“Yes, I'm Will. Are you all from Walker?”
The elderly man reached out, “Yes. It's me, Doc, the professor. It's good to see you, my friend. The two men who had written letters to each other for years had their first visual contact.
Tom said, “Looks like we have a lot to clear up. I think we would be safer together. Son, why don't you all gather your gear and let's go to our camp, it's just a few yards away by the river. Will's wife and daughter are there. Some of us will come back over and take care of things here once we've sorted through all this.”
Will returned to let Maggie and Airi know what had happened. Tom stayed to help the group pack up. They begin to gather up the supplies. The young girl Chloe hadn't moved, she was silent, hadn't cried or spoke. Cynthia knelt beside her. “Honey, let's get our things together and move out of here. Chloe...are you okay?”
The girl's big eyes met hers, she stood up, put her small pistol in the case at her waist. Silently she stuffed things in a backpack. In a few minutes the small caravan loaded with everything they owned moved in the beam of the flashlight the short distance to the riverside camp. Behind them lay the mangled and lifeless body of their companion and the carcass of one of his attackers.
By dawn the nine refugees were up and about the work of the day. Introductions made the evening before and the resigned acceptance by Will and his group that there was no haven at the Walker sanctuary. They would all have plenty of things to discuss but first the unpleasant duty of taking care of the lost companion would have to be handled.
Tom and his son, Will and the professor made the short walk back to the attack site. Rafe stayed at camp to help the women pack up. It had been agreed over breakfast that after some respects were paid to Charlie, they would all move up river to the ruins of the village of Pecos. There would be some shelter there and they could form their travel plans. The men wouldn't be able to actually bury the dead man, the ground was rocky and hard and they had no shovels larger than a fold up military issue.
Charlie was wrapped in his own blanket. For over an hour they gathered and piled rocks, finally the body was covered and a crude cross sat skew in the mound. Nearby, lay the corpse of the animal from the pack that had caught up to them the previous night. They dragged the stinking remains a distance farther from the grave site. Doc covered his mouth with a handkerchief, poked at the body with a stick, inspected it's teeth and other characteristics.
Will said, “No doubt it's a hyena. Maybe not quite as large as some I've seen but I'm sure.”
Doc seemed to agree and Tom said, “A zoo or pet escapee might survive in this territory and climate. However, how could the species continue? It's been fifteen years since the world fell to s—t.
I'm no expert but I didn't think that animals would breed with other species.”
“You're right,” said Doc. “It's just practically unknown for animals to breed outside their own species. Even though hyenas have the appearance of a dog they are much closer to the feline family than canine. Believe it or not, closer to a cat than a wolf or coyote or dog.”
Will gave a dismissive laugh, “Well, anyone crazy enough to have a hyena for a pet might have had a pair. Maybe even with the intention of breeding. Whatever, it doesn't matter, the fact is they are out here and they are not friendly.”
No sense in displaying the animal to the others unless they asked to see it, they pulled the body a little farther away. Tanner went to let them know that they wanted to pay their respects the grave was ready. The newly combined groups gathered at the small hill of rocks. Cynthia stood with tears streaming down her cheeks but Chloe remained stoic. All stood with their heads bowed as Rafe quoted a bible verse:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace.”
The sun already blazed above the horizon, it would take a good part of the day to reach the village. One behind the other and solemn, they moved to the north, following the river to it's headwaters. They stayed in the remnants of what had never been a metropolis for the next three days.
Repeated discussions by the third day had escalated into arguments concerning the ultimate destination of the combined groups. Doc was certain that the Colorado location was the right place to go. Will had his doubts and expressed them freely. His voice became agitated, “As I've already said over and over, I'm concerned about the difficulty of surviving in the mountain Winter. I've thought about it a lot and I think it would be better to head south, possibly to the Gulf Coast.
