by A J Newman
“Jane any man worth his salt would want a beautiful woman like you. I like being with you, and you’ve helped take my mind off Sarah’s death during our visits together. I also promise to do my best to be a good man to you and be a partner. Please bear with me through her death and my grieving. I’ll do my best but don’t ever tell me not to love her or think about her,” Ben honestly replied.
Jane took his hand and said, “Ben I wouldn’t respect you if you could just forget her and jump in bed with me; however, I do expect you to care for me and hopefully fall in love with me. I’m the first one to agree that we need to hook up with each other just for survival, but I do need a loving husband, and that includes the bedroom. I hope my blunt talk doesn’t scare you away.”
“No, it doesn’t. I feel the same way. I know I have to move on. Sarah has set a plan in motion to make sure I have a good life. I’m not going to squander that gift,” he replied.
The meeting with Sarah went much better than could be expected. Ben sat down next to Sarah across from Jane, but Sarah asked Ben to sit next to Jane.
“Now please hold hands while we talk. I want you to be comfortable around each other and comfortable around me. I know it will be very hard for Ben, but you two need to think of me as Ben’s cupid big sister who is trying to fix him up with her best friend. Ben, I’m going to be telling Jane about your deepest darkest secrets. I’m even going to tell her what you like me to do for you in bed …” Sarah winked at Jane before she was interrupted.
“Whoa, I get what you are trying to do, and please believe me that I really appreciate what you’re doing. But telling Jane what I like in bed is a bit personal,” Ben replied with a bright red face.
“I was just joking. I believe it will only take one … err … session before she knows exactly what you want and for you to know what she wants in bed. The point I want to get across is to talk with each other and never let something fester and grow into a real problem. Now my guess is that you have been talking about this awkward situation for the last half hour on the way up here. So let’s get to the dating part. There is a picnic basket on the table. Ben, take her to a romantic spot in the woods away from here and court her while I take a nap. If you two are back before 2 pm, I’ll beat both of you. Enjoy your new companionship. There is a blanket under the basket. Now get out of here,” Sarah said.
***
“Cloe, I’m sorry,” Joe said with tears in his eyes.
“Joe where is my mom? You said that you would bring her back with you,” Cloe said before running back into the cabin.
Joe started to run after her, but Jane stopped him. “Joe she’s known for weeks her mom’s not coming back. She just had the confirming news. Let her process it and then go to her.”
“Tell us about your time in the city,” Dan asked.
Joe said, “All of the cities were infested with gangs and the worst kind of vermin. I searched for Cobie, interrogated over a dozen thugs, and got nothing about Cobie. I talked with three times that many citizens of those towns and they didn’t know anything. I scouted all four cities and decided that it was too dangerous to try to shoot them all myself. I began sniping at them from a distance. I then killed some on both sides and made sure to leave evidence from the other gang so that they would start a war between the two major groups. I then…”
Ginny interrupted, “Wait, Joe, are you saying you shot and killed several people? How did you know they were bad people?”
Joe’s face turned red, he got mad, but he stifled his anger and said, “I’m trying to spare you the horrible things I witnessed. I saw the first two men raping a preteen girl. I saw elder women raped. I saw men and women burned to death. I saw people eating their dogs because they were starving while the gang had plenty of food. Ginny, I personally killed dozens of the vermin and got them to kill twice that many during their war. There was a group of the Portland gang leaders held up in the Medford Armory. I blew them to hell and back. The whole Armory went up in pieces. I killed over twenty in that one explosion.”
Everyone looked at Joe as though he was a monster except Sarah and Jane who gave him a hug and said, “Joe, I know you hated killing those criminals, but I am thankful you did what the rest of us couldn’t do. Thanks.”
Sarah placed her arm around Joe’s waist and laid her head on his shoulder. Sarah asked, “Joe weren’t you scared? That was so brave. I would have been scared to death.”
