“I love you, but I’m still not going to kill anything.”
“When you get hungry enough, you will,” he said seriously, rubbing her back to soothe her.
Roan lit a candle when he got back. Putting cheese on two slices of bread he ate and washed it down with some wine. He contemplated his next move. After eating he cleaned up his mess sealing it in the plastic bags he had packed. The last thing he wanted was furry visitors in the middle of the night. It was late afternoon. Exhausted, he’d had enough exploring for one day. Carrying the candle, he went deeper into the cave. Laying out the second sleeping bag, he stretched out. Though tired, sleep eluded him. Excitement built in his loins with the knowledge that his video girl was close by. Keeping him up were thoughts of what he’d do with her, once she was his. The only problem, he’d need to kill her husband. A much bigger guy in person than he appeared on the video, but if he handled it just right, Rob would be a thing of her past, he’d be video girl’s future.
Two days had passed quietly. In fact too quietly for Roan’s taste. With his frustration level peaking because he didn’t find one track or clue to Rob’s whereabouts. He thought Rob would’ve been back by now. He’d found other caves, but they showed no signs of use or Rob. Did they leave the area? Following the tire tracks led to other tracks. He couldn’t differentiate between them. Were they old or new tracks?
Annoyed with his lack of success, he fiddled with his radio again hoping for some news from the outside world. White noise greeted him. What good was an Emergency Broadcast System if it didn’t broadcast? Disgusted with everything, he threw the radio against the cave wall.
“Smart, Roan.”
He loved solitude, though now it weighed him down like an anchor in water.
Why hadn’t they come to visit him? What put Rob off when they met? Questions, he only had questions. Damn, he wanted answers. Suddenly gripped with fear, Roan wondered if it showed that he had killed a man. At the most unexpected times, his emotions toyed with him. The incident played over and over in his head. Had he had a choice? Could he have handled it differently? Did he really have to kill the man? Was it normal he had felt so powerful when he took a life?
Determined to find them, he pulled the bread, cheese, and the meat from the cooler and made a sandwich. After lunch, he was going back out and damn it, he wasn’t coming back until he found them. Then what? He’d handle that question when he located their cave.
Rob and Lauren set up their camp, moving everything from the SUV to the cave. It’d be kind of homey, if only it had a comfortable bed. The ground hard, the sleeping bag confining, a constant reminder of what they had left behind. Lying there, she wondered for the umpteenth time, why they hadn’t stayed a day or two to get answers to the explosions.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Rob said.
“Why didn’t we stay to see what caused the explosions?”
“I thought it was prudent to leave. The chaos on the block had already begun.”
“Oh.”
“Lauren, do you want to head back?”
“I want answers, Rob. It’s the not knowing that’s driving me nuts.” She stood and started to pace.
Rob stood and went to her. “Lauren, we’ll drive to the path that overlooks the town. See if there are still fires in the distance. Then we’ll decide. Okay?”
“I’m not being silly, Rob.”
“I didn’t say you were. Please try to relax.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms in a gesture of support and comfort.
“Why haven’t we heard from that guy? What’s his name?”
“Roan. I haven’t seen any of his tracks since that first day. A tracker he’s not.”
“I need air. These walls are closing in on me. I’m tired of lying around. I need to move around. Let’s take a ride to the path.”
In mid-rub, he dropped his hands. Walking over to his duffle bag, he rummaged through it until he found his keys. Until today, he hated the color of the SUV. That dark, forest green, but it dawned on him now how well it blended in with the woods. Together they headed out of the cave, making their way to the truck. As he climbed into the driver’s seat, the gas gauge caught his eye.
“Lauren, we only have half a tank of gas. I think we should hike to the path and save the gas.”
“How far is that?”
“I’d say about three miles.”
“Huh, three miles, I hope I can make it.”
“Come on, you can do it. Didn’t you just complain about being sedentary? Plus, it will help you sleep tonight. We’ll bring one sleeping bag and some food in case we have to camp out.” He reached over and grabbed her hand, gave it a squeeze.
