Solar Storm: Homeward Bound

by Vincent Keith

  “Rachael, take Dusty — Dusty, guard.” He reached out and tapped Rachael. Dusty walked around and stood next to her, then followed at her heel as she moved off to find Doug. He looked at Miguel, “I’m pretty sure you, me and Hoover will be enough.”

  The visitors were moving in starts and stops. They hadn’t learned yet that the quick dashes from bush to bush or just to a point where they dropped to the ground attracted a lot of attention. A slow, careful crawl would have worked better. As it was, it took them several minutes more to reach the other side of the road. At that distance, it was easy enough for Miguel to see that they were young, early teens at best. He was more interested in what they were saying in rapid fire Spanish.

  Jack started to whisper. Miguel cut him off with a gesture. The boys argued some more. Finally, it seemed they might be ready for whatever it was they had in mind.

  Miguel shouted out in Spanish, “My little friends, it is not polite to visit by sneaking in the night.” As he spoke, he waved Jack forward and flipped on his mounted flashlight. The two high-powered lights blinded the boys and froze them in their tracks. Before anything else could happen Doug and Rachael lit them up from the other side of the gravel pile. The kids occupied the well-lit apex of an almost perfect equilateral triangle.

  Miguel continued to talk but switched to English so that Jack and the others would understand. “If you come to a camp and ask to work for food, your reception will perhaps be much nicer than when you come to steal a horse so that you may eat.”

  The boys were now trying to shade their eyes from the intense lights, but it was evident they couldn’t see anything.

  “Put down the bows and walk toward me, my friends. I am with the United States Army, and we will not hurt you unless you do something stupid.”

  The boys looked at each other in confusion. Miguel switched back to Spanish and repeated what he’d said. There’d been a chance the kids spoke English. He had when he was little, but he’d lived his entire life in Wyoming. The boys whispered back and forth. The argument appeared to be settled when the tallest one set down his bow and raised his hands. The others followed.

  FOR SOME REASON, Lexi found the situation a source of amusement.

  “Can we keep ‘em, Dad, can we?” Lexi bound up and down like a small child asking to keep a puppy.

  Jack had been less than happy about the need to feed the boys, but now Rachael was talking about bringing them along.

  “Lexi, this is not a joking matter,” Rachael snapped.

  “Yeah, mom, it kind of is. It’s a case of the refugees taking in the refugees. We were lucky that Jack came along when he did. We’re not home, and home for us is someplace neither of us has ever been, with people we’ve never met except on the radio. Even then, I’ve only talked to Henry, Jenny, and Karen, oh and Zak.”

  “Zak?” Jack’s head swung around in surprise.

  “Yeah, I guess he got cleared to work on the radio a few days ago.”

  “Zak Parker?”

  “Yeah, why? Is something wrong?”

  Jack smiled. “Nope, I’m just glad he made it.”

  “Okay, now I’m curious,” said Lexi.

  “No. We are not changing the subject,” Rachael interjected, attempting to bring the conversation back to the three boys. “You can’t just give them a little food and send them on their way.”

  “We could, and probably should.”

  “Jack!”

  “Okay let me put it into somewhat more personal terms. Who’s share of food are you going to feed them? Yours? Lexi’s? Mine? Or do we ask others to give up theirs for our decision? Sooner or later we’ll have to say no. Once we get enough experience in growing our own food, then we can look at adding more people, but picking up every stray we come across has to stop.”

  “That’s not fair Jack, and you know it. Chet and Geoff weren’t strays.”

  Jack tugged on his beard, thinking. “All right, it wasn’t fair, or even true really, but it doesn’t change the situation any either.”

  “Jack.” Corporal Doug Hoffman called as he jogged over to where the three of them were arguing.

  “What’s up Doug?”

  “I think trying to decide anything is, um, moot.”

  “Moot?”

  “Unnecessary.”

  “Yeah Doug, I know what the word means.” Jack winced as the words rang in his own ears. “Sorry.” Jack shrugged and smiled to take the sting out of it.

  “No worries, but the point is, the kids took off.”

