“I’m sure Jerry would be glad to see us.” “Aye, he would.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“It’s all I can ask.”
“Sam Didinato and John Meadows left yesterday. We’re down to only ten people here now,” he said.
“They’ll be back. When they return, they’ll have the buffalo with them, and maybe a few horses.”
“That other guy, the railroad guy, will be back at some point too. Robyn hasn’t heard from him in a week or so. He was in Nevada somewhere the last time he checked in.”
“It will be fine,” Holly stated.
Tim had yet to tell her about the emergency warning Robyn had picked up on the Ham radio from Jerry Williams the other day. He’d told her to keep quiet about it for now, until he decided what to do about it. Though there was nothing at all he could do about it, it did worry him.
When Robyn had come running into the kitchen and told him of the warning, he went to the secure military satellite radio that they rarely used and called Jerry on a scrambled frequency he knew was secure. Jerry had told him that someone saying they were in Washington, DC and representing the US government had contacted them and demanded they state who they were. Jerry, not trusting anyone at this point, had issued the emergency warning and everyone went offline until they could figure out another frequency to use. Tim understood the ramifications, and concurred with Jerry. They’d have to find something else now that their communications were compromised. There weren’t enough of the satellite radios to go around to every station, and no realistic way to get them to everyone even if there had been.
He felt extremely vulnerable right now, but he didn’t dare let on to Holly, or anyone else at this point. That transmission might have been nothing, just some lone nut case with a Ham radio. The chances of there being a viable government anywhere in the world, let alone Washington, DC, after all of this time were astronomical, but he’d better know for sure before he said anything to anyone.
What if there was a government in DC? Was he then now doing the wrong thing by not trying to contact them? Wasn’t he breaking the law by saying, no matter how well-intentioned he was, that he was the president? He let that thought slide from his mind for now and turned his attention back to Holly.
“Okay, babe. It will be fine.”
“Stop worrying over things you have no control over. Isn’t that what you always say?” she poked at him.
“Touché,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s head back; my ass is getting sore sitting here.”
They made their way down the wooden bleachers and through the tall grass out onto the road leading back into town. Tim held her hand tightly, and still, after all this time, felt like a teenager with her. Every time he was with her, his heart was light.
“I can’t believe you walked all the way out here,” he said.
“Izzy says I need to keep active and get plenty of exercise. Besides, you walked out here yourself.”
“That I did,” he agreed, “but I’m not five months pregnant.”
“I’m not an invalid, Timothy.” “It’s only a mile to where I left my Hum-Vee. You didn’t walk all the way from home did you?” he asked.
“I had Izzy drop me off. He was going to the doctor’s office he’s setting up as a clinic, so I hitched a ride into town.”
“I left my ride by the jail. I checked in on our prisoner earlier.”
“How was he?”
“Definitely cowed. Taco was coming in to give him lunch. Maybe he’s still there.”
They walked silently down the middle of the road, and looked forlornly at the darkened shops along Main Street, debris and dust covering everything. It still saddened him to the core, every time he was in town, but he brushed the thought aside. There was no use mourning the past.
They made their way down the road, and when they came into sight of the Sheriff’s Office, they saw another Hum-Vee parked near Tim’s in the lot among the dusty and disused patrol vehicles.
“Taco must still be there,” he said, and picked up his pace a little.
When they set foot into the tiny, weed-strewn gravel lot, the side door burst open, and Jimenez came staggering out, blood covering his face.
Holly and Tim raced to the reeling man, who looked like he was about to fall over. They caught him just in time, and helped him to sit down on the concrete steps.
“What happened, Taco?” Tim demanded.
“Ah shit, Sar’ Major. He clocked me good,” Jimenez gasped, holding his head.
Tim looked at the man’s head, and not seeing anything but a good gash and a swelling knot, stood and left him with Holly. He pulled his .45 automatic from a hip holster and bolted inside.