She smiled at him, trying not to complain. “Okay, I’ll pack the food. You pack the bag up. Don’t forget to stick a couple of my sweaters in. I want to put my other stuff in the truck in case that creep finds the cave. I don’t want him to steal anything or worse, rummage through my underwear.”
They walked back into the cave. Packing what they’d need. Rob loaded the truck. It was midday by the time they finished. If they were lucky they’d reach the path around four before the sun set.
It proved slow going over the wooded, rocky terrain. Good thing we’re not in a hurry, he thought.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Roan found their cave around two o’clock. He’d been walking for three hours before stumbling upon it. Spotting the fire, he reached over, touched the wood, stone cold. As he moved deeper into the cave, he came upon the sleeping bag. Only one? Baffled, he ruffled through the duffle bag and pulled out only men’s clothing, no women’s. The cave didn’t look deserted. Did Rob come up here alone and leave his wife to fend for herself? He didn’t seem the type. Besides he knew he saw two sets of prints last night. Where was she?
“Now where did you stash that pretty wife of yours, Rob,” Roan spoke out loud.
Right at home in their cave he opened the cooler, took out a beer and sat contemplating Rob’s whereabouts. Roan spotted Rob’s radio and cranked the handle, hoping for some communication from the outside world. Still nothing.
After he had his beer and a snack, he couldn’t decide whether to head back to his cave or spend the night here. Should he wait out Rob and surprise him? In the end, he decided to head back to his own cave before he lost daylight. He wouldn’t confront Rob until he knew the location of his wife. It dawned on him that the other night he was only a few feet away from discovering them when the mountain lion scared him off. He laughed without humor.
“Ace woodsman, Roan,” he chided.
They stopped several times to rest or replenish their fluids. Rob wouldn’t have needed to stop as often if alone, but fatigue showed in Lauren’s footsteps. He had to give her credit, not once did she complain. Walking for over two and a half hours now, all he wanted to do was reach his destination. After checking his watch, he knew they only had about an hour and a half of daylight left. If they could make it to the ridge, it would give them an advantage overlooking the path against intruders. Rob took his gun out of his backpack, checked the chamber then stuck it into his waistband.
“What’s that for?”
“See that ridge up there?” Rob pointed.
“Yes.”
“I want to head up there for the night. I don’t know if it offers shelter from the elements, but it will give us a good vantage point against visitors.”
“Okay. How long will it take to get there?”
“We’ll take it slow. If you need to rest, Lauren, tell me. Okay?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not a martyr.”
“You’re doing great, hon,” Rob encouraged. Lauren was stronger than she gave herself credit for, he knew; but sometimes she needed a little push.
“How long, Rob?” Gauging the distance and how fast she was moving he answered her.
“I’d say about an hour. I want to be there before dark.”
“Okay, I can make it. Don’t worry.” She pushed off the ground, stood by him. Smiling, wh
en she patted his butt in a display of sportsmanship, he thought, that’s my girl.
“I’m not worried. Let’s head out.”
She grabbed her backpack, put the water bottle in the outside pocket Once she put the straps on her shoulders, he waved her in front of him. The higher they climbed the steeper the accent. It slowed them down more than he anticipated.
Rob and Lauren reached the ridge around three-thirty. He scouted the area then strung string from several branches—his idea of an early warning system. The ridge didn’t have a cave, but it had a huge overhang which offered little protection from the weather. Rob spread the sleeping bag against the rock wall and dug out some food. He was starving.
“Hungry, Lauren?” He tossed her an energy bar as she raised her head to look at him.
“Oh, yeah,” she said, catching the bar.
Sitting up she ripped open the wrapper with her teeth. At the speed of light she shoved it into her mouth. She ate like it was her first solid meal in days. At that moment, it beat the Alaskan Crab she’d had for their anniversary dinner.
“I better eat mine before you attack me.” Rob laughed, watching her eat.
