by J. R. Tate
She looked up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I know. Which is why I’m apologizing. It’s who you are and it’s why I love you. You’ve always taken care of us. I can’t expect you to not do it now.” Adjusting her weight, she turned to face him, intertwining her fingers in his. “What did y’all see? Are they coming?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan replied. On the cot beside Ty, Cecilia’s mother was sound asleep. It was good to see her getting rest. For the first few nights back in Harper Springs, she cried all the time and hardly said anything.
“You don’t know?” Cecilia cocked her head to the side.
“A couple of guys split off from the group. Went south. It could be a diversion. They could be scoping out another place to loot. Hell, I don’t know. But we have to keep a watch on them. They know what we have. They know what they can come rip from us.” He rubbed his eyes and they burned under his lids. What he’d give for a hot shower, a cold beer, and a complete night’s rest. Those things would probably never happen again.
“Do they outnumber us?”
“Hard to say. I think we have more if you include the women and children. We just have to stay together.”
“What’s the plan right now?”
Ryan leaned back against the dirt wall, his body sinking into it. If he could get his mind to shut down for two seconds, he’d be asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.
“Steve is taking first watch. We’ll just have someone up there keeping an eye on things. Not sure how beneficial it’ll be, considering they can attack from any direction they want. It’s about the only thing we can do at the moment. I guess it’s for peace of mind. We need to stay alert just in case.”
“Right. It’s basically out of your hands, so how about you lay back and get some sleep? I’m sure if something goes down, you won’t sleep through it anyway.”
Ryan didn’t refute her idea and slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. It was the only time they got to be alone and he nuzzled her neck, kissing a trail up to her hair. As predicted, his physical exhaustion trumped his mental worry and he dozed off into a deep sleep.
Chapter Two
Ryan felt comfortable. He could hear voices chatting around him but it was as if they were in a far away tunnel. He forced his eyes open and everything around him was blurry. Blinking to clear his vision, Ryan sat up. Others around him were awake and moving around, and the strong scent of coffee wafted toward him. Ty was at the table where the finger foods were, skimming over his minimal choices. Cecilia handed him a foil package and he skipped off to a group where some other kids were.
He didn’t know what time it was, but it was obviously morning by how everyone was acting. Steve was chatting with Mindy and Chief Rayburn was acting like a politician, speaking to two other guys near the stairs.
“Sleeping Beauty awakens.” Cecilia handed him a cup of instant coffee, the steam swirling upward.
“What time is it?” His voice sounded rough and his throat felt sore.
“Around seven AM. You hungry?”
“Did they come get me last night to...”
“No. You didn’t move. As soon as you fell asleep, you were out.” Cecilia smiled.
“I was supposed to take watch after Steve. Why didn’t they come get me?”
Just as Cecilia was about to respond, Steve walked by and Ryan grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Why didn’t you wake me up last night? I was supposed to help.”
“You looked way too comfortable. And besides, I tried. If it wasn’t for the fact that you were breathing, we could’ve chalked you up as a casualty. Nothing was getting you out of that bed last night. And don’t worry – it’s under control. They’re still in the same spot in the foothills of the mountains. They haven’t moved.”
“Yet,” Ryan replied, finishing his coffee. He put the cup on a nearby table to use for later. “You do a walk through? How’s the pasture look?”
“I was just about do that. Run a comb through that mop of yours and we’ll head that way.”
They took the horses just in case they would need to trail somebody or run. With too many possibilities lurking, Ryan didn’t want to take any chances and be left vulnerable away from the shelter. Keeping a gun on him was a common practice now but with ammunition running low, they’d have to be conservative on how or what they shot at. Hunting was important as well, and they’d eventually have to figure out how to start making their own bullets. He used to do it but without supplies, it’d be an added challenge.
When they got to the pasture, Ryan didn’t see the group of looters on the foothill. Looking in every direction, his heart skipped a beat when he didn’t spot them anywhere.
“Hey, Steve, do you see them?”
Steve shielded his eyes against the morning sun, looking directly at where they had camped the night before. “Nope.”
“Shit. That could be good or bad.”
“Where could they be?”
“I don’t know. They’re playing mind games with us. We could do one of two things but neither are very appealing.” Ryan lifted his baseball cap and swiped the sweat on his brow. His hair was plastered to his forehead and he longed for cooler weather. Once a person who hated winter, he wouldn’t mind a gentle snowfall coming through. It would be like heaven.
“What two choices do we have?” Steve asked, keeping his eyes on the foothills.
“We could go back to the shelter and just hope they’re not planning something.” He paused and took a sip of water, letting option one sink in, and then continued. “Or we could ride up to where they had camp and see if they left anything behind. Could be a trap. Could be nothing at all. We could be over-estimating the intelligence of them but they’ve got revenge on their mind. A man is dangerous when he’s looking for vengeance.”
“You’re right. Neither of those is very appealing,” Steve acknowledged. “I saw we go scope it out. There aren’t many places to hide with all the trees torn up. It doesn’t appear that they are within a few miles. In and out. Make it quick.”
