by Harley Tate
Larkin chimed in with what he experienced in Portland and then how the National Guard turned into a militia.
At the end of it all, Walter nodded. “If there’s anything I’ve learned this past month, it’s that finding people to trust is worth more than any skill.”
Colt agreed. He didn’t know which one fared worse: the big city with complete lawlessness, or the small town with a despot for a ruler. But the conversation with Walter solidified his decision to find a remote place on his own.
Nowhere bigger than a few thousand people would be functional now. Small towns with tight-knit communities might be able to carry on with some semblance of normalcy, but without the government as de facto leaders, the power loss would warp everywhere eventually.
He thought about all of his assignments halfway across the world and the tribal factions that mattered more than any dictator or president. America was in the throes of a crisis and in desperate times—not always the best men and women took charge.
While Walter poured another cup of tea, Colt took stock. A single tent for one in forest green sat concealed among the trees on the edge of the camp. Sacks of gathered food sat beside the entrance.
A crazy box with aluminum foil sides and a clear plastic lid took up residence not far from the fire. Colt squinted at it. Was it a storage container? A magnifying glass? All of a sudden it clicked. A solar cooker. Smart.
The fire in the middle was one of two. Another, larger version with rocks and sheets of metal anchored the opposite corner of the camp. A deer carcass hung above it, high enough to avoid animals attracted by the smell as it smoked.
Colt pointed at the setup. “Are you cooking all of that meat?”
Walter glanced behind him. “Hoping to smoke it, actually. It won’t keep unless I preserve it somehow. I wanted to can it, but the logistics were too hard. I made jerky out of the last one, but I wanted to try my hand at something different this go-round.”
The difference between their situations was staggering. In town, they were rummaging through houses and fending off hostiles and barely surviving. Out in the woods, Walter had abundance and plenty.
Colt glanced at Dani. She sat a few feet away, toes pointed toward the fire while Lottie slept in her lap. She chewed on a strip of deer jerky in silence, watching the flames.
The little dog had gorged herself on scraps of the hanging deer while Walter had stoked the fire and put the water on to boil. If Colt didn’t have the wounds to prove it, he could almost forget the rest of the country was falling apart.
He nudged Dani’s foot with his boot. “You can curl up somewhere and sleep.”
She raised her exhausted head. “Where?”
Walter pointed at a large leafy tree among the pines. “There’s a soft spot beneath the white alder over there. You’ll be close enough to the smoker that you shouldn’t be cold.”
Dani glanced at it, but didn’t move.
Colt nudged her again. “I’ll wake you if anything happens.”
“You promise?”
He nodded and Dani reluctantly stood, carrying her rifle with her over to the tree. She patted the ground around the trunk and eased herself down. Lottie trotted up and tucked herself by Dani’s side.
Colt waited for a handful of minutes before turning back to Walter. He needed to clear the air. “I’m sorry again about the scene with Doug. We only beat you to the river by a few minutes.”
“Larkin told me you’d already lost two people.”
“Three.” Colt glanced at Larkin. The man had been quiet for the better part of the night. “Harvey’s dead, too.”
“Damn it.” Larkin scrubbed a hand down his face. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this.”
Colt agreed. Ever since they left Eugene, their luck had taken a turn for the worse. “I’m sorry about Melody.”
“Are you sure she fell?”
“As sure as I can be. For one, I believe Dani. For another, Melody’s neck was broken, leaves and twigs were all tangled in her hair, and her jeans were covered in mud. I’m not a detective, but it sure as hell looked like an accident.”
Larkin nodded and stood up. “I’m going to check on Doug.”
“Are you sure?”
He paused as a shadow crossed his face. “I also want to pay my respects.”
Colt nodded. “See you in the morning.”
Larkin slung a rifle over his shoulder and took off.
After his footsteps faded into the night, Colt turned to Walter. “How did you and Larkin find each other?”
“I came across him near Highway 58. Told me he’d been chased by a pair of men up to no good and was trying to find his way back to his group. I offered to help. We were on our way to this place when we came across you all.”
Colt snorted. They only ran into each other on accident. Maybe their luck hadn’t completely run out.
“How did you end up with the girl? Was she on the plane?”
“No.” Colt leaned back and took another sip of tea. “I found her on the streets in Eugene. She’d been caught by a soldier who wanted to bring her in. He didn’t have good intentions, so I rectified the situation.”
“And you two have stuck together ever since?”
“She’s saved my life and I’ve saved hers.” Colt glanced at Dani’s sleeping form. “Guess she’s the closest to family I’m ever going to get.”
Walter nodded. “In times like these, family is what matters.”
“How about you? Did you find your wife and daughter?”
Walter didn’t answer. Instead he sipped his tea. After a moment, he changed the subject. “Tell me about the gun haul. Larkin described the car crash and two men in the Mustang. I want your take on it.”
Colt relayed what he knew. When he finished, he asked the question that burned in the back of his mind ever since overhearing the two men talk. “Do you know anything about this Cunningham fellow?”
