by Alex Gunwick
As he drank what was left of the water in the bottle, he relaxed against the wall. He was safe for now. Libraries weren’t high on the list of places to loot. It looked like this place had been passed over already, so he didn’t expect trouble. But it never hurt to stay alert.
2
Liz raised a pair of night vision binoculars to her eyes. As she crept through the forest several hundred yards from her cabin, she scanned for threats. Although she didn’t expect anyone from the preacher’s compound to venture onto her property, she couldn’t leave her family’s safety to chance. Until Luke returned home, she was responsible for their kids, Sierra and Kyle.
The branches of gnarled oaks reached out to block her path in several places. She tried to memorize every step so she wouldn’t have to use the binoculars, but the area was too big. Fortunately the first rays of sunlight brightened the horizon.
She hung the binoculars around her neck. As she crossed the creek that cut through her property, she squinted at the ground. So far, she hadn’t spotted any tracks, but she had to remain vigilant.
A few days earlier, she’d caught several men from a nearby church trespassing on her property. She’d been forced to shoot and kill one of them when he’d attempted to infiltrate her home. She’d confronted their preacher, Elijah, in front of the entire congregation of about forty people. Although he’d denied knowing anything about the men on her land, she didn’t believe him.
Since she didn’t trust him, she’d outlined a series of perimeter sweeps. She’d already caught several people from the preacher’s compound stealing water from the stream. Their land began over the next ridge, and she intended to make sure they stayed on it.
The sky turned indigo, then golden fire danced across the clouds. She shivered. Over the last two days, the temperature had dropped several degrees. October weather in Southern California was unpredictable at best. It could be one hundred degrees one day, and seventy the next. A lot of it depended on the Santa Ana winds. If they were blowing, it would be warmer. Fortunately they’d stopped, which in turn significantly reduced the risk of wild fires.
She walked across an acorn-covered trail. A pale shaft of sunlight spotlighted a broken twig. She stopped, bent over and picked it up. She’d never done any kind of animal tracking, but she’d cleared the path the previous day. This had to be fresh.
Three yards away, a broken twig lay on the ground. She dropped the one in her hand and headed over to the second one. A faint shoe impression in the dirt confirmed her suspicion. They’d been on her property again. To confirm it, she followed the tracks over the hill into the next canyon. They ended at the edge of the forest, a stone’s throw from the preacher’s compound.
She hid in the shadow of a great oak and watched the men and women of the congregation. Although they appeared to be a perfectly normal community from the outside, something wasn’t right. She’d spent the last several days spying on them. Elijah seemed to control every aspect of their day. The group was too regimented, too organized, and too homogenized, like something out of a dystopian society.
If only she could talk to some of them away from Elijah’s watchful eyes. Maybe things weren’t as perfect as they seemed. Ultimately, she couldn’t have cared less what they did as long as they stayed away from her and her kids.
As she turned to hike back toward the cabin, a branch snapped in the distance. She froze and scanned the trees. A shiver slithered down her spine. Someone was out there, watching. She could feel their eyes on her. Invasive. Penetrating.
She stood taller and thrust back her shoulders. Her hands rested lightly on the shotgun she’d strapped across her chest in a two-point sling. Whoever was out there wasn’t going to intimidate her. She wouldn’t let them.
After standing her ground for several minutes, she cautiously picked a path through the woods, careful to avoid stepping on any twigs. It couldn’t hurt to be extra cautious. If anything happened to her, Sierra and Kyle would be left to fend for themselves. Kyle was only thirteen, far too young to be on his own. And Sierra…
Liz shook her head. They were in this mess with the preacher’s group because of her daughter. For a nineteen-year-old, she didn’t seem to have a lick of common sense. Maybe Liz had been too soft on her daughter. Maybe she should have taken a harder line. Maybe she shouldn’t have tried to shelter her so much. She’d tried to give her kids everything she hadn’t had while growing up, but at what cost?