Holly sat down next to him, dabbing the blood on his face with a handkerchief she’d taken from her pocket. “Sorry,” she said when he winced.
“It’s okay, Ma’am. Nothing is hurt except my pride,” he replied, trying to smile weakly.
Tim came out of the building, face red with anger. He placed the pistol back into the holster and looked up and down the street.
“I’m sorry, Sar’ Maj—”
“Don’t worry about that right now, Taco. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I was just telling Holly that nothing hurt except my pride.”
“What happened?”
“I came into town to give the asshole some lunch. I opened the cell door, and told him to stand at the far wall, just like you told me to do. He was on me in a flash. Hit me with something, I don’t know. Everything went black for a while.”
“Well fuck me running,” Tim said in frustration.
“Did he get your piece?”
“I didn’t have a handgun, but my carbine was in the Hum-Vee,” Jimenez said.
Tim walked over and peered inside it, and was rewarded with the sight of the M4 still secured in the rack. He then went to his vehicle and saw that his was still safe, then checked each of the parked police cruisers, to again be rewarded by the sight of each shotgun firmly locked into its rack. “Well, thank fuck for small wonders,” Tim said when he joined Holly and Jimenez. “He’s not armed, as far as I can tell.”
“I’m really sorry,” the young man said again.
“Taco, forget about it. The only thing that’s important is you’re okay. He only hit you on the head, so no damage was done,” Tim quipped, hoping to ease some of the man’s hurt pride.
Now what the fuck are we going to do? he thought.
“Tim, we need to get him over to Izzy and have him checked out. He might have gotten a concussion,” Holly said, helping Jimenez to his feet.
“You take him over to see Iz. I’ll start looking around.”
“Come on, Juan. Izzy’s clinic is on the next block, do you think you can walk?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jimenez said, standing a little unsteadily.
Holly led him away. Before they were out of sight, Tim called out, “Taco, how long, do you think?”
“I dunno, Sar’ Major, a half hour, maybe?”
Tim nodded his head and waved them to go, “You two get over to Izzy’s. I’m going to start looking around.”
Tim hopped into his Hum-Vee. He drove all over town, several times, and then up onto Interstate 40 and drove for several miles in both directions, finally giving up after a few hours. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. He had no idea where Colin might have gone, or in what direction, he’d need a whole company of searchers with a helicopter and infrared cameras to find him at this point.
He cursed and punched the steering wheel, then started back into town. He pulled up in front of the clinic that Izzy had opened, shut the engine off, got out tiredly and entered the building. The reception area was empty, but he knew there wouldn’t be a receptionist.
Tim walked through a door to the side, and hearing voices, followed the sound to an examining room, where he found Izzy, Holly, and Jimenez, the latter seated on the examining table, a gauze pad taped to his head. They all turned whe
n Tim walked in.
“Any luck?” Jimenez asked.
“No, I didn’t think I’d find him. He could be anywhere by now,” Tim sighed, plopping down on a chair by the door. “How’s your patient, doctor?”
“He’ll have a headache tomorrow morning, but he should survive,” Izzy said.
“Yeah, I figured that. Mexicans and Irishmen have hard heads.”
“Tim, what are you going to do?” Holly asked.
“You two get Taco back to the house, and I’ll go and break the news to Ian and Paula. They’re not going to be excited about this.”
Jimenez hung his head. “Ah shit, Sar’ Major. I’m really sorry—”
“Stop it, Taco. It’s partly my fault. I should have never let anyone with him alone like that. Stop worrying.”
“If you say so, Sar’ Major,” he replied dejectedly.
“I’ll come with you, Tim,” Izzy said. “I was about done here today anyway.”
“Okay, Juan, let’s get you home,” Holly said, helping him to his feet.
Tim got into his Hum-Vee, and Izzy rode with him, while Holly helped Jimenez into the passenger side of his vehicle, then followed Tim back towards their compound.
