Windburn

by Kenny Soward

  Jake waved his spoon in her direction before digging in for another bite of pasta. “Captain Sanchez was pretty adamant that none of that stuff was ours.”

  “Of course, we know that.” Ashley was indignant. “But we worked hard to gather it, and it wasn’t like anyone else was using it.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Jake replied. “People seem to be struggling with right and wrong these days. When you’re in danger of dying from lack of food and water, the lines start to blur. Did you know they’re…” Jake let his words trail off. He’d been ready to tell Marcy and Ashley that they were actually executing raiders and terrorists before he realized the kids were sitting right there.

  Marcy gave Jake a questioning look through her thick-rimmed spectacles until she finally realized he was trying to censor himself for the kids’ sake.

  “I could eat Pop-Tarts all day,” Alice said from the cot across from Jake. She happily took a bite of her toaster pastry and wiggled a bit on her cot.

  “Me, too” Timothy sat next to his sister, mirroring her enthusiasm for the HDR snacks.

  “That’s one part they got right.” Marcy waved her fig bar in the air before she popped it in her mouth.

  “Anyone want to play Uno after we eat?” Alice asked, her eyes looking predatory as they shifted between Jake, Marcy, and Ashley.

  “Not me, dear,” Ashley said, resignedly. “You’re a little Uno card shark. A pure killer at that game.”

  “I couldn’t beat Lizzy no matter how hard I tried.” Alice’s eyes fell to the floor of the tent and the corners of her mouth turned down in a frown.

  Jake pointed his red-stained spoon at her. “She sure is a killer. Saved our behinds back at the construction site when Hawk and Raven showed up. Took a big bite out of Raven.”

  “I sure did.” Alice kicked her feet, her expression proud before it quickly fell sour. “She tasted yucky.”

  “You fought a tiger, Jake.” Timothy said, his expression still in awe at Jake’s daring even though he’d not actually seen the confrontation. “That’s tough.”

  Still, Jake played along, hoping to make the boy laugh, taking on a haughty tone. “One does not simply fight a tiger. You ride it until it gets tired, and then you fight it.”

  Everyone laughed at Jake’s silliness, and he gave a proper bow to show that he appreciated their gratitude. He looked around the tent as the others carried on. It wasn’t home, but it was as close as he’d gotten to home in a month. Marcy and Ashley and all the Westin folks were good people, and the kids were precious. They were all survivors. They were all friends.

  Someone patted on the outside of the tent flap, and Corporal Riley poked his head inside the tent, looking around at everyone with a thin but friendly smile. “Hello, everyone,” Riley said, then he fixed his eyes on Jake. “Jake, if you want to come with me, Captain Sanchez wants to see you again.”

  “Great,” Jake said, placing his meal down on his cot and standing up. “I hope he has a bus ticket to Tennessee for me.”

  Jake started to exit the tent, though Riley stepped in front of him before he could get by. Jake took a pace back and looked at the soldier with a questioning expression.

  “You might want to say your goodbyes,” Riley said.

  It took Jake a minute to understand what he meant, and even then, he couldn’t believe it. “He’s going to let me leave.”

  “That’s right, Jake. So, unless you’re going to take any of these folks with you, then say your goodbyes.” The soldier’s tone was soft, yet it held a hint of urgency.

  Jake turned around and looked from Ashley to Marcy, and then to the kids. The tent was completely silent, and everyone stared up at Jake with a mixture of emotions, their moment of joking suddenly pulled out from under them like a rug. Marcy stood up and came straight over, her eyes misty behind the thick lenses of her glasses as she stared up at him.

  They stood in silence for a moment, before Jake broke the tense moment. “You’ll need to get those glasses fixed soon.”

  Marcy shrugged noncommittally. “I figure these have at least two more apocalypses in them.”

  Jake chuckled, and Marcy laughed along with him. Still, it was clear the woman barely held her true emotions in check. Jake was struggling with it, too.

  “You want to come with me?” Jake suggested. They hadn’t talked about it before, so focused were they on surviving. He should have guessed it would eventually come to this. Indianapolis, Indiana was much farther north than Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They would eventually have to split up.

  “You’re traveling a different path now, Jake.” Marcy confirmed Jake’s thoughts, shaking her head as a tear streaked down her cheek. “I’m going to wait to catch a ride west. Before that, I heard a rumor they might have wider communications back up soon. I might be able to call Terry and make sure he’s still in Indianapolis and hasn’t gone home to his parents.”

  “Fair enough.” Jake nodded and tried to smile, though his heart ached to separate from his friend. “You’re a good partner.”

  “You, too,” Marcy agreed. “And, hey, we sort of fulfilled our pact, right?”

  “We sure did. We toughed it through some situations, for sure. You’ve got my address at the cabin, right?”

  “I do.”

  “If things are any worse in the cities, in Indianapolis, you and your family are more than welcome to come to us.”

  Marcy nodded, and with nothing left to say, Jake embraced his friend briefly and then turned to Ashley, who had gotten up and stood just off to the side.