  “What?”

  “Gone, along with at least one pack…. Ah, Doc where’s your rifle?”

  “My…Oh, shit!”

  Jack pulled off his hat and rubbed his hand through his hair, eyes staring at the ground. “It was sitting with your pack, wasn’t it?”

  “Oh…” Rachael and Lexi ran to the tent.

  “I suppose we could track them easily enough in the snow. The horses will catch up pretty fast. The smallest one was well past his knees in the stuff.” Jack kicked at the snow to emphasize his point.

  “I think we need to figure out what all they took, then decide if going after them is really the best idea.”

  “Right… does the Sergeant know?”

  “Is there anything the Sergeant doesn’t know?”

  “He didn’t know they would abscond with half the camp.”

  “Abscond? — Nice. Actually, I suspect he did. I just don’t think he realized the Doc would have left her rifle.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep, he put a good size pile of MRE’s in the tent with them. I think he expected them to grab them and run.”

  “Well…huh. That’s kind of devious. Oh, shit. You realize that means someone only has the clothes they’re wearing?”

  “No, they left the clothes, which is how I was pretty sure they’d grabbed a pack. There were two still there, that monster of yours, and one other I just wasn’t sure if it was the Doc’s or Lexi’s.”

  Jack laughed.

  “Okay, not the reaction I was expecting… You realize they’re now armed with a Mark Sixteen?”

  “I guess that might be an issue,” Jack’s humor faded. “Think they know how to work it?”

  “Probably not, at least not at first, and I doubt they’ll try until they’re sure we’re long gone.”

  Rachael and Lexi came trudging back, following their own tracks.

  “Well, they left my clothes,” said Rachael. “But the rifle is missing. Miguel is going to kill me.”

  “Seems unlikely, but I wouldn’t expect him to be rejoicing.”

  “Can I go?” asked Lexi.

  “Go? Go where?” asked Rachael.

  “When we go after them to get our stuff back.”

  Rachael’s expression froze as she considered the implications. If they had her rifle… “No, not a chance.”

  “Ladies, Gentlemen.” Sergeant Hernandez sauntered up, cradling his rifle.

  It was too dark to see Rachael’s flush as she realized there was no good way to tell the Sergeant how badly she’d screwed up.

  “Sergeant,” she paused, wishing she didn’t have an audience, wishing she had the right words. Neither wish was granted. “I’m afraid I left my rifle where it could be stolen, along with the other supplies the boys took.”

  Miguel nodded, “Yes, I noticed you weren’t carrying it as instructed.”

  “I’m sorry Miguel, really I am. I was just so concerned about those boys—“

  “I’m just curious, did any of you idiots really think I would leave three kids, who’d grown up in a Mexico City barrio, alone with a rifle?”

  “I…” Rachael stumbled to a stop, unsure how to continue.

  Jack’s eyes snapped back to Miguel as the words sunk in, then he noticed the second rifle carried by a strap, behind his shoulder. Jack looked at the ground to hide his smile.

  “I’d ask you to give me the serial number of your rifle, but you aren’t a boot or a butter-bar. So, instead, I’ll j
ust ask: What were you thinking when you left a loaded weapon laying around? With kids in the camp?”

  Rachael flinched. She’d been afraid he was going to yell at her, but this was worse. She’d been incredibly careless and she knew it.

  Miguel shook his head as he offered the rifle back to her. “Confirm condition three.”

  Rachael took the rifle, verified that the safety was on, and then turned so that the rifle would be pointed at the pile of sand. She then attached it to her sling, pulled the magazine and stuffed it in a pocket. One hand held and the rifle the other cycled the charging handle. With the bolt locked back, she pulled out her flashlight and verified that no round was in the chamber. She let the bolt snap forward and pulled the trigger to release the hammer. Finally, she snapped the magazine back in place.

  “Well, I see at least a few of my lessons stuck. Can I assume that this will be the last time you leave your weapon laying around?”

  Rachael looked up. She could feel her face burning with embarrassment. “It won’t happen again.”

