Apocalypse Law 2

by John Grit

  When it was light enough to see well, Nate spoke up, his voice revealing fatigue. “Head for that sandbar on the right.”

  Brian pushed with the pole. When they had the tank pulled up on shore and hidden in weeds, Brian turned to his father and looked him over. “Shit, Dad. It’s hotter than hell, but you’re shivering. You’ve got to eat and sleep.”

  Nate took his shirt off and wrung it out. “We can’t go any farther until dark. It’s too dangerous to be on the river in daylight. We’re sitting ducks out there.” He put his shirt back on and then sat down to take his wet boots off.

  “So you might as well eat and sleep.” Brian waited for an argument. There was none.

  “Will you get my pack?” Nate poured water out of his boots and left them leaning upside down against a tree to drain.

  Brian returned with Nate’s pack and carbine.

  Nate wrung his wet socks out. “Get my handguns, too.”

  Caroline checked on Deni and then watched the woods for trouble. She waited until Brian was out of hearing range, edged over to Nate, and whispered. “I think Deni is dying.”

  Nate froze for a second. “Don’t say anything to Brian.” His face paled, but he kept looking in his pack for dry socks.

  Caroline nodded and walked away as Brian came back.

  “Why don’t you leave your boots off so your feet can dry out?” Brian asked.

  “You know why.” Nate had lost all interest in eating, but got a packet of freeze-dried spaghetti out anyway. “Think about it.”

  Brian looked around. “We’re not that far from our farm now. But I doubt anyone will come out here.”

  “If they do, I want to have my boots on.” Nate poured water from a canteen into the food pouch and left the pouch in the sun.

  “I’m going to kill every son of a bitch that does.” Brian looked over at the water tank. “She looks worse. What they’ve done is as bad as the sickness.”

  Nate gave him a stern look. “Brian, cool it. You can’t think straight if you’re mad or full of hate.”

  “You don’t hate them?”

  “Just keep your head working constructively.” Nate put clean socks on and reached for his boots. “You will not survive this if you don’t. Remember, I need your help.”

  Nate forced himself to eat. Then he found a place in shade next to a log. The ground felt wet and cold. His clothes clung to him, but the food had warmed him inside, and he fell asleep in seconds.

  Brian stood nearby. “I’m watching, Dad. You can rest now.” He held Nate’s rifle.

  Though he spoke under his breath, Caroline heard him. She looked at the two of them then at Deni, though she could see only the tank because it was too far and the angle was wrong to see in. “I used to pray,” she said. “You might want to try that for Deni.”

  Brian gave her a hard look. “It won’t work. Millions of people prayed when the sickness was killing everyone.”

  “Yeah.” Caroline searched the woods for trouble. “I know.”

  Chapter 21

  Nate slept four hours. He woke up angry that Brian had not wakened him sooner. “I need to check the farm out before dark.”

  “There’s still plenty of time for that. It’s not far.” Brian kept his voice low. Caroline was asleep. “You needed the rest.”

  “There’s no telling what kind of trouble I might run into. I want to be back here and heading upriver by dark-thirty.”

  “What are you going to do?” Brian asked. “See if they burned the house down?”

  Nate made sure all his handguns were fully loaded and holstered them. “I disabled a few trucks that were loaded with our stuff. I’m hoping they left some of it behind. They sure took off in a hurry, so unless they came back later, it should still be there. I’m going to try to get it hidden in the woods before someone else shows up.” He checked the carbine’s chamber and magazine.

  “You’ll need help for that.”

  Nate heard something. He raised his fingers to his lips to warn Brian to be quiet and looked toward the river.

  Brian heard it this time.

  A low moan came from the water tank.

  Nate and Brian both were at the tank in three jumps, looking in.

  Deni looked up at them with blurry eyes. “You two look worse than I feel.”

  Nate helped her drink from a canteen.

  Deni coughed, looked up at them, and fell back asleep.

  Brian stared at her. “Damn.” He looked up at his father, his eyes two question marks.

