“When’s the last time you saw Bear?” Sahdev asked.
“Eight weeks ago. He was driving back to the ranch from a horse breeder in Wyoming. I was hitchhiking, and he gave me a ride.”
Sahdev rubbed his chin. “It’s unlikely that they would all be immune to the flu. I suspect that no more than one or two percent of the population is immune. If none of them have fallen ill, that must mean that they haven’t been exposed to the virus. They must have been living in isolation before the flu. When word of the pandemic began to spread, they retreated to the most isolated place they could find—Valhalla.”
“Jerrilyn warned her nephews not to smoke around Libby. If the old lady is trying to protect the baby, it makes sense that they would retreat as far as possible from the virus,” Levi said.
“How would they know about Valhalla?” Ripper asked. “It’s so far outta the way that stumbling on it would be like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.”
“It was a guest ranch before the pandemic,” Kyle said slowly. “They rented rooms to people who wanted to experience life on a real cattle ranch. They must have advertised online, and maybe the Wilcox Brigade saw the ad before the internet went down.”
“And the name of the place might have struck them as a good omen,” I said. “Valhalla. Viking heaven. Doesn’t get much more Aryan than that.”
“That explains how they found the place, but doesn’t answer the big question.” Ripper’s gaze scanned the room, moving from person to person. “What are we gonna do about them?”
“We could cut our losses and move on,” Levi said. “Find another out-of-the-way farm or ranch.”
Hannah harrumphed and shot him an incredulous look. “Are you serious?”
Levi raised his hands. “I’m not advocating anything. I’m just listing our options. Number one, we turn our backs on Valhalla and Bear and look for another place. It’s probably the safer option. No confrontation. No risk. Or, number two, we go to war with the Wilcox Brigade.”
“I’m not going to abandon Bear,” Kyle said. “If I have to take on the Wilcox Brigade by myself, I will. If you guys don’t want to stay and fight, I understand, but I couldn’t live with myself if I tuck tail and run when a friend is shackled and living like a slave on his own property.”
“I agree with Kyle.” Kyle shot me a grateful look. “I’d rather not fight anybody, but we’re good people and good people don’t abandon their friends.” I turned to Ripper, who met my eyes with a level, unreadable expression on his face. Was he thinking that it was ludicrous for someone like me—a sheltered college student—to make a case for going to war? “And besides, we have Ripper and all of Grandpa Kurt’s weapons. We’re all smart. We all have some training.” Except Hannah. I glanced at her, but said nothing. I really needed to talk to the girl about learning how to shoot. “They won’t know what hit them.”
Ripper took my hand and squeezed it. “I never left a brother behind and I’m not starting now. I say we fight.”
“Yeah,” Levi agreed. “I’ve dreamed of kicking some Nazi butt. I’m in.”
“When I worked with Doctors Without Borders—in Yemen and in Syria—I saw firsthand the cost of warfare,” Sahdev said. “I’d hoped never to witness it again, but some things are worth fighting for.”
“We got a consensus,” Ripper said. “We’re taking Valhalla.”
Despite my brave words, fear crawled up my spine. Friends. Family. Home. Those were the things that mattered most, and precisely what we risked losing if the battle against the Wilcox Brigade went awry.
Ripper’s face betrayed none of the tension that had caught hold of me. Deep in conversation with the other men, he must have sensed my eyes on him. He held up a hand, and the talk ceased.
“Mac, you promised me pancakes for breakfast, didn’t you?”
I nodded.
“How about getting started? Bet we’re all hungry.”
Once upon a time, I would have huffed out an indignant protest at such a request. Sure. Ask the little woman to fix breakfast while the men plan an assault on the enemy. It reeked of sexism and reinforced every old, outdated gender stereotype. Except preparing breakfast would keep both my hands and brain busy. It would distract me from the trepidation that was gaining traction inside my chest. And taking care of others soothed something inside of me, met a need that was an inherent part of my psyche.
I would summon up the gumption to stand with the others and fight. But first, I’d make sure everybody ate.
Ripper knew all of that.
I smiled, letting him know that I saw through his simple request. “No problem.”
