As she approached Vince, she saw that Big John had arrived. She hadn’t seen him since before the disaster, and even though he lost a lot of weight, he looked really good. His stocky legs had turned to pure muscle and his brownish-gray hair was disheveled.
“Big John!” Erika yelled, “So great to see you.” She ran over and gave him a big hug.
He had always been like a big teddy bear, and he lifted her up and swung her around in a circle.
“I had my doubts, Erika. I really did, but here you are. It’s a miracle,” he said in his gruff voice.
“You can’t stop this girl,” Erika jested back with him.
“But you’ve been through some shit, look at you.” Big John stood back to look at her and had her chin in his gigantic hand. He was turning her head back and forth, examining the scars that now riddled her neck and stretched up behind her ears. She had done her best to get clean but with the limited water supply some blood and dirt stuck in the ripples of her scars and made them look more pronounced.
“I bet you have some story to tell,” he mused as he assessed her.
“Oh no, not again, Big John, it’s a long story,” she exclaimed, not wanting to relive the experience every time she ran into someone she knew.
“We don’t have time for stories right now anyway. I wish we did, but it looks like you guys got hit hard and we didn’t do much better.” He let her go and was now addressing the group.
“We got freaking screwed, man,” Greg panicked. “Half of the camp is dead, including my father, six people survived with horrible wounds, but we lost our water supply, so they have nothing to drink. The fires ripped through our tents, our supplies, and we have about ten more orphaned kids. This is so jacked up!” Greg was usually so calm and jovial, but this last hit and the loss of his father rocked him hard.
“Calm down, Greg, that’s not gonna get us anywhere,” Vince snapped.
“Don’t tell me to calm down. I’m not calming down. We’re screwed, man!” Greg was coming unglued now.
The crowd gathering was getting bigger. Erika shot Richard, who was still caring for the children, a sideways look, and he started to shuttle the children off to a quiet corner of the camp. Star would not budge, and she came and sat quietly with Dex a little way behind Erika.
“He’s right,” yelled someone from the crowd. “God’s wrath is upon us. This is the end of the world.”
“We’re all gonna die,” yelled someone else. Everyone was quickly unraveling, and this situation was getting out of control.
Vince pulled Greg away and started to talk sense to him. Greg had been a charismatic leader and without him this group was losing faith, fast.
Erika stepped up on a stump. “Look everyone, I know this sucks, and there’s nothing we can do about it. I thought I was dead many times before this, but here I am. Humans have been tested by God many times in the past and here we are! If we give up, we’re dead, but we’re not going to give up. Are we?” she questioned the crowd.
“No,” responded some folks.
“Are we?” Erika questioned again.
“No!” more people responded this time.
“Now, we have to decide what to do next. We can’t stay here with no water, so let’s discuss what to do. Any suggestions?” Erika asked, trying to include the whole group so no one felt like they didn’t have a say.
“Let’s go with Big John to the Georgetown camp. There’s water there,” Ryan suggested. He was concerned about the need for water for his patients.
“Hold on a minute,” said John. “I was about to explain, before I got interrupted,” he shot Greg a sideways look, “our camp fared better than this one, but we flooded badly. Water came down the river so fast it washed away most of our tents and supplies, but we saved everyone.”
“See, we are dead, every one of us,” came a voice from the crowd. This time Erika picked out who it was. It was Bob Hawthorne, the moonshine maker. He was probably drunk already, she thought.
“Bob, I thought we agreed that kind of talk was getting us nowhere,” Erika snapped at him, and most of the crowd glared at him. He quietly fell back behind some other folks. He was perfectly happy to speak out when he was anonymous, but singling him out made him shrink.
“So, what are you thinking, John?” Erika knew he hadn’t finished talking before he was interrupted, again.
“I’m thinking we should get out of California. Maybe it isn’t as bad on the other side of the mountains. There’s no way to know for sure, but let’s face it, the coast is gone and who knows when the quakes will stop? We haven’t received any help from the East, so something must be going on there too, but it can’t be as bad as this,” John finished.
That was why Big John came, to get Vince and Erika and leave. He didn’t plan on taking all these people or facing all this commotion.
“Where would we go? I’ve always lived in California,” a voice from the crowd questioned.
“I think he’s right. Who cares where we go? We need to get the hell out of here,” another voice yelled in a panic.
“All right, all right, everyone,” Erika broke in. “Let’s not get all excited again. Obviously, this gives us some food for thought. It’s clear we need to leave here so I think our first stop should be the camp down in Lotus. Hopefully they fared better than either of our camps. Even if they didn’t, they have water, and the injured people Ryan is caring for won’t survive long without it. Let’s go pack whatever stuff we can and make stretchers for the wounded. Whether you stay here in California or leave with us is an individual decision, so go pack your stuff and think about it.” Erika didn’t know how she’d ended up in this leadership role, but she desperately wanted to disperse the crowd, so she could talk privately with Vince, Greg and John.