Joe stammered a bit, as he said, “There are no words to tell you how scared I was. The first time I started to shoot that first thug, a door slammed before I pulled the trigger. I pissed my pants. I was scared the entire time, but it had to be done.”
The others took a few minutes to process what they had heard, and Sarah was the next to speak. She said, “Joe, it saddens me that you had to see such depravity and had to deal with it by yourself. There will be more depraved people and perverts to kill. We need to make sure we learn how to protect ourselves and not be afraid to eliminate this garbage.”
Joe heard a strange sound and asked, “Was that a cow mooing?”
“Yes, we have three cows, two horses, six goats, and a dozen chickens. Ben and I have made several scouting trips around the area and searched for abandoned ranches. There are thousands of chickens out there and plenty of cows, sheep, and goats. We also have a huge garden planted. Ben and I couldn’t get a tractor running, so we fashioned a plow to go on the back of the other Jeep. It won’t plow very deep, but an extra pass makes it deep enough,” Dan said.
“Great, we’ll have milk and eggs until you get the herd large enough to slaughter a cow for meat. That also explains the odor,” Joe said.
“Yep, cow poop all over the place. We are gathering it to fertilize the crops,” Ginny replied.
Joe thanked everyone for watching over Cloe and getting the spring planting done and then walked toward his home. Jane followed him and stopped him when they were out of sight of the cabin.
“Joe, how are you doing?” Jane asked.
“Pretty good. My wounds are healing, and my limp is almost gone. My hip hurts at night when I sleep on that side. How are you and the kids?” Joe asked.
“We are all fine. Joe, I missed you. I think we got very close over the past few months and you are my best friend up here in the mountains. Every time you leave, I get sick in my stomach. Joe, Cloe was eating herself up with worry about your safety also. She knows her mom is probably dead and doesn’t want to lose you. Please stay here now for our group’s sake,” Jane begged.
“Jane I have no plans to leave right now. Even if Cobie is alive, I have no idea where to search. Please don’t cling to me now. I need space to clear my head and move on with my life. I will be the best father to Cloe that I can, and that will keep me busy,” Joe answered.
“Joe, do me a favor,” Jane said.
“Of course.”
“Don’t tell anyone, but Sarah is dying from cancer. She asked Ben and me to marry once she is gone. I have agreed to do that and am now seeing Ben. Please don’t tell anyone.”
“That’s a lot to take in, but I’m happy for you and Ben and so sorry for Sarah.”
Joe went on over to his home and fell on the couch. Later, he was asleep when someone crashed on top of him. It was Cloe, and she was blubbering, “Joe I love you. I’m not mad at you. I just can’t believe that mom is gone. Please forgive me.”
Joe held her close and said, “Cloe, you mean everything to me, and I’m not mad at you. We have each other, and I’m going to be a good father to you.”
“Joe, tell me what happened in the cities.”
“Baby girl, I don’t want to talk a lot about my trip to everyone, but I’ll tell you what you need to know. The cities are in bad shape from the looting, fires, and violence. All of the cities I visited had been taken over by gangs from California and Northern Oregon. They seized all of the food and water they could find and had started many of their old illegal businesses. They added slavery to their usual drugs and pros…err
.”
Cloe said, “You can say prostitution. I’m not a baby.”
“Baby girl, I’d like to keep you as innocent as possible. It’s up to your mom to decide what you need to know about the criminal world that has intensified since the lights went dark.”
“Thanks Joe for being sensitive but you don’t have to pull punches.”
“Anyway, I helped several families free themselves from the gangs and told them to head into the woods to survive. Several groups of good people should have found the cabins south of here,” Joe said.
“One family has moved into your old cabin. They knew you,” Cloe added.
“Great, I wasn’t sure if they would make it. I only gave my name to one or two groups. Back to my story, I spent a month thinning out the gang members and helping the locals. I gave them the gang’s guns and food supplies. I actually started a war between the two largest gangs and watched them decimate each other. That’s the short story and all that’s fit for young ears,” Joe said as he lightly punched Cloe on the arm.
