The First Hours

by Christine Conaway

  Silence. As hard as Teagan strained her ears, she heard nothing. Breathing through her mouth, Teagan tried to smother the urge to cough. When she’d slid to her side, she had breathed in some dust, and it had begun to tickle her throat. She swallowed to alleviate the itch.

  “I heard that,” whispered a male voice. “Teagan, you may as well show yourself. I saw you run.”

  Lines popped out on Teagan’s forehead as she frowned. Did she recognize the voice? Maybe, but she couldn’t place it. For sure it wasn’t Deena, and she would never have gotten as close without giving herself away, and the voice was male. Teagan didn’t give herself or location away. She tried to ease the tickle by softly clearing her throat. She was sure it was quiet, barely a soft grunt, but whoever looked for her, heard her and answered.

  “I heard that, and you don’t have to be afraid. I’m by myself.”

  Teagan wracked her brain, but no name came to mind. Maybe it was because whoever spoke to her did so in a whisper. The softness alone could distort their real voice to make it unrecognizable. It worked because Teagan still had no idea whether she should be afraid or not. It was time for her to go on the defensive and not portray the part of the victim.

  “Just to be clear, I have a gun, and I will use it if I have to. So, if you could tell me just who you are, I can make the decision if I want you to come closer or not,” she whispered back.

  The sounds from the bonfire the night before had terrified her, and she wasn’t about to put herself in the role as the next screamer. She was sure the cries would haunt her for a long time.

  “You win, but I’m crushed you could forget me so quickly. It’s Ryan. Ryan Cade. Trevor’s older brother. Two years ahead of you in school. Remember I met you at the park last weekend. You were there with Nancy Trotsky and a couple of the other kids.”

  Nancy’s eyes popped open; she did remember him. She had tried to ignore him much as she did Trevor, but Ryan had tried to make it politely difficult. One thing he had done was to make Trevor back off. The two boys had exchanged words and Trevor had left her alone the whole rest of the evening. She’d always thought Trevor was cute, but his egomaniac personality was better suited to Deena and not her. Ryan’s appearance was the complete opposite of Trevor. Where Trevor was blond and blue-eyed and thought highly of his attributes, Ryan was dark-haired and brown-eyed. Trevor was shorter and stocky while Ryan, tall, with well-defined muscles. He had been well-mannered and apologetic at the park on behalf of Trevor.

  “Why did you follow me? How did you even know it was me?”

  “Your friend Deena, and by the way, she shouldn’t be on your friend list.”

  “She’s not. It’s complicated, and I’m sure she told you I wasn’t her friend.”

  Ryan laughed softly, “She did at that. She did tell them all how you stole her money and shoes and how you broke her car.”

  “That bi…never mind. What do you want with me?”

  “This is silly arguing through the bushes. How about I just come over?”

  Teagan thought about it before answering, “Again, what do you want with me? I already told you I have a gun and know how to use it.”

  Ryan chuckled, and to Teagan’s dismay, he sounded closer.

  “What if I said I don’t have one and that’s why I want to go with you?”

  Teagan was torn as to what to do. Having some company would make the trip home easier, but two people would draw more attention than one and two people would use up her resources faster, but she would have someone to supposedly watch her back. How could she decide whether to trust him or not? She thought back to school and remembered he was everyone’s friend. He was the class president and a member of ROTC. She’d seen him in his uniform more than once. One time when he stood color guard for one of her father’s friends. He’d lost his life in the line of duty and had been given a hero’s burial. Ryan had stood at attention during the entire service. He had genuinely seemed saddened when the wife had thanked him for being there.

  Teagan let her head sink to the ground to think. “Okay. Come on over,” she finally sighed.

  He parted the bushes right above her head, “Thank you.” He held both hands in front of him as Teagan pointed the Sig at him. His eyes popped wide, and his mouth held a silent scream. He fell backward through the brush curtain.

  To Ryan, the barrel must have appeared six inches across. The surprise on his face was priceless, and he dropped the parted bushes to fall back in place. Teagan heard him scrambling away.

