Arid

by Joyce, Anne

  “Keep your hands where I can see them!” The man with the Glock pointed it at the water barons.

  “Don’t kill us! He’s the one who shot your friend.” Ms. Montcliff pointed to Hatfield’s corpse.

  “I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I’m sure we can work something out.” Della held up her hands.

  “I guess I should introduce myself. Where are my manners?” The strapping man picked up the pistol and stuck it in his belt. “My name’s Tanner. We’re all part of an organization we like to call ‘The New Order’. “He gestured around the room. “I’ll get to everyone’s names later. We’re here because we want to attend your very important meeting. You can consider us the new board members of the Water Coalition.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Are we in Mexico yet?” asked Paola.

  “We will be soon.” Maria stroked her hair. “You’ll get to see Grandma and Aunt Josefina and Juliana. They’re going to be so happy to meet you.”

  “What are they like?”

  “Josefina is an artist; she’s very smart. She played the cello in school and loves theater. She used to dress up and put on plays for the family when she was little. Juliana is adventurous and loves to do anything that involves being outdoors. She goes fishing, camping, and hunting. She’s a tom boy but she can be a lady just the same.”

  “What about Grandma?”

  “She’s a force to be reckoned with,” Maria chuckled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “She’s the strongest and most stubborn woman I’ve ever known. She’s very opinionated. She’s never been afraid to tell someone what she thinks.”

  “Do you think they’ll like me?”

  “They’ll love you the moment they see you.” Maria smiled.

  “When will we reach the station? It feels like we’ve been on this train for an eternity.” Skylar stared at the door as if it were an enemy.

  “Well, it’s hard to tell since your brilliant friends shut the door. I’m guessing we’ll be there in about forty-five minutes. You can always stay here with me, honey. Riding the rails can be kind of romantic.” The giant flashed a rotten-toothed smile.

  “I thought I told you to keep your hole closed,” Joshua snapped.

  “Hey, the lady asked a question. None of you idiots knew the answer!”

  “I shouldn’t have left him lying there.” Skylar shook her head.

  “You didn’t have a choice,” Maria said.

  “I thought it’d be longer than forty-five minutes. We have to get off… right now.” Julio paced the boxcar.

  “What if the plane’s still out there?” Skylar sat up.

  “Crop dusters won’t fly this close to the border. They could harm the patrolmen,” Julio replied.

  “Why can’t we just stay on the train? Everybody’s tired,” Paola complained.

  “That crop-duster would’ve radioed the Border Patrol by now. If we ride all the way into Nogales, they’ll be waiting for us. They’ll either shoot us or hand us over to the Purifiers,” Julio said.

  “You’re right, man. They won’t just let us walk away,” Joshua sighed. He hauled himself up. “Help me open the door.”

  Maria and Julio helped Joshua slide the door open. Joshua stuck his head out and carefully looked around. There was nothing outside but endless dirt, palo verde trees, rocks and cacti. “I think it’s safe,” he said.

  “The wastelands are never safe, but it’s the lesser of all evils,” Julio replied. He threw their rifles into the burlap sack and tossed it on the ground. He leapt from the boxcar and landed on his feet. Maria picked up Paola and jumped. She stumbled. They fell into a pile of dirt beside the track.

  “Let’s go.” Joshua held out his hand. “We’ll jump together.”

  “How about I come with you?” the hobo said.

  “How about I put a bullet in your head?” Joshua glared at him. Skylar grasped his hand and they hopped off together.

  When they made their way over to Paola, she was sitting in the dirt pile crying. Maria knelt beside her. “What happened?” Joshua said.

  “I landed on her, so I know it must’ve hurt.”

  “It’s my leg.” She held it and sobbed.

  “Aw, you’re all right. You’re a tough girl.” Joshua scooped her up. Paola stopped crying and put her arms around his neck.

  “It won’t be as long of a walk as it seems,” Julio said.

  “At least the sun is setting.” Maria stared at the sinking orange fireball in the sky.

  “That’ll make it hard for the border guards to find us,” Julio said.

