by Marla Monroe
“Once you’ve let it steep, you strain it again to make sure you’ve gotten all of the solid pieces out of it then pour it up and drink it. Some people have to add sugar to make it palatable to them, but I don’t normally need to sweeten it.” Lyssa smiled up at Stanton.
“So does it work on headaches and fever, too?” he asked.
“Basically it works on everything that regular aspirin does. The problem with it is that it doesn’t last long once you’ve harvested the bark so you can’t keep it for long periods of time and if you concentrate it too much, it can cause stomach bleeding.”
“You know what, Lyssa?” Stanton ran his finger down her nose. “You’re not just another pretty face.”
She laughed, smiling at him then smiling over at Wade. She turned and cuddled up next to him, giving him a taste of what life would be like for them if they made it to the relative safety of Montana’s woods.
“You guys are behind. I already knew that. My back is getting chilly, Wade.”
“Can’t let your sweet ass get cold, now can we?” Wade’s barely contained laughter was apparent in his words. Stanton had no doubt his new friend was smiling just as broadly as he was.
“Not if you want me to use my super powers to make willow bark tea to ward off any possible future headaches that could crop up right at bed time,” she purred back at the man.
“Cover her ass, Wade. Headaches could be a serious problem for us.” Stanton closed his eyes with a smile. Maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel and it wasn’t a train this time.
Chapter Ten
“I thought we’d find someone by now,” Lyssa said, staring out at the road they’d been on for the last four hours.
“Yeah, well, Montana is a huge state. Now that we’ve made it this far, I’m a lot less worried about the bounty hunters and thieves than I had been. They haven’t ventured up here nearly as much as the other states because so few people live out here,” Wade told them.
“I can see why,” Stanton joked as they carefully passed yet another herd of slow moving elk.
Wade had explained earlier that they were taking the easiest path to where they were going which happened to be the road they were on. Even living in Texas she hadn’t seen nearly this many wild animals all at one time before. It was amazing and a little frightening all at the same time.
“Have you noticed any mailboxes lately?” Wade asked them. “We need to start hunting for a place to bed down. It gets dark in the mountains and heavily wooded areas a lot earlier than out on the plains.”
“Haven’t seen one lately, but I wasn’t exactly looking either,” Stanton admitted. “I can’t stop staring at the wildlife. I’ve never seen anything like it. The old TV shows didn’t do this justice.”
Wade chuckled. “I know what you mean, but I’ve seen it more than you have. We’ll have the rest of our lives to admire the local color. Start searching for our room for the night.”
They continued driving along the winding road for another hour without seeing much of anything. Then Stanton had Wade stop and back up a few yards. He got out and walked over to the side of the crumbling asphalt then scratched his head and turned around to get back in the truck.
“What is it?” Wade asked putting the truck back in gear.
“I don’t know. I just thought it looked like where a road had been and I thought maybe the mailbox had fallen over or something, but I didn’t see any sign of the mailbox in the mess. Might as well keep going.” Stanton shook his head and peered out the window.
Lyssa gasped when Wade suddenly changed gears a third time, settling the truck back into park once again. She barely moved her leg out of the way so that he didn’t pinch it with the shifter.
“Sorry, Lyss. I’m going to check it out. If Stanton thought it was something, it’s worth a second look. Stay here, guys.” Wade climbed out, pulling the rifle out as well.
They watched as he walked over to where Stanton had stopped a few seconds earlier. He strode up a few yards then back down a few yards before attempting to step into the mass of weeds and brushes. To everyone’s surprise, he nearly fell back on his ass when his booted foot seemed to bounce back out of the tangled vines and grasses.
Instead of returning to the truck, Wade took several steps down the side of the road then tried again. The results were the same. It was as if something was keeping him from getting through. She and Stanton exchanged puzzled glances before watching Wade walk up a few more steps to repeat the procedure. This time, when he thrust his foot forward, not only did it punch through the thick vegetation, but the rest of his body followed, leading to Wade’s surprised expression as he fell over head first.
“Wade!”
Lyssa fought Stanton’s hold on her as she tried to get out to see about him.
“Hold on, Lyssa. You’ll end up getting hurt if you run headlong into that. See!” Stanton pointed to where Wade was climbing back through the dense weeds and bushes to the road. “He’s okay. Just wait and see what he’s figured out.”
As they continued to watch, Wade stepped through the tangled vines and low hanging branches without falling this time. He was gone long enough that Lyssa could tell Stanton was getting worried. What would they do if he didn’t return soon? They’d both have to go in search of him because she wasn’t about to let Stanton leave her alone in the truck.
Finally the other man reemerged through the quagmire and headed toward them. He motioned for Stanton to roll down his window then leaned against the truck to talk.
“I think the reason we haven’t seen any mailboxes is because they aren’t needed anymore and draw attention to anyone still living out here,” he said with a smile. “There’s a road back there that’s been fairly well traveled once you hike back there a ways. Someone’s pulled up the mailbox and used fishing net across the drive to train the vines and such to grow over it so it wouldn’t be visible from the road.” Wade was obviously impressed.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
He looked at her and smiled. “We find them. I don’t want to screw up their camouflage, so we’ll find somewhere to hide the truck then hike in.”