She caught up with him as he was turning into the dirt road the led up the house and pulled up next to him. She got out, and as she was helping Jimenez out, Robyn came out of the front door smiling, but the look faded when she saw the bandage on Jimenez’ head.
“Oh, Taco, what happened?” she asked, running up to him.
“I beat up a fist with my head,” he said with a weak grin, letting Holly and Robyn help him into the house.
“You wait here, Tim. I’ll be right back,” Izzy said, and entered the house, leaving Tim to sit on the steps of the porch. He reached into his pocket for his pipe, and then remembered he’d left it in the kitchen that morning.
Izzy came back out holding two bottles of beer. The old doctor handed one to Tim, and sat down beside him, twisting the top off of his own beer.
“I think I might need this today. I’ve still got to go and tell Ian and Paula,” Tim said, taking a long pull from the bottle.
“I thought you might.”
“Ah, fuck, Iz. What am I going to do?”
“Are you going to go out to look for him again?”
“No, I think it would be a waste of time.”
“Why?” Izzy asked.
“He could be miles away by now. I’ll go and check his house after I talk to Ian, but I’m not expecting him to have gone back there.”
“True. He would truly be more stupid than I thought to have done that,” Izzy agreed. “So then what?”
“Nothing more to do really. Arizona is a big state, but he’s not familiar with the area or terrain outside of here. He’s most probably headed east from here, maybe to Flagstaff. From there, he could find a vehicle maybe, and be gone for good. That’s what I’m hoping.”
“Is that what you’re going to tell everyone?” Izzy asked.
“Yes. It’s the truth. I’m not going to sugar-coat it.”
“So he’s gone then, as far as you’re concerned. Will be no justice for April?” Izzy asked.
“Now wait a goddamn minute, Iz,” Tim snapped. “If you think for a second that I’m happy about this, you’re wrong. It would be a complete waste of time and effort to go looking for him; you know that, I know that. We’ve just got to take our lumps and get on with the day to day shit.”
“I’m just playing the Devil’s advocate for a minute, Tim. The others will want to know your reasoning.”
“I know, Iz. I’m sorry for jumping down your throat like that. I’m just so frustrated,” he said, and then it was time to drop the other bombshell he’d been keeping. He told Izzy about the warning and the message from Jerry on Oahu, and when he was finished, Izzy let out a whistle.
“What do you think that means?”
“I don’t know, Iz, but I’m more than just a little worried about it.”
“Should you be?”
“I’m not sure. Part of me wants to believe that even if there was a new government back in DC, they don’t have the manpower or the resources to come out here, or even know where we are.”
“And the other part?”
“The other part is telling me to pack up everything and get the fuck out of here.”
“Even if they could, they have no idea where we are, do they?” Izzy asked, with real concern.
“No, they’re probably in the same boat as us, technology wise. Right before we left to come back here, I locked out the whole system. No one can access the satellites now except me, and Jerry back on Oahu. I gave him the codes for them right before we left.”
“So now we’ve got a fugitive running around out there somewhere who already raped and killed one of us, and now you’re telling me something’s brewing back east. That’s not good, Tim. Not good at all,” Izzy said, taking another long pull off the bottle.
“You don’t need to remind me. I already promised Holly I’d try to make a go of it here, at least give it a year. Now I’m not so sure.”
“We are fairly well hidden here, Tim. And now, thanks to Robyn, everyone is up to speed in the use of the weapons,” Izzy said.
“Yeah. Like a little drill sergeant she is. She had everyone out on the range we set up every morning for over a week before she said she was satisfied. Came in one day after she was done, cursing like a trooper, saying if one more person called the rifle’s magazine a ‘Clipazine’, her head would explode,” Tim said, laughing.
“Chip off the old block, eh?” “That she is. I’m going to tell everyone this afternoon not to go anywhere alone, and never to go unarmed.”
“Good idea,” Izzy agreed.
