by Tom Larcombe
“I'm Rynn, by the way,” she said.
“Cool name. I'm Todd.”
Todd started the engine again and shifted into gear. The truck started off slowly and he stopped accelerating at about thirty miles per hour.
“You mind if I put some music on?” he asked.
“Your ride, your call.”
That's a relief, I was afraid he might try to hit on me or something, Rynn thought.
Todd clicked a few buttons on his radio and the light on a flash drive came on. Moments later the sound of the Grateful Dead softly filled the cab. He nodded his head to the beat while he kept his eyes on the road.
The truck rolled on for a few minutes before Todd spoke again.
“So, how'd you get saddled with all the kids?”
Rynn was feeling very relaxed and opened up a bit.
“I volunteered. I'm a teacher at a boarding school, or at least I was. When they evacuated it, these kids had no families to come get them. The principal and most of the other teachers couldn't be bothered to take an extra student with them to wherever they were going, so I volunteered to stay with them. Things got bad downtown near the school so I found someplace to take them.”
“Heh, my dad was in the military. Always told me to never volunteer for anything. If he were still alive this'd be a good example to prove him wrong.”
“I'm sorry, was it recent?”
“Nah, 'bout five years back. Him and mom went within a couple of months of each other. That's when I moved back here to Colorado. They left me the house.”
“Well Colorado doesn't appear to be the best place to be living right now. Things went from normal to totally screwed up in less than a week.”
“Tell me 'bout it, man. I work in one of the dispensaries downtown. Got broken into the night before last. They stole all the stock from up front. Fortunately Joey don't leave much on the display floor overnight. Anyhow, he decided to close up shop with everything going on. When he told me he was staying closed today I figured I ought to head home. Got some animals to take care of and don't want to get stuck in town.”
“You're lucky you made it out of town. There's some gangs on the loose down there, shooting people.”
“Dude... that sucks. They mighta been the ones that busted into the shop. They won't find anything if they do it again though. Joey took most of his stock with him, what he didn't give to me anyway.”
Todd lapsed into silence for a while before speaking up again.
“ Gonna turn this up, helps me focus. Gotta pay more attention to this next part, lots of curves in the road.”
He turned the music up and 'Truckin' rang out loud enough for the kids in back to hear it.
After a series of turns he turned the music back down.
“I turn off the road a couple more miles up here. You want me to let you off there? You could come by my place also. I'm a couple miles off the highway. I could give you a ride back out to it later on if you like.”
“We wouldn't want to impose,” Rynn said.
“Well... To be honest I was gonna see if you guys would help me air the place out a bit. I keep most of it closed up, but I got some friends comin' out from Denver to stay with me for a while. So I gotta get it ready.”
Rynn volunteered for herself and the children without even thinking about it.
“You should've said something. We'd be happy to do that. You just saved us a couple days worth of travel on foot. The least we can do is help you out for an hour or two.”
“Thanks man, I wasn't looking forward to spending all afternoon doing that.”
“It's no problem at all,” she said.
* * *
Todd turned off the highway and followed first a paved road and then a dirt road to get to his house. It looked as though it were built decades earlier when houses were built to last. There were mature trees on all sides providing both a windbreak and shade in the summer. Rynn saw a fence that ran nearly out of sight before turning at a right angle and running off into the distance.
“You have a lot of land here?”
“Yeah, dad picked it up for a song way back when. He got sixty acres or so. Not really great for much without irrigation that isn't available any more. It's enough that I can keep some goats and chickens though. Got a good garden plot going too; mom worked on that for years. I keep it up 'cause there's never enough money. It helps to have some food for the table that doesn't cost so much.”
Todd parked the truck and shut it off. Rynn slid out and helped the younger children out of the back.
“Since Todd helped us out with the ride, we're going to return the favor,” she said. “I told him we'd help him air some of his house out. He has friends coming to stay with him.”
“Yeah, it'd be cool if you guys could open up a bunch of rooms I show you, maybe toss some sheets on the bed or something,” Todd added. “I need to take care of my garden and animals right away since I haven't been home in a couple of days, or I'd do it myself.”
Eugene nodded and wrote.
'We can do that, well I can. I can't speak for anyone else.'
Andi glanced at the note.
“I'll help too. He saved us a bunch of time, the least we can do is help him out.”
Cindy nodded grudgingly.
They went into the house and Todd showed the two younger boys which rooms needed work and where everything they would need was. Sean and Randall went through and opened up the windows and doors, getting some airflow going. Then they ran errands for the others as they freshened up the rooms. All told, it took less than half an hour for the group of them to take care of it.
Rynn found Todd out back. He was working in his garden, harvesting some produce that was ripe. There was a basket of eggs beside him.
“If you like, you can take that into the kitchen,” he said. “Hey, you guys want something to eat? I've never been able to use all the eggs my chickens lay. I can cook some of them up for us if you like.”
“Are you sure you don't want to save them? Looks like food might be hard to come by for a bit,” Rynn replied.
