“Then there’s the plague. If it’s as virulent as you said, it’s bound to spread among these people. After we take care of Ruben’s gang, I think we should go deep into the woods and keep to ourselves until the worst of everything is over.”
“At least we gave them a fighting chance,” Ada said.
“I’ll let the Major know about my concerns. He may get them organized enough to fight off gangs. The plague is the main worry. What about Angie and Judy?”
“We’ll let them follow us, go to the cave first, it’s not that far. After that, we’ll find a place for a semi-permanent camp. Susan redid their packs with appropriate supplies and clothing. Judy had five pounds of candy bars in her’s.”
“They’ll cramp our plans.”
“We’ll handle it Max. That’s what we’ll do, right? It’ll take us several trips back and forth to transport all the supplies on our list. We can set rules and boundaries for them before we move on.”
********
The morning dawned warm and got even hotter as the sun rose higher in the sky. Max and Ada, heavy backpacks strapped to their shoulders, walked north with an unhurried pace through the forested wilderness of the Wildlife Management Area. They crossed the creek and climbed the slope to the cave.
Ada let her backpack slide to the stones of the terrace. “Lunch time. You get a fire started and I’ll cook.”
Max let his pack join hers, laid his rifle on top, and stretched, arching his back. He removed a washcloth from his pants pocket and wiped sweat from his face. “About time. I’m starved.”
Ada opened the top of her pack to remove several foil wrapped packages, and called with unnecessary loudness. “Get plates and utensils from your backpack. I’m ready for some barbequed beef and veggies.”
After a few moments, she called to him again. “Have you been hearing noises behind us like somebody’s following us?”
“I thought I did. You don’t think it’s those two girls, do you?”
Ada voiced loudly, “No. They’re too much like babies. They couldn’t keep up with us.”
Max called back, “Yeah, even if they did, they wouldn’t think to bring backpacks.”
“Yeah,” Ada agreed. “They’re still back at the camp.”
A little voice shouted from the forest. “We do too have backpacks.”
Ada shouted back. “Baby backpacks maybe.”
“No they’re not. Heavy backpacks. Too heavy. We thought ya’ll were going to walk forever. Judy’s been crying ‘cause her shoulders are hurting. Mine hurts too, but I ain’t crying.”
Ada whispered to Max. “Go help them.”
She shouted to the forest. Judy, Angie honey, Max is coming to get your packs. You two run ahead and help me with lunch.”
After they ate, Ada examined the girl’s shoulders.
“Max, the cave’s too cold to stay in. You may as well set up our tent because these young girls aren’t going anywhere for a few days. They’ve got blisters the size of Texas.”
“We got a tent too,” Judy said. “That’s why my packs heavier than hers.”
“Two tents, Max. These kids are smarter than we thought.”
Judy asked, “Are you and Mister Max going to keep us, Miss Ada?”
“You know we’ll never stay in one place very long, and that it will be very dangerous to be with us.”
Judy said, “Ain’t no place safe, but there are safe people. We can keep up wherever you go if you don’t walk too fast.
Ada stood between the two young girls, her arms pulling them close to her body, “What do you think Max? Should we keep them?”
“Yeah we’re going to keep ‘em, but they need to agree to some conditions. They have to follow orders. We dye their hair, or cut it off. Their heads are bright, blonde targets. They have to say the vow. If they do that, then I reckon we can declare us a clan.”
The children agreed to the terms and repeated the vow.
Nos fides nos
We trust us.
It was wet ceremony, one filled with tears on faces and spit squeezed from between their stacked hands, but it birthed an odd sort of family on the outskirts of chaos.
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
DISASTER: Too Late to Prep Page 21