by Alex Gunwick
“I found footprints out by the stream. When you head out there, be extra vigilant.”
“I will.”
“Remember, don’t talk to anyone. Run home and lock the door if you see anyone.”
“Can’t I just shoot them instead? They’d be on our property.”
“No! I’m getting sick of your attitude. This isn’t a big joke. Someone died already.”
“I know.” Sierra averted her gaze.
“We’re in the middle of a disaster worse than anything in human history. We don’t know when it will end. We don’t know if it will end. It’s time you start taking this seriously. Every choice we make has long-term consequences now. Something that might seem inconsequential today could have horrible repercussions down the line.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think you do,” Liz said. “If you’re not careful, you could be killed. Your brother could be killed. You can’t take risks, not now.”
“Fine. I won’t.”
“Okay.” Liz softened her tone. “I’m not mad at you, I’m trying to protect you. Your dad will be home in a few days, and if I can make a deal with the other people living in the canyon, then things will get better for us. Hang in there.”
“I should get going.”
Sierra grabbed a rifle from its resting place near the door. She pushed back the corner of the curtains to check outside, just like Liz had taught her to do. After removing the two by four barricade, she pushed open the door and stepped onto the porch.
Liz stood and crossed to the window. As she watched her daughter disappear into the woods, she couldn’t shake the ever-present cloak of dread. Although she hadn’t encountered the preacher directly, he was out there. She could feel it.
After feeding Justice and making breakfast for Kyle, she headed up to the Wrights’ house. Edwin sat on a rocking chair on their front porch. Sandy waved from the kitchen window.
“You’re up early,” Edwin said.
“Just finished my shift.”
“Any new tracks?”
“Nothing since yesterday. If the offer’s still good, I’d like to meet the other people in your watch group.”
“Great. We can walk over there after breakfast. Did you already eat?”
“Yes.”
“Any biscuits?”
“No flour. I really wish I had packed as much flour as I did rice and beans,” she said.
“We’ll stuff you full of biscuits then be on our way.”
“Sounds good.”
“Pull up a chair. Sandy will be out in a minute. How are things with the kids?”
She sighed. Although she didn’t want to burden anyone with her problems, it would be nice to talk to another adult about Sierra.
“My daughter and I have been at each other’s throats since running into the preacher. I don’t understand how she ended up so…”
“Naïve?”
“I hate to say it, but yes.”
“She’s still a kid.”
“She’s nineteen.”
“Doesn’t matter. Kids are different these days. They’re not like we were. They don’t have the same struggles. Think about it: up until the bombings, her biggest worry was probably boy-related. It was far from life and death. These kids didn’t grow up in a time when nuclear attack drills were part of the school curriculum. Nuclear war was an abstraction, not something that would ever happen in their lifetime.”
“True, but that doesn’t excuse a basic level of common sense.”
Edwin chuckled.
“It’s not funny.”
“Sorry.” His smile dropped. “Maybe she just needs to be taught more skills. Given more responsibility.”
“The only reason I even let her out on watch is because I can’t be everywhere all the time.”
“If you don’t give her responsibilities, how will she ever learn?” he asked.
“Good point.”
“If everything goes well with the group, we’ll make sure Sierra’s put into the watch rotation. If she gets out of line, you’ll have several other people who can step in and make sure she gets her head on right.”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime. I’m going to run in and get those biscuits. Be right back.”
As Edwin strolled into the house, Liz sat back in the chair. Maybe hooking up with the watch group would be good for more than just basic security. Maybe it would help her teach the kids how to be responsible. She was embarrassed to think that she’d failed to do so thus far, but at least she had a chance now. What better time than in the midst of the apocalypse?
She shook her head and laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Edwin asked as he pushed open the door with his foot. He balanced a plate of biscuits in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other.
“Nothing. Let me help you with that.”
As she reached for the plate, the tension in her body relaxed. Edwin and Sandy would be great sounding boards. Although she hadn’t known them very long, they were already starting to feel like family. She couldn’t wait to meet the rest of the group. With any luck, she’d be able to unwind a bit. A constantly high level of stress would wear her down eventually. She could only stay strong for so long. Eventually she’d crack under the pressure. And if that happened, how could she keep her family safe?
Sierra picked up a rock and chucked it into the stream. Still pissed from the conversation she’d had with her mom, she needed a way to blow off steam. Tossing rocks seemed like the only option. Part of her wished she’d stayed in her dorm room at UC Irvine. Ever since she’d arrived at the cabin, her mom had been on her. Do the dishes. Sweep the cabin. Wash the laundry. Nothing was ever good enough for her.
After walking the perimeter twice, Sierra stopped at the stream to wash the dust off her legs. She hiked up her shorts and splashed water on her knees. As it trickled down her skin, goosebumps formed. A cloudless gray sky covered the forest. Within an hour or two of sunrise, the sun disappeared behind a blanket of haze. She’d never seen anything so strange. Normally the marine layer would have burned off hours ago. It was almost as if there was smoke in the sky. She sniffed the air. It didn’t smell smoky.