Hannah hopped to her feet and followed me to the kitchen.
“I saw a package of powdered eggs in Grandpa Kurt’s supplies,” I said.
Hannah made a face. “That sounds gross.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “But it’s a source of protein. We should try making scrambled eggs to go with the pancakes.”
“If you say so.” Hannah looked skeptical.
Hannah took charge of the pancakes, while I tackled the powdered eggs. I dumped the eggs into a bowl, added water and a spoonful of dried milk, then took a whisk to the mixture, beating it until my arm began to cramp.
Hannah produced a heaping platter of pancakes. I turned down the heat and scrambled the eggs, stirring until they looked dry and crumbly. We called the men to breakfast, then crowded together around the small kitchen table.
Ripper decided to do another reconnaissance of Valhalla that night. Kyle was desperate to get eyes on Bear, so he would accompany Ripper this time. They hoped to confirm how many people were in residence on the ranch and—if possible—to check out the contents of the outbuildings. Since he’d be up for a second night in a row, I persuaded Ripper to take a nap.
We passed an uneventful day. Hannah and I raided the dressers and closets, looking for clothing that might fit the members of our party. We found jeans and T-shirts for the men, and a pair of boots that were just the right size for Sahdev. I was taller and curvier than Hannah, so the teenage girl’s clothes that fit her tiny frame were too snug on me, but the mom had left behind some pants and shirts that more or less worked for my size and height. Whoever would’ve guessed that I’d be grateful to score used mom jeans?
At sunset, Ripper and Kyle strapped on their gear. Standing safe in the circle of his arms, I said goodbye to Ripper. His dark eyes studied me, assessing my mood. Nothing escaped that penetrating gaze.
“You gonna be all right?”
“Yes. Sahdev and I are going to teach Hannah and Levi how to play Parcheesi, although Levi looks so sleepy that I doubt he’ll be up for long. Sahdev plans to take first watch. I’ll spell him, then I’ll wake Levi for third watch.”
Ripper smoothed my hair back from my face. “I’ll be back after daybreak.”
“I know you will.” I cupped his cheeks between my palms. “Listen, you need to keep your mind on the mission.” Nothing but the truth there. I didn’t want Ripper off his game because he was worrying about me. “I’m still a little gun-shy about being separated, but it’s already easier tonight than it was last night. I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning. Now scoot.”
“Scoot? Guess I can take a hint.” He kissed me, a bold, unabashed, claiming sort of kiss, that made me wobble in his arms. “Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone.”
“Me, trouble?” I gasped in mock indignation. “Mr. Solis, I don’t think there’s a lick of trouble I could get into tonight, not even if I wanted to.”
“We could play strip poker,” Hannah called from the sidelines. “Or, I found a bottle of tequila in the back of a kitchen cupboard. We could get schnockered.”
Ripper paused with his hand on the doorknob, and glanced back over his shoulder. “I gotta worry about coming back and finding you naked, passed out drunk on the floor, huh?”
I waggled my brows. “You know it.”
He offered me a private grin, then strode off into the night.
Not so long ago, I’d asked Ripper if we would have found each other before the pandemic wiped out most of humanity. I couldn’t imagine myself fitting into his world. I don’t drink. I’d never do anything sexual in public. I’m not a wild party girl. He’d shrugged off the question. We fit now, and that’s all that mattered to him.
I was the least likely person to end up passed out, naked, and drunk on the floor, and Ripper knew it.
Sahdev set up the Parcheesi board, and we introduced Hannah and Levi to the game. Levi lasted for more than an hour before fatigue got the better of him, and he retreated to the bedroom he shared with Hannah. Hannah and I curled up at opposite ends of the sofa. I read one of the romances from my e-book library while Hannah leafed through a magazine she’d found in the defunct bathroom. Sahdev sat at the kitchen table, playing solitaire.
My eyes started to droop. Since I’d be taking second watch, I decided to go to bed and snatch a few hours of sleep before I had to get back up. When I stood and stretched, Hector trotted over to the front door and looked at me expectantly.
