by AJ Adaire
“Yeah, whether they were interested in action or not.” Paige issued a command to Murdoch to guard. He immediately released Buck’s hand although he stayed vigilant. His eyes never left the man. “If you so much as blink crooked, he’ll take your arm off. So don’t move if you value your limbs.”
The three women moved away a few feet to try and figure out what to do with the men.
“We can’t just let them go. What if they follow us?” Peri glanced over at the miserable looking pair.
“Just shoot them,” Kim spat out. “Then we won’t have to worry about them following us.” Her angry eyes flashed.
“Let me think about it.” Paige tied the men securely, back to back, against a tree.
Chapter Twenty-two
PAIGE SAT WATCHING THE men, as Murdoch guarded them. They’d found a walkie-talkie on Buck. Careful questioning told them that there were checks every three hours. They only had about twenty minutes before the next check came.
“We can’t just let them go.” Peri and Kim attempted to make their case to Paige. “There are more of them and they’ll track us down. Maybe we should keep them as hostages.”
“I agree.” Paige ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled in frustration. “We can’t just set them free. Jack said their camp is only a couple of miles from here. They’ll high tail it back there and we’ll have the rest of them to deal with.”
Kim, the angriest of the women, spoke through tight lips, “We should just shoot them.”
“Really?” Paige approached Kim and searched her face. “Which of us do you suggest should do this deed? Do we put them up against a tree and just pull the trigger? Are you willing to be the one who shoots them?”
Kim closed her eyes. Breath escaped her like a balloon deflating. Calmer now, Kim shook her head. “No.”
“Neither am I. Okay, now that we’re agreed that the men should remain alive, we need to decide the best thing to do with them.” Paige redirected the discussion in a more positive direction. “We need to determine if we think it would be better to leave as soon as possible and travel in the dark, or wait for morning light. Also, we need to decide whether we should bring the men with us or leave them here, tied to a tree.”
“Wait,” Kim said. “If we take them with us, then they’ll know where my friends live and we’ll be putting them in danger.”
“We’ve been round and round about this.” Peri checked her watch. “We only have a few miles to go. I think we should tie them up, leave them here, and get started right away for our destination. We know their responsibility is to guard this section of the road. So, if they’re secured here, we should be able to use the road. That’ll help because it’ll be faster than going through the woods.”
A few more minutes of discussion solidified their plan. The hushed conversation ended as the walkie-talkie blared to life, breaking the quiet of the camp. The voice started a roll call of names. Paige stood up and yanked Buck to his feet. She fixed the barrel of her gun on him. “When they call your name you answer exactly like the others have. If you utter one syllable more or less, I’ll turn my dog loose on you. Understand?”
Her measured voice carried enough menace that Buck got her message loud and clear. Buck did as instructed. Paige took the walkie-talkie and tucked it into her pocket.
***
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, when they broke camp and returned to the road. “Which way to the lake?”
Buck pointed to the right.
“Ok, shed your shoes, socks, and clothes.” Despite a never-ending litany of griping and moaning, they complied. Once they’d stripped to their underwear, she tied the men’s hands together, securing them back-to-back.
Kim cut the men’s clothing into shreds. She tied the laces together and tossed their shoes high into the trees. “That ought to do it.”
“We’re going to head toward the lake. You’ll have no way of knowing how long we’ll be watching you or when we’ll leave. It may be a minute, it may be an hour, or it may be longer. If you move, you’ll be sorry. Understand?”
The men nodded.
“Here’s a little taste of your fate if you fail to follow instructions.” Paige called her dog to Buck’s side. “Murdoch, nip.” He snapped at Buck’s legs, pinching, but never breaking the skin. Anchored to Jack, Buck’s effort to dance away proved futile.
“Murdoch, stop. Sit.” She turned to Jack. “Your turn.”
The short man begged. “No, please. I swear we won’t move.”
“Good thing, because if either of you move, you’re first. Now sit.” She used part of their shirts to blindfold them.
The women made no effort to be silent as they headed off in the direction Buck told them the lake was located. Once out of earshot, they entered the forest. As soundlessly as possible, they looped back in the direction they needed to travel. Paige untied the bow and arrows that Uncle Joe had given them. While Peri and Kim waited, Paige took a short detour.
She peered through the branches and smiled with satisfaction that the men were still sitting in the road. They were working to remove the blindfolds and release their hands. Jack managed to work his blindfold loose by rubbing it against the back of Buck’s head. Now, he and Buck were working their heads back and forth to try to remove Buck’s.
Paige nocked the arrow onto the bowstring and took careful aim. Thwack. The arrow sailed by Jack and imbedded itself in the ground a few feet beyond him. His head snapped around trying to locate the source of the arrow. By then, Paige had moved her location. It had been longer than she’d liked since she’d used a bow and arrow. Still, it was similar to the type of shooting she and her wife used to do. She said a silent prayer and arched the second arrow high in the air, hoping she hadn’t misjudged. The arrow stuck in the dirt just inches from the men. They froze for a few seconds before they began scanning the trees trying to locate her.
She stepped back deeper into the foliage. “I told you not to move,” she called.