Hopefully Sierra had learned a valuable lesson about safety. They weren’t in the regular world anymore. They’d barely escaped the post-bombing chaos. Within hours of the first nuke, riots and shootings had overwhelmed the city. The cabin was supposed to be their Bug Out Location, their safe zone. Now it was compromised.
As she crossed the stream, she spotted movement in the brush ahead. She grabbed the shotgun and pointed it at the shadow. When Edwin Wright stepped into the light, she breathed a sigh of relief. He carried a plastic bucket in each hand. He lived in the cabin up the road with his wife, Sandy. They’d both recently retired and had planned on living a simple life out in the woods. Liz didn’t know them very well, but Edwin, Luke, and Kyle had gone on several weekend fishing trips together. Edwin and Sandy seemed like good people, so she let them take water from the stream.
“We should set up a code word or signal or something so you don’t shoot me when I come up for water,” Edwin said.
“Sorry about that. I was on patrol. Found some new tracks a few yards down on the other side of the stream. I followed them back to the preacher’s compound.”
“Did you see anyone?”
“Just the usual. People working on various tasks. Although, some of the men must have been out on patrol because I didn’t see everyone. I didn’t stay too long. My watch is almost over. Kyle’s up next.”
“It must be hard with only the three of you.”
“Luke should be home in a few days. He called us.”
“How’d he manage that? I thought all the power was still out. I’ve been on the HAM for days. As far as I can tell, the whole US went dark a few days ago. I’m starting to believe your EMP theory.”
“He called from a satellite phone. I found one out in the shed and he had the number.”
“Where was he?”
“Just off of the Pacific Crest Trail near the Cajon Pass. He ran into a trail angel.”
“A what?”
“A guy who helps hikers out. He offered to let Luke stay at his place for the night. The guy had a sat phone.” She smiled at the memory of hearing his voice for the first time in over ten days.
“That must have been a huge relief.”
“It was, but I’m still worried. He’s got to get through the Inland Empire on foot.”
“What’s that, fifty, sixty miles away?”
“About sixty or so. But on foot, it may as well be five hundred.”
“He made it from San Jose to the Cajon Pass. As long as he doesn’t run into any trouble, he’ll make it the rest of the way.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Trouble.”
“We’ll say a few extra prayers for him. If you want to come by later, Sandy’s been baking biscuits. I keep telling her we need to conserve gas, but she says she’s too bored to sit around and knit all day. Although…” he glanced at the sky. “With the way the weather’s going, I might need an extra sweater or two.”
“It seems early for it to be this cold.”
“You can never tell when summer will be over in So Cal. I miss being able to hop online to check the Weather Channel. Sandy used to watch it all the time. I used to hate sitting through endless updates on hurricanes on the other side of the US just so I could catch the local weather. Now I’d give anything to be so bored.”
“I hear you.”
“Anyway, come over in a few hours. If you can bring a side dish or two, Sandy’s cooking up one of the roasts from the freezer. We’re eating the fresh meat before we break into the canned stuff. I don’t want to keep wasting gas on the generator
to keep the freezer running. We’re cycling it on and off, but it’s still guzzling gas faster than I’d like.”
“Sounds good. The best I can do is canned green beans and corn. We don’t have a separate freezer at the cabin.”
“That works. I’ll let her know. We’d be happy to have some company.”
“Before you go, have you seen anyone wandering around your property?” she asked.
“I haven’t really been looking.”
“You might want to check on your way back. Make sure no one’s been poking around.”
“I’ll take a look. See you later.”
As he bent down to scoop water into the buckets, she turned toward her cabin. When she reached the grassy clearing in front of the cabin, Justice, her one-year-old golden retriever, came barreling down the front steps. Kyle raced behind him.
“Hey, Mom!”
“Are you ready for patrol?”
“Yep. I’ve got my rifle and Justice is coming with me.” He turned to the dog and ruffled his fur. “Aren’t you?”
“Woof!”
