by E. E. Borton
I removed a plank from the window so I could see the temperature outside. As my men were preparing a hot meal, it was holding steady at twenty-two degrees. It looked like the world was going to stay frozen for another day.
“So it’s five miles to that town?” asked Tucker.
“Yeah,” said Doug.
“And nothing in between?”
“A house here and there,” said Doug, “but there’s about a three-mile stretch of nothing.”
“What do we do if another one of those storms hit?”
“Spoon,” said JD, handing Tucker a plate. “We’ll draw straws to see who’s in the middle.”
“Funny,” said Tucker. “I’m serious.”
“So am I,” said JD.
“There’s some camping gear in the garage,” I said. “We’ll go through it after we eat.”
If the family were alive, I would have kept my promise that we weren’t going to take anything from them. Doug was trying to keep his and didn’t follow us into the garage. I didn’t look at it as a sign of weakness. We all deal with the things we have to do in different ways. If it came down to life or death, Doug would be with us inside the four-man tent we found.
Tucker was grinning from ear to ear when he held up a single-burner propane stove and a full sixteen-ounce canister of fuel. On its lowest setting, it would burn for eight hours. His pile of gear was growing.
After we were resupplied in Chattanooga, each of us arrived at the house with close to fifty pounds of gear, food, supplies, and clothing. We didn’t have room for much else, and carrying any more weight would be counterproductive. We’d end up burning more calories than we could carry.
We couldn’t eat the tent, heater, shotgun, pistol, ammunition, tools, and fuel we discovered in the house. It was all valuable and had the potential to save our lives on the road, but it was too heavy. Evenly distributed, it still would have added ten pounds to each man.
I could see the disappointment in his face when I told him we’d have to leave most of it behind. His disappointment was short-lived. As we were helping each other adjust our outer layer of camouflage on the front porch, Tucker walked out carrying a twenty-gallon storage bin with a snowboard attached to the bottom. It was covered with a white sheet and had thin nylon ropes fixed to the front of the snowboard.
“Nice sled, Santa,” said JD, smiling at his brother.
“I can ride this thing downhill if I need to,” said Tucker. “It pulls real easy, see. And if we need to ditch it, we just drop the lines instead of having to pull stuff out of our packs.”
“Okay,” I said, grinning. “You win. I can’t let a fine piece of engineering like that go to waste. But if it starts to slow us down –”
“I’ll let it go,” said Tucker. “No problem.”
The entire landscape around us had changed. It was as though we were walking inside of a crystal palace since everything was entombed in ice. Useless power lines and tree limbs sagged under its weight. Icicles were formed at an angle during the storm, so it looked as if the wind was still blowing.
The ice was thinner on the surface of the snow than we expected. For the most part, our boots snapped through and sank several inches. We had to use more effort to pull each foot free and drive it down for the next step. As I looked ahead at JD on point, every so often a step would bring snow up to his knee. He’d wiggle it free and adjust his path to stay on the road and off of the shoulder. I turned my head to see Tucker with a smile as his contraption stayed close behind him and Daniel. Three hours later, we were halfway to the town where we believed General Castle had ridden out the storm.
“You guys ready for a break?” asked JD, waiting for us to catch up.
“Absolutely,” I said, trying to rub the ache out of my bum leg.
“We’ll head up to that grouping of rocks,” said JD, pointing a short distance up the hill. “We’ll be able to see farther up the road from there. I haven’t come across any other footprints in the snow, so we know we haven’t missed the General.”
“Tell me again about your guy on the inside,” said Doug, walking next to me up the hill.
“Captain Braun,” I said. “I’m not sure how inside he is, but he saved our asses at the dam. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have been ready for the militia.”
“Is he looking to take over after we remove Castle?” asked Daniel.
“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t know. Our entire conversation lasted about thirty seconds.”
“How do we separate him from the group?” asked Doug.
“That’s where things start to get a little complicated,” I said.
“Start?” said Doug.
“Okay,” I said. “More complicated. I’m the only one who knows what he looks like. I’m also a shitty sketch artist, so I can’t draw you a picture. I can tell you he’s white, close to my age and build, and wearing camouflage.”
“So he looks like the rest of them,” said Doug.
“Pretty much,” I said. “The problem goes both ways. If he spots one of you, he’s not going to know who you are either. If we start shooting from a distance, he’s going to shoot back.”
“From what you told me,” said JD, “there may be others with him that are not so fond of the general.”
“Wait a second,” said Tucker. “You’re telling me there are men with the general who want him dead?”
“We know of at least one,” I said.
“Then why the hell don’t he do it?” asked Tucker. “Why does it have to be us?”
“Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“Doesn’t seem that complicated to me,” said Tucker.
“Can we argue about the complexity of the situation later?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
“Well, looks like we don’t have much of a choice but to trust this Braun guy,” said JD. “We need to get a message to him before the shooting starts. I have no idea how we’re gonna do that.”
“And a way to identify him or anyone else who’s with him,” said Doug. “He needs to know what we’re doing, when, and where.”
“But we don’t know what we’re doing, when, or where,” said Tucker. “How the hell are we gonna tell him? Carrier pigeon?”
