“And…you only observed this…discussion?”
“Admittedly, I was an…unenthusiastic collaborator.”
“Mm-hmm. Right.” Lauren clenched her jaw.
Woo Tang glanced at her, but remained silent, allowing her time to respond, if she chose.
After a time, she said, “I won’t lie to you, I considered it. I had everything I needed, almost. And I knew I could do it. But that didn’t stop me from trying to talk myself out of it.” She paused. “If you were to ask me if I’d have actually gone through with it, the answer is, I don’t know, Jae. Maybe.”
Woo Tang nodded recognition. “Understood. And thank you for answering openly. Allow me to convey how thankful I am that you chose smartly.”
Lauren glimmered.
“Because had you not,” he continued, “there is little doubt I would have been tasked to pursue and retrieve you. And I am far too out of shape for such a fatiguing chore.”
“Nice one,” Lauren said, pursing her lips. “You failed to warn me, again.”
“I am working on it.” Woo Tang took an extended pause. “I do wish to ask…do you justly believe in your ability to endure such a trip on your own?”
Lauren chuckled slightly. She wiped clean a portion of frozen condensation on her window using a finger. “Of course I do. I was born hardheaded. The gene was directly inherited from my father.”
“A notably motivated individual,” said Woo Tang. “Determined, though not nearly so hardheaded as you believe yourself to be.”
Lauren nodded. “He and Dave are a lot alike. In the same way Dave held failure untenable, Dad never allowed me to quit. He hated excuses—hated them. He always told me never to give up, no matter what, and that no matter what I believed, there was always a solution to every problem. But that was him, the ever-enduring problem-solver. He used to obsess over them to the point of unapproachability. If he was in the middle of one, it was impossible to break his concentration, let alone talk to him.”
“Even for you? His own descendant?”
“Even for me,” Lauren said. “And he didn’t prioritize much over his family. I guess I’m a little like him when it comes to obsessing over solutions.” She rotated in her seat. “Jae, you should know, if I hadn’t felt an immediate need to go home, I swear I wouldn’t have acted out. I wouldn’t have pushed so hard, and I never would have been so disrespectful to Dave. I just know I need to be home. Something…some feeling or force is pulling me there.”
Woo Tang peered over. “This feeling or force, is it equivalent to the one that compelled you to remain with the unit when you could have and most likely should have gone home?”
Lauren thought a moment. “It’s…similar.”
“Then I understand. And even though he is one of the best at concealing his inward state of mind, I believe LT understands as well.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Dave Graham is a complicated man. He, akin to your father, is also a solver of problems. And there exists an abundance of nuisances he is desperately attempting to resolve, all of which seem very much unsolvable in our current predicament. As such, he concentrates on that which he fears stands to trigger the worst headache. Though, it is my belief, his doing so has created a migraine for him in and of itself.”
Lauren rolled her lips. “And I’m not trying to add to that, but I suppose I have, involuntarily.” She paused contemplatively. “What do you think is destined to happen…in the future?”
“I remain highly uncertain. But, in the end, it does not matter what I think.”
“It matters to me.”
Woo Tang regarded his young friend with unstiffened eyes. “Lauren Russell, you know as I do how inexact the future is. What I think or believe could happen is irrelevant. What I want for it…or rather, what I wish for it, is that it someday achieves equilibrium.”
“Equilibrium?”
“Yes.” Woo Tang nodded. “It is my belief that this will come to pass eventually, one way or another. Nature is an omnipotent force vastly proficient at self-renewal. It consistently regains ground despite humankind’s efforts to thwart it. It is also my belief that one day peace will come, as well. But there is only one way to achieve peace, and that is through the perfection, that is, the comprehensive understanding of war and of evils extant in our world.
“Your generation will someday pick up where mine leaves off, and I pray that by then, we will have at least reached a rebuilding stage and there is little fighting left. That is another mystery LT contends with daily. Zero Dark Armageddon was set to commence by this time. And it looks as though we will never see that commencement. For much of the country, a collapse has begun. It is currently in full swing, possibly even on a downslope. And it must reach a terminus before reestablishment of government in any form is considered.”