Now the voices of all, increasingly more stubbornly at odds, clamored again. The professor stood up from his seat at a weathered old wooden table, his calm and steady voice quietened the buzz, “Listen. As far as I know, this is still America. We each have the right to go where we please. It seems that we have irreconcilable differences. While I don't for one second like the idea of us separating, I've personally made my decision. I'm going to the mountains, even if it's alone.”
Will calmed, too. He placed his hand on the professor's shoulder, “I understand, Doc. I have to do what I think is best for Maggie and Airi. We'll head south.”
Chloe, who after a near hysterical crying bout had shook off her deep fog, said, “I'll be going with Doc. Maybe I'll find the boy Kevin. I don't have any idea what else is out there.”
Rafe looked around at the faces, some familiar and some new. “Well, I won't let Chloe and Doc go off alone. Looks like I'm headed for the high country.” His usual wide smile accompanied this declaration.
Tom had been in agreement with Will all along. Tanner had already gained the confidence of surviving outside of the bunker but he wouldn't be separated from his father. Airi's dark eyes sent him a brief glance and a small upward tilt of her pretty mouth as she turned away. No question, the younger man would travel with his people from Far View City.
The last to commit, Cynthia stood up and looked at the faces of her old friends from Walker Hair that once was golden now twisted in gray streaked curls right below her ears. She pushed the curls back with a pair of metal rimmed glasses that she removed from low on her straight nose. Booted feet together, hands went down into the pockets of her faded jeans. The youthful face of Chloe held her attention for a minute.
“I lived on the coast most of my younger years, was born in Mobile, Alabama. I'm not a fan of the cold weather. This isn't an easy choice, Walker has been my home for a lot of years and you're my friends.” A bit to everyone's surprise, she said, “I'll be going south.” She turned her back so they wouldn't see the tears that once again poured down her face.
“Okay, our decisions are made. Tomorrow, the three of us will find that old Interstate and movenorth,” said Doc.
“The six of us will head south and follow the Pecos over into Texas,” said Will.
There were hand shakes and hugs. Rafe clasped his hands in front of him, “May god be with us all.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Rolling on the River
The six new companions stood on the shore of the river and watched the water slide along with just an occasional foamy ripple. When the dawn barely made it's appearance they said their goodbyes to the three refugees headed north. The supplies were divided up, Doc's small group made to take extra. Will, Tom and Tanner felt they would be better able to provide for their group. They watched until the three were out of sight. This was far from Will's choice of solutions. He and the professor had been friends through written correspondence for years. Both men had a respect for the other and one thing in common, very strong confidence in what they believed. Doc had been right, they all had to go in the direction they thought was best.
Will understood that Tom wasn't happy with the three breaking off, either. After all, the man had spent his life guarding and providing protection for others. Everyone had made their free choice, there was no time for regrets. The business of the moment was the survival of the six that chose to travel south.<
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A few yards from them three metal boats stacked upside down, one atop the other near the shoreline. Tom turned from the river and said, “Those two bottom boats seem to be in stable condition, the top boat protected the others somewhat. I think they would take us down river and it would certainly be faster than walking.”
Will said, “I like the idea. We've got to keep in mind though, the river is flowing full with the snow thaws and spring rains. We'll have to be cautious, won't know what lies around the bend until we survey ahead. Rapids and rough waters might await us or we might run into shallows that we can't get through.”
Cynthia joined in, “I've got a bit of experience with boating. I'm all for giving them a try. It appears that the boats belonged to the Parks and Wildlife. It's possible that the oars are up under the boats but if they're not, we'll need to explore some of those old buildings and see if we can locate more. I suggest that we try to find extras.”
Maggie shaded her eyes and looked first at the boats and then to the mostly piles of rubble that had once been buildings farther away. “We would need some strong rope, in case we have to drag the boats along the shore at some point.” She pulled her large hat forward a bit to better shade her eyes, “To be honest, I can barely swim. If we could find any kind of life jacket, I would damn sure wear it.”
