by Rod Carstens
As he stood last in line he began to examine the bus; he never got tired of it. It still amazed him, the transformation Peter and the other mechanics had accomplished using just hand tools and improvised devices. The second bus’s side lowered to create a ramp that opened into the makeshift kitchen inside. Above the kitchen the roof of the bus could be raised on hinges by pulleys, so the part over the stove and oven was open. When the cooks prepared a meal, they would open the bus up to let the heat out and give them more space to work.
Miniature solar dehydrators to preserve meat covered part of the roof. They had been unable to bring their full-sized dehydrators from the Mall, so Peter had rigged up a bunch of smaller ones they could carry on the road. He had taken old tubular snack containers and cut a two-inch by eight-inch opening in the side. Since the inside was lined with tinfoil, if left in the sun it would heat up to between one hundred and thirty to one hundred and seventy degrees. Then you put your eat on a skewer and run it through holes at the end of the cylinder, and you were in business. The only thing left to do was put some screen over the opening to protect the meat from bugs and animals. One good sunny day and you would have jerky.
They made jerky out of anything they had, from the guinea pigs to rabbits or squirrels. Tanner tried to keep some in his shirt pocket for snacks, or if the food ran low, he would skip his nightly meal and just eat jerky. But tonight he was going to have stew.
Since Nikki, the settlement’s cook, needed a way to fix the regular meals, Peter again had come up with a solution. It was a small rocket stove made of bricks he had stacked together with a wire rack on the top for a grill. It was five layers of bricks high with a small opening at the bottom and it sat over the rear axle on a piece of concrete. Nikki naturally couldn’t use it while they were moving, but once they stopped, it was amazing what she could cook up for the group on that small stove.
Peter had even hacked a cooler to keep any vegetables or fruits they found along the highway fresh. He had taken a large clay pot and plugged the hole in the bottom. Next he covered the lower part of the bigger pot’s bottom with sand then put a slightly smaller pot inside the larger one. Then he filled the space between the sides of the two pots with sand and poured water on the sand until it was saturated. The evaporation of the water through the outer container drew the heat out of the inner pot.
So Nikki could put any vegetables or fruit she had in the cooler, and the food would last for days. All it took was a little water every day, and they had mushrooms, wild garlic, dandelion, wild carrot, burdock, and other vegetables they foraged to add to the stew. Nikki had found an invaluable book on native plants you could eat. It had become her bible, and everyone looked forward to the times that she was able to go into the woods to forage. She always took at least one child to teach them this invaluable skill.
Tanner walked into the communal area, and it felt like he had walked into a community social. It was the one time every day they could all gather together and share each other’s company over food. Everyone was sitting around, eating the stew, exchanging stories. The guards had already eaten and were on post at the gun trucks at the front and back of the harbor site. The kids were running around between the adults laughing and playing tag. It was almost an ordinary-looking scene, except for the weapons, which were never far away from any adult.
When it was finally his turn in line, Tanner looked up at Nikki. She was young but had jumped at the chance to take on the job and was proving to be the best choice. Despite her age there was no argument who was in charge.
“Sorry, Vin, you’re out of luck. You know the five-minute rule.”
“Why do I always get left out?”
“Because you’re always the last in line,” Nikki said, bringing a bowl of stew out from behind her back. “I saved you one.”
Tanner smiled. The routine had been a joke between them for some time now. The stew smelled wonderful. His bowl was made out of an old two-liter bottle with the top cut off. His spoon was cut from another old two-liter bottle. The tops of the bottles also made excellent funnels for fueling the vehicles. Finding an old two-liter bottle was always a good day.
He found Julia Rule and sat down next to her. They had not had a chance to talk all day, and these moments together were something he looked forward to each night. In fact, when he looked around the area, everyone who was a couple was paired up finishing their meal. Cat and Blondie were laughing. Morgan and Johnny Johnson had their heads together. Danielle and Brandon Rule were in a serious discussion. Then Peter stood up.
“Vin, we saw the signal and know that the command group had a discussion about something. We need to know what the meeting was about. There are already a lot of rumors going around. Me and the rest of the mechanics still have to do our daily maintenance on the vehicles and want to get the scoop before we have to get to work. So how about an update?”
Tanner shoveled the last of his stew into his mouth and washed it down with some water before he stood up. “Okay, Peter. Morgan, as you know, has been monitoring the comm traffic in the City since we hit the road. She found out that it has started. The pandemic is here just as the program predicted.”
Tanner paused as there were a few gasps and murmurs around the camp.
“Come here, children, and sit down and be quiet,” one of the mothers said. Two boys who had been chasing each other went to sit by their mother.
“We wanted to discuss what we should do. Go on despite the slow progress we’re making, or find a place sooner rather than try for the mall.”
“And?”
“We came to the conclusion that it would be safer to continue given the pandemic has already started people will be fleeing the cities sooner rather than later, and we want to be as far away from the City as we can be.”
“We don’t even know if that mall is there, or if it’s unoccupied. It’s like this pie in the sky.”
