Nine-Tenths

by Meira Pentermann

  The condition of the road was appalling. Large potholes, formed through neglect and inclimate weather, dotted the interstate. Stubborn bushes forced their way through cracks in the asphalt. The thoroughfare appeared abandoned, as if no vehicles had passed in several years.

  Leonard consulted the compass to confirm his decision to take a right, heading west.

  Although Natalia knew no better, Leonard found the brisk stroll along I-70 surreal. The once chaotic passageway was now void of all sounds of civilization. Natalia absentmindedly kicked a rock with her left foot. It skittered across the pavement and bounced off a bulging crack a dozen feet away.

  As twilight descended, they stopped and pulled out their hoodies. Soon, they would need them.

  Casually rounding a bend, Leonard debated whether or not to stop for the night. Since they were clearly not being followed, it now seemed safer to travel during the day. His daughter had been wise to be concerned with predators in the woods.

  Natalia halted suddenly and whispered, “What’s that?” Her voice conveyed both intrigue and fear.

  A cement structure in the side of the mountain loomed in the distance. It bore a remote resemblance to the ugly government buildings at the infirmary. Leonard’s heart rate accelerated and he grabbed Natalia, pulling her from the road. After examining the building for some time, he nearly laughed.

  “Eisenhower.”

  “What?”

  “That’s the Eisenhower tunnel.”

  Natalia nodded, unable to take her eyes off the structure as they approached, the silver glow of twilight fading with each step.

  Leonard furrowed his brow. Everything they had passed thus far had been in a state of disrepair, indicating possibly years of neglect. The Eisenhower Tunnel stretched more than a mile and a half inside the mountain. Given the condition of their surroundings, would the tunnel be safe? Still, the alternative, attempting to climb over, would add considerable time to their journey as well as deplete their already waning energy and resources.

  The sun sank behind the mountains and the temperature dropped dramatically as darkness swiftly took hold. Leonard donned his hoodie and insisted Natalia do the same.

  “Will it be colder in there?” she asked.

  “Probably, but we should wait until morning anyway.”

  “What about traveling at night?”

  “They don’t appear to be following us and we need to get some sleep.”

  Actually, Leonard wanted to evaluate the durability of the structure before they entered it. Now that darkness engulfed them, such a task would prove impossible. The Tramers made camp near the side of the road. Leonard hoped the thermal hoodies and sleeping bags would protect them. He still did not dare light a fire. They shared another MRE, eating only the main course and saving the snacks for the following day.

  ***

  Eager to inspect the tunnel, Leonard wiggled out of his sleeping bag the following morning, neglecting to awaken Natalia.

  The cement face of Eisenhower contained two separate, rectangular tunnels. The electronic arrows, signs, and tubular lighting had long since been out of operation. A thick layer of grime covered the walls and ceiling, making the tunnel look as though it were hewn out of dirt.

  It made only a smidge of difference to wait until morning. Leonard could see into the tunnel a couple hundred feet at the most, since it immediately curved to the right. Still, it was two hundred feet more than he could see last night.

  “Why didn’t you wake me?” a cranky voice grumbled.

  “Sorry,” Leonard said, distracted. “I just wanted to take a look.”

  “You could have woke me up,” she complained. But curiosity squelched her anger. She approached the westbound segment of the tunnel, her eyes wide.

  Leonard stepped inside and ran his hand along the wall. Small white tiles appeared as he swept away the dirt. A couple of cracked tiles here and there, but otherwise fairly sturdy. He ran a few paces ahead and tested another location. He found no fissures on the walls or significant cracks in the pavement. Then he tipped his head back to visually examine the ceiling. Although dirty, the surface appeared smooth. No signs of imminent collapse. After several more steps Leonard realized, to his horror, that a good portion of their trek through the mountain would be made in total darkness.

  “It’s a long walk,” he said. “We’re going to be in the dark for at least half an hour.”

  Natalia shuddered. “I’m a big girl.”

  “I mean pitch dark.”

  She threw her hands up in exasperation. “What do you want to do, Dad? Climb over the mountain?”

