stand this limbo. If we don’t do something, I’m going to go crazy. This is something I can do.”

  “Well then, let’s get some water and get our butts moving. I’ll let you tell your husband. I’m sure he’s going to be thrilled to hear about this plan.”

  Tabitha chuckled as they walked to where everyone was still sleeping and began the rousing process. Regan couldn’t wait for the days where they could sleep in a little and stay in the same spot for more than a single night. The traveling was grueling and had left them all exhausted, not to mention cranky and longing for a place to call home.

  Now that a decision had been made, things moved more quickly than Regan might have expected—even Geno had mellowed with a night’s sleep, apparently having come to the conclusion that Tabitha wasn’t going to budge on her decision. His only move was to support her.

  With everyone up and ready, they said their goodbyes as Geno, RC, Heather, and Lily drove away in the van, armed with the rifle and the Beretta. Geno would drive about four miles up the road and then set up camp while the others did a little recon to see what they were up against. When they knew, they would go to the van and make a decision about what to do next. For now, they had to keep Lily and their valuable supplies safe and out of sight.

  Regan tucked the 380 into the back of her own waistband, now accustomed to the weight of the gun, and she and the others headed down the road that would lead them to the town’s border. But with the dire warning from the couple heavy on her mind and nothing else to stew over, she kept trying to imagine what it would be like. Would they shoot them without giving them a chance or hold them as prisoners? With the way their luck had been, she wasn’t expecting a warm welcome by any means.

  “Is it weird there are no cars stalled on the road?” Regan asked, only now noticing how barren it was compared to the others they’d traveled.

  They’d walked more than fifty miles since leaving the island, and no matter how remote the road, they had always encountered at least one vehicle. She wondered how it was possible that there
were no cars or trucks within miles of the town. It was eerie. A sense of foreboding washed over her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear a narrator’s voice explaining how their group would never be seen or heard from again.

  Wolf nodded his head, pointing to the black marks on the road. “I think they were pushed or dragged away.”

  “With what?” Travis asked.

  Wolf shrugged. “I don’t know. Something big. I think it’s safe to assume someone in this town has a large, running vehicle, or maybe even a tow truck.”

  “What would they do with the cars?” Regan asked.

  “Ray said they had a wall around the town. Maybe it’s only car-high.”

  “A car wall?” Regan asked dryly.

  Wolf shrugged again. “I don’t know, Regan. Maybe they wanted what was inside the cars or wanted a clear exit path.”

  Regan mulled over the many uses of a car. The seats could be nice seating or bedding, but if they were in a town with houses, wouldn’t they already have chairs? She shook her head, not wanting to get too caught up in her thoughts and ignore what was happening around her.

  “What is that?” Tabitha asked, shielding her eyes from something reflecting ahead.

  “Get in the trees,” Wolf ordered them, his hand pulling the Glock from his pants.

  No more prompting needed, they ran the twenty feet off the roadway and into the thick brush that had been left in a natural, untouched state.

  “What is that reflecting?” Fred asked, peering through the trees.

  “Could it be the missing cars?” Regan asked, still hung up on the car situation.

  “I think it could be anything,” Fred mused.

  “We need to stay out of sight. We don’t want them to see us before we see them,” Wolf ordered.

  Regan sighed, but followed Wolf’s lead as he began moving. She’d known what he meant from the moment he said it. They’d be walking through the thick brush, battling sharp branches and thorns that seemed to reach out and purposely snag their clothing. The town couldn’t have been any more uninviting if it had had a minefield around it. They moved closer to where they had seen something reflecting.