Spinning Alex scooped up the shotgun and trained it on the other men, who were all frozen in the motion they were about to make. She stepped back, over the body of the man, and put her back to the RV to prevent anymore sneak attacks.
“Are there any others?” Alex demanded. The man with the machete shook his head.
“Here’s how this is going to go, you three will drop your knives where you stand. I will allow you to get into your truck and leave here. If you don’t leave, I will put large holes in each of you,” Alex said. The man on the ground started to moan and move, so Alex stepped forward and placed her booted foot on his busted knee. As she put pressure on the knee, she watched the faces of the other men. Their friend on the ground screamed and writhed trying to get away. Alex swung the shotgun down, and pointed it at his head.
“Are we clear on the rules?” Alex asked the men. All three nodded again. With one last push down, Alex removed her foot from the man’s knee. “Get up!” She yelled at him.
The man stood on his unbroken leg, dragging the other behind him, as he tried to hop toward the truck. He fell and did not try to get up again. Alex used the shotgun to motion the machete man to get him. The man rushed forward and grabbed his friend under the arm.
“You should remember that I didn’t put a bullet in you, when I had the chance. Think about that the next time you try to ambush someone,” Alex yelled at them. She continued to keep her gun trained on them, as they all shambled into the truck, tripping over themselves to get away. As the truck turned and skidded away, the RV door swung open and almost hit Alex.
“Alex!” Easton cried out the door.
“Here, I’m here. I’m ok.” Alex called as she took a deep breath to settle herself before climbing into the RV.
As darkness settled around the RV, Alex pulled into an empty rest stop. She pulled the RV behind a large copse of trees, hoping to keep them out of view of anyone else that got it in their heads to take their vehicle. They waited thirty minutes before leaving the RV park after the would be thieves. Alex had been meticulous in checking the mirrors, pulling on and off the freeway, and stopping to check for movement.
“Are you sure we should stop?” Easton asked.
Alex looked at him. She still hadn’t showered. She was weary and hungry and just angry. The kids were getting restless too, and she thought in the morning that this would be a good place to get out of the RV for a bit. She could not handle driving longer after the day they had just been through. She wanted to curl up with her kids and maybe watch a stupid cartoon, and just listen to their laughter for a while.
“Yes. We should be ok. But everything stays locked. And all windows stay tightly covered, unless lights are out.”
Even with the heat outside, Alex could not seem to feel warm. She stood under the warm spray of the shower longer than she should have, but she had to wash away the pain of today. The rough touches of the thief would leave bruises on her skin. But what she left him with was much worse, she thought to herself. Though Alex knew it was only her defending herself, she felt guilt over the fact that she knew the man wouldn’t be able to get medical attention for his injuries. He would be a liability to his group now, and those rough men would probably not think twice about feeding him to the infected.
She stood leaning on the sink, looking at her reflection. Her scalp hurt from where the attacker had yanked her hair. Her long hair, that Blake used to run his hands through. Hair that used to fall across his face when they made love. Alex felt sick, not able to look at herself any longer. Making a decision, she pulled out the first aid kit she had stored in the bathroom.
Rummaging around, Alex found the scissors she was looking for. Facing herself in the mirror again, she grabbed her hair, and put the blades to the length. She didn’t even care that it would probably be a hack job. She couldn’t look at the hair anymore. Thinking of any other attacks, and her hair being used against her, she began cutting. The pile of hair grew in the sink as she evened out the cut as best as possible. Her shortened hair fell to her shoulders, still easy to pull off her neck when needed.
As she dressed in the bathroom, she wiped the stress from her face, wanting to have a peaceful night with the kids. Billie seemed to be in better spirits, even after only four doses of the antibiotics. Henry was happy as long as Easton was giving him attention, and Easton was happy to give it to him. Candace floated somewhere in between members of the group, present but far away mentally. Alex hoped that she was able to join them fully soon.
When she exited the bathroom, she found Easton and Henry working on a radio. It was a hand crank radio that Alex had forgotten she had found in the RV. It was Gary’s and she left it packed where it was with the rest of the supplies he had. She hadn’t thought of pulling it out, because nothing she heard would change her plans.
“Did you get anything?” She asked.
“For a minute we heard an emergency broadcast, but it faded. I’m trying to get it back,” Easton replied and he moved knobs and cranked it again. He glanced at her hair, looking like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it.
“What did the broadcast say?”
“Something about the military taking control,” Easton said.
“Well I saw that plenty in the city,” Alex said, thinking back to the freeway blockades. “They were trying to block people from leaving the city as best as they could.”
“Why would they stop people from leaving?”
“I think that was their idea of containing the sickness. If sick people cannot leave, then it can’t spread. But I have a feeling it has spread anyway, at least as fast as modern transportation,” Alex said.
Suddenly a gravelly voice came from the radio. Easton stopped moving things, and bent over close to the radio. Alex joined him, straining to hear the words.