“I’m so hungry. What else do you have?” She eyed his bag, hoping for more food.
“That’s all for now. I could only carry so much. We’ll eat again later.”
“Rob, I’m starved now,” she pleaded.
“It’s only three forty-five, Lauren. It’s going to be a long night. Let’s wait awhile.”
“Oh, all right, but if you feel someone gnawing on your arm, it will probably be me.”
“I have something else you can gorge on.” He flashed a big toothy smile.
“I can only guess what that is,” she mussitated.
“Here, you can have half of mine,” Rob offered.
“What will it cost me,” she joked.
“The usual,” he sang out.
“Not a problem, hand the bar over.” She reached for his bar.
“You’re kidding, right? You’re gonna take the food right out of my mouth.” He pulled the bar to his chest, eyeballing her.
“Yep.”
“How do I know you’ll honor your bargain? Maybe you should cover your bet first.”
“When have I ever reneged on a bet?” Lustfully, she eyed his bar.
“Jesus, Lauren, so this is how it is going to be, dog eat dog.” He waved his bar in front of her face.
“You idiot.” She laughed. “Give it to me. I know you have more.”
“Lauren, survival is all about pacing,” Rob said, patiently.
“Screw pacing, Rob.”
“I’d rather screw you,” he joked.
“Cute, give it over and you live,” she said, seriously.
Keeping a close eye on him as he grabbed her backpack and his own before pouring out the contents; between them, there were six energy bars, a bag of cashews, three bottles of water, and four packs of peanut butter crackers to last the night and into the morning. Lauren didn’t think that would keep her and it had to feed the both of them.
Rob’s right. Though how can I pace myself when I’m so damn hungry?
They would have to pace their meals. A shiver ran down her spine as the sun started setting. Hanging low in the sky the temperature had dropped a good twenty degrees. She grabbed a sweater and pulled it over her head.
“Okay, Rob, here’s your bar back, but all bets are off,” she said, ungraciously, handing it back to him.
“Man, do I want the bar or the bet…let me see.”
Quick as the flash of light he snatched it from her hand and ate it before she changed her mind. He knew from experience that she could eat. For a small woman, she ate more than he did in a day.
In the morning, they stood at the bottom of the path that led to the top of the mountain and looked around. It was more an animal trail, a few feet of barren ground where life refused to flourish. An amazing thing though, on either side, trees were tall, green, and alive.
Rob took out his binoculars to scan the immediate area. The air, heavy with some kind of grey substance, made it difficult to breathe. It blocked their vision of the town below. Unsure if it was the altitude or the grey mist, Rob searched his memory for an explanation. It wasn’t fog, something more like smog, but thicker. They had noticed yesterday the darkening of the sky, but didn’t know what to make of it. The roads carried no cars or trucks, it was eerily quiet. He pitched the binoculars up and out and directed them towards the city. There was no visibility beyond the lower roads.
The thick, grey veil blocked his view. Rob didn’t think it was volcanic ash. Racking his brain he found not explanation. They had been on the mountain for three days now, so it wasn’t smoke. Smoke dissipated.
Lauren broke into his thoughts, “What is it, Rob?”
“I don’t know, it’s hanging low and blocking the view of the city. I can’t make anything out.”
Was it a chemical fog? If so, what kind of damage to the body would it cause? Moving closer to Lauren he put his arms around her. They didn’t speak, only clung to one another.
CHAPTER NINE
Coughing, Roan woke from a sound sleep. Something about the air had changed, he could actually see it. Not good, he thought. He grabbed his flashlight and headed out to the entrance to look around. The heavy, grey substance grew thicker as he approached the entrance. It wasn’t smoke, he determined, nor ash. The texture baffled him. Maybe a chemical fog of some sort or another though it had no taste or smell. That would make sense with things blowing up all over the place down there. If so, was it poisonous? Another thing he didn’t think of, a gas mask and oxygen. Unsure of the time, he looked down at his watch, seven a.m. It looked like twilight out there. Did Rob make it back to his cave last night? Today he’d at least make the effort to check to see if he had returned. If not, he’d need to track him. Was he still alive? Did he leave the mountain due to the smoke? Deciding it would be hard to track him in this mist, he decided only to check the cave today.
