by Alex Gunwick
“Damn straight.”
“The turnoff is coming up. We’ve only got one wheelbarrow left. I’m thinking we should stash it somewhere in case we run into another group. They might have circles of protection around their territory. See those oaks over there? We could stash the wheelbarrow and come back for the supplies tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Boyd rolled the wheelbarrow down the embankment and across an open space. When he reached a grove of oak trees, Luke pointed.
“Over there, behind those bushes.”
“Can you see the road from here?”
“No. But… I think they may have been following us.”
“What?” Boyd craned his neck. “It’s getting too dark to see anything.”
“Hopefully they didn’t watch us go down here.”
“I think we should find another spot, just in case.”
“Let me check. I’ve still got my monocular,” Luke said.
“I’m surprised they didn’t go for our packs.”
“They probably thought the wheelbarrows had better stuff.”
“They could have shot us and taken anything. Why didn’t they?”
“Maybe they want to follow us back to the house and take everything.” Luke lifted the monocular to one eye. Night switched to day. Trees and large boulders stood out like light gray sentinels against the darker sky. With a two-hundred-yard view in every direction, it didn’t take long to locate their tail. One guy was up on the road looking back and forth.
“He’s up there,” Luke whispered.
“Let me see.”
Luke handed him the monocular.
“We’re pinned down.”
“No. He doesn’t have any night vision gear on. If we wait until full dark, we won’t be able to see our hands in front of our faces out here.”
“Okay.”
Impatience tightened Luke’s spine. He was less than an hour away from the cabin. He could hardly wait to see Liz. The moment he had her in his arms, he’d kiss her until she melted. And the kids? God, he’d swing them around like they were still two years old. They were the light of his life. If anything had happened to them while he was gone, he’d never forgive himself. He could understand why Boyd still held onto his guilt. Rationally, he knew if anything happened, he wouldn’t be to blame. But emotionally, it would destroy him.
After an hour of waiting around, he tapped Boyd on the shoulder.
“Looks like that guy headed back to the group. It’s clear for now,” Luke said.
“Keep your eyes peeled.”
“I’m scanning.”
“Lead the way.”
Luke climbed back onto the road. He checked both directions to make sure their tail was gone. After crossing the road, they headed up the canyon road. Each step added to his excitement. And by the time he reached the turnoff to the cabin, he couldn’t hold back. He jogged up to the gate across the road.
As he tried to walk around it, his foot caught on a tripwire. Bells jangled as he stumbled forward. He put out a hand to catch himself and landed on a sharp spike.
“Fuck!”
“What happened?” Boyd asked.
“Traps. Watch out.”
“Traps?”
“Don’t you fucking move!” a woman growled.
The click-clack of a shotgun being racked strangled his breath.
“Luke?” Liz dropped the shotgun and flung herself into his arms. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”
He clung to her, smothering her with a kiss borne of two weeks of pure desperation. The struggle, the pain, the suffering, and the miles and miles of fear had been worth it. She melted into the kiss, returning his passion with her own, untethered need, as if to reaffirm his presence.
As he pulled her close, the intoxicating scent of pine and hope mingled to awaken his soul. Now that they were together, anything was possible. They’d survive the apocalypse. No, more than survive—they’d thrive. They had everything they needed to stay alive for a year. Even with Boyd in tow, they’d have enough to make it.
When Boyd cleared his throat, Liz stiffened in Luke’s arms.
“Who’s there?”
“His name’s Boyd. I met him on the road. We traveled together through most of the Inland Empire.”
“Nice to meet you,” Boyd said.
“I thought we agreed not to bring anyone here,” she whispered, as if Boyd weren’t standing two feet away.
“He lost his entire family. He’s a good man and I thought maybe we could use the extra help around the cabin. We’ve got plenty of food.”
“No, we don’t.”
“What do you mean, what happened?”
“A lot… I don’t even know where to begin,” she said.
“We’ll figure it out. Once we get settled and I’ve had time to let this leg heal—”
“What happened to your leg? Dammit, it’s too dark to see anything right now. Let’s go inside.”
