Nate already had his Glock in a holster and on his side, but he always took his rifle with him anytime he went out on the range.
“Ok, I will stand right here,” Ben replied, not moving much at all, but slowly running his fingers down the mane of Traveller. Nate stepped inside the cabin and went to his gun safe. He removed his 45-70 lever action rifle. Nate grabbed one box of ammo and the leather saddle scabbard he made for the rifle.
Outside, Nate found Ben still standing unmoved. The horse seemed to be enjoying Ben’s touch. Nate attached the scabbard to the saddle, and slid the rifle down until it stopped.
“Ok Ben, I will mount up, and then help you up,” Nate said. He reached down and effortlessly lifted Ben up and sat him in front. Ben was a little shaky at first, but settled in fast. Nate left Samson inside for this trip.
*****
The horse ride was going slow. Nate had to be gentle. A lot of time had passed since his rear saw a horse; and it was, in fact, still sore from the journey of hundreds of miles. He let Ben lead the horse at times, and tried to teach him a few things along the trail he took. They were headed slowly up a trail to the edge of an overlook that would give Nate a spectacular view of Fritch. Nate was still very curious about the chopper he saw in distress, and wondered if he would be able to see anything. The distance would likely prevent that, but maybe he would see them lift off after they fixed the issue. It was encouraging to see the old bird in the air regardless. He hoped – without much faith – that elsewhere things were getting better. His father told him they hadn’t been into Fritch since just after the collapse, and they wouldn’t go back; the amount of stragglers arriving in town was beyond description. Nate knew exactly what his father meant. By now, he was sure many people had come and gone, or had died. It was a curiosity that he wasn’t in a hurry to see. About forty minutes had passed, and Nate and Ben were near the top of the ridge. From his viewpoint, he had Lake Meredith between himself and Fritch. “It sure is a pretty lake. Is there big fish in it?” Ben asked.
Nate smiled. The kid was already thinking about fishing. The thought of eating fresh fish was very appealing. They would need to do it soon to help supplement their protein intake.
“Yep, many type; some big catfish down there. We might go tomorrow morning,” Nate said.
“Oh, I can’t wait,” Ben replied.
In truth, neither could Nate.
Chapter 2
The Recovery
The Texas prairie grass covered undulating hills with varieties of fescues. Many wild flowers dotted the land as far as the eye could see. At one time, much of this land was covered with cattle. His father only had a few dozen now. Most were lost to disease and lack of life-sustaining resources; maintaining any herd during an economic shutdown was very difficult. Other head were lost to thievery. Henry could not venture very far from his home since there were just the two of them. On a spread of thousand acres, it was very hard to keep up. A few small streams flowed on the property providing other means of water. Nate noticed while on horseback the absence of rabbits. He wondered if there were any Whitetail bucks around. He suspected many things were being hunted to the point that finding any would become impossible.
“Ben, how about we head up to check in on your grandparents?” Nate suggested. It was early when they left, and he already knew his mom expected them over for leftovers for lunch. She had made that clear the day they arrived. It was more important than ever now to eat leftovers.
Nate headed back to the stable. He showed Ben some of the duties in caring for horses. Ben really seemed to be a quick study, and he handled Traveller well. Nate had expected to see someone – a trespasser – on the property while they were out, but they encountered no one. He was glad for this. He wanted to talk to his parents about leaving Ben with them the next day while he went out on horseback and inspected the complete ranch. He wanted to check the solar-powered barbwire fencing and repair any that were down. He wanted to take Ben, but felt for now it would be safer for him to remain with his parents. Nate needed to move around faster than he could with Ben at his side. The biggest concern Nate had was the fact that all of their cattle except for about thirty were now gone. This required some investigation. They were not the historic 400,000-acre Kennedy ranch down in south Texas, but they fared well. The number of cattle that remained was just a fraction of what Henry once owned.