“Hector needs a potty break,” I said, yawning. “I’m on my feet. I’ll take him out.” I slipped on my boots and a jacket—the nights were chilly—and opened the door. While Hector went about his business, I tilted back my head and gazed up at the clear night sky. Without city lights to diminish their brilliance, millions of stars sparkled and winked against the inky canopy. A shooting star flashed across the heavens.
Was it just three nights ago that I couldn’t think of a single thing to wish for when I saw my last shooting star? How quickly things had changed. “Bring Ripper and Kyle safely back home,” I whispered. “And let us take back Valhalla and save Bear.”
A flash of movement in my peripheral vision drew my eyes to the ground. A rabbit twitched his ears, then dashed away. Hector cocked his head. I tripped over my feet in a vain attempt to snag his collar before he bolted after the bunny.
Too late. He slipped through my fingers and tore after the rabbit. Giving chase was an irresistible impulse for the normally well-behaved boy, as old Mrs. Mowbray’s ginger cat could attest.
“Hector,” I shouted, as he disappeared from view into the night.
I ran back into the house, slamming the screen door behind me. “Hector took off after a rabbit.”
“Which way did he go?” Sahdev asked, rising to his feet.
“Toward the road, I think.”
The commotion woke Levi, who stumbled bleary eyed into the room. “What’s going on?”
“Hector ran away,” Hannah explained, tying the laces on her sneakers.
“We’ll never catch up on foot,” I said.
“If he’s heading toward the road, we might be able to intercept him.” Sahdev grabbed the jeep keys from the kitchen counter and pulled a sweatshirt over his head. Hannah and I followed him toward the door.
“Hold on,” Levi said. “I’ll come, too.”
“We can’t leave the house and weapons unguarded,” Sahdev said. “You stay here. With any luck, we should be back as soon as Hector gives up the chase or wears himself out.”
“Hannah, how about you stay here with me.”
“No.” She scrunched up her face and shook her head. “I love Hector, and I want to help. We won’t be long.”
We ran to the jeep. Hannah and I climbed into the back. At the end of the long driveway, Sahdev paused. “East or west?”
I had absolutely no intuitive sense of direction. “Go left.”
I rolled down my window. As Sahdev slowly drove down the road, I swept a flashlight beam over the arid, rolling hills, while Hannah and I called Hector’s name. After ten minutes of fruitless searching, I switched off the light.
“Maybe he can’t hear us. Maybe we should get out and try on foot, in case he ran away from the road and into the hills.”
“Hector is a smart dog,” Sahdev said. “Chances are he’s already turned around and made his way back to the house. We—” He cut off abruptly, slamming on the brakes.
Straight ahead, a pickup was parked sideways across the road, obstructing our path. The jeep’s headlights illuminated the words Valhalla Ranch on the pickup driver’s door.
“Oh, shit,” I breathed.
“Back up!” Hannah shrieked.
Sahdev threw the jeep into reverse and hit the gas, then just as quickly braked so hard that I banged my skull against the headrest. I twisted around, squinting at the dark shape that blocked our retreat.
Sahdev hit the gas again, turning the jeep sideways on the road. He backed up until the rear tires left the gravel and sunk slightly into the uneven soil. A cluster of juniper trees hugged the road, obscuring the back of the jeep.
Sahdev swung his head back and forth between the vehicles that had hemmed us in. “We’re boxed in.” He didn’t turn his head to look at us as he spoke. “Climb out the back of the jeep. Grab two go bags. Close the tailgate as quietly as you can. Then run and don’t stop until you’re well away.”
“Sahdev, we can’t leave you alone to face the Wilcox Brigade.”
“They already have me,” he said, his voice utterly calm. “If I run with you, they’ll follow and catch us all. There will be no one to tell the others what happened. There’s no time to argue. Go. Now.”
“Sahdev.” I choked out his name, horrified by the prospect of abandoning him to the mercies of a group of white supremacists.
“Kenzie. Now.” He barked out the words, startling me into action.
I nodded and met his eyes in the rearview mirror. “We’ll come for you. We won’t leave you behind.”