  “You’re a good kid, Ashley,” Jake said, placing his hands on his hips.

  Ashley feigned a light punch to Jake’s shoulder. “You too, Jake.”

  “Try to ease up on the organizing,” he joked, remembering everything Ashley had done since they’d reunited back at the construction site. She’d organized their mobile camp over the last two days in Boston, set watches, and rationed the food in case they needed to hunker down longer. She wasn’t a bad shot either, based on her actions when they’d been attacked the first time when Jake was driving the excavator.

  “Never,” Ashley said, her eyes fierce with a mixture of amusement and sadness.

  “Then you’re going to end up being the camp mom,” Jake mused.

  “Probably,” Ashley replied as her expression turned thoughtful. “From Westin desk clerk to FEMA camp mother. Sounds like a lateral job move to me.”

  Jake grinned and nodded to the young woman before he turned to the kids. Alice and Timothy stood back near their cot, holding hands and looking at Jake with sad expressions.

  “Hey, kids.” Jake came over to them and knelt, opening his arms to embrace them.

  Alice fell into his arms readily enough, although Timothy held back as Jake expected him to do.

  “What’s wrong, buddy?” Jake said, looking over Alice’s shoulder.

  “You’re leaving us.” Timothy’s tone was accusatory, and his bottom lip pouted out in a mixture of anger and trepidation. “This time for good.”

  “It won’t be forever.” Jake reached out to wipe a piece of dirt off the new dressing and sling the FEMA doctor had put on his arm.

  “Can’t we come with you?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Jake said. “Your name is on the camp list, so when your mom comes looking for you, she’ll know right where to go.”

  “She should have been here by now, though. She’s probably not coming at all.”

  Jake wanted to argue with the boy, except he couldn’t bring himself to lie. Timothy was probably right. If Stephie George wasn’t here by now, that meant she was still in the city, and those odds didn’t bode well for anyone.

  Ashley stepped around Marcy to interject. “Hey, kids. I know I’m not Jake, but I’ll be around for a while, along with Marcy. You won’t be alone, I swear.”

  Timothy glanced over at Ashley, and while the boy seemed slightly placated by her words, he wasn’t a dumb kid. He was more aware of the truth about their predicament t
han some adults wanted to believe. The boy didn’t respond to Ashley. He simply fell forward and wrapped his good arm around Jake to give him a hug.

  The kids backed away, tears running freely down their faces as Jake’s heart twisted in his chest.

  “One more thing,” Alice said, digging around in her pocket before holding something out to him. It was a wild card from her Uno deck, the corners bent and worn after the countless games they’d played.

  “Aren’t you going to need that to play?” Jake asked, taking the card from her hand.

  “We can play without it,” Alice assured him, then she tapped her finger on the card lightly. “Besides, I don’t want you to ever forget us.”

  Jake gave a pensive nod and stood up before his emotions could get the best of him. He quickly tucked the wild card into his back pocket, took one last look around at his friends, and turned to Corporal Riley.

  “Okay,” Jake said. “I’m ready.”

  Chapter 19

  Jake, Providence, Rhode Island | 1:57 p.m., Friday

  Outside the FEMA tent, a brutal gust of wind hit Jake and blew him a few steps to the side. Private Riley caught Jake by the arm and, together, they helped each other stay upright.

  “A lot less rain lately,” Jake said, having to raise his voice a bit to be heard, “but a lot more wind.”

  “They’re forecasting a massive push of pressure back in the direction of the coast now that the hurricanes are petering out,” Riley said in a matter-of-fact tone. “So, it’s about to get a lot windier around here.”

  “As long as it’s not a tornado,” Jake said, falling behind the soldier as they pushed through the FEMA camp.

  Again, the camp seemed to be in good spirits despite the attack earlier in the morning. Jake supposed everyone was used to it by now, and they seemed to have faith in the soldiers protecting them. He couldn’t disagree. His experience with Riley, Murray, and Captain Sanchez had been on the up-and-up so far, except for the part about executing prisoners. Jake thought about asking Riley how he felt about it, though he was just about to leave the camp and wouldn’t be able to do anything about it anyway.

  In all, he was leaving Marcy, Ashley, and the kids in a better place, and he had to take solace in that.

  He expected Riley to head toward Captain Sanchez’s building; instead he took a hard left toward the truck depot. Deciding Riley must know where he was going, Jake kept his mouth closed and followed dutifully behind the corporal. Soon, they came to the parking lot road and followed it all the way to a main road that connected to the off-ramp.

  Across the road in the Home Depot parking lot, several semi-trailer trucks were lined up and ready to pull out, along with a half-dozen military vehicles armed to the teeth. Closer to the road, Captain Sanchez and an entourage of officers and guardsman waited next to a Ford Explorer. The hatch was up, and several servicemen were loading goods into it, including a small crate the size of a piece of luggage.

  Captain Sanchez turned and gave a brief wave as Jake and Riley approached. Riley gave the customary salute, and Jake nodded to the captain.

  “Hello again, Jake.”

  “Hi, Captain Sanchez. Seems like you’ve got a convoy about ready to pull out. Any room for me?”