“You’re just a ray of sunshine and hope today,” said JD. “I’ll give you credit for putting a ski on a cooler, but we’ll figure out the rest, brother.”
“Since we don’t have any pigeons,” I said, smiling at Tucker, “our best hope is that they’re staying put wherever they are for now. Unless he and Castle are sleeping together, I should be able to get to him.”
“Not stealing any hope,” said Doug, “but what if we don’t? What if they’re on the move again and we have to take them out at a distance?”
“Killing Castle is still our main objective,” I said. “We can’t afford to let him live for any reason. If someone gets in our way, we take them out as well.”
“All right,” said Doug. “Let’s hope they stayed put.”
There seemed to be less snow and ice in the valley. I imagined the mountains on either side shielded it from the full force of the storm. It was cold, but it wasn’t getting any colder. I knew that would be changing in a few hours.
Sunset comes faster in a valley. We were moving too slow. I turned around and looked at the cooler on skis. I thought about its contents. I then thought about the five of us spooning in a four-man tent. I signaled for JD to quicken the pace.
Mush.
Chapter 40
Tick, Tock
There are countless ways our new world can maim and kill. Freak storms, robbers, militia, floods, infections, and crazy preachers are just a few of the ways. We can now add taking a shit to the list.
Daniel’s breakfast didn’t agree with him. He was helping Tucker pull the sled when he darted off the road and moved with speed into the woods. He shed his backpack and layer of camouflage before he reached the creek that flowed on the other side of the tree line.
He w
as thirty yards away from us when we heard a yelp and then a splash. The creek was only a few feet deep, but it was moving fast. We followed his footsteps in the snow down to the water. Daniel was nowhere to be seen.
“There!” said JD, pointing as Daniel rolled over a group of rocks downstream.
Before I could stop him, Doug dropped his gear and went in after his brother. JD, Tucker, and I dropped ours too and ran alongside the creek until we caught up with them. Doug got ahold of Daniel and used a tree that fell across the water to bring him to shore. We pulled them both onto the bank.
Daniel was a mess. He was conscious, but disoriented. Blood was pouring out of a large gash on his forehead, and he was painting the snow red. He moaned as he reached down for his ankle. The middle finger on his right hand was pointing in a direction that it shouldn’t. In less than five minutes, everything had changed.
“Let’s get him up to the road,” I said. “We need to get him warm.”
The clock was ticking. Pulling him out of the frigid water wouldn’t be enough to prevent hypothermia and shock. The outside temperature was dropping into the teens. Dry clothes would only delay the inevitable. We needed a fire.
Starting it would be easier with items in Tucker’s magic sled. Shaving magnesium onto a small pile of tinder and then striking a flint was our normal process. Having the ability to ignite a burner on a canister of propane would save us precious minutes.
We needed an open space so we could work faster. Thick woods on either side of our route took away any other options. We had to drag him to the middle of the road.
“Doug, we’ll get him out of his wet clothes,” I said, taking off my gloves. “Tucker, get that burner going and then start setting up the tent. JD, gather up some wood and get us a big fire going as fast as you can.”
Smoke meant people. People meant there were things to take. Sending it up would draw attention for miles. Daniel would die without it. It was an easy decision that nobody argued against. Nothing else mattered but saving his life. We’d deal with the consequences later.
I realized all of our gear was spread over fifty yards along the bank of the creek. That included medical supplies and dry clothes. I had to leave Doug with his naked brother lying in the middle of the road on a sheet of ice. (The clock was ticking for Doug as well, but he would be able to rescue himself from hypothermia.)
I yelled for Tucker to stop setting up the tent and help me recover our packs. I took off my coat and covered Daniel. Tucker did the same, and then we bolted into the woods. Tick tock.
It took us several minutes to drag all of our gear up to the road. JD already had a decent fire going, and they had moved Daniel as close as possible. Doug and his brother were shivering violently.
I worked on stopping the bleeding while Tucker and JD finished assembling the tent. We took out the necessary supplies and then laid our packs down inside to get Daniel off the frozen ground. We were lucky that there was no wind, and we were able to build up the fire near the opening of the tent. With the burner on full blast inside, we created a space warm enough to stop their shivering. Daniel started coming back to us.
“I fucked up,” said Daniel. “I’m sorry.”
“Did you finish?” asked Doug, wrapping up in JD’s coat after shedding his wet clothes.
“Huh?”
“Taking a dump,” said Doug. “Did you at least get that right?”
“Yeah, dickhead,” said Daniel, “I got that right. I was pulling up my damn pants when I lost my footing. I don’t remember anything after that.”
“Because you knocked that big, stupid head on a rock,” said Doug. “Broke your finger and ankle on the way down too.”
“Aw, man,” said Daniel, looking at his hand. “I really did fuck up.”
“About that finger,” I said, grabbing it. “I can’t look at it anymore. I don’t think it’s broken, but this is gonna hurt like hell.”
Before he could argue, I yanked it up and then snapped it back into place. Doug grabbed Daniel’s other arm before he could punch me through his screaming. I thanked him and then scooted down to his ankle.