  He concurred that their other option was rather formidable. “Looks safe,” he concluded. “Let’s pack up and get on our way.”

  After a brief snack, they tied their sleeping bags onto their backpacks and headed out.

  Leonard grasped Natalia’s hand and led her to a guardrail on the left. A platform for emergency crew ran along the side, but Leonard suggested they stay on the road and use the guardrail as a guide.

  “I have no idea if there are stairs along that walkway, and I’d rather not find out the hard way.”

  Slowly, one step at a time, they progressed through the mountain. The light behind them faded as they pressed on. Within minutes they strode into total darkness. Claustrophobia set in as the journey dragged on. After what felt like half an hour, Leonard’s palms started to sweat. Then he caught sight of a faint speck of light in the distance.

  Natalia took in a breath of delight. “Dad, look.” Her voice echoed in the corridor.

  He gripped her hand tightly. “That’s it.”

  As the rectangle of light grew larger, they quickened their pace. A slight howl promised wind upon their exit. When the dim light finally provided enough illumination for them to see the pavement, they sprinted ahead, laughing as they ran. Their laughter bounced off the walls and escaped through the end of the tunnel. Evergreens swayed and the sun beat down on the worn blacktop.

  A few yards from the exit, Leonard grabbed Natalia and kissed her on the head.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” he shouted, relief and joy filling his spirit.

  “Not bad at all!” She beamed.

  Their serenity was short-lived, however, for when they emerged from the tunnel a not-so-peaceful welcoming party awaited them.

  Two persons dressed in black leather, their faces covered by dark motorcycle helmets, had positioned themselves on either side of the exit. They each sat on a Harley, shotguns raised and aimed directly at Leonard and Natalia.

  The father and daughter stopped dead in their tracks and slowly raised their arms.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Look what we have here, Aiden,” the motorcyclist on the left purred. “A couple of vagabonds.”

  The other rider propped his shotgun against the Harley and removed his helmet. A teenager, no older than fifteen, regarded Natalia with amusement. His dark brown hair, disheveled and blowing around his smooth face, failed to conceal a pair of mischievous, brown eyes. Tipping his head to one side, he grinned playfully.

  “If she’s a Fed, she’s the cutest Fed I’ve ever seen.”

  Taken aback, Leonard looked from the boy to Natalia. His daughter blushed beneath a layer of dust. She glanced at her feet and bit her lip.

  “Hold your position, Aiden,” the first man ordered. “I had a notion something was not right, didn’t I? Good thing we came up here. We might’ve been ambushed in our sleep.”

  Aiden swished his hand down dismissively. “For God’s sake, Father, look at them. They look like they just crawled out of a mine.”

  “I know what they look like. That doesn’t mean they’re not up to something.” He slackened his stance for a second and flipped up his visor. A gray moustache and stern eyes glared at Leonard. “Where did you come from?”

  “We…uh…escaped from the infirmary.”

  “Where are your orange jumpsuits?”

  Sensing that the situation was about to ge
t out of hand, Leonard spoke rapidly. “We were only there for a few hours.”

  “You just slipped right out of their hands, hmm?”

  “A soldier helped us escape.”

  Addressing Aiden, the older man asked, “You know of any counter-revs at the infirmary?”

  “Nope.” Aiden shook his head and stared at Leonard.

  “He only helped us because of Natalia,” Leonard explained hastily. “He wished his daughter would run away, too.”

  “I like your name,” Aiden said, the words tumbling out awkwardly.

  The stranger glared at his son. Then he swung one leg over his Harley and realigned his weapon. “You know they can track you, idiot. That’s why the bastard helped you.”

  “No. We disabled our transmitters back in Denver.”

  “Really?” The man’s mustache twitched. He sounded intrigued.

  “Yes, my wife is a doctor. She ran us through an MRI machine.”

  “Is that so?”

  “It appears to have worked.”

  “Yes, it works.” The man scrutinized Natalia. “Where’s your mom?”

  Natalia looked at the ground.

  Leonard stammered. “She…uh…she stayed behind.” The enormity of Alina’s sacrifice overwhelmed Leonard yet again. “She stayed behind, so that we could get away.”

