Chapter 14
June 29, 2020
The following morning, Erika woke up to the unblinking stare of Millie's Siamese cat, Harry. He sat poised on the corner of the sectional sofa -wiggling and ready to pounce on her head. Hissing at her nemesis, she threw a sofa pillow in his general direction and looked around for the shepherds. The smell of cooking bacon drew her attention to the kitchen. Muttering, "traitors," at the dogs sitting patiently for Hermit to give them a piece, she sluggishly joined the others gathered around the small kitchen table. Millie was serving eggs to Tanna and Ethel. Erika noted that her neighbor's face was busted up, but nothing that would not heal if properly cared for. Her throat was another story, though - the rope had damaged it severely. Ethel still had that vacant look, though, Erika thought sadly. She imagined they made her watch as they killed her mom and no telling what else they had done to her before they arrived.
"What does the local news say this morning," she asked as she took an empty chair.
Pouring her some coffee, Millie spoke up, "Bryson came by and said things were pretty rough last night. Those guys from your neighborhood came by looking for you, but he and the boys persuaded them they hadn't seen you, and they shouldn't try to press the issue."
"Erika that Felix guy seems to have a lot of information about you," Hermit mentioned as he took a bite of toast.
"Yeah, I feel like I should know him. And who is Brother Timothy and the Brotherhood? It sounds like some cult," she pondered aloud, rubbing her head.
Since he had been watching the news all night, Hermit gave the girls a quick update. “Speaking of cults - since that bounty was placed on state and local government officials and law enforcement officers, protests have gotten increasingly violent. Without federal support, most of the local law enforcement felt they needed to protect their homes and families and walked off the jobs. Riots led to looting and that led to gangs going on crime sprees. The folks getting in the way have been beaten or worse. The city and surrounding areas are now in chaos, and like the virus, it seems to be spreading. Churches, concerned citizens groups and communities are doing what they can to form safe zones, but everyone is scared.” Taking a breath, he rubbed the stubble on his chin and added, “People are supposed to be wearing masks and keeping their distance, but only a few are complying. From what I gathered the governor is going to announce martial law and the national guard is stepping in to take control of the situation."
Erika clicked her tongue to get the two dogs’ attention. Patting them both on the heads, she responded, "Well. It looks like we do not have long then. We need to get the hell out of the city asap."
Millie started, "But..." Erika cut her off, "Civil unrest, martial law, our homes being compromised… Ransom taught me this, and it's not a question. I AM leaving. You are either coming with me or not. If you are - start collecting supplies. What we do not have, we can figure out on the way out of town. The number one thing everyone needs is a good, comfortable pair of hiking shoes or boots, and socks."
Before she had finished, both Tanna and Ethel were up and gathering things. Tanna's voice was but a croak as she asked, "Can we go by my place? I would like to pick up some things.” Shaking her head, Erika explained, "We can't go back and trust me - it hurts me as bad as you. The chances are that your ex-husband left someone watching your place just waiting for you to come back. Make a list of what you two need, and we will stop somewhere. Millie, what do you have in the house?"
Hermit was already dumping out plastic tubs full of her historical re-enactment costumes and putting canned foods in them.
"My camping gear is all ready to go. We just need to load it up. I have some light jackets we can use, and some of Z's clothes are here that will fit Hermit. My daggers and Katana are in my bedroom, and I have some bungee ties with my camping gear and a large cooler in Becca's old room from when Becca still lived here."
"Fantastic," Erika commented going over what they should take with them. "Sleeping bags, tarps, bungee cords, backpacks, water bottles, damnit! I have a med-kit in the car along with bug out bags for Ransom, the dogs, and me, but my stockpile is back at the house."
After they removed the third-row seats completely out of the SUV, Hermit loaded up the Tahoe. Erika felt a tug at her arm and found her mom's caregiver, "Erika, I need to be with my son."