“Okay,” said Will. “I think we should spend today here, we'll test the stability of the boats and search for other supplies.” He moved with his long strides towards the stacked vessels.
Tom poked his son in the arm, who at the present seemed to be engrossed in the shape of Airi as she knelt at the water's edge and rubbed her hands in the cold stream. “Tanner come on, let's pull down those boats.”
Cynthia talked with Mags about why she never learned to swim, “I was around the water so much, can't imagine not knowing how to swim.”
“Where I came from, it wasn't that often swimming weather,” said Maggie. She patted her hips, “Anyway, parading around in a swimsuit wasn't my idea of great fun.”
“Oh my goodness girl, you've got a great curvy figure. You oughta live in this old tall scarecrow body,” said Cynthia.
“Well, poor frickin' you...tall and thin...just breaks my heart.” The laughter was mutual, they would be good friends. Airi joined them, they headed towards the men and the boats. The sound of a profusion of curse words split the air and they picked up their pace to a quick jog.
Maggie knew something was bad wrong because Will seldom let loose with such colorful vocabulary. “What the hell?” she said as they drew closer. The last of the three boats was still up on it's side in Will and Tanner's hands. Tom stood frozen just inches from a long thick snake. The rattle shook on the end of it's tail, the ugly triangle head raised, forked tongue hissed at him.
Cynthia took two steps forward, drew the pistol from her waist and shot three times at the snake. Tom hustled backwards and the boat slammed to the ground as the other two men dropped it and moved back. The snake lay silent and in two pieces. She looked at the ground, “Nasty old boogers, they just love to hide up under things. Better watch out as we dig around here.”
The men looked at the tall attractive woman with surprised eyes. Tom swallowed and said, “Thanks.”
She just shrugged, “Hey, I see three paddles here. Is that all?”
Once again, Maggie looked at the distant ruins, “We best go check out those buildings, I guess. Will, why don't you come with Cynthia and me? Airi you could help Tanner and Tom check out the boats. I'm not stepping one fat foot in them until you prove to me they will float.”
She hooked an arm in the arm of the woman who stood a good six inches above her, gave her a wink and they scuffed away through the grainy dirt, Will trailed behind.
A faded metal sign lay on the ground, New Mexico Parks and Wildlife, Pecos Trout Hatchery. Cynthia kicked at it, “Um-m, trout sounds good. Think there's trout in the river?”
“It's late Spring, could be,” said Will.
“I don't know much about trout fishing but I do have some hooks and line in my gear,” said Cynthia.
A row of old metal lockers lay with their doors facing the sky, amidst the debris. Maggie very cautiously opened a couple, “Hey look, here's a couple of oars. Good thing they're metal and fiberglass, huh?” A life jacket with the covering quite deteriorated was in one of the lockers. No way she was going to discard it, in spite of the condition. Two of the lockers had old rusted padlocks on them.
“Stand back,” said Cynthia, her .357 magnum fired again and the locks splintered.
Will shook his head and grinned, “You're pretty handy with that gun, aren't you?”
“Oh, I had a bit of training. Thought at one time that I would be an FBI agent. I didn't make it. Turned out, the skill has come in handy. Who would've guessed the world would go all haywire?”
Maggie continued her careful search, dug through the rubbish with a long pole she found. After about two hours they managed to find two more life jackets, an end of a paddle with no handle and three fly rods. No one knew how to fly fish but it would be worth a try. The harsh weather had mostly destroyed not only the structures but anything usable. They did find a few small items to add to their supplies. Even some fish antibiotics in a metal box in an old refrigerator.
“These probably aren't worth anything,” said Maggie. “I remember, in the infirmary at the sanctuary, they had quite a bit of antibiotics that were labeled aquatic. I questioned the nurse about them and she said all that stuff is made by the same companies, different labels, same medicine. We'll take these, in a bad situation they'd be worth a try.”