Hannah and I climbed out the back of the jeep, slung go bags over our shoulders, then gently closed the tailgate. Holding hands, we bent over and scuttled through the trees, running blindly away from the road. We didn’t stop running until sweat ran down our faces and we were gasping for breath.
I dropped down onto my knees and braced my hands against the dirt, panting.
Sweet Jesus.
Sahdev. The Wilcox Brigade had Sahdev.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Kenzie
We flew over the dark, uneven landscape, putting maximum distance between ourselves and the members of the Wilcox Brigade. Panic fueled our flight, and adrenaline gave our feet wings. By sheer luck, we avoided tripping over a rock or a depression in the rough land. Now—adrenaline exhausted and limbs trembling—we took stock of our situation.
We were in trouble.
I sat down hard on the rocky dirt, and Hannah flopped next to me.
Glittering stars illuminated the sky, but on the ground, darkness pressed in from every side. The gloomy silhouettes of rolling hills surrounded us in all directions. Not a single light broke through the curtain of black.
“Shit,” Hannah said, craning her neck to scan our surroundings.
“Yeah, shit,” I agreed.
“What do you think they’ll do to Sahdev?” Hannah’s voice trembled.
A brown man in the hands of white supremacists? My blood chilled. We had to get back to the others, to let them know. Our mission to seize Valhalla just took on a new urgency.
“Sahdev is a doctor,” I said carefully, clutching at every shred of hope. “There aren’t many doctors left in the world. If the Wilcox Brigade has any sense, they’ll recognize his value.”
“I hope so.”
“And remember Libby, the pregnant woman. Jerrilyn Wilcox ordered the men not to smoke around her. Jerrilyn obviously cares about the baby’s health. If she’s smart, she’ll want a doctor to deliver the baby.”
If she’s smart; that was the critical question. Would Sahdev’s medical expertise take precedence over her racist animus? Dear God, I hoped so.
“What do we do?” Hannah asked. “I’m all turned around. I don’t know the way back to the road. If we take off in the dark, we could end up going miles in the wrong direction.”
“There are flashlights in the backpacks, but I don’t like the idea of lighting up our location, on t
he off chance the brigade is hunting for us.” I squinted, trying to see into the murk. “Look over there.” I pointed to a cluster of juniper trees. “How about we settle down under the trees until the sun comes up, then we’ll figure out how to get back to the road.”
“Good plan.” Hannah jumped up and offered a hand to tug me to my feet. Clutching each other’s arms, we walked toward the trees, feeling our way carefully over the rough ground. We sat on the dirt in a sheltered spot between the trunks of the three trees.
“Are there rattlesnakes in central Oregon?” Hannah jumped to her feet and turned around in a circle, scanning first the ground and then the branches of the junipers. “They don’t climb trees, do they?”
Crap. Predators. What kind of wild critters would we have to contend with tonight? Levi said that cougars took down deer in La Pine, less than two hundred miles away. Could a cougar be stalking us right now? How about scorpions or deadly spiders? Not a clue. I wouldn’t mention other wild animals to Hannah, in case I frightened the girl.
I’m not squeamish about snakes in general, but I’d never want to come face to fang with a poisonous one. I searched my memory for what little I knew about them. “Honestly, I don’t know if rattlesnakes live in central Oregon, but even if they do live here, I doubt one is going to drop out of a tree. Don’t they prefer dark places, like under a rock? And I think they sleep at night and come out when it’s sunny and warm.”
“Okay.” Hannah sat back down and unzipped the go bag. “What’s in here?”
My heart constricted. My memory dredged up an image of Miles showing me the emergency backpacks he had prepared. My dead cousin had packed everything that might ensure our survival, stacking the odds in our favor, but he hadn’t been able to outsmart the flu that took his life.
Focus. I cleared my throat and pushed away the bittersweet memories of Miles. “Food and water. A first aid kit. A folding knife. Flint matches, not that we’d be building a fire tonight. Socks and a sweatshirt. If you’re cold, there’s a mylar thermal blanket, the kind that reflects radiant heat back toward your body. There’s a baggie of dry dog food too.”
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