  Nate answered his silent question as best he could. “It’s a good sign. She was lucid for a few seconds.”

  Brian blinked and looked away.

  “You eat something,” Nate said. “Then we’ll wake Caroline and go.”

  Brian turned back to him. He looked up. His face brightened a little. “Okay.”

  Less than an hour later, Nate and Brian were looking across the pasture at their house and barn.

  “They didn’t burn it,” Brian said.

  Nate glassed the scene. He noticed the man he had shot while pouring gas or diesel fuel on the barn was still lying where he died. A rifle still hung from his left shoulder, barrel down. “I’ve seen enough for now. It doesn’t look like anyone’s been back since I left. They would have taken that guy’s rifle if they had. We’ll cut through the woods to the road.”

  They backed away, keeping low and in cover.

  Approaching the road, Nate slowed to one step every thirty seconds and kept all senses on full alert. He motioned for Brian to come closer. “Expect trouble up here, but don’t just start shooting at the first person you see. Use your head. You’ll know when to shoot.”

  Brian swallowed and nodded.

  “We have to watch each other’s back.” Nate was relieved to see Brian paying close attention. “If I’m looking to the left, you look to the right. Neither one of us have eyes in the back of our heads. That means you cover the sector behind my line of sight, behind my head. If you do that, I’ll automatically cover your blind side.”

  Brian nodded, his eyes intense. He breathed fast.

  “I’m not saying there is sure to be trouble,” Nate said. “Just be ready. If I am killed—run back to the others and get Deni to the bunker. You can’t do anything for a dead man. Don’t get mad, just leave.”

  “If you’re wounded, I’m not leaving you.”

  “That depends.”

  Brian recoiled as if his father had just said the stupidest thing he ever heard. “On what? I’m not leaving you wounded.”

  “You will, if I tell you to. If I’m dying, there is no point in you dying needlessly.” Nate put his hand on his son’s left shoulder. “I have been giving you more responsibility lately, because you have been acting more like a man. Don’t let me down.”

  Brian’s eyes burned into his father. He tilted his head and stared unblinking, his mouth half open in disbelief.

  “Let’s go.” Nate moved on before Brian said anything. “Stay alert. No sign of anyone.” Nate scanned down the road to his left through binoculars. “The trucks I disabled are still there. They took off fast. Maybe they did not unload much onto other trucks before they left.” He turned to find Brian looking down the road in the opposite direction. “See anything?”

  “No.”

  Nate handed Brian his binoculars. “Scan every inch—every inch—of the far tree line for as far as you can. Then scan the near tree line. You have young eyes. Use them. Penetrate deep into the shade and look for anything out of the ordinary—especially movement.”

  Brian moved the binoculars steadily.

  “You’re going too fast,” Nate said. “And stop to examine anything that looks different. Try to penetrate the dark areas. That’s where they will be hiding. Shade is life when you’re being hunted in the woods.”

  When Brian finished on the far side of the road, he scanned the near side. “The angle is wrong. I can’t see much on this side.”

  “Check anyway.” Nate looked dow
n the road in the other direction, then the woods behind them. “You still might see something.”

  “I didn’t see any sign of anyone.” Brian handed the binoculars back to his father.

  “Okay. That hill on my side, almost a half-mile from here, is as far as I can see. We’ll back off and ease up to the edge there so we can glass the road on the other side. And we’ll glass this area again from the top of the hill.”

  When they were in position, Nate scanned every inch of the woods line down the road on the other side of the hill. He could see no danger. “Here.” He handed the binoculars to Brian. “Scan the woods as far as you can.”

  Ten minutes later Brian said, “Nothing.”

  “Check the trucks out—and the road. Remember, you may have the rest of your life to find danger out there. You’re dead if you fail to see death waiting in ambush, and these will be the last moments of your life. So take your time. Taking a few more minutes now could reward you with all the minutes of the rest of your life.”

  Brian scanned the trucks Nate had disabled the night before. “I can’t see anyone hiding in them.”