“What if they aren’t friendly?” Stanton asked. Lyssa had wondered about that as well.
“We’ll be very careful and go in armed. We’ll never find anyone if we don’t approach them. With the way they have worked to conceal their location, I would feel comfortable that they have what it takes to keep their families safe. If they are friendly, we could join up with them and sleep easier at night.” Wade looked back and forth between them.
Stanton winced as he changed positions on the seat. “I’m sick of riding around in this truck. I say we give it a try.”
Lyssa could feel the old fears pressing in on her once again. They’d been driving for right at three weeks now and she was tired of it as well. Still, that meant learning to trust a new group of people. She wasn’t sure how easy that would be for her. When she looked back up, she realized they were both watching her.
“What?” she asked.
“We need to know what you think, Lyssa,” Wade said. “You’re as much a part of our family as we are. You get a vote, too.”
“Oh. Um, I figured you two would know more about this part than I would. All I can think about is what if we can’t trust them,” she admitted.
Wade reached in to cup her cheek. “We’ll never let anyone take you from us, Lyssa. You know that.”
She just nodded. What could she say to that? When he released her and pulled his arm back through the window, she nodded her head at them. They needed to find a place for the night anyway and locating a long-term home was their ultimate objective. They’d be foolish not to check it out.
“Good girl,” Stanton said, giving her leg a squeeze.
Wade ran around the truck and jumped in the cab. Once they were on their way again, their new goal was to find a place to pull the truck off the road and hide it so they wouldn’t draw attention to the well hidden drive
farther back. It only took about fifteen minutes for Wade to find a spot on the right hand side this time. It was an old turn road that had so much grown up over it you wouldn’t see it if you weren’t looking real hard.
Once Wade had parked deep into the back of the cavernous area surrounded by trees, vines, and tall bushes, the three of them climbed out and loaded their packs with food and water for what promised to be at least an hour’s trek through the woods.
I’ve never been much of a hiker. With living the last seven years in that stinking jail cell, my stamina isn’t exactly going to be stellar. I’m going to slow them down. Lyssa felt lower than a gnat’s belly by the time they were ready to go. She’d talked herself into a real funk. Would they leave her if she couldn’t keep up? It would be stupid for them to let her slow them down.
“Ready, Lyssa?” Stanton asked, looking her up and down.
“I guess. Um guys, I’m not really much of a hiker,” she said.
“Neither am I. We’ll do just fine,” Stanton told her.
“You’re probably still in better shape than I am in. I’ve been cooped up for the last seven years with only about ten feet of area to pace in.” Lyssa had to make sure they understood what she meant.
“If you get tired, just tell us,” Wade said. “We can stop as much as you need to, Lyssa. Don’t overdo it so that we end up having to carry you the rest of the way. It will be a lot easier on all of us to take frequent rest stops than to make yourself sick, especially since we are so far away from the nearest hospital, if there’s even one open out here, and the only medical person is you.”
He and Stanton laughed, but Lyssa didn’t see the humor in that. She just shrugged and nodded her head. She’d let them know when she needed to stop, which probably wouldn’t be more than a dozen steps or so.
To her surprise, she made it nearly thirty minutes before she had to stop and rest. Considering they weren’t on a marked trail right then, she thought she’d done pretty darn well. The men didn’t seem winded in the least, but they didn’t complain or make faces when she asked if they could stop for a few minutes.
“I think we’re only about another ten minutes from the road. That should make it much easier from there on out, Lyssa,” Wade told her.
“I’ll be okay. My shoes aren’t really made for hiking though.”
“We should have made an effort to find a store that hadn’t been completely picked over to get you some,” Stanton said with a frown.
“It was too dangerous, Stanton. We’ll get her some once we’ve found a safe place to live,” Wade said.
“I’m ready to go now,” Lyssa said, interrupting what she was afraid would turn into an argument. She didn’t want them fighting each other, especially when the cause behind it was her.
“Are you sure you’ve had time to rest?” Wade asked.
“Yeah. I just needed to catch my breath. I’m good.” She stood up, hiding the wince once her heel settled in the shoe again. She was headed for a blister as sure as anything.
The sun began to disappear behind the trees as they continued walking. By the time they’d located the gravel road that looked like a drive, it had started to get seriously dark. The orange glow of the sun could still be seen through some of the trees, but in another twenty minutes, Lyssa knew they wouldn’t be able to see their hand in front of their faces. Panic tightened her stomach at being caught out in the wide open at night. Already her breathing had begun to increase. She frantically tried to control it. If she hyperventilated out here, someone would hear her lose it. It would put them all in danger.
“Easy, Lyssa. I’ve got you. Just put one foot in front of the other and let Wade and I lead you. Don’t let it get the best of you, darling.” Stanton’s low soothing voice eased her fears slightly. The gnawing, gut-wrenching panic receded slightly.
“I’m trying. It’s so dark, Stanton. Anything could be out there watching us,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, Lyssa. We probably would have been better off bedding down in the truck for the night and waiting until first light to hike in. Do you want to head back and do that?” Wade asked from where he stood just in front of her.