“If you are infected, go to the nearest major hospital. These are considered quarantine zones. Please respond to the military instructions given in your area. They are there for your benefit and are trying to keep you safe. This message is a recording and will repeat…”
“Do you think we should find the military?” Easton asked.
Alex had debated that in the first few days in the desert. But she saw the devastation after the first 24 hours and she had doubts the military could do anything. If anything there were clear signs, they were working against helping the uninfected people, more like trapping them in a cage to suffer the same fate as the infected.
“No. I just don’t think that’s a good idea,” Alex said. “Where were you three headed before I found you? I realize I don’t know much about where you are from?”
“We live, well we lived in Las Vegas. We were trying to leave the city like the others, but we saw the military shooting into groups of people, no matter if they were infected or not. But the infected came, and the military couldn’t handle the numbers. Soon they were all just dead, walking around, so we ran the other direction.”
“The military failed very quickly,” Alex commented.
“Yes. That’s what we saw. But they’re still the government right? Shouldn’t they be helping us?”
“They should, yes. But I guess it just all depends where this came from. Terrorists maybe. Freak plague? It’s hard to guess,” Alex said.
“We watched the TV, they only said people were angry and hurting each other. No one said anything about the plague before the networks going down,” Easton replied.
“I don’t think anyone was prepared for what happened. The response doesn’t seem coordinated. More panicked. Montana is just going to be our safest bet. Do you have family anywhere we should check?”
Easton shook his head sadly and looked at Candace. “Our grandparents on our father’s side have never been around, and our grandparents on our mother’s side passed away a few years ago within 3 months of each other. Our parents were both only children. Our father, he’s overseas in the military. I wouldn’t know how to reach him if we could. We have no one.” He finished sadly.<
br />
Alex put her hand on his shoulder and looked at him with a soft smile. “You have us. We all have each other now.”
Easton nodded to her and smiled. He turned away to join the kids on the couch, to watch Henry play on his tablet. They laughed quietly together over the tablet, while Candace expertly braided Billie’s wild hair. If the world hadn’t ground to a stop in the last week, Alex would have felt that the scene was domestic bliss. Instead, she knew it was a picture of four children fighting their own emotional battles. They leaned on one another, and tried to ignore the pain and fear. For now that worked.
Looking at her children, she realized she still needed to break the news about Blake to them. The idea put ice in her stomach, stopping her heart in her chest. She knew the children would be devastated. They would mourn and grieve for days. Alex wished she had more time to grieve, but it was a distraction from what was important right now. Her dreams, her nightmares, those were how she felt her sorrow for now. At some point, she would grieve with her children over their loss.
Alex sorted through the boxes they had grabbed from the store. They had run out of cabinet room, which wasn’t a shock, because there wasn’t much to begin with. She gave Easton and Candace a section to use, and they packed away the clothes they had scavenged and the other female products Easton had gotten for Candace. When he showed her the bag of tampons and maxi pads from Walgreens she had blushed and looked away. Alex was impressed with the way Easton put his hand on her shoulder and told her he would take care of her. Her eyes had filled with tears and she had hugged her big brother hard.
The clanging of pots and the mess she was making brought Candace to the kitchen area to offer help. Alex laughed, because she knew she probably looked a mess with everything all over the place.
“I really have a plan, I swear,” Alex said.
“I believe you. Can I help?” Candace asked with a shy smile.
“Sure. Will you put those boxes into whatever cabinet space you can find?” Alex pointed to a line of crackers that she had pulled from a bigger box.
“Ok. I can do that. Are you making dinner?” Candace asked.
“Yes. I was thinking I would bake some bread with this mix I have. It’s really easy, and all I need is water. Bread and maybe some beef stew?” Alex asked.
“That sounds good,” Candace said.
“Candace,” Alex started. Candace stopped what she was doing and looked over at her. “Are you doing ok? We haven’t really spoken much since you came to join us….”Alex trailed off. She did not want to mention their mother, but by speaking of the time of them joining them, she was bringing the situation up again. Candace looked down at her hands while she spoke.
“I don’t really feel anything. That seems bad I think,” she said softly.
“I think that might be a pretty natural reaction to everything,” Alex replied just as softly.
“I’m just not sure what we’re going to do. East said we don’t have to leave, that you’ll let us go with you. But what happens then?”
“Then? What do you mean?” Alex asked. Candace continued her unpacking and moving around the items Alex had asked her to put away. She stopped and came to stand close to Alex, keeping their conversation private.
“When we get to the place you’re going in Montana, your family’s place. What will happen then? I mean East will try to take care of me, but I’m not sure he can in this….this….” She trailed off and motioned out the window, to indicate everywhere beyond the RV.
“Candace, I think you might be confused. You are coming with us to Montana. And you will stay safe with us as long as you choose to. I promised to protect you, and that’s what I will do. I’m not going to kick you out or something like that,” Alex said. Candace looked down again, her eyes filling with tears.
“We aren’t your kids,” she whispered.
“I know. But you know what, that doesn’t matter. I’m a mother, and I understand what it is to love children. I know what the love is like that made your mom ask me to take you. It’s the same love that made me accept,” Alex said to her.