  Nate took the binoculars. “There’s more to check out than that.” He scanned the trucks after Brian crawled back a foot to get out of his way. “Something’s amiss,” Nate said, without taking the binoculars from his eyes. “I smell a trap.” He scanned the road inch by inch. “Fresh dirt in the road. Someone has buried something in two places.” He lowered the binoculars. “I couldn’t see looking from the other direction because of the road slanting down this way a little and the direction of the sun. Good thing we took the time to check. Those trucks are booby-trapped.”

  “Then the food’s probably not in the trucks anymore.” Brian looked at his father with confidence in his eyes.

  “Maybe a little for bait,” Nate said. “We need to back off and sneak the hell out of here. Chances are there are men and rifles waiting for one of us to show ourselves in that road.”

  Brian spit. “Damn it! We needed that food. I hate the bastards more every day. They killed Ben and maybe Deni. And now they don’t just leave, they still want to finish us off.”

  “It’s possible it may be the other bunch from the bridge,” Nate said. “Some of them are military. They would know how to use explosives. They may have come up on the trucks and decided to set up a surprise.” He backed from the road. “Let’s go.”

  Down by the river, they turned downstream.

  When Nate stopped to listen for danger, Brian came close enough to whisper. “Dad, have you thought about those military guys acting like animals?” He stood there, sweat dripping down his face.

  Nate sighed. “Yes. It pisses me off. They’re most likely vets, not active duty. But the fact is there are all kinds in the military. Most are the best America—the human race—has ever produced. I guarantee you for every vet that’s gone wolf, there are a hundred who are helping people and using their training to protect the vulnerable.”

  “Yeah. I bet you’re right. Most of them are more like you.”

  Nate’s eyes flashed to his son. He moved on, heading downriver.

  ~~~~

  Caroline held Deni’s head up so she could have a drink from the canteen. “Don’t move any more than you have to. You will start bleeding inside again.”

  Deni coughed. Brown spittle came up. “I’m worried about Nate and Brian.”

  “It’s getting near sundown,” Caroline said. “They’ll be back soon.”

  A voice came from the woods. “Nate and Brian coming in.”

  Caroline jerked her head around in time to see Nate emerge from the wall of green where palmettos grew thick. Brian followed five yards behind.

  Caroline stood. “Deni’s awake.”

  Brian ran past his father and smiled down at Deni. “You scared the hell out of us. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I’ve been tackled and stomped by someone as big as your father.” Deni saw concern on Brian’s face. “I think I’ll be okay.”

  Nate came up and stood beside Brian. “Can you move your arms and legs?”

  “Sure.” Deni smiled up at him weakly. “Are you worried about losing a farmhand?”

  “A friend,” Nate said.

  “I’m still in the fight.” Deni coughed up more brown spittle. “Caroline says you’re floating me closer to the bunker. But how are you going to carry me the rest of the way?”

  Nate smashed a mosquito on his nose. “I can pole you up the creek, just like we did the supplies that time. With Brian and Caroline out of the tank, it will not take much water to float. I should be able to get you close. We’ll carry you the rest of the way in the water tank.”

  “I can probably walk by the time you get me that far.” Deni coughed again.

  “Stop that,” Caroline said. “Let us take care of you. There’s a chance if you do.”

  Deni started to say something, then her eyelids seemed to grow heavy and she passed out.

  Brian clenched his left hand into a fist. “Damn it.”

  Nate checked the sun. It had sunk behind the trees on the far side of the river. “It will be dark in an hour. I’ll walk this side of the river and keep a look out for trouble. Brian, you and Caroline pole the tank. Keep close to this side so no one can see you from upriver. There’s not likely to be any of them on the other side, but watch that shore also.”

  “We need another pole,” Caroline said.

  Nate pulled his knife. “I’ll cut one.” He left a branch on the bottom end to help keep it from sinking in mud as she pushed off the bottom.

  Two hours later, they slinked past the farm. By then it was completely dark. All Nate saw or heard was a hog rooting in mud just ten yards upslope. He was glad to hear it, because it was a good sign no human was near.

  It took four more hours to pole to the creek. Nate felt they were ninety percent home and far from the killers. He did not let his guard down though.

  Brian and Caroline pushed the tank toward shore and Nate pulled the near end up on firmer ground.

  Caroline and Brian got out and stretched their backs.

  “Keep your eyes and ears working,” Nate said. He pushed the tank off and stepped in. “It’s going to be slow going in the creek. I can’t see logs under water and don’t want to be slamming into them, making noise.” He kept his voice low. “Probably won’t be able to go far in the dark, but I want to get away from the river before we stop and wait for false dawn.”

  Nate got only a quarter-mile before he had to stop. There were too many submerged logs and other obstructions in the creek that he could not see in the dark. He pushed for the creek’s bank and stepped out, then pulled the livestock tank nearly all the way out of the water.

  Deni had not stirred the whole night. Nate knew she might die, and worried as much for Brian as Deni. He’s getting tougher, but he’s still just a kid. He put his hand down near her mouth and nose and was relieved to feel her breath. God, what a loss it will be. How many like her can the human race afford to lose before all that’s left are two-legged animals? Caroline came closer. And her. After everything she’s been through, the good in her still lives. Both of them remind me of Susan in their own ways.

  Caroline checked her pulse. “No change.”

  “It’s not that far,” Brian said. “We can carry her the rest of the way.”

  “No,” Nate said. “We’ll make too much noise banging that thing against trees in the dark. We could walk right into an ambush. You two rest, while I stand watch. We’ll go on up the creek as soon as it’s light enough to see. Won’t be long now, anyway.”

  Caroline lay down in the wet mud by the tank.

  Nate pointed. “Brian, check for snakes first and sleep against that big cypress log. You will be protected on one side, at least. And you’ll be harder to see.”

  Brian walked over to the log and slipped out of his pack. In a few minutes, he was asleep, Nate’s rifle in his hands across his chest.