As the crowd dissipated there was another commotion. People started to fend off a raggedy man that came up out of the canyon. No one was on lookout and his approach was startling. He was asking for Erika. The crowd began to part as he was ushered over to where she was. Some of the crowd left but most of them remained. They were curious about who this man was and why he was here.
Vince and Greg didn’t like the look of this man and posted up quickly in front of her to protect her. Vince and Erika had usually been side by side in the past and each knew each other’s friends well.
“Where is Erika? I have to talk to her,” the deranged man pleaded insistently.
“Look, buddy, I don’t know who you are, but. . .” Vince said, trying to fend him off but was interrupted.
“Harold. . .Harold Duncan, is that you?” Erika questioned in a shocked voice. She began to see, through the dirt-layered face, the light brown eyes that looked so much like Henry’s. His brown hair was smacked down to his head, and it looked as though dried blood held it in place.
“Oh my God, Harold, what happened to you? Vince, go get Ryan. He needs a doctor!” Erika was scrambling to get past Vince and Greg. She wanted to make sure he was okay. Vince was still blocking the two from one another in a defensive pose. “Vince,” Erika yelled, breaking his glare at the man. “This man’s father saved my life. This is Henry’s son. If it weren’t for his father, I wouldn’t be here at all. He needs help? Please, go get Ryan.”
“I’m on it,” Vince replied. Now that Vince was filled in on the full story, he didn’t hesitate to fulfill his wife’s wishes and ran off down the hill to find Ryan.
“Here, Harold, sit down over here,” Erika directed, concerned. There was a stump they used as a seat for eating and Erika led Harold over to it. “Now, just relax and rest for a minute. Ryan will be here soon and. . .”
Harold cut her off, “I can’t rest Erika. I have to go,” he stammered, starting to get up.
“Go? Go where, and where are Henry and Carol and Betsy and the kids?” Erika asked. He was all alone. There was no way Harold would have left them. They were well supplied with food, weapons, and horses. Now here he was alone and in rags.
“That’s what I’m trying
to tell you. That Auburn group, they attacked Mom and Dad’s house. They took everything from me: my wife, my kids, my parents, all the supplies, and all the horses. It was horrible. They caught us off guard. I tried to fight their leader, Doug, I think his name is, and I was winning for a while, but then one of his men cracked me over the head and I guess they left me for dead. I woke up and they were all gone and so were all the supplies.” Harold was in tears now, looking desperately at Erika.
Just then Vince came back with Ryan. Ryan carried a few of the precious medical supplies with him. As Ryan stepped in front of Harold to treat him, Erika stepped back to fill Vince in on what was going on.
“That sucks, baby, but I don’t know what we can do. We just got wiped out and we have to go find your mom,” Vince whispered to her, facing the facts.
“I know, Vince, but we have to do something. These people saved me. They didn’t have to, but they took pity on me, cared for me, and supplied me for my journey home. Henry even gave me Kit. I wouldn’t be standing in front of you now if it weren’t for Henry and Carol. They need me. I can’t just walk away, Vince. I have to do something,” Erika insisted firmly.
“Erika. . .” Vince’s voice was more sympathetic now. He knew she wasn’t going to budge on this, “We don’t even know if they are still alive. . .”
“They’re alive!” Harold interjected, listening to their conversation. Ryan was shaving his head and stitching up the huge gash on it. “I’ve been watching my family being held hostage by those animals. I’ve just been waiting for a chance to rescue them. This last quake really rocked them hard, but there are still too many men in there for one man to take on. I can’t do this alone, but I’ll try if I have to.”
“You said they took your supplies too?” It was Rob Burton speaking up. He’d stayed behind to see what was going on. Rob used to be in the military and knew it was best to always gather as much information as possible in any given situation.
“Yeah, they did,” Harold answered. He was almost appalled that Rob was more interested in the supplies than his family.
“Vince, I don’t know if you noticed but supplies are running really low around here. I’ve been doing the math and I don’t know how we’ll survive without more supplies. Those guys at that Auburn Compound have been busy. We could use all that.”
Greg stepped in to protect his friend. “Rob you’re always looking for a fight. What if we all die? Then all those people we’re trying to save would really be in trouble.”
Greg’s friend Denton spoke up next, “Look, Greg, I know we’ve been friends for a long time, but I got to agree with Rob on this one. We can’t make it very far without more food. Most of what we had left was lost in the fire. We’re running out of options.”
“We can always rummage the houses that are left along the way,” Greg countered.
“You mean the ones we pilfered last month? There’s nothing left, Greg, face it,” Denton exclaimed. He was right, even though Greg didn’t want to admit it.
“Regardless of our supply situation, I’m going to save Harold’s family or die trying,” Erika interjected. She was just as irritated as Harold that the conversation had gone from rescuing good people to getting more supplies. Her mind was set.
Vince knew there was no changing her mind now, so he simply replied, “Then I’m going with you. Someone has to keep an eye on you.” He gave her a wink.
“Then so am I,” said Greg
“I’m in,” said Rob
“I’m in,” Denton chimed in.