Morgan stood up. “I found it. When Dr. Rule and I were working on the program, he told me to find us a new home in case we needed it. I hacked into their drone flights and set up some parameters and let one go. The pilots couldn’t figure out why this drone was wandering off course.” Morgan giggled. “They’re not very smart. Anyway, this was an old outlet mall that had been built just before the Bad Times. It was never occupied, and as of a couple of weeks ago there were no signs of life during several overflights. So we have this nice big mall just waiting for us.”
“So at this point,” Tanner said. “We are still headed for the mall. But as always that is based on the information we have on hand right now. Things can always change. It’s just like the old military saying: no plan survives first contact with the enemy. So we always have to be flexible. But as of tonight we are still headed for our original destination,”.
“There is nothing flexible about staying on this damn interstate getting ambushed time after time,” Mike said, standing up. Mike might have been the biggest man in the settlement, with broad shoulders, long blond hair, and a full blond beard. Tanner always thought he looked like a Viking.
“You’re right to some degree, but no, we aren’t changing our direction or plan. It has proven to work. We’ve fought off every ambush we’ve encountered thanks to you and the other fighters.”
“Vin, I’m just saying it’s rough on the families and children. Are you sure it’s the right call?”
Before Vin could answer Rule stood up. “Mike, we knew when we planned this escape that it was going to be like this. The reality is rough, but it is still our best bet even if we don’t know what other trouble we’ll encounter ahead.”
Mike sat down, and Ed Brennan stood up. “Vin, Marian and I have decided to leave,” Ed said. “We have the boys, and they are old enough to help out. We think we will be better off by ourselves. We’re not fighters and this almost daily violence is very hard on us and my boys.”
Ed pointed out to the river and the surrounding hills. “This is something we have been discussing for some time, and we’ve bee
n watching the land around us as we traveled these last weeks. We’ve been looking for the right spot to stop, and we think this is it. This is good country with lots of game and good soil. As I said before, we’re people who aren’t used to all of this violence, and we don’t think this is the best way to start over.”
“You know that gang is still in the area. They are not going away,” Tanner said.
“I know, but I also think they won’t be interested in a couple of families out in these hills. They looked like people who only wanted easy pickings on the interstate. The Jacksons want to come with us. We’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you. This looks like excellent land.”
“You’re one of our best growers in the settlement. It will be a big loss to us all. Are you sure about this, Ed?” Tanner said.
“Yes. Yes, I am. And the Jacksons want to come with us.”
The Jacksons were another solid couple with two children, a boy and a girl about the same ages as the Brennans’ boys. They would make an excellent pairing. Frank Jackson was good with his hands and could build anything. Tanner thought it was a mistake, but he couldn’t stop them.
“Listen, I think it is a mistake for all the reasons we’ve just discussed. But your minds are made up?”
They both said yes.
“Well, you know the rules. You can leave at any time and can take anything you brought to the group and your share of the food. I want you to sleep on it, and if you are still set to leave, we’ll give you what you are owed and see you on your way in the morning.”
“Thanks,” Ed said, and he sat down next to Marian and put his arm around her.
Tanner sat back down next to Julia.
“I hope this is not the start of an exodus,” Julia murmured. “That would wreck everything. We need everyone. They all have skills.”
“Yeah,” Tanner replied. He felt as if in some way he was to blame his failure to make them feel safe enough on the journey. They all had trained hard, and that training had proved invaluable, but no matter how much you trained this was still a tough trip, and unless you were used to violence he could see where some would choose not to face that kind of danger.
What scared Tanner more than the interstate was what they would face in those woods by themselves. There was no law out there except survival.
CHAPTER FIVE
The next morning the Brennans and the Jacksons were packed and ready to leave. They had all their belongings loaded into bags and makeshift carriers; people surrounded them saying goodbye. Tanner walked over to them and waited until all of the goodbyes were finished. He walked over to Ed and said, “You’re both good men, and you will be missed. And Marian, I’m going to miss your smiling face. No matter how difficult the job, you were always right in the middle. Not to mention, you guys, all of your children were valuable to us. Whether it was as a runner or hunting game. Both families will be missed. I want to wish you good luck.”
“Thanks, Vin. I know you don’t agree, but we think it is for the best.”
“You’ve got to do what you think is best for your families. I understand that.”
With that, Ed and the rest shouldered their packs and walked into the woods. Vin stood there for a while watching them, until they were out of sight.
Julia came up to stand beside him. “You don’t think they’ll make it, do you?”
“No, I don’t, but you have to do what you think is right. I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it. They’re not going to escape the violence out there. It will find them. We need to get moving.”
Tanner turned and walked back to the convoy with Julia beside him. These moments when they could be alone were rare, and he was acutely aware of her presence.
She looked over at him and said, “How are you doing?”
Tanner stopped and looked at the woods where the Brennans and Jacksons had disappeared. “Not good. I feel like I failed them somehow. They should have felt they were safer with us than on their own.”