Back at Nate’s cabin, they cleaned up. Samson was happy to see them, and ready to get outside. Nate had been feeding Samson scraps, but he needed to come up with something for the dog that would be healthier. Soon, he would need to throw together some homemade dog food. Nate had many of the ingredients needed. His mother had a garden with green beans which were a great all-around vegetable for dogs. He would also start a garden for this from his seed vault. Next, he would need to cook up a lot of white rice. He had several five-gallon buckets stored away, sealed in Mylar, with oxygen absorbers. Nate never planned to use them for this, but he figured the dog was worth what it provided to the family unit during this time. He would need to restart his chicken coop. Thanks to his parents help, they saved most of his chickens while he was gone. He could also incorporate eggs into the dog food. Samson would have scrambled eggs for now.
*****
Nate was inspecting and cleaning his Glock 26. It was extremely dirty from the journey. He disassembled the gun into its smaller components. Next, he opened the bottle of Hoppe’s No. 9 Gun Bore cleaner. The amount of buildup was shocking. He made fast work of the gun, and had it reassembled before Ben came out ready to go. In the evening, he would take the time to go over his rifles.
“You ready?” Nate asked.
Ben nodded his head. He was wearing old looking shorts. They appeared to be carpenter style, with the hammer loop on the pocket. Nate would need to keep his eyes open for any clothing he could find for Ben. He thought about going into town to see if he could barter something for clothes. Ben only had a few pairs of jeans, underwear, socks, and shorts. He brought numerous meticulously folded up T-shirts with various logos.
Nate holstered the sidearm on his hip. On the table sat a dual magazine carrier. He slid two fully loaded magazines into the kydex style carriers, and attached it to the left side of his belt.
“Are we riding Traveller down?” Ben asked.
Nate had considered it, but his rear was actually sore and thought better of it.
“No, we will just take the Ranger; it won’t use too much fuel.”
Nate didn’t want to admit his personal issue to Ben. It would take some time for him to adjust to horseback riding again. But time was something they had much of these days.
Nate told Ben that they would be taking Samson. “Ben, you are in charge of Samson.”
Ben smiled; he liked having responsibility. It was a fact he learned about Ben along the way home.
“Oh boy, did you hear that, Samson?” Ben said, ruffling up the back of Samson’s large hairy neck. Every time Ben did this, it made the dog more excited.
“I will be right back, Ben. I’m going to go get the Ranger,” Nate said.
Ben nodded as he often did. Nate stepped out the front door and walked across the way to the small storage barn. The barn was one of the newer steel constructed types they advertised on TV. It was also equipped with solar. It was large enough to house two vehicles, and it also provided a workshop. Nate’s newly acquired truck and the Ranger were both well protected from the elements. Even before Nate got to the door, he heard something. It sounded like metal on metal, and then the obvious sound of something heavy being dropped on his concrete slab. Silence was all he heard next.
In a flash, Nate un-holstered his weapon as he reached the locked door. Whoever was inside apparently used either the side window, or the back door to get in. At the door, Nate listened and could hear someone walking around. His garage floor was a mess. He had not taken the time to clean it before he left on vacation.
Nate moved from the front door to the rear of the garage. H
e crept slowly, trying to remain silent. Coming to the back entry, he could see the door was partially open and moving slightly with the afternoon winds. Nate peeked inside, still listening, but no seeing anything. He built a skylight into the garage and it provided enough visibility for him to see inside. Then he saw the noisemaker. Nate was honestly surprised.
“Oh, it’s just you!” Nate said, lowering his weapon. He was looking at an old friend. Ricky the raccoon was his name. Apparently, Nate hadn’t shut the door; or someone – maybe his father – left the door open accidently. The not-so-little raccoon was looking for food. He wouldn’t find any in the garage. Over the past few years, this same varmint had visited him on occasion. Nate reached in, flipped on the lights, and hit the garage door at the same time. Little Ricky darted out the front door headed for the open fields. Fortunately, Samson was still inside. Nate secured the rear door. He checked out the Ranger to make certain Ricky didn’t leave anything in the seats. Verifying everything was okay, Nate jumped in the Ranger. Every time he sat in the Ranger, he thought about Chris and his family. Nate realized if it were not for his family, things would be far different. Most likely, he would not have found Ben. Nate tried to think of the present. Dwelling on the ‘what ifs’ in life wouldn’t get him far.
