The group continued their travels down the Missouri River. At times it was hard to stay close to the bank to keep out of sight of others. On a few occasions, the small group would round a bend in the river and come across the military.
As they paddled down river, Bob held his hand to his lips to quiet everyone. “Stop!” Whispering he added, “I see someone at the bank.”
“Quick, get to those bushes.” Bob pointed at a group of bushes growing beside the river.
The two men paddled to the bushes. When they reached them Kaden grabbed hold of one of them to pull the raft into cover. As he held on he nodded at Bob. “Get your belt to tie onto a bush, I’m losing my grip.”
After Bob wrapped his belt around the bush Kaden did the same. The two men pulled the raft into the brush as far as they dared, making sure the raft didn’t get punctured.
“Should we see if we can sneak up on them? Maybe we can hear what’s going on out there.” Bob suggested.
Kaden nodded and the two disembarked and quietly crawled up the embankment to a small group of bushes, there they lay down to get a better look.
There were two soldiers standing next to their jeep. They were all talking and seemingly having a good time. Kaden moved as close to the edge of the brush as he could, trying to hear what the soldiers were saying.
“You think they’ll rescind the state of emergency?” The first soldier asked the other.
“Not too quickly. America has settled down, but that’s because no one can move around yet,” the other soldier answered.
“Look at China and Iran. They’re still in a crisis. I think the president will wait ‘til most of the world has calmed down before he lifts it.”
“It doesn’t really matter.”
“Why not?”
“Look at us, look how much alike we look. Parents are having a hard time looking at their children. My cousin has two kids. One of them, the girl, had beautiful long blonde curly hair. I’m telling you she did have pretty hair. Now, now it’s just brown like everyone else’s. She isn’t too happy with the change.”
“She can curl it.”
“I know, but that’s not the point. The point is everyone looks alike, when the kids go to lunch it’s hard for them to even find their friends. Even though everyone has the chip and watch, it’s just not the same as being able to look at someone and immediately know that’s my friend, or mom, or dad.”
“My little cousin said that at school everyone is trying to find ways of standing out now. One girl came to school with a homemade hat, it had feathers and ribbons hanging from it. She told the teacher her mom said she had to have it on when school let out so her mom could tell which child was hers.”
“I bet everyone knew who she was.”
“Ya’, but everyone is going to try to find a way for their family and friends to recognize them.”
“Let’s get back on the road.” The other soldier said as he got in the jeep.
The jeep drove off, but Bob and Kaden kept still for a bit longer then moved out of the bushes. They walked back to the others.
“Did they leave?” Miranda asked.
“Yes.” Bob answered.
“What did they say?” L.J. wanted to know.
“Well,” Bob began, “Most have settled into a routine but others are still bent on causing trouble. It seems like those settling down are trying to find ways to look different.”
“How?” L.J. asked.
“Well a girl went to school with a homemade hat. It was full of ribbons and feathers so her mom could tell which child was hers. They must be going to great lengths to know who belongs to what family.” Bob chuckled.
Back on the river, the little group worked together. They wanted to get their journey done as quickly as possible. They all knew that getting to Barnhart was the best thing to do for everyone. It was a few days later when they came to a place on the river where brush was grown up alongside the river rather tall. They didn’t see anyone so when they heard the shot they weren’t sure where it came from, other than it was close.
“Pull the raft over.” A soldier called out, stepping from the brush and pointing his rifle at the raft.
Kaden and Bob began to paddle towards the shore. Another soldier walked to the bank and pulled the raft until a fourth of it set on solid ground.
“Out!”
The small party disembarked.
“What are you doing on the river?” The first soldier asked.
Instinctively Kaden and Bob put themselves between the soldiers and their family.
“Sir,” Kaden began, “We’re just trying to get our families to my mom’s house in the country. The children will be safer there than in the city.”
“We’re under a state of emergency. No one is allowed to travel.” The first soldier said.
The soldiers whispered to each other. Neither Bob nor Kaden could make out what they were saying. Bob looked at Kaden and nodded. They charged the soldiers, taking them to the ground. Kaden tried to get the firearm from the soldier and it went off.
Bob and the other soldier stopped fighting to look in the direction of the gunshot. Kaden was standing over his opponent, pointing the rifle at his head.
“L.J., get everyone in the raft,” Kaden said. Then talking to the soldiers added, “You two get over there. Bob, get some rope.”
Bob and Kaden tied the soldiers up.
“Should we disable their vehicle?” Bob asked.
“Yes and get the radio. We need to ditch the raft and get away from here before anyone finds these two.”
Once they disabled their vehicle, they joined their family in the raft. Just before Kaden pushed off, he put his finger to his lips to quiet the others in the raft. “Let’s get a little further down river and then pop the raft. It’ll be harder for them to find us on foot.”