“Be careful. Remember, don’t engage anyone. Don’t shoot. You’re only out there to observe. If you see anything suspicious, make note of the area and come tell me. Okay?”
“Got it.”
“I’m counting on you to stay safe.”
“We will.”
As Kyle and Justice headed into the forest, she rubbed her temples. She hated sending him out on patrol, but with only her and Sierra, they couldn’t possibly take twelve-hour shifts. As soon as Luke got home, things would change. Until then, she’d have to make due. Unless…
What if she could pull Edwin and Sandy into the group? They lived close enough that they wouldn’t have to expand their perimeter walk by very much. Everyone would enjoy shorter shifts too. Having two more adults to help shoulder the duty would take a huge weight off her shoulders. But would they be willing to do it? They hadn’t had any trouble with Elijah, so they really didn’t have any incentive to help, but it couldn’t hurt to ask. Worst case scenario, they’d say no, and she’d be right back where she started. But if they said yes, then she’d get a few extra hours of sleep each day. It was worth a shot.
Liz waited until everyone’s bellies were filled with Sandy’s succulent pot roast before broaching the subject of sharing watch duties. As Kyle and Sierra cleared the dishes, Liz leaned back against the log cabin wall and sighed.
“I haven’t eaten that well in weeks.”
“I’m glad you came over,” Sandy said. “I was afraid I’d have to eat all of those biscuits myself.”
“Can we take some home?” Kyle asked.
“Kyle!” Liz shook her head. “We can’t take any more food from you. We don’t know how long the power outage is going to last.”
“It’s okay,” Sandy said. “I’ve got enough flour and baking powder stored up to feed an army. Anytime you need anything, come on over.”
“I might take up you on that,” Liz said. She turned toward Edwin, who sat at the head of the table. “Did you have a chance to look around?”
“Yeah.” His gaze darted to his wife before returning to Liz. “I found tracks near the shed.”
“What kind of tracks?” Sandy asked.
“Boot prints.”
“Who’d be interested in our shed? We don’t have anything valuable back there.”
“We’ve got the fuel for the generator.”
“Someone would have to cart it off in a wheelbarrow or something,” Sandy said. “I know most of the people in the canyon. I can’t see any of them stealing from us.”
“Other people might not be as well supplied,” Liz said. “I’ve been thinking, maybe we should work together to keep watch over both of our properties. Since they butt up against each other on one side, it won’t be very hard.”
When Edwin and Sandy glanced at each other, Liz frowned. Sandy pressed her lips together. Edwin shifted in his chair.
“I told you we should have talked to her first,” Sandy said.
“We didn’t know her very well when it happened,” Edwin countered.
“Yeah, but you could tell right away that she’s a nice person. And she’s got kids.”
As Liz watched the tennis match of words being volleyed back and forth, tension tightened her spine.
“Well,” Edwin dropped his gaze to the table. He toyed with the edge of a paper napkin. “We sort of already have a neighborhood watch set up.”
“You do?” Liz’s eyebrows shot up.
“We started it a few days before we ran into you at the cabin. A couple of neighbors down the road thought it might be a good idea,” Edwin said.
“They live closer to Santiago Canyon Road, so they wanted us to help protect the canyon,” Sandy said.
“How many people are involved?” Liz asked.
“Let’s see…” Edwin cocked his head to one side and tapped a finger on the table. “Well there’s Harvey and Irene. They live closest to the road. It’s just the two of them. They never had any kids. Franklin and Jamie are at the next house back. They've got two kids, Carla and Noelle. They’re twins. They just turned eighteen. And then there’s Burt and Tawney. They've got a son, Owen. He's older. Twenty-five. A bit of a slacker if you ask me. Always about ten minutes late to his watch, but at least he chips in.”
“Wow. I didn’t realize there were so many people in the canyon,” Liz said.
“There are others living in the canyon, but Harvey and Irene created the group. They only invited people they know,” Edwin said.