Nate pulled the UTV out and locked the garage. He made the fast trip to pick up Ben and Samson.
The Ranger made the small half mile jog up the road with no issues. The late morning sun was coming out with a stiff cool breeze blowing in from the north. Nate thought about all the places he recently travelled through, wondering how his newfound friends were doing. Nate stepped off the Ranger and waited for Ben to handle Samson. He did a good job with his recent assignment of responsibility. Ben seemed to enjoy the challenge with a constant smile on his young face.
Henry opened the door and knelt down to call Samson over. The massive dog ran from Ben’s control straight to Henry’s arms. He ruffled the thick hair on the shepherd, and then stood to greet Ben who wasn’t far behind.
“Morning Ben, how was your first night’s rest?” Henry said as Ben stepped into his arms. Henry found Ben to be a delight. Nate was correct…Ben seemed normal, but he did have a certain essence about him that maybe some might find odd. It wasn’t a bad quality or trait, just a way of saying things a little differently. Henry and Betty both were proud to have Ben as their grandchild. They were even more proud of Nate for stepping into the role with such courage.
“Ben, you and Samson head on in. I think your grandmother has a special treat for Samson.”
Ben’s eyes lit up and he headed inside. Nate paused at the door because of the new look on his father’s face.
“What is it, dad? What’s wrong? I can see that look on your face. Did you find some dog crap in your house after we left, or what?” Nate said, half joking.
Henry smiled for a moment. “Nate, I wish it was something so simple. I just got off the Ham radio. I have been working on establishing the range, and I finally got out pretty far,” Henry said with a softening of his voice. He had not disclosed the information to Betty yet. “Ok, well it’s good to hear you can get out on it. So, what have you heard?” Nate asked.
Henry motioned for them to have a seat on the porch as he closed the door behind them. Nate sat and his father pulled a chair up close.
“Nate, ever hear of Comanche Peak in Glen Rose?”
Nate suddenly got that feeling in his stomach. That hint of something being wrong. Indeed, he knew of the place. Glen Rose was the home of the Dinosaur Park, but it was also home to a nuclear power plant.
“Well, I know you aren’t talking about the fossils at the Dinosaur Park, so I assume you are talking about the nuclear plant,” Nate replied sarcastically.
“Unfortunately, yes. It has melted down,” Henry stated.
“Dear God!” Nate said slowly. There was a pause between them both before Nate spoke again. Glen Rose was about forty miles southwest of Fort Worth, and sixty miles southwest of Dallas. It was reliant upon Squaw Creek reservoir for cooling.
“Well, at least we are far removed from that area; the prevailing winds should keep this area safe, dad,” Nate replied, hoping not to sound uncaring about the people it was or did affect.
“That is correct, but we have a different problem,” Henry said, stopping to look around at his land.
Nate could see his father was thinking about something deeply. “What is it, dad? Whatever it is, we can handle it,” Nate said reassuringly.
Henry looked at Nate. “The reports said hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, are fleeing west, son. That was about a week ago. This was confirmed by many spread out across this region of Texas. Some not so far from us; great hordes of sick, dying, and radioactive people…and what they are bringing are closing in on all of west Texas. I can’t say that I blame them, I would do the same,” Henry said, looking down at his legs.
He ran his hands across his legs and massaged them like he attempted to push blood into them. Looking at Henry, one might think he was much younger than his actual age. He was still in great shape. The thought sank in now on Nate.
It was likely that these hordes of people would not only be sick, but very desperate for food and water. They would be in need of any medical supplies Fritch, or surrounding communities, had available. Desperate people would use force in numbers, and would be armed. How they would arrive depended on finding the resources before they left, or along the way.