A branch snapped across the stream. Her head snapped up. She peered into the forest. In the distance, a figure walked along the trail. She stepped behind an oak and shouldered her rifle, keeping it trained on the person.
Her mom had told her to run home if she spotted anyone, but maybe it was Adam. No one would ever know if she only stayed a few extra seconds to check. She’d been dying to see him. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him since her mother had confronted the preacher several days earlier. Hopefully he wasn’t in trouble too.
When Adam stepped into the clearing near the stream, she dropped the gun to her side. Her heart thumped as he drew closer. With shaggy brown surfer hair, a deep tan, and bright blue eyes, he was the epitome of hot. They were the same age, which made things so much easier. He understood her in a way her mom never could.
“Hey!” she called.
“You scared the crap out of me,” Adam said. “I didn’t see you standing over there.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t sure if it was you or someone else.”
“Were you waiting for someone else?”
“No.”
“What are you doing out here with a gun?” he asked.
“I’m…” She hesitated. She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about their security measures, but it was Adam. Not some weird stranger. Although she didn’t know him very well, he seemed cool. “I was out on patrol.”
“Patrol? Why?”
“Mom’s worried about Elijah. She thinks he’s going to come back and try to take the cabin from us.”
“She might be right,” he said.
“What?”
“That’s why I’m out here. I was looking for you so I could warn you.”
“Did Elijah say something?”
“I was behind the church by this shed they keep locked al
l the time. I was trying to look inside to see what’s in there. No one’s supposed to go behind the church.”
“But you were curious anyway.”
“Yep. Can you blame me?”
“No. I’d try to check it out too.”
“Exactly.”
“Did you see anything?”
“No, but while I was back there, I overheard Elijah and Turner talking about your mom.”
“What did they say?”
“They’ve been watching your house.”
“That’s creepy.”
“Seriously.”
“Why are they watching us?”
“Elijah told Turner he’s worried about your mom’s influence over his flock. It’s so strange that he keeps calling us his flock. Like we’re sheep or something.”
“You guys follow him around a lot.”
“Only because he was in the most obvious leadership position.”
“What about your dad?” she asked.
“I don’t have one.”
“Everyone has a dad.”
“Mine died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“Have you heard any more news about the bombs?” she asked.
“No. I just assume whoever is bombing us is trying to wipe democracy off the face of the planet or something. There are so many crazy-ass dictators out there. It could be any of them. Russia. China. North Korea.”
“We’ll find out eventually,” she said with conviction. “Anyway, what else did Elijah say about us?”
“He said for now he just wants Turner to keep an eye on the house. They’re trying to figure out who lives there. They know about you, your mom, and your brother, but they haven’t spotted your dad yet.”
“That’s because—” She stopped short. How much did she really trust Adam? What if Elijah had sent him to spy on her? To get information about her family? Until she knew for sure, she wouldn’t reveal the truth about her dad. “He’s been on patrol a lot too.”
“Where does he patrol?”
Her eyebrows crinkled together. Why was he asking so many questions? Was he actually spying on her too, or was he just curious? Maybe he was just trying to get to know her. Either way, she decided to listen to her gut. She could always tell him the truth later.
“All over the place,” she said. “He really likes walking.”
“Maybe I’ll run into him.”
“He’s usually pretty hard to spot.”
“Good thing I have tracking skills.”
“You do?”
“My mom had this total loser boyfriend for a few years. Dale the dick. Man, I hated that guy. He drank too much and liked to beat on my mom.”
“That’s terrible.” She reached for his hand. When he took it, a spark of awareness shimmied up her arm.
“Eventually Mom’s best friend came over and threw Dale out of the house. It was total chaos. The cops had to come and arrest him. He came back a few times and tried to get her to let him move back in, but she was going to counseling so I guess it was enough to fix her.”
“How old were you when this was going on?” she asked.
“Fourteen.”
“I can’t imagine going through something like that. My dad is super chill. Way more chill than my mom. She’s so uptight. I can’t stand being at home sometimes. I miss freedom.”
“I know what you mean. Elijah started this work duties list. We all have to sign up for assignments and complete our tasks if we want to eat dinner. I don’t understand why everyone’s going along with it. We’re the ones supplying the food for the nightly potluck, not Elijah. As far as I can tell, he’s never contributed anything. In fact, I think he’s hoarding stuff.”
“No way.”
“Yeah. I haven’t been into his office recently, but when I walked by the other day, the door was open a crack. I peeked in and there were several bottles of booze lined up across the front of his desk. They were all full, as if someone had just given them to him. Like a tribute or something.”
“Weird. Do preachers drink?”
“He does.”
“We never went to church very much. Easter and Christmas mostly,” she said.
“We went every Sunday. Mom prays a lot. Sometimes I hear her at night praying for the world to go back to how it was.”