  “When it gets dark, we’ll have bigger problems, though.” Paola furrowed her brow.

  “I don’t think we’ll see any looters in this area. There’s nothing for them to take,” Julio replied.

  “What are looters?” asked Skylar.

  “Nothing you need to worry about,” Joshua said. “Don’t tell Skylar about the looters. We don’t need to make her more upset than she already is,” he whispered in Paola’s ear. She nodded.

  “How are we going to find Blane in the dark?” Paola wanted to know.

  “I marked his location on the map. I took it from the glove box in case we’d need it.” Julio pulled the map from his pocket.

  “That was really smart, Julio. I’m so glad you’re with us.” Skylar gave him a look of gratitude. He patted her shoulder and picked up his pace.

  “Do you think your friends would give us a ride to Rancho Cajon?” Maria walked ahead with Julio.

  “I bought the truck they’ve been driving, so yes. They’ll take us wherever I say,” Julio replied. “I’ll have them search for Blane first.”

  “Of course. I hope he’s still hanging on.”

  “Me too.”

  “Are you still angry with him for stealing our truck?”

  “He’s redeemed himself. It’s water under the bridge now.” Julio shook his head.

  “Do you have any big plans after we cross the border?”

  “I might go into the landscaping business with my friends. I’ve even thought about opening my own restaurant when I save up enough money. I could become a chef like Blane.”

  “I never knew you had culinary skills. It’s amazing you’re still a mystery after so many years,” Maria said.

  “I do a pretty good job in the kitchen, but I’m not an expert like Blane. I don’t have the formal training. I just learned to cook at an early age because my mom worked late. My dad expected dinner on the table at a certain time. I assume you’ll be putting your technical brilliance to good use.”

  “That’s the idea. I think I can easily get a job at a software company. The demand for those positions will always be there.”

  “It’s weird to talk about this sort of thing, you know. I feel like we’re speaking of other people’s lives, not our own,” he mused.

  “That’s because we haven’t allowed ourselves to dream for a long time. In the wastelands, our future was uncertain and cruel. Now it’s as if anything is possible. It’s almost like we’re teenagers again with our whole lives in front of us.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “You know you can always stay with my mom, my sisters, and me,” she offered.

  “You don’t think they’d mind having me around?”

  “Of course not. You and I are family so they’re your family too.”

  Julio smiled. He stopped when he spotted something from the corner of his eye. “There it is!” he shouted.

  “Oh, my God, it’s beautiful!” Maria gasped. The long red fence gleamed in the fading daylight like a beacon in a dark, stormy sea.

  “That’s the border fence?” Skylar said.

  “Yes. All we have to do is climb it and we’re home!” Julio hugged Maria.

  “Let’s move it! The sooner we get over that fence, the sooner we bring Blane home!” She held up the lantern.

  Sweat poured down Joshua’s face and his whole body. His lungs ached an
d he felt like someone was sitting on his chest. Paola seemed much heavier all of a sudden. “You’ll have to walk the rest of the way.” He set her on the ground.

  “What’s wrong, Josh?”

  “I think I know how smokers feel all the time.” He leaned over and tried to catch his breath.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Maria handed him the thermos.

  “It’s just hard to breathe.” He took a drink.

  “You’ve got to tough it out. We’re almost there,” Julio said. Joshua nodded. Maria took his arm and pulled him along. His feet felt like weights and dragged in the dust like anchors. Julio held Paola’s hand and walked beside them.

  “Come on, Josh. You can do it,” Skylar urged.

  “Keep your voice down! The Border Patrol could be anywhere,” Julio hissed. Freedom was only a few yards away, but it seemed much farther to Joshua. His stomach burned like he’d just swallowed lava. He tried to ignore it, but the pain was too great. He sank to his knees.

  “Josh!” Maria tried to lift him. He leaned over and vomited blood.

  “Oh, my gosh!” Paola shrieked.

  “He’ll be all right. That’s just the poison working its way out of his body,” Julio assured her. He could only hope it was true. “Help me move him.” Julio and Maria grabbed his arms, pulled him to his feet, and walked-dragged him to the fence.