“Ok, we need to consider our options. If they are coming, the first to arrive will be by motorized travel. Some might even be here now if they left last week. When did this meltdown actually happen?” Nate asked.
Henry thought for a moment. “I’m not sure, but I think it was over two weeks ago. Most were not aware it happened until the plant exploded.”
Nate sat up with that news. “Exploded? That place sits on a reservoir. Unless it dried up, how did this meltdown really happen?” Nate asked, not expecting an answer.
His father shrugged his shoulders. “That is the million-dollar question. Regardless…it did. One rumor is this was planned by some anti-overpopulation group trying to use the current state of affairs to rid the planet of densely populated cities. It may have worked in this case; Dallas and the areas around it will likely be wiped out,” Henry replied.
“Or headed this way,” Nate said.
“So, what does Mom think of all of this?” Nate asked.
Henry paused.
“You haven’t told her yet,” Nate said, knowing what his father’s brief hesitation meant.
“Nate, I just found out an hour ago. I was going to tell her, but she has been in such a great jubilant mood since your return. I can’t express how much everything in her has changed her attitude. I just didn’t want to destroy that so soon,” Henry explained.
Nate understood. He wasn’t sure himself how to handle this scenario.
“Well, I want to do something after we eat. If you can watch over Ben for me, I would like to take a little trip into Fritch to see what, if anything, is going on,” Nate asked.
Henry was silent at first. He wasn’t sure how Nate would know if someone he was near was contaminated externally or internally other than obvious signs of radiation sickness.
“Mostly dad, I want to see if there are newcomers in town,” Nate added.
Henry nodded, then added some other news.
“I understand, but you need to know that since the collapse, Fritch became much different. Another Ham friend said that Fritch was hit hard with its own deaths and thousands of wandering bands of people searching for water and food. Most are now camped out in town near the lake. Apparently, it looks like a massive homeless camp. Everyday people are dying from disease and lack of nutrition,” Henry stated.
Nate was not totally surprised by this news, but he couldn’t imagine Fritch to be in such a condition. He still wanted to see things for himself.
“Dad, you still have those Ecotest Terra’s Geiger counters?” Nat
e asked.
Henry knew Nate was determined to see if Fritch received any obvious new arrivals. He also wanted to check in on a few old friends.
“I will get them after lunch. Let’s go eat,” Henry replied.
Both walked inside. Nate walked in behind his father. For the first time, he recognized just how much his parents had aged. Henry walked slower than Nate remembered.
I guess we can’t outrun time, dad.
Nate thought lovingly to himself.
Chapter 3
Going to Town
Nate sat outside with Ben on the porch. He wanted to talk to Ben about his trip into Fritch. He decided for now not to get into the particulars of the real reasons, and just to stick to a simple premise. Nate didn’t want to confuse or frighten the boy.
“Ben, I want you to stay here for a few hours, if you don’t mind. I really need to go into town and see a few old friends,” Nate said.
Ben had a slight look of concern on his face, then asked his question. “When will you be back? Isn’t it dangerous to go into cities?”
Ben had seen a lot of action since joining up with Nate. He had seen things most kids his age should never see. Ben ran his fingers through his long dark hair. He seemed nervous.
“It can be dangerous; you are right, I won’t lie to you, Ben. However, you know me, son. I won’t do anything or take chances to get myself hurt. I have you and your grandparents to come home to. I just need to check on a few people, and then I will come straight back,” Nate said, trying to ease Ben’s nerves. Ben seemed to relax with Nate’s words.
“Honestly Ben, this may be a fast trip. I imagine the town is far different now; like the towns we went through. If so, I won’t even waste my time. I will just turn around and head home,” Nate added.
Ben slowly leaned into Nate. Nate hugged Ben as the two of them sat looking out toward the west. Nate thought about Ben’s words carefully. The teen was right in so many ways. Ben obviously listened along the trek home. Yet, the consequences of inaction might bring more to their peaceful abode than they could imagine. No…he had to venture into Fritch if for no other reason than to assess the potential for incursions toward their homes.
Escaping Home Page 2