Erika could read the fear in the proud woman's dark eyes and felt ashamed of herself for not remembering sooner that while Ethel did not have custody of her son, the boy lived on a farm north of the city with her parents. Of course, she would want to be with them during this time - not three strange white people, no matter how close the two of them had become. "Girl, I don't know what I was thinking, of course, you do. I will see what I can work out about finding you a ride." They finally decided that Ethel would come with them and help them unload at Ransom's cabin, and then Hermit would drive her up to her parent's farm.
Erika realized that they had the basics. They had her dad's guns and shotguns and, Millie had two sets of daisho - samurai sword sets. She also had some decorative daggers along with a sewing kit and some bolts of fabric. They were loading up the last bit of supplies from the apartment while Hermit secured what he could on the Tahoe’s roof. Dressed in some of Millie's clothes, Tanna was wearing a white camisole top with a maroon and black long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up over it, a pair of jeans, and some gray steel toe biker boots with a gray scarf hiding her bruised neck. Her face was a mess, but it was easy to see her beauty since the swelling had gone down. Millie came out holding her cat carrier in one hand and a Gucci backpack in the other. She was wearing a black slouched shoulder T-shirt, olive drab pants, cognac knee-high boots, and J'Lo shades. Erika just stood there looking at her friend, her mouth agape, "OK - J'Lo, let's load up." Shooting a look at Hermit, she rolled her eyes, making him snort.
He opened the SUV’s door with a grand flourish bowing gallantly to Gretel, Tanna and Ethel, "Ladies, after you." Pointing the finger at Hansel, he added, "You, sir, are sitting with your Aunt Millie. Don't try and drive - you are working." Hansel huffed at him as though insulted, but he got in and sat balanced on the console and passenger side, leaving just enough room for Millie to crawl in.
"Hey Fur Face, you don't want to sit with me," Millie asked the dog good-naturedly as she balanced the cat carrier with Harry in it on her leg. There was a lot of yowling going on, but no-one was about to ask Millie to leave her cat behind.
On the drive, they found out that Tanna's ex-husband Ray was a firearms dealer, and she knew her way around tactical situations even better than Erika. Relieved to know that, Erika had perked up. Hermit was more scholarly than weapons prepared, and Millie had never really been interested in guns, so it was nice to have someone with them who knew their way around firearms. Pulling her dark ponytail through the base of her cap, she hoped they would not need to use firearms any time before Ransom got home. Last night had been scary and she hoped it was a onetime deal.
She was taking the crew to his deer camp. This was the first part of the bug out plan he had hammered into her. He had left specific instructions for her if they were ever separated in a “Shit Hit the Fan” scenario. She smiled at the thought. She had always joked with him that he fell for her because of her detailed Zombie Apocalypse survival plan. Yep, Ransom might have taught her how to shoot, how to be prepared, and how to work with the dogs, but since she was a kid, she had her own ZA plan in place.
It was a running joke amongst her friends that everyone was to meet at her house if the zombie apocalypse ever hit. Zombies would make more sense than whatever this was, she thought. A global pandemic, cultists, lawlessness, and whatever had happened at the farm. Thinking about it all, she realized she would prefer zombies.
All this is precisely why she needed Ransom - without his leadership to navigate them through this, she was afraid. She knew her brain was not operating on all cylinders. To function right now she had to push out of her head what happened with her mom, w
hat she had witnessed last night with Tanna and Ethel, her concern over her memory loss, her being followed in the woods, and what the hell their next course of action would be.
Turning on the radio Canned Heat came on as Erika drove out of the gated community, took a right turn towards the reservoir, and cranked up the music. Millie started singing, "Well, I'm so tired of crying, But I'm out on the road again, I'm on the road again." Soon Erika and Hermit joined her, and Ethel and Tanna bobbed their heads along to the rhythm.