“Nah, my chickens will keep laying for me. My garden will keep going too. I'll be short on meat, but that happens to me a lot. I'm not too good with money, I tend to blow it as soon as I have it.”
Todd stood up and stretched. He let out a gasp and his hand flew to his left thigh.
“'Scuse me,” he said.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal cigarette case. He withdrew a joint from it and lit it up. Rynn watched in fascination.
Maybe he isn't actually a stoner. He might need that for pain relief.
Todd stood still for a few minutes, smoking his joint. He offered it to Rynn once, but she declined. She saw it when he started to relax. He moved the leg he'd grabbed a bit earlier on, stretching it gently.
“Looks like that leg hurts pretty bad,” she said. “Do you need me to take a look at it?”
He laughed softly.
“Not unless you can go back twenty years or so and fix it then. That's when I damaged it, in that last car crash I told you about. They had to do some serious surgery on it and it's never been right since then.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't know.”
“No way you could've. I think I'm about done in the garden for today though. It's not too bad when I haven't been driving, but if I sit in that driver's seat for a while, then squat down to tend the garden, there's hell to pay. Do me a favor, stay close to me while I get inside. Sometimes my leg seizes up on me.”
Rynn and Todd carefully made their way through the back door and into the kitchen. She set the eggs and the veggies from his garden on the counter beside the sink, then helped him into a seat.
“Give me about fifteen minutes and I'll cook up those eggs I was talking about. Just need to let my leg relax a bit more first,” he said.
“Okay, I'll go round up the kids and make sure they haven't trashed your place.”
Rynn found all of them in the living roo
m. They were huddled around Eugene's small portable radio which was actually pulling in a signal now. Eugene saw her and started writing.
'Out here away from all the buildings, I can get a signal with the antenna up. Found this one a couple minutes ago, only music so far.'
“That's great. We'll see if we can learn something. Todd's going to make us something to eat. He claims he has too many eggs from his chickens to use all on his own. I think he's really just lonely or something though. If he has friends coming over he could've saved the eggs for later on with them.”
The song finished and an exhausted sounding DJ came on the air.
“For those just tuning in, The president has declared a banking holiday. Even if your credit card still worked yesterday, it wouldn't now. Shipping is at a virtual standstill so no stores are getting restocked. If your delivery truck can't get gas, it isn't delivering anything now is it? Power is out over much of Colorado although they're currently trying to fix it. We're on the air for you during the day courtesy of our solar farm. And now, more of the oldies you love...”
The radio started playing a song from the sixties and Eugene shut it off.
Rynn shook her head.
“I guess we got out of town just in time. I imagine it's still getting worse there.”
“At least we knew the area there,” Cindy said. “I haven't the faintest idea where we are right now or where that Crystal Beach place we're going to is.”
“Cindy, I didn't tell you this when we were still back at the school, but someone broke in the first night after the evacuation. Then they tried to burn the place down the second night. Eugene and I managed to run them off before they did. We left the next morning because I didn't want them to have a third shot at us. So we could be back there, and maybe dead by now. Or we could be where we are, heading to a place that's in a rural area, hopefully with some form of agriculture nearby.”
“Why didn't you tell us any of that?” Cindy asked angrily.
“What difference would it have made?” Rynn asked. “Besides, you knew. You watched the gang shoot that bus driver.”
Cindy drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
“We had the right to know.”
“So you could freeze up like you are now? That could've gotten you, and maybe more of us, killed. Instead you're safe here, or at least a lot safer than you would be back in the city.”
Tears streamed down Cindy's cheeks. She scrunched her face up like a little girl and gave way to full-throated sobs.
Todd came hobbling out from the kitchen.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No,” Rynn replied. “Cindy here just finally admitted to herself that things were deadly dangerous where we were. I think she was in denial up to this point.”
Cindy muffled her sobs by burying her face in her knees.
“Oh, was it really that bad where you were?” Todd asked. “I know the dispensary was broken into and all, but I didn't see anything else happening. Although, come to think of it, it looked like a lot of the other stores were broken into also, so I suppose anything's possible.”
“Yes, it was that bad. We saw a man get shot in broad daylight as we were walking out of town.”
“Well hell, I hope my friends make it out of town okay. They're supposed to be here later on this afternoon. Anyhow, if anyone's hungry I'll cook them up some eggs if they like.”
All the kids, except for Cindy, followed Todd into the kitchen. Rynn took a moment to try to comfort her. Cindy's response was to push Rynn away and cry even harder. Rynn gave up and went into the kitchen with everyone else.
Todd took orders and started cooking on his gas stove. Rynn waited, watching to make sure his leg wasn't bothering him. If it was an old injury she probably couldn't fix it, but she might be able to alleviate the pain for a bit if it started bothering him again.
“Sorry it's just eggs. I can toss some chives on them if you want. That's what I've got to spare for right now,” Todd said.
“Hang on,” Sean said. “I got something we can use in my pack.”