  Miguel nodded.

  Lexi stood frozen in place, watching and knowing it could have just as easily been her. She silently vowed to herself to never let her rifle out of her sight again.

  “Corporal, secure the camp. I’ll see you in…” he checked his watch. “Two hours. If you’re not on watch, back to bed.”

  “Hooah! Sergeant.”

  Rachael turned and headed back to their tent with Lexi a step behind. Jack and Doug watched them go.

  “So, how mad is he really?”

  “Not happy, but I think he wanted to drive the point home. If it had been someone in the company? He’d be running them ragged for a month. Losing a weapon is frowned upon. He really likes her and the kid, besides, they’re not military so…”

  “Damn. It’s just going to take her some time. This whole thing is so alien to what she’s experienced her entire life.”

  “Tell me about it… No, I guess it would be worse for her. I’ve got my team, and my job, even if the current situation is a giant bag of dicks. You seem to be handling it okay.”

  “I’ve had twelve years to think about it.”

  “I can see where that might help… If I were a really slow thinker.”

  Jack laughed. “Yeah, well… I’ll be up there,” he said, pointing to the pile of gravel.

  “I’ll take the north end, see you in two?”

  “Roger that,” Jack smiled and headed for the southernmost pile of gravel.

  43

  BREAKING TRAIL

  The next few days were boring compared to the brief stay at the KOA. They made steady progress north with occasional detours around small towns and farms. The snow had turned to freezing rain, a slow, intermittent drizzle that created a frozen crust on the surface of the accumulated snowfall. Allan had them stopping more often, carefully checking the horses. The crusty snow was hard going, and it was wearing on them.

  Corporal Hoffman had been riding point since early morning, and they were only occasionally catching sight of him as they passed over the rolling hills. The frozen rain had reduced visibility to only a quarter-mile. The girls were near frozen, and Jack’s leg was aching when he called a halt. It was a bit early for lunch, but they needed a break and to warm up. Doug stopped just long enough steal the coffee out of Jack’s thermos, and check Sagebrush’s legs before climbing back into the saddle.

  “I think I need to wrap the legs of the lead horses. This ice-crust is rubbing them raw.”

  Allan stepped under the tarp they’d set up to shelter the cook stove. He knocked his hat against his leg, shedding a pile of slushy frozen rain.

  “What do you need us to do?” asked Sergeant Hernandez.

  “I need something to wrap them with, I guess I could use one of the spare blankets…”

  “Would something synthetic work better, something that won’t hold much water?”

  Allan considered the idea for a moment, “Um, probably. Or something like Jack’s coat.”

  “Not a chance, pal. We’ll find something else, something that can be replaced,” said Jack.

  Allan flushed, “I wasn’t… I mean…”

  “Yeah, I know. You wouldn’t, but the Sergeant here? If he thought he could get away with it, the first I’d know about it would be the breeze coming through the big piece he’d cut out of the back of my coat.”

  Miguel laughed, and that was enough to bring a smile to Allan’s face.

  “Yeah, leather or canvas would be my first choice.”

  “Hmm. Well, it’s going to mean finding something else to use, but I suppose we could cut up the ground cover for my tent,” said Jack.

  “Can you use one of the blue tarps?” asked Miguel.

  “No, plastic wouldn’t be good,” Allan replied.

  “Not for the horse, for the ground cover.”

  Jack nodded. “Sure we just need something to keep the bags from getting wet. I’ve got a bivvy sack, but Rachael and Lexi need the ground cloth. A blue tarp would work fine, it’s noisy compared to oil cloth but…”

  “Right, we’ll cut up Jack’s ground cloth, and give the girls one of the blue tarps. We’ll have to move some stuff around, so whichever load goes uncovered, it’ll be okay in the rain.”

  “Um…” Allan seemed reluctant to speak.

  “What?” asked Jack

  “Why do we call them blue tarps when they’re brown?”

  Jack laughed. “Habit maybe? It’s the same kind of tarp as the blue ones you see everywhere. Your dad just likes to buy the brown ones.”