Erika's plan was rather than go through town. They would take an old dirt road that ran alongside the river that cut through the swamp to Ransom's hunting camp. She was thankful Ransom had insisted on the Tahoe's steel bumper since they had to push a few abandoned vehicles out of the way on the spillway. The atmosphere seemed apocalyptic, with there being so few people out. She had noticed a few die-hard fishermen sitting on their buckets at the dam and a few boats out on the reservoir, but for the most part, they looked to be the only ones out. She wondered if they should have gone to Wal-Mart.
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the wheel and told herself to calm down. She had this. If there was one thing that Jason Ransom McIlwain had taught her - it was what to do in case of an event like this, whether natural or human-made. She had to be prepared, and she hoped to the Gods she was. She had let down her mom and not been there for her when she needed her, and it had cost her mom her life. Erika would be damned if she lost her soul family too.
Chapter 15
During the ride, Erika and Millie had found out a few things about her neighbor's past. Tanna was a few years older than their crew. Like all of them, she had graduated from Chimneyville University. She had even shared a few classes with Hermit, who had been a junior her senior year. Tanna had pursued an advanced degree in Aerospace engineering and their paths had never crossed. She did not detail her and Ray's marriage only that they got married fresh out of high school and divorced less than a year later. He still felt like she belonged to him, and she was certain that he would never leave her alone. She stated that the plan was to leave Chimneyville and him behind, but she had gotten a good position at a local defense contractor firm that was paying off her student loans if she would commit to them for ten years. She was five years in, and now the virus hit. She was currently working from home, and Ray, who was half looney, had suddenly started harassing her again. The latest was the most violent she had ever seen him. She admitted he had a mean streak, but she felt like whatever was going on with him now was almost like he was possessed with renewed vigor.
The previous night, Hermit and Millie had decided unanimously that she was welcome to stay with them if she wanted. In the brief time they had been together, Erika had been seriously impressed with Tanna. Despite everything that had happened, the woman seemed grounded and had a great deal of common sense. She knew her way around firearms, and she had a realistic handle on the dire circumstances they found themselves in. Not to mention the fur kids loved her. While the two liked most of her friends, this was different. They adored the newcomer.
Erika brought the Tahoe to a stop about a mile down the road from where the cabin sat next to the river. Despite the others' protest, she insisted that she and the dogs go alone to check the cabin. Her reasoning was the others were more likely to need to guard the vehicles loaded down with supplies than she and the dogs would need making sure squatters or looters had not compromised the cabin. Once she was convinced that no one else was on the property and the hunting camp was secure, she was to send Millie a text, and they would drive up. Then they could unload while they figured out their next step.
Picking her way through the woods to the cabin, Erika was overwhelmed with love, sadness, and gratitude for Ransom. He did not just love her; he had educated her for this sort of situation. He had never been a tinfoil hat-wearing type of prepper; it was just the work he did brought him face to face with the chaos that could emerge in multiple scenarios. He wanted to protect her, but rather than smother her with protectiveness as so many men did, he had schooled her to handle different situations. Most importantly, he had drilled into her head that should anything ever happen, and they were not together, especially if he was downrange, she was to go to the cabin. There, hidden behind his Ranger elite class photo, she would find a packet with detailed instructions on what she should do.
Once the dogs had cleared the cabin and she was sure she was alone, she retrieved the packet and sat down to go over it before texting Millie. Slowly taking the back off the framed photo of the 75th Ranger Battalion class photo, she gently traced her finger over his face. She was taken aback by how severe and young he looked in the photo. Looking at the picture, it was hard to believe that his whole face lit up when the big handsome man smiled. Just thinking about it made her feel warm inside.
She opened the packet, pulled out three maps, laminated directions, a key ring, and a sealed envelope with her name. Looking at the maps, she was glad to find one of the entire states, a topo map of the area, and a map of Chimneyville with some places circled. But it was the envelope sealed inside with her name on it that her fingers greedily opened. It was a small thing but just to see his handwriting, read his words, and hold something he had put so much energy in meant the world to her just now. She craved the connection with him and felt her fingers tingle from the depth of feeling he had seared into the page's handwritten words.