  “Josh, you look terrible,” Skylar said. “How will we get him over?”

  “You can climb, can’t you?” Paola stared at his chalk-white face.

  “I need to sit down for a minute.” He dropped to the ground.

  “There’s no way he can scale that fence. He’d make it halfway and fall. If we had some rope, we could tie it around him and pull him over,” Julio said.

  Joshua hated the way they talked about him as if he wasn’t there.

  “Where the hell are we going to find rope?” Maria asked.

  “Ignacio and Rolando probably have some in the truck. They use it for work sometimes; it can hold a lot of weight. I’ll climb over and see if they’re here yet. If you hear a vehicle coming, run for it! I wouldn’t shoot at them unless you have to. Gunfire will draw attention we don’t need.” Julio wrapped his arms and legs around a post and scurried up the fence. Maria shined the lantern for him. When he reached the top he scaled down the other side with the skill of a professional athlete.

  “Do you see them?” Maria said.

  “No. I’m going to find higher ground. I need a better view with more lighting. I’ll be right back,” he called. Maria pulled a rifle from the burlap sack and sat beside Joshua. “Paola and I will listen for the Border Patrol,” Skylar said. Julio’s joyous cries broke the silence.

  “They’re here! They just went to the wrong spot. I see the truck’s green headlights! Hey, guys!” he shouted. “They’re coming this way.”

  “I thought we were supposed to keep our voices down,” Skylar quipped. The sound of the truck’s roaring engine grew closer. It stopped and two doors slammed.

  “Julio! It’s good to see you,” a voice jeered.

  “You too, Iggy. I’ve missed you guys. Thanks for coming.”

  “We wouldn’t bail on you. We need to hurry though. We just ran into some border guards,” Rolando’s high-pitched voice said.

  “Where did you see them?” asked Julio.

  “They came right through our neighborhood. They pulled over and asked if we’d seen anything suspicious. I said I’d heard about some crackheads sneaking in five miles west of here. That ought to keep them distracted for a while,” Ignacio replied.

  “Smart man,” Julio said.

  “Are you sure they believed you?” Skylar peeked through the gaps between the fence posts. She saw a thick, stout man, and a gangly thin man next to Julio. They stood beside a blue cargo truck in a grassy area. Lights from some houses on a hill glowed in the distance behind them.

  “I’ve known a few of those guys since middle school, so I think they did. Who are you?” the voice sounded closer.

  “I’ll introduce them later,” Julio said “Please tell me you’ve got some rope in the back of the truck.”

  “Yeah. Why do you need it?” asked Rolando

  “We’ve got to help my friends over. One of them is eight years old and another is very sick.”

  “All right, let’s move the sick one first,” the man Julio identified as Ignacio said. “I’ll turn on the flood lights.”

  “No, let’s get the others over here first. We might need them. A grown man is a lot of weight to pull. He’s not fat, is he?” Rolando said.

  “You’ve got a way with words,” Ignacio scoffed.

  “I’m just asking. I’m not passing any judgement.”

  “He’s half-starved like the rest of us.” Julio reached into the truck bed and took out the rope. “Hey, I’m going to throw this rope over. I want someone to tie it around Paola. She and Skylar can climb up first,” he called.

  “Let me do that,” Ignacio said. “I used to be in the rodeo.”

  “Why do we have to go first?” Paola whined.

  “Because it’s easier on everyone,” Skylar replied.

  “Wrap your arms around the pole and push off with your feet. Julio and his friends are going to pull you along.” Maria tied the lasso around her chest.

  “But, it’s really high!” Paola looked up and swallowed hard.

  “Sometimes we’ve got to do things in life that scare us. Being brave can solve any problem. Skylar will be right beside you. Hold on tight and don’t look down.” Maria squeezed her shoulders. She nodded.

  “I’m ready!” Paola marched to the fence and hugged the post. The rope jerked and she soared through the air. “Not so fast!” she called. Skylar took a deep breath and crawled up the post beside her.