He gave a heave and they were on their way. “I hope they believed we were going to pop the raft.”
“What do you mean?” Miranda asked.
“I want them to think we’re on foot. L.J. grab the extra oar. You, Bob, and I need to move this raft down river fast.”
The little group fell silent each lost in their own thoughts. All of them wondering just how there little adventure would play out. Each concerned with the wellbeing of the others. Each still trying to come to terms with the loss of Lexi.
***
One evening after the girls were put to bed Bob turned to Kaden. “Could we talk?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s take a walk.”
Kaden rose and followed Bob along the river bank. Once they were a short distance from the group Bob stopped. “Look, I’m worried about Brianne.”
“What about her.”
“We can all see what is happening to the girls. What is your mom going to say when she sees them?”
“She will tell us to stay with her and we will all keep them safe.”
“She might say that about Beth but what about Brianne? She isn’t a granddaughter.”
“Look, Bob, my mom won’t send Beth or Brianne away. No matter what’s going on she will stand by us and help us take care of the girls.”
“What about your brother?”
“He will stand with me too.”
“Okay.” Bob’s voice was still filled with worry.
***
From the Missouri River they accessed Dubois Creek then Browns Branch. When Browns Branch ended, they cut four branches six-feet long and four more about one-foot long. They fastened the branches together to make a trap. The two grown men would pull these behind them with the raft and all the supplies they wanted to keep stacked on it. The girls could then take turns walking, be carried piggyback by Miranda and L.J., or ride on the trap. The trap also cut a trail that made it easier for those behind it to walk.
L.J. would go ahead of the group to make sure the way was clear; at this point he was the only one in his element. He had enjoyed going down the river on the raft, fishing; but he liked hiking and hunting
much more. The worst for L.J. was he could see both the girls having changes that scared him. He loved his family and missed his mom, he felt guilty that she had drowned trying to save him. He was the one she went into the river for. He knew not to jump into the river, but did it anyway.
He just couldn’t help wondering if leaving his sister and dad, to go off on his own, would be better. What else was going to happen to his sister he didn’t know, and didn’t want to know. It was a hard struggle for him to come to terms with, but he would stay with his family and help keep his little sister safe. That was what his mom would have wanted and he felt that was what he owed her.
They travelled about fifty miles on foot before they came to the Bourbeuse River. From there the group took the Meramec River to Sulphur Springs just outside of Barnhart where Sue lived. The exhausted troupe left the creek and walked another ten miles before they reached Sue’s property.
***
Daniel, Emily, and Sue were outside having sweet tea when the dogs began to bark. The dogs were so intense that Sue knew immediately someone was coming to the house. “Emily, go inside quick!”
Emily ran inside as Daniel and Sue went to where the dogs had run up the drive way. As they stood there they couldn’t see a car coming down the drive, but the dogs were still going crazy barking and growling.
Sue and Daniel looked at each other and then up the drive. “I don’t see anything Mom, do you?”
“No, but someone or something is up there because the—”
“Look!” Daniel cut her off, pointing at the tree line next to her driveway. “Look.”
As Sue followed his gesture, six people came walking down her drive.
“Go back.” Sue yelled. “This is private property!”
Daniel heard his name being called from the house. Looking at the front door he saw Emily holding a gun out to him. Daniel snatched it from her and pointed the gun at those still coming down the drive.
“Stop, you must go back!”
They kept coming closer. He pulled the trigger giving them a warning shot. The intruders stopped at the sound of the gun.
***
“What are they doing?” Miranda asked as the girls ran to her.
“They don’t know who we are.” Kaden chuckled, “Let me walk up by myself.”
The group waited as Kaden held his hands up and slowly made his way up the drive.
“You need to leave!” Daniel yelled.
“But, Daniel, my brother, it’s been a long trip from Great Falls.”
As Sue heard the words she was stunned. Slowly the realization of who it was dawned on her.
“Kaden! Kaden is that you?” She ran towards him.
L.J. saw his grandma running towards his dad. He couldn’t wait to feel safe. He ran to her. “Grandma, Grandma, Mom’s dead.”
“It’s okay, you’re safe now.” She held him in her arms.
Soon the rest of the group made their way to where Sue was standing. She looked at them and could see they were exhausted, especially Miranda and the two young girls. She took a better look at the girls. There was something very different about them, but she didn’t want to say anything at that moment. “How about we all go into the house.”
“Mom?” Kaden touched her arm to get her attention.
“Yes dear?”
“I need to talk to you. There have been, um, um—”
“It’s okay, Kaden. There are things that others don’t know that we know. The girls will be safe here.”
Kaden hugged his mom. He had been scared she would tell them they couldn’t stay with her and he didn’t know what he would do. But, true to herself, his mom was a goodly woman and wouldn’t turn her back on those in need.
“Let’s go in and get you all cleaned up and fed.”