"Little Bird,
If you are reading this, it means something has happened, and we are not together. First off, do not panic. You got this, baby. Now, I have left a ham radio with instructions on how to use it. Do not worry - they are detailed instructions. There is also a map with coded clues (don't worry - I made this for you, and you will understand it, but no one else will) of where supplies are in and around Chimneyville and some people's names who are willing to assist you. Now, babe, do not be shy. These are people I trust and who will help you. I made this for you to be safe until I can get there. And do not worry so much Little Bird. Come hell or high water, I am coming to get you. Now, baby, I do not know where I am or how long it will take, so I want you to know this. I love you. My heart starts and ends with you. And this is a promise -when we are together again, I plan to make you my woman for all times.
Your beloved,
Jason
Folding the letter, she placed it in the envelope. She bit back her tears when she heard his voice whisper, "You got this." Looking at his photo, she realized it was hard for others to understand that the gruff warrior could be tender with her. She had said as much to him once, and he had just laughed and told her to keep it their little secret.
Laying back on the bed, she smelled his pillowcase, holding it tight to her chest, seeking the smell of him. That was when a glimpse of red caught her eye. Sitting up, she was surprised to see a photo of her taken at Becca's wedding on his bedside table. Reaching for it, she was surprised she had not seen the picture before. The shot was taken of her profile, caught her looking in the cameraman's direction but unaware. The shot looked professional, but she had not seen it in the wedding photos. In it she wore the crimson velvet cloak Becca had insisted they wear for her medieval themed wedding. Her raven-black hair outlined by the red hood of the mantle; her lips stained with a matching crimson of the cloak. The richness of the red brought out the piercing tri-colored hues of her eyes. In the photo they gleamed with fae fire - lit from within as the iris glowed with bursts of amber-gold contrasting with the outer rim a deep indigo. She wondered where he had gotten it.
Rolling over on the bed, she remembered the night it was taken with a soft smile on her face. The two had met during the weeks leading up to Becca and Z's wedding. Ransom had been Z's best man and she was Becca's maid of honor. Initially they had been like two feral cats circling one another - each one of them wondering who the other was. Her friends jokingly said that she enchanted, or elf struck average men since she rarely met a member of the opposite sex who was not immediately smitten with her. So, Ransom's av
ersion to her was off-putting. She found his quiet demeanor a sure sign of arrogance. He was never far away with his exotic eyes and fierce demeanor, but he stopped short of being friendly with her. In the weeks leading up to the wedding ceremony they had developed an awkward rapport finding themselves thrown together time and time again at the engagement announcement party, various wedding showers, and helping the happy couple move into their first house. By the time the weekend of the wedding rolled around their awkwardness and the cold air between them had thawed. They tolerated each other enough to laugh and joke in part of the larger party but had actively avoided the other otherwise. It was after the newlywed's first dance when they had been approached by the photographer wanting to get a photo of the maid of honor and best man dancing that things began to change. She remembered the moment so clearly, the band was playing the old Dave Matthews song, "Crash." The minute Ransom had taken her hand, it was game over for her. Electricity had coursed between them and as he pulled her close, she found herself breathless. Surprised, she caught herself gazing up into his eyes, but those hazel eyes were unfathomable. She was be spelled by him, having never realized how incredibly graceful he was, how tall and powerful a man he was.
Erika had worked magic before, and she knew she and her friends had their own magic, but that night was the first time she had seen someone as magic and that was what Ransom was. Pure flowing magic. He kept it hidden, underneath a hard shell but as they danced, she caught a fleeting glimpse of the shamanic warrior that was his soul. As they danced, for the first time she saw his Fylgja, a great tiger, peeking at her from across the room. It seemed to know she was watching and yawned at her. Desperately she pushed at his shield and tried to get a read of his energy but no matter how much she poked and prodded his aura she could not get past his shield. Nothing. The music stopped and the spell broke, he thanked her for the dance and excused himself.
Tapestry of Worlds : Part One - The White Raven Awakens Page 10