  Miguel put Rachael and Lexi on watch then went to help Allan shift loads around to free up a plastic tarp. Jack cut the oilcloth tarp he’d picked up from Curly way back in Adin. He was sorry to lose it. It was a good tarp and would be difficult to replace.

  Jack was making coffee when Allan returned from lacing the new shin guards. He’d gotten through nearly two-thirds of the herd before his fingers were too stiff to function.

  “Hey, just in time for something warm to drink,” said Jack.

  “I’ve got Gypsy ready for Doug, shouldn’t he be back by now?” asked Allan.

  Miguel checked his watch. “Soon.”

  “Sagebrush is going to be in the worst shape, and he’s had no relief from breaking trail in this crap. If I miss him, make sure Doug swaps horses. We need to give Sagebrush a break for a day or two.”

  Allan wrapped his fingers around the steaming cup and winced as the heat sent pins and needles through his frozen fingers.

  “Do you need a hand moving saddles?”

  “Nope, already done. I put you on Dancer, and the Sergeant is on Shappa. I’ll be riding Hotah.”

  “Weren’t those pack horses?” asked Jack.

  “Not really. I mean, we’re using them as pack horses but only because they’re good at following the herd. I just figured we’d give the others a bit more rest.”

  Jack nodded. “What about the girl’s horses?”

  “They’re okay, neither has been breaking trail and they’ve got lighter loads. Not that Panda would notice, but Angel and Sugar are doing fine.”

  Over an hour had passed with no word from Doug. It was close enough to lunch that Miguel and Jack decided to stay through lunch. Doug was sure to need time to warm up when he got back. Lexi and Rachael took over kitchen duty while Jack went to double check his own packing job . The thought of something irreplaceable being ruined in the freezing rain was just one more layer of stress added to all the others.

  Miguel took the watch rotation for Allan so he could finish fitting the protective covers on the horses’ legs.

  “You’re not worried?” asked Lexi as she handed Miguel a camp pouch of steaming beef stroganoff and a thermos of coffee.

  “About what?”

  “Corporal Hoffman. He’s kinda late isn’t he?”

  “No, and yes.”

  “Huh?”

  “No, I’m not worried, yes he’s kind of late.”

&nbs
p; Lexi frowned. Miguel was never the most talkative of the group, but that seemed terse even for him.

  Miguel saw the frown and gave her a break. “The chances of anyone getting the drop on Doug are… small. The chances of them doing it in a way that kept him from getting a shot off are even lower. Another hour and I’ll worry, but not yet.” He checked his watch and was about to ask Lexi to check on Jack when he saw him heading his way.

  “Hey. I just took a reading. Radiation is still in the green. I thought maybe with the weather change…”

  “Maybe, clouds are still moving south though. You ready to take the watch?”

  “Sadly, yes. This is the weirdest frigging weather. It’s not raining, it’s more like falling slush. It just freezes solid when it lands. Have you ever seen this before?”

  “Yeah, twice in Wyoming. It’ll go one direction or the other before too long.” Miguel put up a hand, and Jack gave him a tug to get him standing. “Watch is yours. Come on Lexi, let’s go warm up.”

  “Hey, the coffee?”

  “Oops.”

  “Oops my ass, go crawl under the tarp Ranger Boy. Jeez, trying to leave me out here in this weather with no coffee.”

  Miguel chuckled and headed back to the camp with Lexi in tow.

  Another half hour went by before Jack trudged back to the awning they’d put up to stay out of the frozen rain. “I just spotted Doug heading this way, he’s walking, and he has company.”

  “How many and is the horse with him?” asked the Sergeant.

  “Doug plus two and yeah, he’s leading the horse. Why?”

  “Okay, odds are the company is someone from the Guard, we’re close enough he may have made contact. Guess I’d better go have a look.”

  The Sergeant put his rain gear back on, and they headed up the hill to where Jack had been standing watch. When they reached the ridgeline, they dropped and crawled up to see over the top.

  “Yeah, it’s the Guard. I guess we’ve arrived, more or less.”