Lauren measured Woo Tang’s introspective remarks for several miles, until the point Lazarus made an unexpected right-hand turn.
She pointed ahead. “What is he doing? That’s not right, he’s deviating from the planned route.”
“You are certain?” asked Woo Tang, turning right to follow.
“Positive. We weren’t supposed to make any turns until after Hopeville.”
A concerned look etching his face, Woo Tang reached for the microphone attached to a citizens band radio mounted under the dash. “Do we know if Lazarus is monitoring this channel?”
Lauren looked uncertain. “I don’t know. He never mentioned anything to me about it.”
“Nor me.” Woo Tang pressed the PTT. “Leper, do you copy? This is Barracuda. Over.”
Lauren’s brow shot up. “Barracuda?”
“It is my handle. What do you think of it?”
“I’m more partial to it than Leper.”
The radio came to life, breaking squelch. “Yeah, go for Leper, whoever you are.”
“We have reached the conclusion that you have chosen to deviate from the planned route. Is this accurate? Over.”
“Yepper. That is accurate,” Lazarus came back. “Is that a problem?”
Woo Tang sneered. “Whether or not a problem exists or manifests remains to be seen. That said, the occupants in the vehicle trailing you would welcome an explanation.”
Laughter emanated from the speaker. “Oh, they would, would they? Okay, here’s your explanation—I set this rodeo up and I’m in command. I made the decision to go this way and we’re going this way. Leper out.”
Woo Tang slowly set the mic down. “And there you have it.”
“Asshole,” Lauren hissed.
Both trucks continued along the incredibly narrow, steep mountain pathway through multiple sets of tight switchbacks and eventually over a steep pass before descending sharply on the other side. It took about an hour for the trip’s deviation to pass from start to finish, where the unmarked road ended, intersecting with another.
The trucks veered left, pushing the snow forward and away to either side. The CB came to life as Lazarus’s voice poured from the speaker. “This is the one and only Leper in the lead. That little unplanned deviation back there you two got so riled up about shaved around twenty minutes off our total trip time. And to top it off, lo and behold, we made it out of there alive. Like magic…all in one piece. Leper out.”
Lauren scoffed, casting a cruel stare to the inanimate radio. “Seriously? How many more rounds of ‘Lazarus knows best’ are we to endure?”
She received her answer not even a half-hour following. Once again, the lead truck made another right-hand turn onto another road not matching the planned route. Woo Tang whipped the wheel to follow, but this time both he and Lauren decided to refrain from protest.
Twenty minutes in, after two sets of incredibly narrow, steep hairpins, the road leveled out and began a gradual ascent to the ridgeline. As they got closer, both trucks were forced to stop at the point of encountering a hefty rotten oak that had split near its base and fallen over the road under the snow’s weight.
Lazarus, Francis, a
nd his wife exited and trudged over to investigate. They returned not long after, donned gloves and gathered tools and began priming chainsaws.
Francis checked the gas level in his saw. “Looks like we got our work cut out for us today.”
“Quite frankly, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more of them,” Jean added.
Woo Tang rolled down his window and called out, “Need any assistance?”
“No, we got this,” Lazarus dismissed. “You two stay in there and keep warm. It might be a while.”
Lauren took turns watching the trio process the tree while sending cautious gazes into the forest. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Woo Tang nodded. “Since the moment I shifted into park. The tree looks to have fallen naturally. Still, it would behoove us to secure our location. We should set a perimeter while our friends play lumberjack.”
Lauren nodded avowal. She slid her AK close, snapped the safety down and slid back the bolt a tinge to verify the chambered round.
Woo Tang shut off the engine, exited and circled to the front, where Lauren joined him. He scanned the scene, then pointed due south, indicating a snow-covered outcropping. “There. It towers over most everything. I will cover your advance. Send a signal once you are in place.”