“Joe that old man told us that you asked him about mom. He told me that he told you about a woman and girl who were looking for two captured women. He said he ran across them on his way here. The woman was operating out of a subdivision south-east of Ashland between Highways 5 and 66,” Cloe said.
“Yes, I remember him saying that. Why are you bringing it up now?”
“I remembered that he said the two were searching for two women named Gail and Lyn,” Cloe said.
“Shit, that rings a bell. Where have I … that bastard Mal said his friends were Gail, John, Rob, and Lyn. Those were the two women in the pickup that we’ve been looking for. Son of a Bitch, I was close to your mom and never knew it. She was killing bad guys along with one of those women from the B&B. How could I have missed this?” Joe exclaimed.
“But Joe, she should have heard that you were looking for her,” Cloe said.
“Yes, that doesn’t make sense, but I have to go back into town to get your mom,” Joe said.
***
“I’m sorry Ashley, but we have to go. I believe your mom took the gun that man tried to kill her with and used it to shoot up the front of the hotel to make a distraction so you could escape,” Cobie said.
“Are you saying my mom gave her life to save me from those men? Why would she do that?” Amanda asked.
“Darling any mother would give up her life to save her child. I would gladly give my life to save Cloe or Emily,” Cobie replied.
Amanda looked at Cobie and asked, “Who is Cloe?”
“Why she is my twelve-year-old daughter. She is beautiful and smart,” Cobie said.
“Emily, help Ashley find some clothes while I keep watch,” Cobie said.
Emily looked at Ashley and then spoke to Cobie, “Is Joe Cloe’s father?”
“Cloe’s father was a punk I met in high school. I divorced him many years ago. Joe and I met after the lights went out and were just getting close when … oh, my God. My memory is back. I went to find Joe and Bennie and then got hit by a truck. Emily, that’s where your mom and dad found me. I love Joe and miss him so much,” Cobie said as words spilled from her mouth.
Emily ran to Cobie and hugged her as they both cried. Ashley stood there totally in the dark and confused. She thought Emily was Cobie’s daughter and now began to wonder what would happen to her.
“Cobie, do you have room for me in your family?” Ashley asked.
“Baby Girl we have room for you and Emily if you want to become part of our family. We actually have three families that live close together. My daughter, Cloe, is my mini-me. We look like twins, and I love her so much. I guess you would say Joe is my boyfriend. I definitely need to treat him better. We live in a cabin about ten miles from here up in the mountains,” Cobie said.
The three tried to take refuge in the house they had used as a safe house, but some squatters had taken over all of the other houses around it. Cobie waited until dark, and they snuck into the house and took as much of their food as they could carry. Then Cobie led them to Earl and Sally’s house where they waited until after midnight to go up to the back door. They set off one of Earl’s trip wires, so he was waiting on them with his shotgun when they arrived.
“Come on in girls. Connie, it looks like you picked up another stray. You are all welcome,” Earl said.
“Mom, daddy is bringing people down,” the little boy said.
“Okay, move out of the way so I can greet them. Connie and Emily, it’s good to see you. Who is the pretty young girl?” Sally asked.
“I remembered my name, and it’s Cobie Simms. This is Ashley, and she is now one of my daughters. Ashley this is Sally, and you met Earl outside. They have two children,” Cobie said.
“Well make yourselves comfortable and tell us about your adventures,” Earl said.
Emily butted in and said, “My momma is dead. That damned boss killed her for resisting his advances. Ashley’s mom gave her life to help us escape.”
“We finished our search and will be heading home as soon as possible. We need to spend the night here, and then we’ll be going to my home up in the mountains. Can we stay here a day or two?” Cobie asked.
Sally replied, “Of course you can. We are glad to have you with us. Please tell us what you can about what you remembered.”