“If it’s the man I’m thinking of, he can’t be trusted.” Walter stared past the glow of the small fire at their feet and into the darkness. “He’s more of a cult leader than anything else. One of those end times types.”
Not the answer Colt hoped to hear. “What else do you know?”
“Not much. We’ve tried to keep clear.”
We. That meant Walter wasn’t alone. Colt figured as much, but confirmation was good. Maybe Walter would be willing to take them in for a time. At least until they could regroup and determine where to go. He tossed out a feeler. “Our group plans to head to Lake Tahoe.”
“I wouldn’t. It’s overrun with people from Reno and Sacramento. Everyone flocked to it when they fled the cities.”
Damn. “Then where do you suggest?”
“Somewhere small with access to running water. A place that you can secure without constant patrols and can keep you alive through the winter. We’ll have a cool, comfortable summer in these parts, but winter comes in hard and quick if you aren’t ready for it.”
Colt snorted. Nowhere like that existed without planning. “So fairytale land, that’s what you’re saying.”
“You just have to take your time and look.”
“I’m not sure time is on our side.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to work a bit—”
Larkin burst into the clearing as Walter spoke. His face was flushed with exertion, but his eyes held nothing but pain and dread. Whatever he had to say, it wasn’t good.
Day Thirty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Seven
DANI
Northern California Forest
7:00 a.m.
Dani sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Despite passing out on the forest floor, she actually felt halfway decent. It had been the first night since Colt regained consciousness at Harvey’s place that she didn’t wake up every hour.
Exhaustion had its merits. She brushed the dirt and leaves off her jeans and headed out into the woods to find a secluded spot to relieve herself. It sure beat nasty toilets and city sewage
.
She tramped back into the clearing as Walter emerged from his tent. Dani glanced around. The fire was out and Lottie still slept in the same spot she’d left her. She didn’t bother to say hello. “Where are Colt and Larkin?”
Walter glanced up as he zipped the tent closed. “They left early this morning.”
Dani frowned. It was unlike Colt to leave without telling her. “Is something wrong?”
Walter hesitated.
“If you don’t tell me, I’m setting off to find them right now.”
Walter exhaled. “You’re a lot like my daughter. Strong-willed and impatient.” He walked over to the fire and crouched in front of it. “Larkin left to check on your friend last night. When he came back, he said Doug was missing.”
“What do you mean, missing?”
Walter shrugged. “That’s all I know. Colt made the decision to sleep for a few hours. Said he wouldn’t be any good on a night mission in his state. They took off as soon as it lightened up enough to see.”
Dani shook her head. “He should have told me. I could help.”
“Colt would like you to stay.”
Dani threw her hands in the air. “That’s ridiculous. Three sets of eyes are better than two.”
“I’m sure between an army officer and a former SEAL, they can find one city firefighter in the woods.”
“How would you know?”
“Marine Corps, retired.”
Dani frowned. She hated the thought of Colt out there without her, but Walter had a point. Larkin would be a better sidekick than she could ever be. But it didn’t mean she wanted to be left behind. What if they ran into trouble?
So many questions swirled around in her head. So many conflicting emotions. She didn’t know the man crouched in front of the fire. He seemed like a good guy, but even her mom could clean up nice. Dani had half-listened to the men talk about how they met and their experiences over the last month, but she’d been so tired, she missed plenty.
Part of her wanted to stay like Colt asked and part of her wanted to rush out and find him. She chewed on a nail. “So you have a daughter?”
Walter nodded. “She’s a few years older than you. Almost finished her second year in college before the EMP.”
“Are you a good father?”
The question caught Walter off guard and he blinked. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
“What’s the point? It’s not like being polite will get me anything but dead.”
“I suppose not.” Walter flicked a lighter and held it to a dry bit of fluff. It caught on fire and he eased it under the half-burned logs from the night before. Only then did he answer. “I’d like to think of myself as a good dad, yeah. I love my daughter. I would do anything to protect her and keep her safe. Maybe I was a little hard on her when she was younger, but I hope she appreciates it now.”
Dani swallowed. Walter sounded like the best dad ever. What she would have given for someone other than Gran to give a rip about her. She worked her lower lip back and forth between her teeth. “Where is she now? Why isn’t she out here with you?”
He watched the flames of the fire rise as he answered. “When we left Sacramento, we headed up here to a cabin one of my daughter’s friends knew about. It’s safe and secure and Madison is with her mother. I’m here pulling my weight. I can’t live off other people’s generosity. I have to contribute.”
Dani knew exactly how he felt. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you for letting us stay here overnight.”
“It sounded like you were in a desperate situation.”
She pursed her lips. “I’m not giving up.”
“I never said you were.”
“The car crash wasn’t our fault. We couldn’t do anything to stop it.”
“I didn’t say it was.”
“Colt and I will make it. We’re survivors.” Dani didn’t know why she felt the need to defend herself to this stranger, but she couldn’t help it. He needed to know she wasn’t some helpless girl who needed saving. She would survive even if he turned his back on them.