“Makes sense.”
“I could take you over there. See if they’d let you into the group. They might want to hear about the trouble you’ve been having with the church people.”
“Well…I wasn’t planning on broadcasting where we live to a bunch of people,” Liz said.
“You’d only meet Harvey and Irene. I hate to make it sound like a cult or something, but they’re very particular about who they invite into the group. If they met you and didn’t like you for some reason, they wouldn’t run around telling everyone else. They’d keep it to themselves.”
Liz hated the idea of being exposed to more people, especially another group. It hadn’t worked out well the first time, so why would it work out this time? Even if Edwin thought she and the kids would be a good fit for the group, it didn’t mean Harvey and Irene would agree. It was a risk she wasn’t sure she was ready to take.
“I appreciate the offer,” Liz said. “But I need to think about it.”
“I doubt you’ll have any problem with them,” Sandy said. “They’ve always been really nice to us. We even swap flour for sugar sometimes.”
“They’re probably very nice,” Liz said. “But given the trouble we had recently, I don’t know if I’m ready to meet another group.”
“Understandable,” Sandy said. “Let us know what you decide. In the meantime, we won’t mention anything to them. We wouldn’t want them showing up unannounced.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything for dessert?” Kyle asked.
“Dishes are done,” Sierra said.
“Of course I have dessert. You two are the best helpers I’ve ever seen,” Sandy said.
Sierra smiled for the first time in days. Maybe Liz shouldn’t have come down on her so hard after the incident with the preacher. At least Sierra seemed to be over the pouting phase. After finding out about her rendezvous with a boy from the church, Liz had grounded her. She wasn’t allowed to leave the house other than for chores and patrol. Maybe she could finally let up a bit. Give her more freedom.
“I hope you like apple pie,” Sandy said. “I had to use canned apples, but I made up for it with brown sugar.”
“It smells amazing,” Sierra said.
Liz felt a twinge of guilt. She’d been feeding the kids rice and beans every day, hoping to preserve the canned food until they absolutely couldn’t stand rice and beans anymore. Then she’d planned on incorporating a can here
and there to add variety.
Two weeks ago, they’d been able to have almost any kind of food imaginable. The proliferation of grocery stores in their neighborhood covered every type of cuisine from Mexican, to Asian, to Indian. They even had an authentic New York-style deli. What she wouldn’t give for a pastrami on rye. Before the bombs, she’d taken her food options for granted. Now she would have given anything for a slice of pepperoni pizza.
As Sandy slid a piece of steaming pie in front of her, Liz inhaled the hedonistic aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The smell of fall. Of pumpkins and Thanksgiving. She hoped they’d be able to celebrate something this year. She held out little hope for the return of electricity if they had been hit by an EMP, but maybe they could go on some food runs into the city. Shore up their supplies. They had plenty of canned goods back at the house. She didn’t need them right now, but in a few months, she may have wished she’d returned to grab all the food she could.
3
Luke jolted awake. A pitch-black room. Silence. The library. Right. He shook off the last vestige of sleep and rolled his shoulders. After groping around, he located his pack. He pulled a small flashlight out and flicked it on.
Shadows stretched across the classroom. He checked his leg. The bleeding had stopped and even though it still stung, it didn’t hurt nearly as bad.
Progress. He’d take it when he could get it. The wins were few and far between, so he intended to celebrate every one of them. At this point, hope was all he had to go on. Without hope, he’d never make it home.
His stomach rumbled. After sorting through his pack, he devoured two energy bars and a Snickers. He washed it down with half of his second bottle of water before screwing the cap back on. Until he found a new water source, he couldn’t finish it off.
As he climbed to his feet, pain shot down his leg. He growled and shook it off. Bad idea. Flashes of white-hot fire sizzled along his nerves. He sighed and waited until the worst of it passed before attempting to take a step. He’d wanted to avoid taking any painkillers since he had such a limited supply to begin with, but he needed to keep moving.