The boy giggled. Char took Kaeden’s hand, purple eyes sparkling at Terry as she led the boy away.
***
“We were at the wrong power plant!” Timmons cried in joy. “Look at you, my precious!”
Timmons was running around inside the plant. Everything that wasn’t nailed down had been removed, but the plant itself had been shut down systematically. It hadn’t been taken out of service because its systems were destroyed by the EMP.
And Timmons was ecstatic. They only needed fuel oil to fire the plant, which he considered to be far easier than trying to build a manual system on a plant that had died an ugly death.
Like Frankenstein, it could be resurrected, but only if he had power. The best of both worlds stood before him.
All he needed was fuel oil or something that looked like it.
“Tanker cars, Ted. We need to find us a sealed tanker car and drag that bitch up here.” Timmons continued to look at the small plant like Alexander standing astride all the worlds he’d conquered.
Ted liked what he saw. Not that Ted was lazy, but he hated doing more work than he had to.
“And maybe when we’re looking for tanker cars, we can look for the Mini Cooper?” he suggested. Ted wanted nuclear power, because he found it most mentally engaging. He didn’t care about too much besides his animal friends and nuclear engineering. Every other thing in the world was secondary, even the She-Wolf Sue, his mate. She knew that and wasn’t bothered by it, because he left her alone to do whatever she wanted. It had been that way back in New York City and had never changed.
Geniuses were like that.
“Char told us to wait for them,” Timmons said flatly, but he wanted the reactor as well and wasn’t keen on waiting.
“How much fuel oil do you think is still in these pipes?” Timmons asked, looking at the pipe racks that ran into the back of the plant.
Ted shook his head impatiently. “Simple calculation, radius of the pipe squared times pi times the length of the pipe. Probably make two calculations, one for the pipe at one hundred percent capacity and one for the pipe at twenty-five percent. We’ll assume that the off-base pipes lost their pumping power before the plant lost its capabilities. There would be oil in the pipe. The rack holds four pipes…”
Ted’s conversation with himself tapered off as he ran through a laundry list of variables for his simple calculation. In the end, he threw up his hands and demanded more data before he would put pencil to paper to calculate anything.
“And what about the tanks we saw as we rode up?” Timmons instigated. He expected those would be empty, but it wouldn’t hurt to check.
Simple rapping using the butt of his knife confirmed that the one closest to the plant was empty, but another fifty yards down the road was a much bigger storage tank. Timmons knocked on it, but he couldn’t be sure. They climbed to the top of the tank, finding the cap locked with an industrial strength padlock.
Rust had done its work on a heavy chain holding everything together. The orange stains suggested it hadn’t moved in a very long time. Ted put his ear to the top of the tank and tapped it with his knife.
The smile that split his face told Timmons everything he needed to know.
***
Terry, Char, and Kaeden mounted their horses after remaining overnight in Sheridan. They dashed across the area where the dust storm had left its mark and rode straight to the hillside where they knew the spring flowed.
At each point, they refilled flasks and prepared for their next run. Besides the blankets, Foxtail had supplied them with four more flasks made from animal bladders, contained within deerskin covers. It gave them the edge they needed to continue along the border of the encroaching Wastelands.
Although Terry was wary, Char assured him there were no bears in the area, or threats of any other kind. The spring and hillside looked far different than the last time, because they weren’t there in a deluge. It looked like a nice retreat, somewhere people used to go on vacation.
They found the bridge abutment where they had sheltered from the dust storm. A trickle of water was working its way from the mountains down the old riverbed, and was already carving a channel. They stopped, drank, and refilled again.
From there they found themselves in unknown territory. They had no idea what the dust storm had done to the world between the abutment and New Boulder.
But they were close to home. They could feel it, as if it were the next exit off the interstate.
They pushed on, finding that the dust storm had left its mark. It created a broad, flat waste of dirt that was as hard as concrete. The only breaks came from the streams that had powered through the mud, cutting new beds from west to east.
Even the worst that humanity could do to the planet couldn’t change the continental divide.
They pressed ahead for three long days of riding, because they wanted to be home, sleep in a bed. Eat something more than buffalo or weeds that they thought were edible.
They pushed the horses hard into the evening, surprised to arrive in the early darkness. The streetlights were out and the town of New Boulder sat in warm silence.
“This can’t be good,” Terry said. Char sighed in reply. “We better stop and see Billy on the way home.”
***
Conveniently located within spitting distance of the power plant was the base guest quarters, which were in disrepair but that didn’t dissuade Timmons.
He’d been put in charge and was taking charge.
“We’re moving here. We’re going to set up shop in the plant and we’ll live right in the guest quarters. We need to clean it up, but we have everything we need to fumigate that place, get rid of the creepies.” Timmons looked smug. The others wondered what he was talking about.
Ted knew.
“Right next door is an old pharmaceutical manufacturer. They’ll have the most toxic crap you can imagine. Only Ted and I will be able to go in there and recover some of it. Even twenty years later, it could do a number on your human bodies.”