“Vin, it’s not your fault that this journey is so dangerous. If it wasn’t for you, I doubt we would have gotten this far. It is hard, and some people can’t or won’t have what it takes to survive this trip. All you can do is the best for the group. Don’t assume the burden of those who might be weaker than you are,” Julia said.
“Weaker?”
“Yeah, you’re stronger than you understand. There are things that you can do that few others could.”
Tanner looked at Julia. “If I’m so strong then why won’t they trust me with their safety?”
“Because they fear the unknown. You don’t. You see it as just another challenge that has to be overcome. Others will see it as an obstacle that they can’t overcome, no matter what you do. They will always feel that way. We set up the rules for this settlement so people could opt in or out anytime they wanted. This was just people not strong enough for the journey opting out instead of being forced to go because they had become a burden to the rest of us. There will be more, but when we get to the Mall, the core will be left. Those strong enough to face the challenges that lie ahead of us. We’re really on a journey of survival of the fittest.”
Tanner couldn’t believe what Julia was saying. He just stared at her for a long moment and then she said, “Look, when a woman chooses a man as her partner in this kind of world she takes a hard look at that man. One day I want to have children, and I wanted to make sure the man I chose was strong enough to protect and raise them in these times. You passed that test, and what I just said were some of the reasons I picked you.”
Tanner tried to joke it away. “You mean I didn’t have a choice?”
Julia just looked at him, her face hard. “No, and you’d better be fucking glad, cowboy, because I’m as strong as you are.”
With that Julia turned and walked away. Tanner could only shake his head. Julia had never talked like that before, and he’d had no idea she felt that way.
Cat came walking up to him. “You about ready to go?”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get going.”
Cat continued to look at him for a long moment before she smiled and said, “You look like someone who just had a knot jerked in their tail.”
“Julia just told me she wanted to have kids and that she chose me only after watching me and deciding I was strong enough to be a good father.”
Cat chuckled. “You men are clueless most of the time. Julia is a serious person. She would not casually bed you. I knew that about her long ago. I could tell she had her eye on you and was deciding if and when she would choose you.”
“But…”
“You and I have some real history. You’re a good man, and you deserve a Julia in your life. Relax and enjoy the ride. She’s three steps ahead of you anyway.”
“But you and I, we were together for a long time. We had something.”
“Yeah, and we still have something, but I’m no mother and I’m not good at monogamy. In fact…” Cat looked down at her boots before she continued, “I can’t have children. They fixed that when I was a companion in the City.”
Tanner looked at Cat, and their eyes met. She was right. They’d had a very good thing for a nice long time, but he had never cared for her the way he found himself caring for Julia. The idea of having a family with Cat had never entered his mind. But with Julia, he discovered that he had been considering it in the back of his mind since they started. In these times it was no small decision to have children. Julia was right. It was a difficult choice, and you needed the right person to do it with, or you shouldn’t bring anyone into this world.
Vin shook his head. “Do me a favor?”
“Sure, whatever you need.”
“If I start fucking up with Julia, let me know.”
Cat laughed. “Vin, don’t worry. Julia is going to do that herself.”
As Cat walked away, she looked back over her shoulder and laughed. “Men,” she said.
Hours later Tanner was standing in the gunner’s hatch watching the interstate ahead
for signs of trouble. They were making good progress, with no ambushes or encounters with gangs. Tanner was beginning to think that it was going to be their best day on the road when he heard a horn behind him. Blowing the horn meant you had mechanical trouble. Vin turned around to see the second bus slowing down and unable to keep up with the convoy. He pounded on the roof of the SUV and shouted, “Mechanical! We’re going to have to stop.”
“Shit, and we were making real progress for the first time!” Peter shouted.
As the SUV began to slow, Tanner started looking around, sizing up the area for signs of trouble. There were none, but the forest was thick and close on both sides of the interstate at this point. The second bus held the families, and if it was having trouble they would have to get out while Peter and the other mechanics worked on the bus.
Peter angled the SUV as he stopped and jumped out, headed back for the second bus. The other mechanics were piling out of buses or gun trucks, and all headed for the bus.
Tanner jumped down and told Cat, “Set up a perimeter. I’m going to see what the problem is. I don’t like this spot. Tell them to stay sharp.”
“Got it,” Cat said as she was getting out of the second SUV.
Tanner ran back to see Peter at the rear of the bus with the motor-compartment door open.
“Any idea yet?” Vin said, looking around.
“No. You’ve got to give me at least five minutes, Vin, for God’s sake.”
Tanner knew he shouldn’t have asked. It was just that he was nervous and had a bad feeling about this area. Trees came down to the edge of the interstate on both sides of the highway, giving cover and hiding spots for anyone interested a perfect ambush site. “Sorry, I just don’t like this spot.”
The families and Nikki’s kitchen crew were piling out of the bus. She had lowered the kitchen ramp, and everyone was getting out and stretching. Tanner walked over to them and said, “Keep the kids close. We don’t know what is around here. We’re going to be moving as soon as Peter and his guys can get the bus running.”