“Ah shit, Iz. I didn’t want to turn this into an armed camp.”
“Living with a siege mentality is never good for one’s soul. I know that’s how Holly and I were, for a long time back in Colorado.”
“It was the same with me and Robyn until we found this place. Everything’s changing now. Summer will be here soon enough. It was really dry the last two, and we’ve got to trim back some of the trees by all the houses in case of a forest fire. That’s a big priority. Food won’t be a problem, but we’ve got to get wood cut and dried for next winter, a lot of it.”
“We’ve got to do all of those things, I agree. Getting back to our fugitive, are you absolutely sure you want to leave him out there?”
“I’m not sure at all, goddamn it! What choice do we have? We could spend weeks out looking for him, and even if we do, we’re still back to the problem of what we’re going to do with his sorry ass.”
“It must be a difficult decision to make, and I don’t envy you.”
Tim let out a sigh and drained his beer, then looked at the bottle longingly.
“Do you want another?” Izzy asked.
“Maybe later, I need to keep my mind clear right now. Maybe I’ll get drunk after supper,” Tim said with a rueful laugh.
“Good idea.”
“Iz, I want you to reconsider moving into town. I know you want to, but I think the safe bet right now is for you to stay here.”
“Under different circumstances, I’d argue with you on that. You’re right, though. We’ve got safety in numbers here.”
“It’s only for a short time. I know you want to set up your clinic in town, but since everyone is here, you’d be better off setting it up in the compound. Maybe take over one of the other houses?”
The sun, which had been burning hot all morning, was suddenly blotted out by a dark shadow, and it made both men look up. A cumulus cloud was building to the south, its bottom black and bloated. There was no sound yet, though by the looks of it, a fairly good thunderstorm would be borne soon.
“It’s an early one,” Izzy said, gazing up at the gathering clouds.
“Yeah, it’s about a month early. It just reinforces my thoughts about getting the trees trimmed back. It just takes one lightning strike to sta
rt a forest fire, and I don’t want that to happen.” Tim shuddered, remembering all too vividly the raging firestorm that swept through Philadelphia so many years ago.
“I hope this isn’t a bad omen.”
“Same here, Iz.”
“I’ll agree to set up here. Actually, it’s more practical. Everyone is here, so if they need medical attention, they won’t have to go far.”
“I was thinking the same thing when you first brought it up, but I know you can be stubborn when you set your mind on something.”
Izzy guffawed. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black, now isn’t it?”
“Me, stubborn? What on Earth ever gave you that idea, my good doctor?” Tim asked theatrically, and they had a good laugh for a minute, and then Tim grew serious again. “We go about things here as usual, getting the trees cut back from the houses, getting firewood ready for next winter, do a little hunting. Mundane, everyday stuff, and I’ll spread the word today about keeping together, no going out alone, and staying armed at all times. We won’t tell them about the other stuff. Only you, Robyn, Holly, and I know about the warning from Jerry. I don’t want everyone getting paranoid. I’ll tell everyone to keep their doors locked at night too.”
“Yes, that would be a prudent warning. I might go up and take over Colin’s house for my clinic since he won’t be using it anymore.”
“You might as well.”
“What are you going to tell them to do if they see him?” Izzy asked.
Tim stood up, put his hands on his hips and looked around the clearing. The clouds were stacking up rather quickly, and there was a gathering breeze that was coming with it. Both men could smell the rain now, which was surely coming their way. Tim looked down, frowned. “I’m going to tell them if they see him, put a bullet into him.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that, Iz. No fucking around with him this time. I should have done it the day we found April’s body,” Tim said with a grim, determined nod.
“What about all the things you said about following the laws, and the Constitution? Are you just going to throw that idea out the window?”
“Iz, I meant that, and I want to do that. But we’re a little thin to be thinking that far ahead at this point. I was foolish enough to even consider it when we placed him in that jail cell.”
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