  “I see,” the man said skeptically.

  Aiden dismounted, folded his shotgun in the middle, and laid it on the ground.

  “I said hold your position, God dammit, Aiden.”

  “Father,” he said impatiently. “They’re unarmed.”

  “How do you know? Frisk them.”

  Aiden rolled his eyes and approached Leonard. After a rough and thorough pat-down, he turned to Natalia. Her face flushed, she refused to look at the boy.

  “I’m sorry about this, Natalia.” He took a deep breath and appeared momentarily flustered. “My father’s a careful man. That’s why we’re still alive.” He patted her down gingerly, politely avoiding her chest and inner thighs.

  “Clear,” he declared.

  Aiden’s father hesitated for a moment before he lowered his gun and removed his helmet. A full head of curly gray hair and a grizzly beard emerged. Maintaining a firm grip on the shotgun with his left hand, the man offered his right.

  “Chester Woods.”

  “Leonard Tramer. And this is my daughter, Natalia.”

  “Aiden Woods,” the boy said, smiling coyly, his eyes fixed on Natalia.

  She inclined her head in acknowledgement. Then she giggled, clearly embarrassed.

  Dismayed that his daughter was flirting with the mysterious mountain boy, Leonard glanced back and forth between Aiden and Chester, his mouth hanging open.

  Suddenly gushing with hospitality, Chester Woods slapped Leonard on the back heartily. “Welcome to the free world, Tramer.”

  “Uh…” The full impact of the situation finally dawned on Leonard. They had escaped the infirmary, eluded the helicopters, hiked over a mountain, and traversed the Eisenhower Tunnel. With likely allies standing before them, they wouldn’t starve. They were free.

  “Is there a community in Silverthorne then?”

  Chester’s eyes darkened, something more akin to sorrow than anger. “No,” he said softly. “Just us.”

  “Oh.”

  “But I’m assuming you’re headed to Grand Junction?”

  “Yes,” Leonard replied, relieved that the man knew of Grand Junction; that the free community was not just a myth. “Yes, sir, we are.”

  “Call me Chester please, Tramer.”

  “Leonard.”

  Chester smirked. “I rather prefer Tramer. Leonard sounds a little like a guy who’d never survive escaping the Feds and hiking through the mountains.”

  Leonard winced. “As you wish.”

  “Oh, all right, Leonard.” He thumped him on the back again. “Just giving you a hard time.” He folded his shotgun and secured it to a jerry-rigged holster on the handlebars of the Harley. Aiden did the same.

  “Come on, Natalia,” Aiden called and Natalia rushed to his side.

  Leonard watched in horror as Natalia jumped on the back of the boy’s motorcycle. Aiden gave Natalia his helmet and helped her secure it to her head.

  “Would you rather she ride on the back of a grizzly old geezer’s Harley?” Chester said, chuckling.

  “No…I uh…”

  “Come on,” he barked. “Get on.”

  Leonard climbed tentatively onto the back of Chester Woods’ motorcycle.

  “I don’t bite,” Chester said in mock reassurance. “And I sure as hell don’t kiss.”

  After having stared at the muzzle of the man’s double-barrel shotgun for nearly fifteen minutes, Leonard wasn’t entirely sure about the biting part, but he had no concern that the volatile stranger would try to kiss him. Nonetheless, it was with reluctance that he grabbed Chester’s midsection and held on for the ride.

  The experience pleasantly surprised Leonard. The wind blew across his face and through his hair, amplifying his growing sense of freedom. Chester maneuvered the machine smoothly around potholes and loose rocks. Glancing to his right, Leonard observed Aiden and his daughter. Natalia’s face was not visible beneath the helmet, so he did not know whether she was exhilarated or frightened. Nevertheless, Aiden appeared to be driving very carefully, not weaving in and out dramatically — the behavior one might anticipate from a teenage boy.

  Rolling hills and mountains in the distance warmed Leonard’s spirit. They approached the valley where the cities of Silverthorne, Dillon, and Frisco lay nestled in the mountains. Leonard closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate on the soothing tactile sensations.