He trotted out into the living room where his pack was and came back holding a bag of beef jerky.
“There were a bunch of these when we were looking for the map. They were in a box under the counter so whoever trashed the place didn't see them.”
While Sean divvied out the beef jerky, Eugene got up and went to the living room also. He came back with a sleeve of crackers that he opened and set on the table.
“Awesome! Thanks guys,” Todd said. “That makes it more like a meal and there's meat, which is always a good thing.”
Todd grinned broadly then started gnawing on a stick of beef jerky.
“Could I have something to drink?” Randall asked.
Todd went over to the sink and turned the handle on the faucet. Only a few dribbles of water came out before it stopped.
“Huh? I could've sworn I paid the power bill this month,” Todd said.
“The radio said that power was out all over the state, or at least in a lot of it,” Andi said.
“Oh, of course. I remember to pay the bill this month so they have a major power outage. Anyhow, there's an old hand pump out back. It works and you can drink the water. Anyone feel like going out and pumping a gallon or so? I'll get glasses out while they do.”
Eugene stood up again and Todd handed him a plastic gallon pitcher. The pump was right out in the middle of the yard next to the garden, so Todd just pointed it out to Eugene then started setting out glasses. A few minutes later Eugene returned. Everyone sat back down to eat, this time each with a glass of water.
After they ate Rynn sat on the porch, staring out over the plains in the direction of the highway. She couldn't see it from here, but she was itching to get back on it and moving again.
“Can you run us back down to the road now?” she asked.
“Would you wait a bit longer,” Todd said. “My friends should be here soon. When they get here I'll either run you down myself or get them to do it.”
Rynn considered for a moment. She wanted to be moving but the thermometer on the porch read eighty-seven degrees and that was in the shade.
“Yeah, we can wait a little longer. Too hot out there to be walking the road right now anyway.”
They sat in the shade, just making small talk. She was sipping at her water bottle because of the heat when she noticed that it was almost empty.
“Do you mind if we top our water bottles off at your pump?” she asked. “Mine's almost empty so I'm sure theirs are also.”
“Help yourselves, that thing's never run dry since I've been here.”
She stood up and started looking for the kids. Just before she stepped off the porch, she heard a car coming closer.
“Good timing on my part. Sounds like your friends are here so we'll be on our way shortly.”
Todd stood up and made his way out to the driveway. Rynn went into the house and started gathering up children. She sent them out to the pump one by one as she found each of them. Then, after finally getting Cindy off the couch, she went to fill her own bottle.
Eugene was working the handle while Rynn filled the bottles. She winced at the squeak from the pump handle, it sounded as though it could use some oil. Over the squeak she faintly heard Todd call out.
“Hey guys, how's it hanging?”
A series of gunshots answered him.
* * *
Chapter 10
Michael yawned and stretched. He sat up in bed and glanced outside. It looked like it was about an hour past dawn. Jeff was going to be coming up later than normal today since he didn't have to go to school afterward. His mom had to be to work for eight o'clock and Jeff had planned on leaving for Michael's when she left for work.
He walked down to the kitchen, started his coffee, and opened the back door. Then he started making breakfast. Mid-way through he heard the pet door open and Calvin came hopping up onto the table.
“Morning
Calvin, you want some breakfast?” Michael asked.
“Caw,” Calvin said.
“I'll get it for you in a minute.”
Michael finished making his own breakfast but left it on the counter while he got Calvin's. He'd learned the hard way that if he put his own food on the table before getting Calvin's, the crow would consider it fair game.
When Calvin hopped down off the table to eat his food, Michael grabbed his own plate and sat down.
“So Calvin, what do you think about Jeff?” Michael asked.
Calvin stared at him for a moment and then dipped his head once before going back to eating.
“So, you like him?”
Calvin kept eating.
“He'll be up again today. This time he's bringing his sister. Don't know how she'll feel about you. I thought I should warn you though.”
Calvin paused eating long enough to let out a soft, “Caw, caw.”
Michael poured himself a second cup of coffee and went out on the back porch to drink it. Calvin joined him a moment later, hopping up onto the porch rail with a little boost from his wings. Michael went over and stroked the glossy black feathers on Calvin's back. The two of them sat there in silence, Michael drinking his coffee and Calvin watching the area.
I should expand the garden, Michael thought. I've got all the poles and fencing material for it. If food stays hard to get, it's a good plan. Heck, even if it doesn't stay hard to get groceries are so expensive now that expanding is probably a good idea. That'll give me something to occupy my time until Rynn gets here at least. As much as I always tried to keep in mind that Joshua was my jailer, he was still good company most of the time. It feels empty here now without either him or Chris around. Calvin's great company, but not much for conversation.
Michael went back to the shed and pulled out a pair of shovels, one for Jeff and one for himself. He also dug out the amendments they'd both need. A look at the sky told him that he'd want his hat. There were no clouds visible and it looked like it was going to be a scorcher. He dug that out as well and plopped it on his head. Then he started to dig.