As tempted as she was to say yes, the idea of going back through the rougher going woods again frightened her even more. At least here she could run without fear of tripping overly much and they could still see some. Maybe they would reach a house soon. She shook her head no.
“Let’s keep going. I’ll be okay. I’ve got to be stronger than this,” she said more for her benefit than theirs.
“You’re doing fine, honey. Just stay between me and Stanton,” Wade reminded her.
I don’t need any reminders to do that. They’ll have to pry me off of them once we reach wherever we’re going to end up.
They continued on until she was sure both feet had blisters now and the straps from the pack on her back were going to leave a permanent set of indentions on her shoulders. How long had they been hiking on the road now, an hour? Longer? It seemed like forever. How could they see to keep from walking off the dirt path and right into a tree or worse, a bear? Thoughts of bears reminded her of their warning about wild dogs and wolves. Now she heard panting and swore she saw beady eyes in every direction she could see. The hammering of her heart soon obliterated the noises from the woods.
“You can stop right there and put down those weapons.”
Her heartbeat sure didn’t drown that out. Lyssa heard the command made in a deep voice loud and clear. The three of them stopped in their tracks. Stanton and Wade instantly sandwiched her tightly between them so that she couldn’t see anything even if there had been enough light to see by.
“Who are you?” Wade asked.
“I’ll ask the questions just as soon as you drop that rifle and he puts down the gun he’s holding,” the man said in an even voice.
Wade slowly bent to lay the rifle on the ground in front of him.
“Go ahead, Stanton. Do as he said,” Wade said in a soft tone.
Wade’s warmth left her for a second then returned. He moved her behind Wade then wrapped his arms around her to keep her shielded. Lyssa’s worst fears were coming to fruition. The bounty hunters had found them. They’d take her back to Arnold and the cell. Or worse, they’d just rape her and leave her for the wolves and wild dogs to get.
“Now all three of you take three big steps back the way you came,” the voice continued.
Try as she might, Lyssa couldn’t tell exactly where it was coming from, only that whoever it was sounded serious and dangerous. She nearly screamed when she stepped on Stanton’s foot trying to follow the man’s instructions.
“Shh, Lyssa. It’s okay,” Stanton whispered in her ear.
“Now then. What do you want? You’re on private property,” the voice asked once they had made the required steps back.
“We’re looking for a safe place to settle down with others who are trying to keep their families safe. There’s safety in numbers and we’re all willing to work and pull our weight,” Wade said.
“Why do you think there’s anyone else here besides me and my rifle?” the stranger asked.
“Well, I guess I don’t, but either you’ve got more people living there or you’ve had a lot of trespassers walking around out here on the road. I’ve seen at least four different sets of footprints on it before it got too dark to see,” Wade said.
“What sort of experience do you bring to the table?” the man asked.
Behind her Lyssa felt Stanton sag. She knew he didn’t think he would be considered useful since he’d never worked with his hands anywhere before the last seven years. She leaned her head back against his shoulder in hopes it would comfort him.
“I’m a born and raised cowboy. I can chop wood and work a garden. We headed this way because I had heard there were homesteads out here with three and four families working together to survive and protect each other. It’s not safe living alone out here anymore. The traders and bounty hunters are making good mo
ney stealing women back east, but they aren’t moving this way a much since they think most everyone who lives out here pretty much doesn’t survive the harsh winters and wild animals.” Wade had obviously had his speech prepared for a while, Lyssa thought.
“What about the two with you? Are they worth the food it will take to feed them?”
Before Wade could answer the man, a definitely female squeal of outrage broke the deafening silence surrounding them.
“Abe! What is wrong with you?” the female voice demanded. “They have a woman with them and she’s scared to death. Even I can see that.”
Lyssa was impressed since she could barely see much more than the shapes and outlines of trees when she looked off to the side from her cocoon between Stanton and Wade’s bodies.
“Celina, I told you to stay inside with Destiny and Marty.” The male voice sounded angry but without a lot of bite behind his words.
“And this is why I didn’t. I knew you’d be this way. It’s chilly out here. Let them come inside and we can all talk,” the female said in a no-nonsense voice.
“Sometimes I want to turn you over my knee, woman,” the man said in a gruff voice.
“Just try it, buster.”
Lyssa had to bite on her tongue to keep from giggling at the man’s obvious exasperation with the woman. She thought she would like Celina if they were allowed to stay.
“Come on up. You can pick up your weapons, but one wrong move and one of us will put a slug in you quicker than you can spit,” Abe said.
“We mean no harm. We’re just looking for a safe place to build a home,” Wade said again as he slowly walked up and bent over to pick up the rifle.
“Since my woman is calling the shots right now, we might as well discuss it over coffee in front of the fire.” A huge man of about six and a half feet emerged from the shadows cradling a rifle in his arms.
Lyssa sank back into Stanton’s body at the sight of the huge man. His shaggy black hair lay loose over the back of his shoulders and his dark eyes seemed to see right through her. A pretty woman in her mid thirties stepped up beside the bearlike man and tugged on his sleeve.