  “I told you I had a gun,” she snorted. “But I guess you thought I was joking.”

  “No. I knew you had it. Deena told everyone, but I sure didn’t expect to be looking down the business end of it.” He frowned, “Is it loaded?’

  Teagan chuckled, “What good would it be if it wasn’t.”

  “My kind of girl. Now, I’m going to come over and please don’t shoot me.”

  Teagan struggled to sit up. The bag hanging on the front of her hindered the process, and she was surprised when Ryan held his hand out to her and pulled her upright.

  “Thanks,” she reached behind but couldn’t reach the plastic fastener. “Um…can you give me a hand here?”

  “Might be easier if you undid the strap for the one on your back.”

  With both packs on the ground beside them, Teagan sat tongue-tied wondering how one begins a conversation with someone they barely know. Especially a conversation about how they were going to be each other’s bodyguard until they reached home. She needed to prepare him for what she thought lay ahead of them and how dangerous she was sure it was going to get.

  Teagan thought it was best to start with the basics, “you know what happened. Right?”

  From his place in the dirt in front of her he looked up, and she saw relief spread across his face. Was he worried that she was the one he needed to educate? “Hmm, from that look, I guess you do. The question is, how do we get home from here?”

  He nodded, “I did take physics so yes, but how did you know and what’s up with all the bags?” His circling index finger took in her bags. “Not many girls your age carries luggage that has this kind of childish appeal.”

  Teagan decided right then that she liked him. Even with their world’s falling down around them, he did his best to lighten the situation. Teagan sighed as if a burden had been lifted and just maybe, she would make it home after all.

  “So, I’m assuming you know how to shoot one of these.” She waggled the pistol his direction and was gratified to see his smirk.

  “Does a bear…never mind. The simple answer is yes.” His eyes lit up when he saw the pistol closer up and not covered by her hand, “That’s a nice little gun you have there. I can’t believe someone would forget they had it. Can I see it?”

  Teagan had no qualms about handing it over. She knew her father would have had a fit for trusting Ryan so quickly, but she couldn’t sleep with her eyes open, and he would be a valuable asset. She handed it to him, and he smiled in return.

  Turning it over in his hand he inspected it, and with one eyebrow raised in doubt he asked, “You pointed this at me with intentions of shooting me, and you didn’t take the safety off?”

  Teagan felt her face grow warm. Ryan was right. She’d been so rattled with the idea of having to use it, she hadn’t looked for the safety. She didn’t even know where it was on this gun.

  “But I did make sure it was loaded,” Teagan said in her own defense. “And just be glad it was on because I was shaking so much, I may have shot you accidentally.”

  Ryan grimaced, which made his eyes crinkle at the corners. “There is that to be thankful for. Now, do we have any kind of a plan?”

  When Teagan didn’t immediately answer, “I am assuming we’re heading for home.”

  Teagan had no idea that two brothers could be so different, but maybe she was judging one of them too hastily. He was nothing like her impression of Trevor. Trevor was all about him and me, mine and I’m were his favorite word
s he used when trying to entice her. Teagan had seen through him and had probably prejudged him by the way he’d dumped his previous girlfriend.

  “I’m not him,” Ryan reminded her. He had to have read her mind or maybe the expressions crossing her face. “In fact, I’m going to tell you something that no one else knows. At least not anyone outside the family. Trevor is adopted,”

  At the shock on Teagan’s face he held his hand up, “Sorry I should say he was adopted, but only by my mom. He was my dad’s little indiscretion. When his mom committed suicide two years after he was born, he was dumped on Mom. Mom tried to say it was post-partum depression, but not two years later. Even I’m not that stupid, but who knows. I did overhear she was a junky who had returned to using right after Trevor was born.”

  Teagan wondered why Ryan was so forthcoming. She couldn’t tell if he was defending Trevor or merely explaining why Trevor was like he was.