Paige wasted no time joining her friends. “That should slow them down and at least make them wonder if we’re still around.”
They hurried through the woods toward their real destination. As soon as they were out of sight of the men, they returned to the road. Progress was much faster than it had been through the forest. Paige could feel the sweat pooling at the waist of her pants. They rushed, hoping to get off the road and onto the path leading to Kim’s friends’ place, before the next check-in on the radio. The large boulder marking the head of the trail finally came into view. Once off the road a sufficient distance, they took a quick break to drink some water.
“The other men should start looking for our friends, Buck and Jack, pretty soon. I heard someone check in on the walkie-talkie a few minutes ago. When they don’t respond to their call, they’ll begin searching for them. They said their camp was only two miles from our campsite.” Paige wiped an arm across her forehead. “We need to keep going.”
Chapter Twenty-three
PERI WORKED HARD TO keep up with the two longer-legged women. Nearing the point of exhaustion, she stopped. “Please, wait up.”
Kim and Paige turned to see what the problem was. “I’m sorry. You have to slow down a bit. I’m almost jogging to keep up with you.”
Paige approached Peri. “I’m sorry.” She put her hand on the shorter woman’s shoulder and smiled down at her. “I forgot how height challenged you are.”
Her disposition a bit frayed, Peri snapped, “Don’t start with the short jokes, just slow down. I can’t keep up with you…I’ve tried my best. I can’t do it anymore.”
“Okay, let’s take a break. You can catch your breath, and afterward you can lead.” Paige opened her canteen and handed it to Peri. “Maybe Kim and I can lighten your load a bit too. That’ll help slow us down and make the going easier for you. We shouldn’t have too much farther to go.”
After readjusting the packs, Peri led off. Because of the reduced weight, she was able to maintain a qu
icker pace. They hiked another forty minutes and stopped in a small meadow, overlooking a homestead about half a mile away. Looking down on the cabin, they could see various outbuildings.
Kim squinted in the sun. “I’m pretty sure that’s it. That’s their place. It’s exactly as I remember it.”
“Thank God. I thought we’d never get here.” Dark circles ringed Peri’s eyes. She blew a breath upward across her face and wiped her arm across her brow.
Paige could see the signs of fatigue and stress from the journey starting to show on Peri and Kim’s faces. She assumed her face was showing similar signs. Surveying the property from above, they saw no sign of life. Gingerly, they picked their way over the hillside and made their way down to the homestead. They passed by the first out building and headed for the house.
“Stop right there and get your hands where I can see them.” A woman’s soft voice, with a slight Spanish accent, ordered from the doorway of the building behind them. “Turn around so I can see who you are.”
The three women turned to show their faces.
“Kim? Is that you?” Allie set her gun against the wall and ran into her friend’s embrace. Allie burst into tears. “You’ll never believe how glad I am to see you. How’d you get here?”
“Believe it or not we walked.” Kim glanced around. “Where’s DJ?”
Allie’s eyes filled. “Gone.”
“Oh, Allie. I’m so sorry. How long ago?”
She blinked away her tears. “I’ll tell you in a bit.” She turned toward Peri and Paige. “First, we must remember our manners. Introduce me to your friends.” She stepped back and welcomed her visitors. “Hello, I’m Alejandra Arana.” She flashed them a beautiful smile.
“Allie, these are my friends. I’m sure you remember Peri Henderson.”
“Hello, Allie. You might not recognize me under all this dust and dirt.” Peri grinned.
“Oh yes. I remember you, Peri, from that camping weekend. We had a good time.” Allie clasped Peri’s hand in both of hers.
Kim put a hand on Allie’s elbow gently rotating her to face the other visitor. “This is Paige Monroe. We met Paige on the trail. She’s a policewoman and experienced woodsman, along with her dog Murdoch there. They’ve saved us from our inexperience and other hazards several times.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Allie wrapped an arm around Kim’s waist. “Please, come into the house. I’ll make you some food. Come along, Murdoch. Bet you’re hungry too.”
Murdoch followed Allie into the kitchen. “Please, sit. We can chat while I cook. You must be hungry.”
Paige watched the petite woman’s efficient movements as she whipped up breakfast for her surprise visitors. Despite being incredibly slender, she had curves. She’d have to stretch to reach five feet, making Peri appear tall. If released from her ponytail, her honey-brown hair would fall to her shoulders. Below an aquiline nose and large, deep-blue eyes, she had full lips. Even, white teeth appeared even brighter against her olive complexion. Describing Allie as striking and beautiful would be an understatement.
Peri’s request to help was denied with a gentle smile and a shake of Allie’s head. “Thank you, no. I will work more quickly alone. I’m used to it.” She set about cooking a hot breakfast of pancakes after she placed the butter and syrup on the table. “These things come from our place. We make our own wild blueberry syrup, and butter from our goats.”
“Thanks, Allie. We’re all famished.” Kim touched her friend on the shoulder. “How about Peri and I set the table?”
Peri helped distribute plates and silverware on her side of the table. “It’s clear that you were prepared for our arrival, Allie. It was almost as if you were expecting us.”