Lauren nodded her understanding and pranced away, hurdling the wall of snow formed by the plows. Reaching the rock’s base, she brushed off layers of frozen snow until finding traction then pulled herself onto it. Struggling against its slick surface, she scaled it with all four limbs until she could hoist herself onto the peak.
Once she was in position, Woo Tang scampered up the opposite embankment to a spot of his choosing. The duo shared a nod, then with rifles ready, stood on alert for whatever might come, even if nothing.
Once the tree was fully processed and all remnants were removed or otherwise relocated, Lauren and Woo Tang relinquished their chosen posts and rejoined the others.
While handing his saw off to Francis, Lazarus said, “What the hell were you two doing? I told you both to stay in the truck. We’re in the middle of nowhere, for God’s sake. There’s nothing out here. You both could’ve been all warm and cozy the whole time. But nooo, no sir. Don’t take my advice.”
“There is no harm in maintaining vigilance,” Woo Tang said. “And, Lazarus, not all advice is sound advice.”
“Well, maybe it ain’t,” Lazarus shot back. “But in my experience, the best advice comes from the ones who know best.”
Woo Tang’s voice went coarse. “And in my own experience…the worst typically happens to those who believe…that it simply cannot.”
Lazarus shook his head. “Whatever.” He extended himself to get a look at the freshly stacked woodpile beside the road, his feet supported by the truck’s rear tire. “Frank, make a note of this one. That’s some damn good firewood there. Hot-burning chestnut oak. After all that work, I hate to just leave it here. Damn shame we can’t take it all with us.”
“I don’t know why you’re so bothered by it,” Jean hissed. “It’s not like were staying wherever we’re going, right? We got two trucks now, and we’ll still have them when we leave. Why can’t we just pick it up on our way back?”
Lazarus and Francis shared an unusual look, both making certain Jean couldn’t see.
Lauren caught on instantly, but suppressed any reaction.
Francis shrugged after a moment. “She’s got a good point, Laz.”
“Yes she does,” Lazarus said. “Goood point, Jean. We’ll worry on this later. It’ll be dark before long. Let’s giddyup on down this mountain and find a spot to camp. I need to get some food in me. I’m as hungry as a bear.”
“Food sounds good,” Francis said. “And after all that work, a nap sounds mighty good, too.”
Chapter 15
The cabin
Trout Run Valley
Monday, January 3rd. Present day
With the threat of sharpshooters still active and weighing on her mind, Grace remained indoors to await Christian’s arrival. He was set to be here any minute to take her to see Dr. Pamela Vincent for her prenatal care appointment, in what he’d referred to as a ‘very safe’ method of transport. She hadn’t a clue what that meant, but whatever he was doing seemed to be taking an excessive amount of time to get done.
Grace folded her arms and tapped her foot on the floor as she grew more impatient, then went to search for signs of him through the windows. The last window she checked, the one closest to the front door, provided a view that made her gulp and almost swallow her tongue. “Oh…snap.”
Incredulous and wide-eyed after a double take, Grace shuffled backward, her fingers touching parted lips. She stood there in shock and waited for Christian to come inside and retrieve her. No way she was about to walk out to him after what she’d just witnessed.
The approaching truck’s rumbling engine and chugging exhaust grew louder and soon vanished. A metal door squeaked shut, and the cabin’s front door opened a minute after.
Seeing Grace, Christian’s face lit up. “Hey. All ready to go?” He reached for her, but she backed away. “Uh-oh, what’s wrong now? I know I’m late, but don’t be mad, okay? That project took a lot lon—”
“Stop.” Grace halted him, then slowly extended a finger. “Don’t say another word. Just…tell me what the hell I just saw.”
Christian looked all around the room. “I’m…not sure. I just got here. I wasn’t here before that, so how am I supposed to know?”
“Okay, fine, play games. Be a…bonerhead, then. See if I care.”
“Grace, I’m lost.”