“Okay.”
When Boyd didn’t move to follow them, Luke turned back. “You coming?”
“Ah, I don’t want to go where I’m not welcome,” Boyd said. “I could turn around and go home.”
“Not happening,” Luke said. “You’re staying with us. Come on.”
“Your wife doesn’t want me here,” Boyd said.
“She doesn’t know you. I don’t blame her. I’d be wary of a stranger too.”
“Okay,” Boyd said. “But if she really doesn’t want me to stay, I’ll leave. You just say the word and I’m gone.”
“I won’t ask you to leave.” When Boyd didn’t respond, Luke nodded. “Okay, it’s settled.”
Liz stood on the porch.
“I don’t know where we’re going to fit everyone,” she said. “We have other guests.”
“Who?” Luke asked.
“I’ll explain everything.”
Liz knocked on the door three times. After a brief scraping sound, the door swung open.
“Adam, I’d like you to meet Luke, my husband.”
“It’s nice to meet you sir.” He offered his hand.
As Luke shook it, Melinda sat up on one of the couches. She stood and joined them.
“This is Adam’s mom, Melinda. They helped us when—”
Kyle appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Dad?” He rubbed his eyes. “Dad!”
Kyle launched himself at Luke, nearly knocking him over in the process. After steadying himself, Luke grabbed his son and held him so tight that Kyle squealed in protest.
“Ouch,” Kyle gasped.
“Shit. Sorry. I’m just so glad to see you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but the preacher took Sierra. He—”
“Who? What do you mean he took her?”
“It’s a long story.”
“What preacher? Where is she?”
“She’s in the bedroom.” When he took a step toward it, Liz grabbed his hand. “Wait. We have a lot to talk about before you go in there.”
Liz closed the front door and slid a two by four into place. A single candle illuminated the space. A stockpile of weapons sat in one corner of the room. Embers from a dying fire popped in the fireplace.
“Is Sierra okay?” he asked
“She’s sleeping. I’ll make tea.”
“I want to see her.”
“She’s not…she’s not ready to see anyone. And she needs to rest. Come sit down.”
Luke glanced at the closed bedroom door before heading toward the kitchen table. As much as he wanted to see her, he could wait a few hours. He trusted Liz. If she said he should wait, he would, even though it tore at his heart.
“Melinda and Adam, if you want to go back to sleep, go ahead.” Liz set a kettle on the stove. “I’ll fill them in.”
“Boyd?” Luke slid into a seat at the kitchen table and indicated Boyd should do the same. He took the seat across from Luke.
“I’ve got tea and hot chocolate,” Liz said.
“Hot chocolate?”
Boyd’s eyes lit up.
“I’ll have some too,” Luke said.
After Liz set the steaming mugs in front of them, Luke took a sip. He sat back in his chair.
“What happened while I was gone?” he asked.
“A lot. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Tell me everything.”
As Liz launched into an animated retelling of the last two weeks, a dark cloud of anger took residence in his body. This preacher guy had attacked his family. He’d taken his daughter and subjected her to God knew what. He’d pay. Luke would make him pay. No one fucked with his family.
“Did you hear what I said? Sierra killed him.”
“What?” Luke looked up as thoughts of vengeance evaporated.
“When we were fleeing, the preacher captured me. He was going to kill me, but Sierra shot him. She watched him die.”
“Jesus.” Luke reached for his wife’s hand. He held it and never wanted to let go. “What about the other men?”
“Dead. We killed all of them.”
“I have to see my daughter.” He couldn’t wait. He couldn’t imagine the emotional turmoil she must be going through.
Liz’s lips formed a thin line, but she nodded.
Luke walked to the bedroom door. As he cracked it open, Sierra rolled over on the bed.
“Sierra,” he whispered. “It’s Dad. Can I come in?”
“Dad?” She jumped up and ran into his arms. “Thank God you’re here.”
“I’m home, honey. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.”