“My husband was a very clever and cautious man. He has sensors hidden around the perimeter of our property. The alarm sounds when someone breaks the beam. We sometimes get false alarms from animals. Still, it makes me feel a little safer. We also have a safe room in the back of the bedroom, behind the bookshelf. It was only big enough for the two of us. Since I’ve been alone, it’s where I sleep at night. I felt safer there. It’ll be nice to not have to sleep there tonight.”
“Tell us more about the community here, Allie,” Kim said.
“Here, there is a loose community of five homesteads that covers about fifty square miles. People are always helpful. They came here to be away from others and aren’t too welcoming of neighborly visits. We get together in the spring to trade seeds and goods we’ve made over the winter. In the fall we meet again, to trade things we’ve grown or made over the summer.”
“We met some of your neighbors last night.” Kim leaned forward in her chair and placed her elbows on her knees. “Two jerks named Buck and Jack.”
“Oh, the biggest jackasses in the county. You were not lucky to meet those two. They are part of the group that owns on the other side of the road, and have not lived there too long. The head of the group is not a bad man. He does all he can to keep them in line. Since they’ve come here, I have never gone anywhere without a gun. In large part because of them, DJ and I were talking about moving closer to the city. This land has been in my husband’s family for generations. His relatives were loggers, well before it became a huge business that began stripping the land of all the trees. Although we enjoyed being away from all the stress of full-time jobs and the noise of the city, we missed having friends.”
Peri smiled. “Yes, I can imagine it would be lonely.”
“Especially now.” Allie was silent for a few moments as she finished cooking the pancakes and set them on the table for her guests. Her eyes misted again, as she continued her story. “We began hearing reports of the illness on the radio. We thought that we’d be safe out here. We had no contact with anyone. I still don’t understand how he got it.”
Kim reached for her friend’s hand. “I don’t think anyone knows how it’s transmitted. At first, they thought it spread only through direct contact. Later, those reports were modified when they discovered the virus could live on paper money for up to three weeks. That’s the last we heard.”
“Hmm. That would explain how people here got it. Some of us trade in town. We sell what we grow and still use money to buy services and stock from each other, in addition to bartering. After DJ died, I waited to get sick. The sickness…it never came for me.” She stood up. “I have something to check. Please, finish your meal. I’ll return in a few minutes.” Her abrupt departure left the group staring in the direction she’d fled.
Peri looked to Kim. “Should you go after her?”
Kim turned back to face the others. “I know her. She’s a very private person. I’ll give her a chance to pull herself together, and then go to her.”
Chapter Twenty-four
PERI AND PAIGE CLEARED the table and did the dishes, while Kim went to find Allie.
“Are you okay?” Kim asked her friend.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay again.”
Kim sat next to Allie and draped an arm over her shoulder. Allie leaned her head on Kim’s shoulder. “The illness came on him all of a sudden. He tried to be sure everything would be okay for me. At the end, his fever was so high. He was so hot, burning up, and his mind came and went. He begged me to take him to the potting shed. I didn’t know why. He kept insisting, ‘It’s the only way.’ We had a little stove out there. I made a small fire and we sat together on the bench until he was gone.” Sobs spilled from Allie. She cried as if there would be no end to the tears.
Kim held her, unable to offer any consolation other than patting her back and whispering, “Shh, shh, we’re here now.”
Allie’s sobs slowed and gave way to silent tears of grief. “I finally figured out he didn’t want to die in the house. I was so lost without him. I stumbled through the next few days, totally numb. The enormity of his loss started to be replaced by concern for my own life. I thought I would be next. Another few days passed and I didn’t get sick. I wondered about what to do. I
was afraid to leave here, but knew I had nowhere else to go. I decided I’d try to stay here, and see if I could survive alone. I had enough dry goods to last me more than a year, and we have food preserved enough that I knew I wouldn’t have to worry this year. I know how to grow vegetables and decided I would plant the garden like we usually did. I thought I’d be safer here than anywhere else. I figured if I survived this summer and made it through the winter I’d figure something out after that. I think I needed to keep some things stable in my life. So, I just moved forward as if he were gone on a hunting trip.”
“We all cope in different ways. I think you made the best possible choice.”
Allie pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and blew her nose. She turned to face Kim as she told her the rest. “I got around to changing the bed about a week later. I found a piece of folded paper under his pillow. He took care of me to the end.” She sniffed back the tears that threatened to spill over again.
“What do you mean?”
“He knew if he died in the house, there would be no way for me to move him. That’s why he made me take him to the shed. He left instructions to burn the shed to the ground. I couldn’t do it. He’s still out there. I wrapped him in a tarp and sewed it closed.” Allie started to sob again and through gasps said, “I couldn’t bring myself to burn him.”
“We’ll take care of him. We can bury him if you want us to.” Kim pulled her friend to her and held her till her sobs subsided.
“Thank you, Kim. Thank you for coming, and thank you for this.”
“God, Allie. You’ve been through hell here, all alone. You won’t have to be alone again. You have friends here now…me and the others. They’re both good people and you can trust them. You don’t have to worry any more. Together we’ll be fine, all of us. I promise. Why don’t you take a nap? You’ll feel better when you wake up. I’ll take care of everything.”