  When he opened them, he frowned. Something was wrong. The valley seemed dark. Given the lack of precipitation and the fact that autumn was on their doorstep, Leonard had not expected the valley to be green. Nonetheless, the dark hues disturbed him and a prickly sensation sprinted up his spine. It didn’t look right. Bleakness tainted the valley. The emptiness of an abandoned city? No. It was definitely more than that. Something more ominous.

  As they approached the outskirts, Leonard understood the source of the desolation. The land was scorched as far as he could see.

  A variety of strange plants and yellow grasses had taken hold in the scarred landscape, popping up around the blackened trees; nature’s feeble attempt to soften the impact of the destruction.

  During the final descent, the magnitude of the devastation horrified him. It appeared as if every building in the once vibrant community had been burned or bombed, except the dam that preserved the reservoir. Lake Dillon sparked in the morning sun, a dissonant twinkle in a hideous landscape.

  What the hell happened here?

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  For the duration of the ride, Leonard detached himself emotionally, gazing at the surroundings as if he were traveling in a foreign land.

  Chester Woods led them through the charred ruins of Dillon and into the outskirts of the White River National Forest, along what remained of Highway 6. Severely bombed and hastily repaired with boards and slabs of concrete, the road functioned well enough for a meticulously careful motorcyclist, but would not have been traversable by car. Nevertheless, Chester and Aiden steered them to safety with their refined driving skills. After several miles of damaged highway, they returned to a functional road with minimal potholes.

  When they arrived at the Woods’ homestead, an eclectic arrangement greeted their eyes. Goats and chickens wandered in pens. A large tent made out of translucent plastic stood in a patch of sunlight. It appeared to be a greenhouse. Leonard surmised that the trees had been cleared to give the greenhouse just enough sunlight to support a modest vegetable garden. Babbling gently, a substantial stream ran through the property about one hundred yards from the Woods’ cabin. Their home was a small house patched up with new trees and the remnants of blasted buildings.

  A black lab ran to welcome the travelers after their engine
s settled into silence. His tail wagging enthusiastically, the dog ran in circles and barked happily.

  “Hey, Hayek,” Aiden called and the lab ran over and licked the teenager’s hand.

  Aiden led Leonard and Natalia to a bathroom in the cabin, which contained a water pump, several buckets, and a tiled washing area.

  “If you need to use the other facilities, they are out back.”

  Leonard expected Natalia to cringe at the thought of using an outhouse, so he was surprised to see a pleasant expression on her face.

  Aiden opened a small cupboard and pointed at a stack of green towels. “Here are the towels. I will heat some water for you,” he said, addressing Natalia.

  “I can use cold,” Leonard offered, as if anyone cared.

  “And I may have clean sweats,” the boy added. “They will be a little big for you, but you can roll them up.

  Leonard slipped into the bathroom, closed the door, and dropped a hook into an eye on the wall; thus providing a thin layer of privacy. He filled a bucket with water and splashed it on his face. The cold liquid stimulated his senses and he proceeded to wash his neck and arms. He didn’t realize how filthy he had become over the previous forty-eight hours.

  After Leonard and Natalia cleaned up, the four of them gathered around the Woods’ rough, wooden dining table. Natalia, decked in a navy blue sweat suit, with sleeves rolled back and pant legs folded under, sat next to Aiden. Chester settled in at the head of the table and Leonard took a seat directly across from his daughter.

  Each place was set with a mismatched array of plates and silverware as well as tall glasses of water. In the middle of the table, a variety of items — including vegetables, flatbread, and some kind of jerky — awaited the visitors.

  “Dig in,” Chester said. Famished, as well as reluctant to disobey their commanding host, Leonard reached for the jerky.

  The meat tasted gamey, unlike anything Leonard had ever tried before. He thought it best not to inquire about the origin of the jerky. Such knowledge might actually kill his appetite and he needed to regain his strength. Raccoon, coyote, squirrel — it really didn’t matter. Natalia, on the other hand, appeared to be struggling. She regarded the substance suspiciously, taking small bites with ample sips of water. Nevertheless, the flatbread tasted fresh and the Tramers consumed it with gusto.