Kaden nodded his head and followed her into the house.
Chapter Sixteen
Immunity Compound Becomes Militarized
Americans became comfortable with the state of emergency. They were happy being able to take the children to the park or across town to visit friends and family. Things were beginning to become normal once again. Families gathered for birthday parties, holidays, or could go to local ball games. It seemed the human race had won. They had made it through the pandemic of the flux.
Tracy and the others had all but given up hope that they would ever see the outside of their compound. For most of them, their days began with physical training where they learned various martial arts and hand-to-hand combat techniques and confidence courses where they learned to work as a team to overcome obstacles.
As they watched their fellow Americans learn to accept what they had been dealt, their hope was re-ignited. Bill wasn’t convinced that they would be able to enter the general population though. He was in contact with his superiors all along and it was still feared that even though the group, and those like it, were immune to the virus, they weren’t sure that the immunity would be for the mutation the virus went through.
Bill was ordered to keep everyone there until further notice. Every other week his group would gather for a town meeting. This had helped them become a community. He called the meeting to order and began.
“I know we’re all wanting to go back to the life we once had.” Everyone agreed and after they quieted, he continued, “My superiors have instructed me to keep us all here.”
“Why?” A man called out. “We’re still American citizens! Why can’t we go back to our families?”
Bill knew this could go two ways, easy or hard. He hoped he could handle it in a way that would make it easy. “You all know that those you left behind were told you had a mutation of the virus that was so bad you had to have special care.”
He knew this because he had told some of them the lie. At first, Bill thought they’d be able to have phone contact with those outside the compound, but much to his surprise, he was told that no one under any circumstances would be allowed to have contact with the outside world.
This was not easy for any of them to accept. Those who were already having a difficult time tried to find ways of getting around the security. They tried getting in touch with their family through the Internet but there was no connection. If they tried to use the phone they immediately realized it wasn’t connected to any outside lines and cell phones were blocked from all access to a tower. The only exception was Bill. Bill’s only contact was with his commanding officer.
“You must also remember that later on they were told you had died.”
As a murmur began, he kept speaking, “Listen folks, we’re here to save what has been taken from us. They don’t know for sure if the virus has mutated to the point where it has become benign. We must give them time.”
A grumble started to grow and he held up his hands. “Don’t you think I want to get back to my family? I love my wife, we’ve been married for over twenty years and I miss her dearly. If I thought it was safe to go home I’d be telling you as I was going out the gate.”
As he spoke his voice began to rise, this wasn’t what others were used to from him. “I want my life back also. However, we have to do what is right. What if the virus has mutated to the extent we’re not immune any longer?”
“So what if we aren’t?” A woman called out, “We’ll just be like the others. What’s wrong with that?”
“The problem is that we hold a genetic make-up the others don’t. We’re the only ones who’ll be able to repopulate the earth free from the virus. If we go out there too soon and we don’t have the immunity any longer, mankind may not survive.”
He paused for a moment to regain control of himself. In a quiet and beaten voice, he continued, “We have no choice. If we try to leave, they’ll stop us.”
“How? There’s no one else here, how could they possibly stop us?” A young man asked.
“They watch the compound from satellites.” He answered quietly, “If they see I’ve lost control and you’re breaking out of here, they’ll destroy the compound. They’re that ser
ious about keeping us separate and protected.”
There, I finally said it. He’d hoped it would never get this far but it had, so at least they knew what they would accomplish if they stormed the fence.
“Again, I also would like to go home, but we can’t, not yet, maybe never. We don’t know yet. If we try to make them let us go home, all you’ll accomplish is the destruction of this compound and everyone in it. You’ll not get twenty feet outside that fence.”
He paused for breath then finished, “They’re conducting tests as we speak to find out if we’re immune or not to the virus since its mutations. If we are, again, I’ll be telling you on my way out the gate. Until then, we have no choice but to rebuild our lives here. We’ve been dead to our loved ones, they have moved on, so must we.”
Bill sat heavily in a chair; he wished this moment had never arrived but since it had, he must deal with it.
“Bill?” A young man gingerly approached him.
“Yes.”
“I want you to know that I appreciate all you’re doing. I know it’s not any easier for you to be separated from your family than it is for us. We’ll follow your orders and back you up however we need to.”
Bill stood up and, for the first time since he’d been at the compound, was overwhelmed with emotion. He barely got out, “Thank you. All of you.”
“It’s okay Bill. We’ll all pull through this together.” Eugene put a soft hand on his shoulder.
Bill took the woman in his strong arms and gave her such a bear hug that he lifted her off the ground. She laughed, he laughed and everyone seemed to be on the same page.
No one liked being separated from their family, but they had no choice. Maybe, just maybe, one day, they’d be able to leave the compound and never look back. But, until that day, they would live as a community.
***
Genetic Flux (Phase One Book 1) Page 16