  “That’s why he feels like he has to prove himself all the time. The thing is, he tries too hard to make a good impression and ruins his own chances,” Teagan explained.

  Ryan nodded, “But, enough about Trevor. Here’s what I think we should do.”

  Teagan sat and listened while Ryan explained why they should travel at night and stay close to the highway; it being the most direct route.

  “We’ll see any trouble long before they see us,” he concluded. As if he was not used to such a long explanation, Ryan sank back and yawned wide enough to crack his jaw. He slapped his hand over it as if he just remembered he wasn’t alone. “Sorry. Yesterday was a long day, and last night wasn’t that much better. I’m not sure I slept at all.”

  Teagan was reminded of the screams but wasn’t sure she wanted to bring it up. Maybe, some kind of explanation would help to ease her mind. “Since you brought it up, who was doing the screaming? It sounded like someone was being skinned alive.”

  Your friend Deena and Trevor’s old girlfriend got into a fight. Fortunately, it was only a loud vocal fight. It was like they were trying to out scream each other. Trevor finally had to step in, and he shut them both down.” At the horrified expression on Teagan’s face, he finished. “He told both of them he was only interested in you. That both of them were used up and you were fresh meat.” He groaned when he realized what he’d said, “look, I’m sorry. His words, not mine.”

  Teagan shook her head in dismay, “What a pig! I told him in no uncertain terms I didn’t want anything to do with him, and I made a point of avoiding him like the plague.”

  Teagan made a face as if she were gagging, she felt like she was going to throw up. She didn’t understand the mentality of some people. Just because they wanted something from someone else, they thought they could impose their will freely. Trevor had shown what he was made of by his treatment of other females and his previous girlfriends. She wanted nothing to do with him and his publicly spoken words to the other girls the night before, confirmed Teagan’s resolve. She could only hope that Ryan proved to be different, and she was sure he was.

  “Ew…the plague? Those are pretty strong words.” He waited for Teagan to either laugh at his comment or say something, but she remained silent. He wondered if he’d offended her. He didn’t know Teagan all that well, but he did remember the person he thought he knew and the high school crush he’d had back then, felt stronger than ever. She was the person he’d been waiting for. She was kind to everyone, and he couldn’t imagine her hurting anyone’s feelings, let alone having the gumption enough to shoot someone. It was true he had been looking into the wrong end of the barrel, and maybe she would have pulled the trigger if he had been threatening enough…if she had bothered to release the safety. He was going to have to school her about doing it automatically. It should be her first reaction as soon as she touched the gun and he needed to teach her not to pull it unless she planned on using it and releasing the safety was the first step of the plan.

  Ryan wasn’t sure she knew how dangerous their trip home was going to be, but as an avid reader of post-apocalyptic fiction, he felt he knew what to expect. He would like for all the writers to be wrong, but he felt most of them had hit the nail on the head. Chaos, thievery, and murder would be the first reactions from some people. He hoped his thoughts were wrong, but he felt it was better to be prepared than not.

  “So, what do you think?”

  “I think I can’t spend any more time worrying about your brother. As far as traveling at night, I think you’re right, but can we at least leave here?”

  Teagan had watched the myriad of emotions crossing Ryan’s face, and she wondered if he could leave his brother behind to find his own way home. She had conflicting feelings about leaving Deena, and she wasn’t related in any way. They had begun their trip together, and Teagan felt a morsel of responsibility to the other girl.

  Teagan sighed and wished she didn’t have to say what she knew was going to pop out of her mouth. “As much as I hate to say this, I have to. What about Deena and your brother? We can’t just go off and leave them here. Can we?”

  “I’m not sure if I was hoping you’d given them some thought or felt okay about leaving them.” He groaned, in frustration, “But, you’re right. I wouldn’t feel good about just walking away, but I don’t feel okay with exposing you until I ask them if they want to go with us.”

  “Sounds fair to me and at least I’ll feel better knowing we did what we could. If they choose to not come, then it’s out of our hands. I don’t think I could live with myself if we didn’t at least ask.”