They dragged all their found treasures back down to the riverside. Tanner and Airi, each sat in a boat launched in the edge of the river. The young woman moved from one flat seat to another and scanned the bottom of the boat, “I don't see any leaks in this one.”
Tanner said, “This one seems to be stable, too.”
The boats drifted sideways and banged into each other. Tom had hold of two lengths of nylon rope that he had wrapped around a bush. Tanner stepped out of the boat into the current that moved deceptively swift and offered a hand to Airi. On the shore, they all inspected the supplies from the hatchery.
“Did you find any more rope?” said Tom. “This is all we have. It's decent since it's been mostly under the cover of the boats. We sure could use some more.”
“No, we didn't, just some old rotted away pieces. We'll just have to make do,” said Will. “Looks like we can load up the boats and give the river a go, tomorrow.” He looked over to Maggie.
The strap of the life jacket broke as she tried it on, the covering was just strips of orange cloth. She clipped the one remaining clasp together and hugged it to her, “Better than nothing, I guess.” She gave her husband her familiar narrowed eyes glance. He just flashed her one of his smug smiles. Smart-ass old dirt digger.
***
The old aluminum boat with dark green paint spotting some of the dented and scratched sides, wasn't very deep but it was nice and wide. Maggie had to admit that it felt pretty steady in the water. In the last three hours or so her nerves had settled to just a slight tremble. Her raggedy life jacket was tied securely around her with a piece of nylon rope. Tanner and Airi had made another scavenging trip the afternoon before and managed to bring back some more lengths of rope. Some of it didn't look all that strong but they thought it was usable. She had taken a piece for herself. She moved her hat off her head, the tie still around her neck, turned and looked across the supplies piled behind her seat.
The identical boat, with Tom at the front of it, glided along several yards behind them. Airi and Tanner sat in the center seat with more packs and stores behind them. She twisted to look ahead again. Will at the front of the boat occasionally dipped the paddle in the muddy water. The current was moving them slowly but surely along with little work. Cynthia, sitting at her side also pushed her paddle through the water now and then, sometimes just helped them avoid a large rock or
limb that bobbed along.
She had learned years ago to keep her mind from wandering to what if or why type thoughts. In this peaceful scene, she couldn't help but wonder what in the world happened to the world she once knew...how did I get here? Floating down a river to who knows where, not a clue what waits ahead. Roaming like some damned old pioneer person. She looked at the straight back of the man she loved, that ridiculous rag tied around his head and drooping on his neck. Still, there was Airi, as much her daughter as if she had come from her body. The others were pretty good company. In some unexplainable way she was energized. It felt good to be out of the long time haven, even a bit exciting to not know what the next day would bring.
“Let me take the paddle for a while, Cynthia.” She reached across and pulled it to her. “I need to get familiar with helping to navigate.”
“Sure,” said Cynthia. She swung her lanky legs out and across the water, twisted to the back of the boat and dug in a pack for water. “It's nice and calm today, a good time for you to learn a bit. We won't always be so lucky. Need a drink of water?” Her spin caused the boat to rock a bit.
Maggie's tiny balloon of joy deflated. As she dipped the paddle in the water, a small dead animal floated by. Flashes of all the sick and dying at Far View crept into her head, the creepy things that howled in the night and the grisly death of the man from Walker. The no-goods at Sante Fe, they had handled them but they could have been truly vicious. And the snake. Oh god, if that snake had bitten Tom or any of them, there would be no way to save the victim.
“Yeah, we won't always be so lucky,” she said out loud.
For the next two days their luck did hold, the sky remained clear, the river moved them constantly south. In the evening camps the occasional unmistakable coyote cries were the only sounds heard. They even managed to catch three trout. Will was glad for these smooth days, he knew that Maggie had relaxed. The couple walked away from the campfire for a while, the evening before. He placed his arm around her shoulder, seemed like it had been forever since he actually had a few moments with her, touched her. He missed that.
The Days After (Far View) Page 6