“You are? Really? Do you wish for a guide, Christian? You want to know what I saw? Here, I’ll show you. I’ll show you what I…saw.” Grace marched to the front door, opened it and pointed to the two-tone 1975 Ford F-150 parked outside. “That’s what I saw. That right there.” A hand fell to her hip. “What the hell is that, Christian?”
He peered out the door. “Um, that would be Peter’s truck. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen it before…”
“Yes, I have. I have seen the truck before, many times,” Grace said. “But what I haven’t seen before, ever before…is Peter’s truck with that—that newly installed…hood…ornament.” She pointed again with her finger twitching, her eyes half open.
“Oh, that.” Christian sniggered. “That’s what you meant. Sorry, I’m an idiot.”
Grace exhaled deeply, back of her hand to her forehead. “Christian, honey, I realize that you are indeed a troubled soul. It’s one of the reasons I fell for you so quickly. But could you please explain this to me in the best way you know how? I mean, babe, for the love of the blessed Virgin Mary—what is that?”
Christian’s brow furrowed. “Grace, you know what that is, or rather who that is. That would be Max, the guy you didn’t want to kill, until a couple of days ago, anyway.”
“Yes.” Grace bobbed her head. “I realize that, I know who it is. But…why is he…there? Why is he now lashed to the hood of Peter’s truck? And are those cargo straps?”
“And a few ropes.” Christian said, sounding pleased with himself. “I said I had other plans for him, remember? I’ve been mulling over the best way to…use him to our advantage. On my way to borrow Peter’s truck for your appointment this morning, it just hit me.”
“This. This hit you?” Grace badgered. “Strapping him to Peter’s truck hit you? How is doing this using Max to our advantage? I-I’m literally punch-drunk. Discombobulated…and, a little disturbed, being honest. This is crazy. What were you thinking?”
“It’s not crazy, Grace. It’s genius. Think it through,” Christian said casually. “See the way he’s splayed out? With him strapped there like he is, we can drive around without worrying about his so-called people taking shots at us.”
Grace rubbed her temples. “No, no, no…this is a stupid idea. It’s so stupid, I can’t even bring myself to add all the stupid up within. This isn’t how you’re supposed to treat people. You don�
�t use them as targets.”
“Targets? Come on, give me some credit. I would never do that. This is deploying him as a human shield, and that’s a totally different thing.”
Grace forced her eyes shut. “I believe…I mean, I know you’re only trying to help. But this idea…it’s sooo wrong. It looks wrong. It feels sooo wrong.”
“But everything about it is right. Give it a chance and me a chance. I know what I’m doing,” Christian began, pushing the door near-closed. “Those are his men in the hills who’re shooting at us. Now, I doubt they’re highly skilled marksman, probably just a couple of guys with scoped deer rifles, but even trained sharpshooters don’t particularly care to fire on moving targets. The truck is a moving target when it’s in motion. And with Max strapped to the hood while it’s in motion, it’s unlikely his people will fire on us and take the chance of hitting him. It’s a pretty safe bet, in my opinion.”
“A pretty safe bet, huh?” Grace asked.
“I think so. You’re carrying our child, Grace. Your safety is vital to me.”
“And you love me enough to strap a guy to a truck for me?” Grace blushed. “That’s adorable.” She looked ready to endorse the idea, but went skeptical again as her beau guided her arms into her coat. “Christian?”
“Yeah?”
“How does he pee?”
Christian sent Grace an odd look, then cracked the door open and peered outside. He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess…if he has to go, he pisses himself.”
“Oh, that’s lovely. A grown man peeing himself while spread out and strapped to the hood of an antique pickup. That’s real dignified.” She paused. “And what about the other…thing.”
“The other thing?”
“You know what I mean, the other…product, consisting of…waste. Christ, I can’t even bring myself to articulate the word without upchucking.”
Christian surveyed Max and rubbed his chin. “Admittedly, I haven’t given any thought to that.”
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