“It’ll be nice sleeping someplace other than the floor of the plant or on the ground outside. I wake up every morning and I’m soaked from the fog,” Lacy complained. No one disagreed.
“Take the horses back to the old plant and get our stuff. We will stay here and search for the chemicals we need,” Timmons said.
The others prepared to go, but Kiwidinok started talking to herself while pacing.
Gerry stopped and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“They can’t go in there,” she replied, shaking her head. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched.
“We’ll be fine,” Timmons said with his hand out, palm down, trying to soothe her.
She wasn’t having it.
“No!” she insisted, spreading her arms wide as if to block them from getting past her. The Werewolves far outweighed her and despite her intent, she could not have physically stopped them.
Ted shrugged. He inherently trusted the innocent, which is what he considered Kiwi to be. “I guess we don’t go, then.”
Timmons looked surprised. “But we need what’s in there,” he stated matter-of-factly as if that would end the discussion. “We regenerate if we’re hurt. We’ll be okay.”
Kiwi put her arms down and stepped close to Timmons. “Not from this you won’t. We can’t lose you, Timmons,” she turned her head, “or you, Ted. We can’t lose any of us. Mother Earth has condemned that place. Please let it be. Can’t we find what you want somewhere else?”
Stalemate.
Ted joined Kiwi and faced Timmons. “I don’t have a good feeling about this, Timmons. An acid bath would do us in. We can’t recover if we can’t get out.”
“God damn it!” Timmons yelled, shaking his fist at the sky.
***
A candle in the upstairs window suggested that Billy and Felicity were still awake. “Billy Spires!” Terry yelled, hands cupped around his mouth.
A familiar face appeared in the window. Bi
lly waved at them, then disappeared. The door was thrown open a few seconds later and Billy strolled out, Felicity behind him carrying the baby.
“What’s the word, TH?” Billy asked nonchalantly, but he was relieved to see the man. His fears and burdens seemed to fade away. It took two seconds before Billy couldn’t contain himself and grinned, reaching for Terry’s hand to pump it almost uncontrollably.
Kaeden crouched behind Char, firmly holding her hand in both of his. She kneeled and pointed to the two people he didn’t know. “This is Billy Spires and his wife, Felicity. They are responsible for all the people here. The little baby is Marcie. Please say hello, Kaeden. These are good people who will watch out for you, just like we are.”
“No, don’t leave me!” the boy cried, wrapping two arms around Char’s neck. She picked him up as he pulled himself close.
“We’re parents now,” she said simply. “And someone is tired, so we’ll be going home.”
Terry hadn’t asked any of the questions he wanted to ask, but Char tipped her chin toward the horses.
“Here’s the twenty-second summary,” Terry started, while slowly backing up. Then he blurted everything in a single stream of consciousness. “Found a great place, North Chicago. We have a trail and need to leave soon. Rivers are good. There’s food. And we need to run south and take a look at something. Taking the FDG with us, but won’t be gone long. Why no lights? Are the people ready to go? Hi, Marcie! Where’s my dog?”
“I’m sorry to say that the power plant died, along with the engineer and the mechanic,” Billy said, hanging his head. Terry and Char stopped what they were doing.
“Damn! I’m sorry, Billy. We liked those guys. An accident?” Terry asked.
Billy looked to Felicity, then to Terry. “Old age. The plant was too much work. Shonna and Merrit did great to keep it going as long as they did. It crapped out not too long ago and yes, we’re ready to go. Sue’s dog Clyde is becoming a well-behaved friend of the family. You suck at training dogs, TH.”
“Wow, Billy. Just wow. You know how to hurt a guy,” Terry said, throwing his hands down. “I love that dog.”
Char snickered. Kaeden was interested, because he’d never had a dog.
“Looks like you got your hands full, so we’ll let you go. I’m sure Margie Rose will be happy to see you and the new addition to the family. She and Mrs. Grimes are the town’s sheriffs, by the way. But that’s a story for a different day. I’m glad you’re home, TH, and we’re happy to meet you, Kaeden,” Billy said. He waved, wrapped an arm around Felicity, and together, they went back into the house.
Terry, Char, and Kaeden climbed back into the saddle for the short ride to Margie Rose’s house. Compared to the ride they’d just taken, another fifteen minutes in the saddle didn’t seem like anything.
They rode up to the old house and smelled something wafting through a kitchen window cracked slightly open. Margie Rose had been baking. Where did she find cinnamon? Terry wondered.
They removed the horses’ saddles and brought the buffalo inside along with their saddlebags. “Time for bed, Kae. You have your own room, but we’ll be just down the hall.”
“No!” he yelled, but Char looked at him sternly.
“This house is a sanctuary. It and everything in it is under our protection. You are safe. There’s a very nice bed in that room. I know, I used to sleep there.” Char hugged the boy.
“Terry? Char?” the old woman called down the stairs. Terry used his flint to bring a smoky candle to life.
“We’re home, Margie Rose, and we brought company.” Terry spoke loudly so she could hear.
She hurried downstairs and ran to hug both the adults before standing back and assessing the young boy. “What’s your name?” she asked.
“Kaeden,” he replied, looking back with his head held high.