She burst into tears, clinging to him the way she’d done on her first day of kindergarten. At nineteen years old, she still needed her daddy.
“I did terrible things,” she whispered.
“Whatever you did, you did it to survive. That’s all that matters.”
“Mom hates me.”
“She loves you.”
“I put us all in danger. I should have known better.”
“It’s all in the past. We’re together now. We’re stronger than anything anyone wants to throw our way.”
“I killed him.” She sobbed. “I had to.”
“I know. Mom told me everything. You did the right thing. I’m proud of you.”
She continued to cry as she perched on the edge of the bed. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Based on experience, he knew there wasn’t anything you could do to console someone after their first kill. Justified or not, she’d be traumatized for a long time.
“Where’s the compound?” he asked.
“Across the river, over the next ridge. Why?”
“I want to see it.”
“No!” Her eyes went wide. “You can’t go over there. It’s not safe.”
“But the preacher’s dead. Your mom said everyone who was involved with him is dead.”
“They think they got everyone, but how do they know for sure? How do they know more of them aren’t hiding out, waiting to strike?” Her wild, unfocused gaze bounced around the room.
“I trust your mom. If she says they’re all dead, then they’re all dead. I just want to take a look.”
“No, Daddy. You can’t go.” She grabbed his arm.
After gently wrestling it away, he headed back toward the door.
“Get some sleep. We’ll talk again in the morning.”
He walked into the kitchen.
“I want to see it.”
“I can take you there at sunrise. I’m too tired to make the trip now.”
“Are you sure they’re all dead?” Luke asked.
“Harvey and Franklin seemed to think so.”
“The neighbors were there too?”
“We started a community,” Liz said. “I’ll take you to meet everyone later today.”
“They might not all be dead,” Boyd said. “We ran into a group of guys up the road. They claimed they were from a church.”
“It’s the only one around,” Liz said. “They sent groups out in every direction either to guard the road or find more supplies. The men you ran into were probably from the church. I didn’t think about the groups that were away from the church when everything went down.”
“They stole half our stuff,” Boyd said. “If they’re back at the church, we’ll take care of them before they become a problem.”
“You’re lucky they didn’t kill you,” Liz said.
“Boyd, if you’re up for it, do you want to come with me?” Luke asked.
“Let me finish my hot chocolate and I’ll be ready for anything.”
“I don’t want you to go,” Liz said. “If those other men returned to the church, it’s not safe. I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you.”
“We’ll be careful,” Luke said. “We’ll just take a look. We won’t engage anyone.”
“I promise I’ll bring him back in one piece,” Boyd said.
Liz sighed. “Okay, but be careful. Take guns with you.”
After grabbing a couple of rifles and extra magazines, Luke and Boyd headed toward the door. He stayed alert as they moved through the forest. The occasional scamper of a squirrel and the hoot of a lone owl were the only sounds in the night. He followed Liz’s directions until he reached an overlook.
Luke’s jaw twitched as he stood at the edge of the forest. Although most of the preacher’s compound lay in smoldering shambles, several men sifted through the rubble. They placed useable items several feet from the fire. They weren’t leaving, and as long as they stayed in the canyon, his family would never be safe. Tomorrow, he’d formulate a plan for dealing with them, but for now, he turned around, and headed home.
Three days later, Luke found his daughter's dead body partially buried beneath a shroud of snow.
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About the Author
Alex Gunwick started researching post-apocalyptic scenarios for book ideas. When she realized how unprepared she and her husband were for a disaster, she launched into prepping. Now she’s armed and sitting on enough beans to rocket her to the moon and back. She’s already mastered her Mossberg 500 and can’t wait to put her HK P2000 through its paces at the range.
Her fantasy of moving to Montana to live in a cabin in the woods has become an obsession. Her husband’s totally on board and can’t wait to wrangle grizzly bears with his bare hands. We’ll see how that works out. ;)
To find out more about her including what she’s shooting these days, visit her online at:
www.AlexGunwick.com
[email protected]