  “You and Skylar shouldn’t free climb,” Joshua slurred his words. Why is my tongue so heavy?

  “What did you say?” Maria stared at him.

  “Maria, hold it up!” Skylar called.

  “Sorry.” She lifted the lantern above her head.

  “They should be helping everyone over,” he struggled to enunciate.

  “There’s no time for that. Skylar and I don’t need help anyway. We can handle ourselves. You just need to concentrate on staying awake, so we can get you over.”

  “I’m trying,” he mumbled.

  “We can’t let a fence stand in our way, not after all we’ve been through.”

  “I know. You need to be cautious going up that post. It’s dark and you could easily slip.” His words were slow and deliberate as this was important. “I can’t lose you now. I couldn’t take it. You mean more to me than you could possibly know.” He was back to slurring again.

  “Did you just say what I think you said?” She leaned over and gazed into his eyes.

  “Mama, the light!” Paola shouted.

  “Whoops.” Maria raised it as high as she could, her eyes still locked on Joshua.

  “They made it to the top.” Joshua pointed. Skylar and Paola sat on their posts and waved.

  “Let go of the rope, guys. I’ll pull it up and wrap it around the top of the fence so Paola can climb down,” Skylar called. The men flung their end of the rope in her direction. She grabbed it and reeled it in with impressive speed. She belayed the rope around the pole and Paola started down the other side.

  “You’re doing great, baby,” Maria hollered.

  “The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.” Joshua swallowed hard. He picked up the empty thermos and tossed it to the ground. His mouth was so dry. If only he could have a drink of water...

  “It’s your turn, Josh.” The lasso flew back over. Maria helped him to his feet and tied it around him.

  “Just be careful, will you?” Joshua gripped the fence. She smiled and set the lantern on the ground. Joshua forced himself to hold on. It took all his willpower and strength. The rope bit into his chest, tugging him along and his palms were sweating. He coughed.

  “Keep it up. Y
ou’re doing great.” She scurried alongside him.

  “You’re pretty good at this.”

  “I did some rock climbing when I was younger. I haven’t forgotten the basics. Are you okay?”

  Joshua coughed again. “I’ll make it,” he rasped, although he wasn’t sure he would be able to hold on for that long. All his strength seemed to have been sucked out of him. “I need to rest for a minute.”

  “Stop pulling, guys,” Maria yelled. “He needs to rest a little.”

  He heard Julio mumble something. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and took a few deep breaths. “Okay, I’m ready to go again.”

  He could hardly believe it when he finally reached the top of the fence. He sat down and stared at the city below, panting hard. Houses and flats were sandwiched together and glowing beautifully under the streetlights. Cars sped down cobblestone streets. Tall, magnificent buildings stood proud in the distance. It looked like a quaint, cozy place to live. To Joshua it seemed like paradise. “It’s amazing,” He turned to Maria.

  “I never thought I’d be so happy to see this town again.” She took a seat.

  “Josh, pull it up.” Julio and Ignacio motioned for him to take the rope. Joshua wrapped his shaky hands around it and worked it up the fence. Maria took a loop around the post. His palms began to sweat again. He felt dizzy and lighted headed.

  “I’m getting a little woozy from being so far off the ground.”

  “Josh, look at me. Don’t even think about fainting!” He could hear the fear in her voice.

  “I’m not going to pass out. I just got a little disoriented.” He grabbed the top of his post and began his descent, aware that Maria was doing the same. He looked down and saw Ignacio and Rolando standing by the truck. Julio, Paola, and Skylar waited by the fence, eager to help them down.

  “Come on, Josh! You’re halfway there!” Paola called. His grip seemed to get weaker. He lost his footing and slid several feet before catching himself. He dug his fingernails into the wood and breathed a small sign of relief. His heart felt like it could burst from his chest at any minute.

  “Josh, you don’t have far to go. Hold on,” Maria said. Multi-colored spots flitted around her head. He squinted and rubbed his eyes, but they refused to go away.