Ryan double checked their surroundings. It was like the looters had vanished into thin air. He hesitated – a part of him said no, don’t go. It was a trap. They were going to get them right where they wanted them and then they’d be screwed. But he also couldn’t just sit around and hope that they weren’t closing in on the entire town for a surprise attack. He couldn’t mull it over too long. Being apprehensive was making him look weak, and though Steve knew him, it was casting an ill light on him.
“Let’s do it. But we need to let someone know back at the shelter. We need them to come look for us if we’re not back by a certain time.”
“Cecilia ain’t gonna like this,” Steve stated, arching his eyebrow.
“We won’t tell her, Steve. Haven’t you ever heard that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission? I live by that.”
Steve laughed and dug the heel of his boot into the side of the horse. “I did, which is why I’m a divorced man now.”
They made a quick trip to town and luck was on their side – Darryl was at ground-level and he was alone. Ryan steadied the horse and told him their plan. It was no mystery that his father would immediately go tell Cecilia, but they’d be halfway to the foothills before she could even do anything about it.
“You sure this is a smart idea?” Darryl looked up at them, squinting. “Don’t let Doug’s ignorance cloud your judgment. The rest of those men probably have some common sense.”
“We’ll be quick.”
“When should I send a search party out for you?”
Ryan looked up at the sun. By its position, it was almost eight AM, give or take a few minutes. “Give us an hour for safe measure. The hills aren’t far but I don’t want you to freak out too soon and come guns blazing.”
“Speaking of guns, are you well armed for this?”
“Sixteen shots in the nine-millimeter, I’ve got my six-shooter, my knife...”
“Take this.” Darryl held up the
old deer rifle he had used for as long as Ryan could remember. “It’s easy to load, shoots straight, and is smooth.” He tossed Ryan his ammunition belt. “I hope you don’t have to use any of it.”
“Me too. It’ll be fine. We’ll be right back.”
Before Ryan could talk himself out of it, he and Steve ran the horses west. He felt guilty for not telling Cecilia but she had worried enough. She’d completely lose it if he made it a point to tell her and she was already angry with him.
On horseback, the travel time to the mountains would be just under ten to fifteen minutes. Ryan had to get into the habit of not running the animals at full speed – human beings weren’t the only ones suffering from the erratic weather changes. And the horses had been going non-stop since everything had panned out, serving on rescues and helping with the planting. He also had to make sure they’d have enough stamina to run in case they got put into a dangerous situation once they reached their destination.
Ryan made sure to keep checking behind them. Despite the torn up trees, there was still enough shrubbery for someone to hide in and jump out at them. It was playing out like an old west movie and they were having to make sure there weren’t renegade Indians waiting to attack and claim their scalps. The looters could have people anywhere, watching their every move. Complacency would get them killed. He gripped the reins tightly, the sweat on his palms dripping against the leather. A combination of heat and fear contributed to the moisture on his skin. There was no hiding it – this might not have been the best decision he had ever made.
They were close so they slowed their horses and Ryan continued to check their surroundings for scouts. If they got trapped, it’d be from the least obvious setup. Each crack of dry grass under the horse’s hooves made him jump. The bastards were bold enough to hide in plain sight, and Ryan hoped he wasn’t overlooking the obvious.
Sliding off the side of his horse, he kept it close just in case he had to get back on quickly. Steve did the same. There wasn’t much to explore – a fire pit made out of rocks, some soot and burned wood from a campfire. That was the only evidence left behind by the group. With survival mentality, everyone was in the mindset not to leave anything behind.
At first, he thought it was his imagination but when he heard the patter of footsteps and the crunch of the grass, Ryan knew someone had been close by but where did they go? His instincts were screaming at him to make a beeline back to town but curiosity plagued him – he wanted to know what the looter’s plans were. Their former campsite lent no clues to help.
“Looks like this is a bust,” Ryan replied. “They’ve moved on and I wish to hell I knew where they were going.”
“Did you hear that?” Steve stopped in his tracks, holding his hand up to stop them.
“No, what?”
“Shh!”
Ryan followed Steve’s gaze. He was looking in the direction where he heard the footsteps. A gust of wind howled past, kicking up some dust around them. And then he heard it – more footsteps, grass crunching, and twigs breaking. It was getting closer and Ryan instinctively put his hand on the butt of his handgun. Ready to draw, he patiently waited for the person to reveal who they were. But no one came out. It fell silent. Someone was watching them. They definitely weren’t alone.
“We need to get the hell outta here,” Ryan whispered, his heart beating so hard that he could almost see it through his shirt. He had already killed two men. He didn’t want to have to kill another.
“What if it’s someone who needs our help?”
“What if it’s someone who wants to blow us away?” Ryan kept his palm on the gun, his fingers wrapping around the handle and releasing several times, a nervous tick he noticed he had developed through all of it. “Who’s there?” He tried to hide the shaking in his voice but was unsuccessful. Probably not the smartest question to ask, either.
No response. No movement. Now Steve had Ryan second guessing himself. What if it was a child? Or someone like Mindy? Handing the reins to Steve, he took a few steps forward, peering around a crevice in the side of the hill. On the other side, he saw two wild hogs. Neither had spotted him. If they had, they would either be attacking him or they’d run, but Ryan had them cornered. They were backed against the hill and the only way out was to run past him.