“I hope God’s listening.”
“I hope so too. I need to head back before they send a search party out to look for me. I wanted to let you know what Elijah’s up to. Be careful. I’ll try to find out more and warn you if they’re planning something. Do you come to the stream a lot?”
“I’ve got morning shift. I’m usually here an hour after sunrise.”
“Can I come see you again?” he asked.
“As long as you keep it a secret. My mom would kick my ass if she knew we were meeting.”
“I’m not sure what my mom would do, but Elijah would be pissed. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Good.”
He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it. She bit the edge of her lip and smiled. As he walked back toward the trail, her gaze dropped to his butt. So cute. At least she had something to look forward to now.
She resumed patrol, skirting the edge of the stream for a half mile before turning back toward the house. She hadn’t really violated any of her mom’s rules. Adam wasn’t a stranger, and her mom had no right to dictate who she could and couldn’t talk to. She’d still be careful not to reveal her dad’s whereabouts to Adam, just in case. But she was pretty sure she could trust him.
5
Liz brushed dirt stains from her shirt as she and Edwin approached the other neighbor’s house. She hadn’t thought to take a shower before heading over. Maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal. Immaculate hygiene belonged to the old world, for now. Eventually things would return to normal, but until then, people couldn’t be too upset about a little extra dirt.
Edwin headed up the porch steps and knocked on the front door. For a group seemingly concerned about security, it seemed odd that they’d let Edwin bring a stranger over. Maybe he’d already talked to them late last night.
The door swung open and a woman with stripes of silver in her hair walked out. She had pinched features and a beak-like hooked nose. A pair of glasses were perched on the end of it. She pushed them up and regarded Liz with a hawk-like gaze.
“So you’re the woman from up the road. The one with the trouble?” she asked.
“Irene, this is Liz,” Edwin said.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Liz said. “Edwin’s told me all about you.”
“Has he?”
Liz’s gaze bounced between them. What exactly had Edwin told her? This wasn’t the warm welcome she’d anticipated. Maybe she needed to reset her expectations.
“Edwin told us you’ve been having trouble with the church the next canyon over,” Irene said. “He said someone got shot and killed.”
“A group of men trespassed on my property. They had guns, so I considered them a threat. The guy I shot was less than ten yards from my house. I have every right.”
“No one’s saying you didn’t,” Edwin said. “Is Harvey home?”
“He’s out back taking care of the goats.”
“You have goats?” Liz asked. They weren’t in farm country, so the presence of any kind of livestock other than horses was surprising.
“Milk goats.”
“I’d love to see them,” Liz said.
“All right then, I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
As Irene led them around the side of the house into the backyard, Liz shot a questioning look at Edwin. He shrugged his shoulders as if he wasn’t sure what to make of Irene’s attitude. Was she always like this, or was she simply against bringing another person into the group?
Harvey sat on a stool just inside a small red barn. He milked a goat into a silver bucket. As they approached, he turned to greet them.
“Hello! You caught me in the middle of milking
, but if you don’t mind it, you’re welcome to watch while we talk.”
“How’s old Bessie doing?” Edwin asked.
“She’s as ornery as a peacock in heat today.”
“What do you do with all the milk?” Liz asked.
“Mostly turn it into goat cheese, but we keep some for drinking.”
“Are you almost done?” Irene asked. “I want to get back to the house. I’ve got laundry to do.”
“I’ll be done in about five minutes. I’ll bring it up. You can head in if you want,” Harvey said.
She turned without a word and walked back to the house.
“She’s in a foul mood,” Harvey said as soon as she was out of earshot. “She gets like that when the weather’s shitty. All this gray is getting to her. Edwin says you’re looking to join our group.”
“I’m looking for more ways to protect my family,” Liz said.
“Well, we’ve got the watch team. We’ve got a rationing team, and we’ve got the party team.”
“The party team?”
“No use moping around all day. Other than basic chores, we don’t have anything else to do. So we get together to shoot the shit. Some of the guys like to go hunting and fishing.”
“Have they caught anything?” Liz asked.
“A couple of squirrels and some fish from the lake. That’s about it. The only big game we have around here are coyotes and mountain lions. They’re too smart and too fast to get caught up in the crosshairs.”
“We’ve been living on beans and rice,” she said, omitting any mention of the stockpile of canned food in the shed.
“We’ve got some extra seeds if you want to start a vegetable garden. It’s pretty late in the year, but you might be able to get some winter squash going,” Harvey said.
“Thank you, but I’ve got seeds. A garden is on my list of things to do. I’ve been spending so much time trying to guard the cabin that I haven’t had much time for anything else.”
“Edwin told us about the trouble you ran into.”
“I wasn’t looking for any. I didn’t even want other people to know we were up here, but my daughter met one of the boys from the church. He led her there and the preacher sent some men to check out our house. I think they were looking to raid it. I don’t know. I shot at them before they could get to the front porch.”