Big John was standing off to the side while this drama played out. He finally stepped up. “Okay, guys, it looks as if you have some stuff to take care of. My mission is to get us out of California. I’m going to go back to the Georgetown camp and see what they want to do. I’ll let them know that we’re leaving and see how many of them feel the same way. Then, I’m going to go scout a clear route to get us out of here. I’ll meet you at the Lotus Camp after you rescue Harold’s family and get the supplies. God knows we’re going to need them too.”
“Sounds like a plan, John,” Vince replied. He wished they were going with him now, but he understood why Erika felt the way she did, and there was no way he was leaving her again. “We’ll meet you at the Lotus Camp; that way we can get Erika’s mom and Brett and get out of here.”
“Take care of yourself and your woman, Vince,” John said with concern in his eyes. “You know what kind of men they are down there. Just be careful.”
“We will be. Don’t worry, I got this,” Vince said with a smile. He was scared and knew exactly what kind of evil men were down there, but he covered it with sarcasm.
Big John left and after explaining the entire situation to the rest of the camp, they assembled a group of volunteers, willing to risk their life for this mission. There were eleven of them in total. Erika, Vince, Greg, Rob, and Denton heralded the call for volunteers. Taylor, Randy, and Tom from the River group were all young men, but they were strong and ready to take direction. Steve and Jimmy D, also from the River group, stepped up as well. They were ready for some payback after the last clash with the Auburn gang. The last volunteer was Michelle from the Cool group. Although she was kind of spacey, she was a great shot with a rifle and was a welcomed addition to the group. Although Richard really wanted to go, in the end he decided to stay behind with the children and help lead the group to the Lotus Camp. There were not too many able bodies left, so he would be crucial to that group. After the attack the two groups would rally in Lotus, where Big John would find them. Then they could all decide their next move after that.
Rob, having military experience, led the attack group. He picked Harold’s brain for all the information he could gather about the Auburn Gang’s camp. How did they patrol it? Were there traps set? When did they eat? Where did they get water from? Did they have power? Rob asked a flurry of questions that Erika would have never even considered. This was just as well because while Rob was forming an attack plan, Erika and Vince were busy packing up Kit and his cart. Richard would be leading Kit. Star, Dexter, and the other children were going to ride in the supply cart. Ripper was going with the kids because he could severely hamper the attack if his anxiousness got the better of him. Plus, he would protect those kids with all his being. Erika knew that was the best place for him. They loaded Greg’s old dog, Dakota, in the cart with the children as well. Kota wasn’t looking too hot, and they wondered how long he would be able to keep surviving in this world.
It felt wrong to Erika and Vince to be sending the kids off, but they would be well cared for. They trusted in Richard and the group of good folks they met up with in Cool. Plus, they were headed for Lotus where Erika’s mom was still camped. Nancy would find them and protect them. When Erika was satisfied that the horse was ready to go, she turned and watched Dexter and Star playing in the sunlight. The kids would play. No matter what was going on and how scary the world got, the kids would play. They were so innocent, aware of the world but not yet fully conscious of its implications. Erika’s eyes began to sting with tears. She jumped as Vince wrapped his arm around her. He stood next to her, staring. It was a moment to remember. If she still had a cell phone that worked, she would have grabbed it to capture the moment in a digital image. Those days were gone now.
The two vigilant parents took the time to play a short game of tag with their children. There was no guarantee there would be another opportunity to play innocently with them again. They ran and laughed. Others joined in the game. Life was going so incredibly wrong; the fun was almost like an addictive drug. They just couldn’t help themselves. Other people in the camp stopped whatever they were doing and watched, but the game came to an end all too quickly. Rob appeared ready to head out, and the groups were quickly directed off to the areas they were meeting at before departing.
Erika and Vince hugged Dexter and Star as hard as they could and tried to appear positive and optimistic, even though tears were forming in their eyes from the fear of never seeing th
em again. They tried to savor every sight and smell of the children and hold it tight in their memories. They choked back the tears as they kissed goodbye, but each one knew deep down inside what must be done. The kids ran off to join Richard and head out for the Lotus Camp. Ripper was unsure which way to go, but Erika told him to stay with the children and he hesitantly went off to fulfill his job.
Chapter 23
Vince and Erika dragged their feet as they went to join Rob and the others. They took stock of their weapons. Vince brought Erika’s bow, a quiver full of arrows, her knife, and her rifle, with a fanny pack full of bullets. She tucked the knife into the sheath attached to the fanny pack and clipped the pack around her waist. She snapped the quiver to the bow and put the bow over her shoulder. Her hands began to sweat as she held tight to the rifle in disbelief of what they were about to do. Vince carried a crossbow that John gave him with a quiver full of bolts, his knife, and his rifle, with a similar fanny pack full of bullets. Michelle and Randy were given the most accurate sniper rifles the group had because they were the least physical individuals and the best shots. They also had knives in case they ended up getting up close and personal with an enemy. In fact, everyone carried a knife, even if it was just an old steak knife. They were not only good protection; they were also convenient eating utensils while they were traveling.
The Changing Earth Series (Book 1): Day After Disaster Page 20