“Those things are dangerous,” Steve muttered, edging in close to Ryan.
“Those things are going to be our dinner tonight.” Ryan’s mouth watered at the thought of roasted pork. The fact that the hogs weren’t coming after them was enough evidence for Ryan to conclude that they weren’t rabid. The rifle would prove to be the better weapon – his father had killed many deer with it.
Sliding it from the saddlebag, Ryan took aim. He’d have to shoot fast to get them both. As soon as the gunfire would ring out, they’d run. Resting his index finger on the trigger, he closed one eye, putting the cross hairs right on the closest boar to them. If he waited any longer, they’d spot him and be a harder target to hit.
Squeezing the trigger, the shot rang out, echoing against the mountains. As predicted, the other hog ran and Ryan focused on it. Wasting no time, he pulled the trigger again. The animal fell to the ground with a hard thud, kicking up dust from the weight of his body. The first boar was lying on its side, the direct hit fatal. The second one was flopping around, squealing as it fought the pain searing through it’s body. Ryan trotted to it, shooting it in the head. It was best to put the animal out of its misery and within a split second, it fell motionless, it’s glossy eyes staring up at Ryan.
“The trip up here wasn’t wasted, after all,” Steve said as both men stood over Ryan’s kill.
“No. We’ll be eating well tonight,” Ryan replied. “This will be enough to feed all of us.” It’d be a nice change from the canned meat and fish they’d been living on.
“The tone of your voice says otherwise,” Steve responded, patting him on the shoulder. “What gives?”
Ryan looked in every direction but the view was stilted by the hills. “We still have those damn looters to think about. Poof, they’re gone. And they’ll be back.”
“And we’ll be ready.” Steve knelt beside the boar. “Let’s get these loaded up. We’re looking at a little over two-hundred pounds of meat here. It’ll be enough for a few meals.”
Ryan helped Steve lift the first hog and draped it over the back of the horse. They’d definitely have to ride slow with the added weight. The second hog wasn’t quite as big but still a plentiful hunt that everyone back in Harper Springs would welcome with open arms.
Despite their good fortune, Ryan still couldn’t shake the worry. They needed to find a way to protect the town. They could gather lumber from trees to build walls around the perimeter of the pasture and their shelter. Right now, Harper Springs sat vulnerably and out in the open. Anyone could sneak in and rob them blind if they let their guard down for any amount of time.
He also needed to come up with a way to make ammunition with limited supplies. Picking up his shell casings, he pocketed them and climbed on his horse. Every little bit would help but the biggest issue was where they would find gunpowder.
Ryan forced a smile. He could bask in the glory for a little while. Eating a good meal would help boost morale, which they desperately needed. “Let’s go get these boars cleaned up. We’ll be sitting fat and happy in a few hours.”
Chapter Three
Darryl didn’t have to tell Cecilia that Ryan had gone out on another dangerous escapade. She could tell by the look on his face that his son was up to something and he didn’t want to be the one to tell her. She tried not to be angry – it was in Ryan’s nature to be the leader and protect them. She just wasn’t sure how much worry she could take. And she feared his luck would soon run out.
“Why the long face, Cecilia?” Her mother reached for her hand, guiding her to the edge of the cot. “Take a load off. You’ve been pacing for almost an hour now.”
Cecilia admired how strong her mother had been through all of t
his. She had lost her soul mate over all of this and she appeared to be doing fine – or maybe she was just an excellent actress and was fooling everyone. She wondered if she’d be the woman that Margaret was if something had happened to Ryan. She shuddered to think about it and brushed the thoughts aside. She didn’t want to put it out in the open – karma seemed to be getting them a lot lately.
“I just can’t sit still. I feel like I should be doing something.” Cecilia checked on Ty – he had befriended another boy his age from a family she didn’t know. They played in a corner of the shelter, their homemade paper airplanes entertaining them. Seeing him actively playing and laughing eased her nerves. He hadn’t skipped a beat with his missing arm. His transition to using only one arm was remarkable.
“You’ve got something on your mind and you’ll tell me when you’re ready,” Margaret replied. “You miss your father, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, Mom. I hate that it happened the way it did. And now Ryan is off gallivanting around the area, chasing after dangerous men who wouldn’t think twice to take his life. I’m trying to not whine. I’m trying hard to accept all of...this.” She opened her arms as if she were about to hug someone. “It’s like we’re in a movie, you know?”
Margaret nodded, her eyes full of wisdom from her seventy-two years of life. “I understand all of the emotions you’re feeling.”
“How are you so calm? So patient?” Cecilia pondered, her eyes downcast. She was ashamed at her actions toward her husband. She should support Ryan better.
“Years of practice, Cecilia. I didn’t get this way overnight.”
“Yeah. We’re being tested by some higher power. I never got the opportunity to study. I’m going to flunk.” Cecilia felt the warmth in the corners of her eyes and the tears welled up, trickling down her cheeks. She laughed, shocking herself at the immediate roller coaster of emotions coursing through her.
“You’re handling it a lot better than you think, Cecilia. Don’t sell yourself short.”