  Ryan nodded, his expression grim, “The least we can do.”

  Teagan almost laughed, “You have no idea how helpless Deena really is.”

  “Actually, she tried out for the softball team I coached my senior year, so yes I do.”

  Teagan pursed her lips and nodded, “Yeah. Then maybe you do know.”

  Chapter Six

  Nancy pulled her arm free and ran to Tom’s car. Carrie hurried after her knowing that Nancy needed a shoulder to cry on. She was right when as soon as Carrie got close, the girl threw herself into Carrie’s arms. She sobbed as if her world had fallen apart.

  Before Tom had the chance to offer help, Karl slammed the door. Tom was grateful he’d had the sense to remove his foot from the opening because even the leather boots wouldn’t have protected him from the unnecessary force Karl had used.

  Tom returned to his car and with a glance over his shoulder he saw that no one peeked from behind the closed drapes. He was hoping Nancy’s mother would have shown some compassion for her daughter and would have at least watched to see the girl was safe and going with him and Cassie. He wondered the logistics of taking both women with him to find Teagan or dropping them off at his house. As soon as they were away, he would bring it up.

  Tom drove without speaking, but his eyes kept watch on Nancy, whom Carrie had decided to sit in the back seat with. He saw the look of determination when it appeared on Nancy’s face. She wiped her hands across her face, drying her tears. She gave Tom a watery smile in the rearview mirror and nodded. Tom took it to mean she was going to be okay. When he met Carrie’s eyes, she smiled.

  He waited until he was sure Nancy was on the mend before talking. “So, where would you ladies feel more comfortable talking? Here in the car with me or at the house?”

  “I think I need to go to my house and gather up what I will need and take it to your house. Then we need to see about finding Teagan.”

  Carrie had said exactly what Tom had been thinking but hadn’t wanted to say. The gossips be damned. He wasn’t going to leave Carrie on her own. While he knew she was proficient with a gun, she couldn’t watch every door and window alone, but first, he needed to go by his house, get the extra set of keys to Teagan’s car, and move it to the house. He didn’t want someone who would know how, to hotwire and steal it.

  “First things first. We’ll stop, by my place for Teagan’s spare key, pick up her car, then we’ll go by your house. It’ll hold more of your things th
an this one. His eyes met Nancy’s in the mirror, “Nancy, do you know where Teagan is?” From her expression, he saw that she probably did know, and he waited.

  “I think…” she cleared her throat and sniffled. “I think she went to Newport with the rest of the class. I was going but…well, you saw. I didn’t go because of him.”

  Tom’s stomach rose, seeming to fill his throat. He tasted the sharp tang of bile and swallowed it down, “Newport? What for?”

  “Mr. Cooper, I’m really sorry we didn’t tell you, but Teagan didn’t think you would let her go. Then my parents told me I couldn’t, and so she went with Deena Woodward in her car. It’s the senior class trip, but I can tell you where they’re planning on staying.”

  “That’s a start. I’m just wondering what time they left.”

  Today being Saturday, he thought they must have left yesterday. The time the girls left would be critical. “Do you know when they left?” He tried to keep the urgency out of his voice. He didn’t want to upset Nancy again or make her think he held her to any kind of accountability. He couldn’t believe Teagan would go off without her friend, but he’d been so occupied with work, he had no idea if Nancy and Teagan had a falling out. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen as much of Nancy lately as in the past. When they were younger, the girls had spent alternate weekends at each other’s homes, and he had grown used to hearing laughter and giggles all weekend.

  Nancy shrugged, “I don’t know. Teagan and I had planned to leave around ten because we couldn’t check in until after one. I guess they would have left around the same time.”

  Tom nodded, he treated Nancy to a smile in the rearview, “That does help. Or it gives me an idea of how far they could have gotten.”

  Tom wanted nothing more than to push the gas-pedal to the floor and go after Teagan and Deena, but for him to lose everything they needed to support life would be a death sentence for all of them. He had to trust that Teagan could look after herself for just a little longer.