“This, I don’t know about,” I said, holding his foot. “It’s swelling, but it may just be a sprain. I don’t see anything sticking out, and everything looks to be in place. We’ll know once we get you on your feet. Anything else hurting you?”
“My pride,” said Daniel. “I am sorry, guys.”
“Not as sorry as I would’ve been, having to tell our family I let you die while taking a shit,” said Doug, lowering his head. “When I couldn’t see you, I thought I lost you, brother.”
“Thank you,” said Daniel, looking over at Doug’s pile of wet clothes. “For jumping in after me.”
“Next time,” said Doug, raising his head, “just crap in your pants.”
“I almost did,” said JD, poking his head inside. “You okay, D?”
“Yeah,” said Daniel. “Thank you as well. All of you.”
“Don’t mention it,” said JD. “You’d do the same for us.”
“We’re gonna start clearing some snow off of the road,” said Tucker, poking his head in beside JD’s. “It’s about eight inches deep here, and we’ll be sitting in a puddle soon. I take it we’ll be here for a bit?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll give you a hand.”
With the three of us clearing a space, it didn’t take long. We started another fire and then moved the tent to its new home for the night. We built a frame next to the fire to hang and dry their wet clothing. Shadows crept across our campsite as the sun fell behind the mountains. As far as we could see in all directions, we were the only ones producing light in the valley.
“I don’t know about you guys,” said Tucker, putting his hands closer to the flames, “but I feel pretty damned exposed here.”
“You saved his life, you know,” I said.
“We all did,” said Tucker.
“Naw,” said JD. “That sled of yours did. We were gonna leave all that stuff behind, but you figured out a way to bring it. If we didn’t have that tent and little burner, he’d have froze to death for sure. Probably both of them. Nice work, bro.”
“Thank you,” said Tucker, puffing out his chest. “I had a feeling that stuff would come in handy.”
“JD, let’s gather up more wood before it gets any darker,” I said. “We need to keep this thing going all night, or we’ll freeze.”
“I hear ya,” said JD.
“Tucker, would you mind putting on a pot of something hot?” I asked. “We need to keep Doug and Daniel warming up from the inside. We’ll need it as well.”
“Consider it done, boss.”
There was plenty of fuel for the fire all around us. Fallen trees and deadwood on the ground were frozen, but for the most part dry. A slap against another tree would shatter its icy casing. It also provided us a place to sit as we stacked it around our pit. We were exhausted and chilled, but grateful we were able to save our friend.
“They’re both out cold,” said JD, checking on the Kramer brothers.
“Good,” I said. “We’ll let them sleep. They had a rough day.”
“Almost bought the farm while taking a crap,” said JD, shaking his head and taking a seat next to Tucker. “All the hell we’ve been through, and that’s how it almost ended for him.”
“Can’t say I haven’t been there,” I said. “I’ve had a few close calls when there wasn’t anyone around to help. I gotta tell you, JD, I prefer not being out here alone.”
“I hear you,” said JD. “I wonder how many people out there are alone.”
“Fewer every day,” I said.
“You think it’ll ever come back?” asked Tucker. “The power?”
“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t know. But I’m sure there are people out there right now trying to figure it out. People much smarter than us.”
“It don’t matter to me,” said JD. “I stopped wonderin’ a long time ago. Power or no power, gotta take it day by da
y.”
“Well, I’d like to have it back,” said Tucker. “I love hangin’ out with you guys, but I’d rather be snuggled up with some pretty little thing on a couch watching a movie.”
“And miss all this?” said JD, spreading out his arms. “Crisp, clean, air under a starlit sky and not a care in the world but eatin’, sleepin’, and fightin’. Come on now, you gotta enjoy this a little.”
“You’re out of your mind,” said Tucker. “Blizzards, hailstones bashing your head in, gangs of animals kidnapping and sellin’ women, people shootin’ at us for no reason. Naw, I’ll take the couch.”
“You and me both,” I said.
“So do we go home now, or what?” asked Tucker, sipping soup out of a can.
“Like JD said, we gotta take it day by day,” I said. “Nothing is going to change tonight, so we’ll see where we stand in the morning.”
“If he can stand,” said JD.
“What if he can’t?” asked Tucker.
“If he needs Doc,” I said, “then we take him home. All of us together. If he doesn’t, we find him a safe place to sit this one out. Then the rest of us go take care of business. We’ll grab him up after, and then we go home.”
“What if –”
“Enough with the what ifs, brother,” said JD. “You’re givin’ me a headache.”
“Sorry,” said Tucker. “I just like to know the options.”
“Bottom line, our priorities have changed,” I said. “We make sure we take care of Daniel first. Finding Castle and putting a bullet through his brain takes a back seat now. We all go home together.”
“Good enough for me,” said Tucker.
“I’ll take first watch,” said JD. “You two get some shut eye.”
“No,” I said, “I’ve got the watch. You and Tucker are going to need the sleep more than I will.”
“Why’s that?”
“Before sunrise, I need you two to scout a mile or so up the road from here,” I said. “If Daniel is well enough to move, I want to know that everything is clear ahead of us. More than likely, Doug and I will be pulling him in the sled. It’s going to be harder for us to spot trouble while we’re dragging dead weight behind us.”