“I’m Margie Rose. Pleased to meet you.” She smiled and hugged the boy. He resisted for only a second. Margie Rose looked questioningly at Terry and Char.
“We’re his adopted parents. Kae is with us now,” Char told her.
“Well, then, Kae, you can call me Grandma!” The old lady beamed. Terry rolled his eyes, earning himself a slap in the arm.
“Everyone to bed, shoo! Upstairs with all of you,” Margie Rose ordered. Char and Margie Rose settled Kaeden into his room, although he was anxious. Char would not compromise on the issue, despite his pouting.
They left his door open, while going to their rooms. Margie Rose left her door open, too.
Char joined Terry, closing the door behind her and locking it. By the time she turned back, Terry was already naked.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Mark stood in front of the formation as usual. They started each day with PT, physical training. They were warming up their muscles for another day of labor in the greenhouses and fields. The entire town was converging to milk the last bit from the farms before abandoning them.
Anyone who could hunt was already in the mountains, running snare lines and shooting anything that moved.
It was almost like a scorched earth retrograde, something Terry described to the FDG during one of the classroom training sessions.
The sound of horses drew Mark’s attention. When he saw who it was, he called the platoon to attention. With a wide grin, he saluted the colonel and the major. “All present,” he reported.
Terry saluted crisply from the saddle. Mark motioned for two privates from the formation to take the horses. Terry and Char climbed down, then Terry helped a young boy to the ground.
The bellow from the grizzly made Kaeden jump. Blackie walked out from behind the formation, the bear cub at his side. Terry thought the beast had doubled in size. Neither he nor Char could keep from rolling their eyes.
Kaeden froze at the sight of the animal. Terry picked him up.
“This is our boy, Kaeden. Adopted. We’ll share the story when we’re on the road,” Terry told the formation. He shifted the boy to his left arm and walked up to Mark, offering his hand.
In that one moment in time, Mark was at peace. The smile on the colonel’s face told him that he was okay. The FDG had measured up.
“Sit down, Hank! You big goof,” Blackie yelled. The bear sat, almost rolling over backwards before catching himself. “Do you want to say hi to Hank?”
Blackbeard held out his hands, but Terry shook his head and carried the boy over. After petting the rough fur of the bear’s head, Kae dangled from Terry’s arms until he was sitting on the bear. Hank bucked once, but the boy held on. Terry stepped back.
“You make sure he doesn’t get hurt or I’ll have your ass, Corporal,” Terry cautioned. He turned to face the platoon. All eyes were riveted on him.
“Bring it in,” he told them. He knew that he should have put them back at the position of attention and given the command to fall out, but it was a new world where he needed a different kind of discipline. Plus, it gave him the opportunity to keep a hand on Hank’s neck, just in case.
“The rest of the Force is currently in North Chicago working to bring a power plant online.” Terry smiled and nodded as he spoke. They needed to believe that the grass was greener on the other side, because in this case, it was true. “There’s fresh water, food, and infrastructure. It is everything we were hoping for. The major and I returned as soon as we could, and I’ll tell you, we are both tired of being in the saddle.”
Many in the platoon nodded knowingly. Others listened, trying to catch every word.
“We met with Billy last night, briefly, to let him know that we need to leave as soon as possible, get everyone on the road north. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there.” Terry stopped. There was so much to tell them, but now wasn’t the time. He’d work with them on the road where they would be bored out of their minds.
“But first, we need to make a run to the south. We have a lead on a place that might have the military stash I’ve been looking for. You old timers know what I’m talking about, but for the new ones, here’s the de
al. I used to be in the Marine Corps and if our base was ever compromised, we would have stashed our gear and bolted. We don’t kill civilians, unless it’s a last resort. I want to think that others believed the same thing. And that means, somewhere out there, someone has stashed weapons, ammunition, hell, could be anything. And I want it because the FDG needs to be the deadliest force on this planet. It is up to us to keep the peace and we’ll have a hard time doing that if someone shows up with more firepower.”
The platoon gave a round of hearty ‘oorahs’ as they high-fived each other. Mark’s face dropped, and Terry knew why. He clapped Mark on the back. “We are all going on this mission. Every single one of us and we’re walking, my pretties, and that doesn’t mean we’re lolly-gagging. This is going to be a power hike of something like one hundred miles. We’re going to make it down there in three days and back in four. Do you understand me?” Terry finished with a yell and a fist in the air.
Mark brightened and howled with the others.
“When do we leave, sir?” Mark asked.
“Tomorrow morning, daybreak. Full kit, four mags each, food for three days per person. We’ll take all the horses to haul extra gear. Is this thing coming along, too?” Terry pointed at Hank’s head.
Mark and Blackie both nodded.
“Make sure he keeps up. We’ve got places to go, people to see. Take charge, Sergeant, and carry out the plan of the day!”
Mark saluted smartly, grinning from ear to ear.
***
Timmons waited for the others to leave. James and Lacy were riding north while Gerry and Kiwi continued their time-consuming search of the buildings on the base.
“Let’s go,” Timmons told Ted.
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