They turned in for the night and slept through the clamor of the top floor being searched. They were lucky the Boss’s men weren’t too bright because they didn’t notice the shelves of the bookcase were actually attached to the door to the basement. The boss had thirty men searching Ashland for the escapees and the people who had freed them.
“Breakfast will be ready in a minute. Wash your hands and sit down at the ….” Sally said when suddenly there was a loud rumble and the floor shook. Can goods fell off shelves and dishes rattled.
“What the heck was that?” Ashley asked.
“That child was one big explosion. My guess is that someone made a bomb for some reason or the other and it blew up before he was ready to use it. I can’t think of a reason for a bomb that big in a small city,” Earl said.
They began to eat their fried Spam, scrambled eggs, and grits when Sally asked, “Please tell me about your boyfriend? I hope we get to meet him soon.”
“Sally, he is a super nice guy who is very polite and protective. He doesn’t smother me but would never let anyone hurt my Cloe Bug or me. His job just got bigger since we now have three girls. Joe and Cloe have become best friends, and he will be a great father to all three of you. We just need to be nice to him. I’ve not behaved the best toward Joe and almost lost him. I won’t make that mistake again,” Cobie said.
“Tell us more about him. What does he look like?”
“Joe is 30, has dark hair, and is five feet ten inches tall. He has a short beard, and I guess he weighs about 190 pounds. He was chubby when I first met him but has lost weight and gained muscle since the lights went out. He was an auto mechanic and is from Murfreesboro, Tennessee,” Cobie glowed as she spoke.
***
Joe was ready to travel in half an hour and left after Cloe gave him a hug and said, “Please bring my momma back. I know you can’t make promises and I’ll pray for both of you.”
“Take care, Cloe. I love you Baby Girl.”
Joe was in too big a hurry that morning as he hopped in the Jeep and drove south from the neighbor’s cabin down the mountain cross-country. He didn’t read one of his Grandma’s letters or thoroughly check his gear. The rugged Jeep took a pounding as he drove across gullies and streams. He drove through stands of trees and scraped both sides of the Jeep as he squeezed through a copse of pines. He finally found one of the Forest Service roads and picked up some speed on his dash down to the valley below. Joe saw Highway 66 up a head and felt relief that his direct route had panned out.
He knew traveling during the daytime was dangerous but rationalized that he had killed most of the gang and wiped out its leaders. He parked the Jeep in
a stand of trees by the old Corp Reservoir and covered it with brush. Even though he knew better, he walked on into the neighborhood in broad daylight.
Joe was very careful to stay close to buildings and cut through backyards; however, his presence didn’t go unnoticed by the survivors and the Boss’s men. Two men began following him a few minutes after he parked the Jeep. The men normally wouldn’t be this far south, but they were looking for the women who freed the slaves and killed the Boss’s brother, Mal.
The two men could have killed him anytime but waited patiently to see what he was doing in their neighborhood. He appeared to be a man who was comfortable navigating through the dangerous city and might have useful skills. Their boss had also told them to watch for survivors that might want to join his team. After all, it would take a small army to take and hold the area against the gangs and thugs. The Boss wanted to bring law and order to Ashland. His law and order.
The men had followed Joe for over an hour before he caught a glimpse of them in a car’s mirror. He noticed they didn’t have their pistols drawn and their rifles were slung over their shoulders. Joe’s mind ran wild with thoughts about how to shake this tail, or kill the men. Gunfire would announce to everyone that Joe was in town and he didn’t want the attention. The men continued following him at a safe distance as Joe looked for exactly the right way to double back on them and see what they wanted.
Then he saw it. There was a small church set back from the street that had numerous steps up to the front door. He could go in the front door and out a side door while they worried about walking across a hundred feet of open ground. He stopped behind a car and surveyed the street then sprinted across the open area. He stopped in the doorway as he normally would to check and see if anyone was following him and then on into the dark building. He found an exit at the front right side of the building and cracked the door to see the men running across the open area to the front door.