  ~~~~

  Nate hear
d them coming. It did not take him long to determine there were two. He was ready to shoot when, at the last moment, they veered off to their left and headed for the river.

  Brian woke and slowly got to his feet. Keeping bent over behind the log, he turned to look toward the water tank and Caroline. She was sitting up, carbine shouldered, aimed at the sounds of movement in the swamp. All Brian could see was her head and shoulders above the fog that lay low, hugging the earth. He knew the tank was there beside her, but it was shrouded in fog.

  When the swamp began to gray with predawn light, Nate finally moved from where he had stood like a statue for half an hour in the shade of a magnolia and walked up to Brian. He put two fingers to his lips and motioned for Brian to go to the tank.

  Brian grabbed his pack and headed for Caroline.

  Caroline stood and put her pack into the tank by Deni.

  Everyone moved deliberately to avoid any noise.

  When they carried the water tank the few feet to the creek’s edge, Deni woke. They did not know it until she spoke.

  Nate put his hand over her mouth. “Shh. Men are hunting us.”

  Deni nodded. Nate felt her head move and knew she understood.

  “They went by about thirty minutes ago,” Nate said.

  “Where’s my M4?” Deni whispered.

  “I have it,” Nate said. “Brian’s lever-action was broken in the bike wreck we both were in. I gave him my rifle. I trained him how to use it. He’s never shot an M4, and he might accidentally put it on full auto.”

  Deni felt in the dark for her holster. “My pistol?”

  “I have that, too. Sorry, I needed it more than you at the time.” Nate patted her on the shoulder. “We’re at the creek, and will have you in the bunker in a few hours. Just relax.”

  Deni sighed. “Sure. Relax. The fact is I think I can walk.”

  “Don’t move. You’ve been bleeding inside.” Nate put his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t do anything but lay there.”

  “I’ll do what I want.” Deni pushed a hand away.

  “Sure, go ahead.” Nate was angry. “We’ve lost Ben already, and we’ve carried you this far just so you can kill yourself to prove I’m not your boss.”