Tears were now openly rolling down her face, and she was shaking slightly. Alex took a chance, took her by the shoulders, and turned her body so they were face to face. Candace was just a little shorter than Alex was, and was still avoiding her eyes. Alex shook her shoulders just slightly, to get her to look up at her. Candace’s teary brown eyes crushed Alex’s heart. She pulled the young girl to her and wrapped her arms around her. It took Candace a moment to react, and when she did, she crushed Alex in her embrace. Her small shoulder shook with her sobs, and Alex felt tears prick her own eyes.
“Candace, I promise, I won’t leave you alone. I will do everything I can to keep you safe. You will stay with us, you will be a part of our family. Ok?” Alex said, as she patted her back. Candace nodded and sniffed. Once she had calmed down, she pulled back from the hug, and smiled at Alex. They exchanged a look filled with understanding and they went back to dinner.
That night over dinner, Candace smiled and even laughed a little with her brother. Easton gave Alex a knowing look, and smiled at her in thanks. Alex smiled back at him, and looked at her own kids, who were happily chattering through dinner with Easton and Candace. Billie finally got over the shock of Alex’s shorter hair. The kids all wanted to know why Alex made the drastic change. For safety and easy handling, she told them, a partial truth.
They were so far from their goal still. However, for the moment, that small place in time, Alex felt some peace within the RV. Tomorrow they would start again, but right then, she wanted to enjoy the atmosphere they had created for themselves. She wanted to hold her kids while they slept. Kiss their cheeks and fingers, while she told them bedtime stories. Tomorrow was a new day, and it could wait just a little longer.
Chapter 15
Henry’s shriek pulled Alex’s attention from the generator. She was on the top of the RV, setting up the solar generator, to soak up some of the sun while they sat at the rest stop. She could tell Henry’s shriek wasn’t panic, and it was quickly followed by laughter. When she looked down from the RV, she found Henry hanging over the shoulder of Easton, spinning in a circle. It made Alex very happy to have Easton with them. He could keep Henry busy while she was handling other things.
After a full night of sleep, Alex was feeling energized. They needed to get on the road, but she decided to let the kids get some exercise outside of the vehicle. Though the RV gave them space to move around, it was not enough to get any of the overflow of energy out. After a day of driving, they tended to get whiny and distracting for Alex. Getting a later start on the day was well worth having tired out children.
The girls were inside the RV still, painting nails. Billie was still feeling the effects of the strep throat, though nothing was contagious anymore. The antibiotics and pain medicine were doing her wonders, and she was feeling better little by little. Candace offered to do girl things with her in the RV, while the boys played outside. Alex took the time to handle the generator, and she decided to catalog some of their supplies. She had collected things, and didn’t want to be confused about how much they had.
They had eaten pretty well since the plague started. She prided herself on keeping their table full. With the addition of Candace and Easton, supplies would go faster. After the haul from the small store, they were still in a very good position with their food stores. She climbed down from the top of the RV replaying her lists in her head. Henry and Easton were building some sort of pyramid out of sticks, and it gave Alex an idea.
“Easton have you ever built a fire, like camping, but without matches?” Alex asked.
Easton thought for a moment and shook his head. Alex inspected their little pyramid of sticks, and started moving things around. She showed Easton how to start with a small pile of tinder. She pulled out the multi-tool she always carried. The tool had many functions, but one great thing was a section of flint on one side. She held it up to show the boys.
&nb
sp; “Matches can be hard to come by sometimes, but you should always have your multi-tool or flint in some way with you. And a knife to strike the flint with.”
She leaned down and explained the importance of dry wood, though that concept was an obvious one. She instructed Easton to move the bigger twigs and wood to the side, and work with the small shredded tinder he could create with the knife and a dry piece of wood. Alex held the flint near the tinder, and struck the knife against it. Sparks flew from the action, and landed on the tinder. As expected, it took four or five strikes before a small stream of smoke started to raise. Alex leaned down and lightly blew on the tinder, nursing the flame into size.
“Once it gets to this point, you can add a few pieces of dry bark onto the flame itself, and then you create a teepee like structure with the dry sticks. The flame will catch onto those sticks and the fire will grow. Now you try,” Alex said, and held out the tools to Easton. She watched over his shoulder as he shredded the wood, creating a neat pile of tinder. She gave him the chance to try to strike the flint on his own first, but sparks did not show. Easton’s frustration showed on his face, but Henry cheered him on in an excited fashion.
“It’s ok, it’s not like you’ve done this before. Don’t worry, you’ll pick it up,” Alex said reassuringly. She motioned for him to strike faster and at more of an angle, and sparks flew from the flint. Henry clapped and Easton smiled at the tools. He struck a few more times, before the small tinder began to smoke. The big teenager leaned down quickly to blow on the tinder, and the flame appeared. He added bark and built a teepee as Alex instructed.
Sundown Series (Book 1): Prepared Page 14