Roan ate then dressed. He grabbed the 9mm, checked to make sure it was loaded then put it in the holster on his left side. Next, he grabbed the knife, stuck it in its sheath strapped to his right ankle. Now he was ready for his trek to Rob’s cave. Re-thinking his readiness he packed up some food and water before heading out.
This time he cut the time in half and made it to Rob’s cave in less than two hours, but there still wasn’t any sign of the guy. He wondered if the grey mist had anything to do with Rob’s disappearance.
Stop being ridiculous, how could the air have anything to do with Rob? The environmental changes probably had something to do with the explosions and fires in the cities.
Rob removed his arm from around Lauren’s waist so he could grab the binoculars to canvas the area one more time. Still nothing to see, the absence of sound spooked him more.
Maybe that’s why the radios didn’t work? The cloud of grey was blocking all the signals.
“I think it’s time to head back to the cave, Lauren.”
“Okay. Do you think we should pack up everything in the cave and head down off the mountain?”
“I wish I knew,” Rob grunted.
“Rob, the stuff is just hanging there. Maybe if we get under it, we’ll be able to contact someone on the radio,” Lauren pressed.
“It makes sense. Let’s think about it on the way back to the cave.”
Lauren sighed. Stubborn bastard. When Rob got a bug up his ass about something there was no changing his mind. Most times, she introduced her ideas to him slowly, letting them simmer and then they became his ideas. She didn’t do it this time because she didn’t think they had the time.
“Sounds like a plan,” she responded. Either way, she was going to head down the mountain after she collected her stuff. No use arguing about it now.
For two and a half hours they hiked before arriving back at their cave, hungry and exhausted. Rob pulled at Lauren’s arm when she started to enter the cave.
He
whispered, “Someone’s been here or still is. Go wait in the woods. Make sure your gun is loaded and ready. I’ll come out if it’s clear.”
“My gun’s been loaded and ready for days. I’m going in with you,” she whispered back.
“No you’re not. It’s probably that guy, Roan,” Rob said, pushing her away.
She shook herself free of his grip. “I don’t care. I’m going in.”
Rob stared at her and nodded. “Be careful where you aim that thing.” Rob took a deep breath as he inched his way around the opening to the cave. He looked back to make sure Lauren hugged the walls. At the same time, he made sure his body covered hers. They both heard the noise at the same time and reacted. Rob turned, pushing Lauren to the ground, he raised a finger to his lips, then turned back to listen. A quick glance back over his shoulder broke his heart. Lauren had her gun out, but was shaking like a washing machine on the spin cycle. He gave her a reassuring smile while pushing the gun away from his direction.
“It’s going to be alright. Just don’t point it at me. Okay?”
“Son of a bitch,” Roan cursed. “I’m coming out, Rob, don’t shoot.”
“Okay, Roan, I’ll wait here,” Rob said, motioning to Lauren to hide.
She shook her head no. Rob wanted to rush in and fight. Instead he watched the cave’s entrance with his gun aimed waist high at the opening. When Roan appeared, Rob wasn’t happy with his reaction to Lauren. She had on a pair of hiking shorts, heavy socks, a t-shirt with a windbreaker tied around her waist, all emphasizing her figure. Rob instinctively stepped in front of her.
Damn, he might as well go outside and explain to Rob what he was doing in his cave. So much for the element of surprise—the only one surprised was him.
Oh my God, she’s prettier in person than on the video. Roan groaned. He had trouble forming words. His gaze swept over Lauren, starting at her feet and climbing to her head, pausing at her breasts a little too long. Enough to be socially unacceptable then back again. What magnificent breasts, he mused. Rob’s voice penetrated his thoughts.
As the World Ends Page 4