Walter poked at the fire. “I’ve got some food if you’re hungry. It’s not bacon and eggs, but there’s more jerky and I dried some early salmonberries I found the other day. There’s even a patch of miner’s lettuce closer to the creek.”
Dani’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. She swallowed and tried again. “I’ve already taken some of your food. I…I can go without.”
“It’s not a problem.” He stood and made his way to a collection of sacks of various sizes before waving her over. “Come, I’ll show you.”
Walter pulled open a sack at his feet. He scooped a small cup into the sack and came out with some pink things that looked like lumpy raisins. “Salmonberries usually aren’t ripe until May or June but this bush must have gotten a bunch of early sun.” He held the cup out as Dani walked up. “I dried them a few days ago. Help yourself.”
Dani plucked a single fruit. She sniffed it before taking a tentative bite. Sugar and tart exploded inside her mouth and she almost smiled. “It’s kind of like a raspberry.”
“Indeed.” Walter closed the bag before reaching for another. “I’ve also harvested some burdock root. We can mash it up and fry it. Tastes sort of like a parsnip.”
A parsnip. Dani racked her brain, but came up empty. “Is that a like a potato?”
Walter chuckled. “Let me guess, you grew up in the city.”
Dani didn’t know what to say so she shoved another dried berry in her mouth. She didn’t want to tell the man that he might as well be speaking a foreign language.
Memories of Gloria teaching her how to shell peas sprang to mind and Dani’s tongue turned to lead. She forced the berry down her throat and thumped her chest. “My mother wasn’t real good with this sort of stuff.”
“I’d be happy to teach you.”
Dani focused on the ground. Why was he being so nice? Did he want something? Was he going to use her against Colt somehow? He couldn’t be just a good guy with no ulterior motives. People like that didn’t survive anymore. It didn’t work for the Wilkins family or Melody… or maybe even Doug.
She kicked at a pinecone and watched it roll away. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Because the more I get to know you, the more hope I have for the future.”
Dani glanced up. He didn’t seem to be blowing smoke. The open look on his face said he meant every word. It didn’t make sense. Why would anything she said give him hope? “I’m nothing special.”
“That’s exactly why I have hope. You’re not standing there snarfing down my food, or complaining about the woods, or thinking only of what you’ve lost.”
“I would never do that.”
“Because you aren’t looking for someone else to save you. You’ve decided to save yourself.”
Dani supposed Walter was right. Was that the difference between her life before the EMP and now? Before the grid failed, was she spending her days secretly wishing for someone to swoop in and save her from her mom and the life she was forced to live?
She sucked in a deep breath and huffed it out. Maybe Walter was everything he said he was and more, but she wouldn’t take his generosity lying down. She pointed at the sack. “Would you mind showing me what you’ve harvested? I need to know what’s edible around here.”
Walter smiled. “It would be my pleasure.”
The two of them worked through every sack and container Walter had assembled and then moved onto various plants around the campsite. Dani sampled everything from miner’s lettuce to dandelion greens to young cattail shoots.
Walter explained what grew when and what to look for along the creek bed versus inside the forest. He even showed Dani how to make tea out of elderberry flowers and wild violets.
She smiled over the rim of her mug. “Thank you for everything. I never knew so much food grew in the middle of nowhere.”
“Believe me, neither did I. If it weren’t for s
ome enterprising friends of my daughter, I wouldn’t be much better off than you. I can hunt, but I always left the foraging to others.”
Dani sipped her tea and nodded. For the first time in forever, hope blossomed in her chest. Even if they had to camp in the woods, with a little bit of knowledge, they could survive. She turned to reach for the pot of hot water when the mug in her hands shattered.
Ceramic shards flew in all directions. One jagged piece lanced her cheek and Dani screamed.
Walter grabbed her and dragged her to the ground. “Get to the rifles! Now!”
He shielded her with his body as they scrambled across the ground. Shots rang out from a position deep in the forest. Dani couldn’t tell if it was one shooter or a whole militia full of men. Blood coated her cheek and oozed down her neck as bullets pocked the dirt at her feet.
Walter lunged for a rifle and tossed it back to her as she spun around. Whoever was shooting wouldn’t kill her without a fight.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
COLT
Northern California Forest
7:00 a.m.
“Where the hell did he go?” Colt traipsed through the forest, an arm’s length away from Larkin. The pair had been circling the muddy river bank where they found Melody’s body for over an hour looking for any sign of her brother.
“Hell if I know.”
“What did he do with Melody’s body?” Colt couldn’t make heads or tails of what must have happened in the night. When Larkin came back to Walter’s camp explaining he couldn’t find Doug, Colt blew it off. He figured the guy needed some time to grieve.
The last thing Colt wanted to do was confront Doug again in the dark. But now that they couldn’t find a single trace of him, Colt second-guessed himself. Maybe if they’d gone straight back and hunted the surrounding area, they would have come across him and been able to calm the grieving man down.