  “You managed to fix the SATCOM terminal,” the captain gave a brief nod.

  “With Specialist Murray’s help, of course,” Jake added.

  “Murry couldn’t fix it before, then with your help she did. I’ve got a good mind to keep you here on my team.”

  Anxiety crawled up Jake’s spine at the thought of delaying any longer. He had said his goodbyes, and he was ready to go. “As much as I’d love to stay and help this fine fighting force, I really need to get home to my family.”

  “I understand,” Captain Sanchez said. “So, I figured out a way we can do each other a favor.”

  “That’s good news, Captain. Please, go on.”

  “You’re going to take this Ford Explorer,” Captain Sanchez gestured at the truck, “and follow the convoy west all the way to White Pine, Tennessee. From there, you’ll check in with Captain Stern and be on your way home. Shouldn’t take you more than an hour or so to get to the cabin resort area from I-81.”

  “An armored escort back to Tennessee,” Jake marveled. “I can’t disagree with that.”

  “There’s a catch.” Sanchez grinned in a dry, half-apologetic way.

  “I knew there had to be.” Jake grinned humorlessly. “Lay it on me, Captain.”

  “You’ll be carrying a special piece of equipment back to White Pine. It’s something we captured out in the field, and it needs to go back to Central Command ASAP.”

  “Why not put it on one of the Humvees with your soldiers?” Jake asked.

  “Because those trucks will be the first ones hit in an attack.” The captain’s eyes were stern beneath his bushy black eyebrows. “You need to make sure that case gets back to White Pine no matter what. You hear me?”

  “I do, sir,” Jake attested, standing straighter as he locked eyes with the captain.

  Sanchez stepped forward and leaned closer to Jake. “I don’t want you to be a hero, Jake. So, if something happens to the convoy, I want you to skirt the trouble and deliver the case to White Pine alone, do you understand?”

  “I think so, sir. I mean, I do. I do understand.”

  “Good. There’s a fold-out map of the United States in the glove compartment should you need to take the back roads.” The captain backed up a pace and gave Jake some space before he gestured to the back of the vehicle. “We’ve supplied you with some gasoline, four days’ worth of food and water, and a rifle.” He reached into the back of the Explorer and slapped the top of the briefcase-sized crate. “This is the thing I was talking about. The case is biometrically secured. Only Captain Stern can open it. This is what you need to deliver.”

  “I appreciate this, Captain,” Jake said, his voice gruff with emotion. This man was single-handedly putting him on a direct path back to his family. “Thanks for the food and weapons, too. Should make the ride a little easier.”

  “No problem,” Sanchez said, tossing him the key fob to the vehicle.

  Jake caught the oval-shaped plastic and held it up, triumphantly. Then he turned to Corporal Riley and offered his hand. “Thanks for showing me around the place.”

  Riley took Jake’s hand and shook it. “You’re welcome, Mister Walton.”

  “Can you look out for my people?”

  “There’s a lot to do around camp.” Riley’s expression was flat at first and then lifted to something like a promise. “I’ll look in on them from time to time.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “Oh, one more thing.” Captain Sanchez stepped up and held out a gun.

  “My Ruger.” Jake took the weapon and felt its weight, smiling.

  “We threw some .40 caliber ammunition in the back,” Sanchez said. “A couple hundred rounds. Let’s hope you don’t need it.”

  With that, Jake opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat of the Explorer. The soldiers shut the rear door and slapped the roof to let him know he was clear to go. After adjusting his seat, Jake pressed the start button and listened to the vehicle rumble to life, and he saw the gas gauge showed a full tank.

  The convoy got underway with the military vehicles interspersed between the trucks. Jake pulled Alice’s wild card from his pocket and placed it on the speedometer panel. Once the last truck had passed, Jake pulled out and joined the convoy as the very last vehicle.

  They moved slowly up the main road and took the long, circular entry ramp. It wasn’t exactly the flying takeoff Jake had hoped for, though he should have expected the huge convoy of semi-trailer trucks would move along at a near crawl.

  Once on the expressway, they picked up speed, and Jake looked up at the sky to see the clouds moving swiftly overhead. As they drove away from the camp, Jake couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for leaving his friends behind. Marcy had been a dependab
le and sometimes lethal companion. The smartest lady he knew besides his wife, Sara. Ashley was a doggedly caring person, and the kids had been so brave, even after being shot at and chased halfway across the city.

  At the same time, Jake was happy to be on the road and heading home.

  “Home.” He tried the word, and it tasted good on his lips, so he said it again. “Home.”

  Chapter 20

  Sara, Gatlinburg, Tennessee | 1:59 p.m., Friday

  Sara placed her rifle and two backpacks into the back seat of the SUV and stepped to the rear of the vehicle. Grabbing the latch, she popped the hatchback door, lifted it, and patted the bumper for Rex to jump in. The German Shepherd leapt up with a happy bark, seemingly thrilled to be going out on an adventure with his human.

  She shut the hatchback door firmly and then turned to Dion and Barbara. The three of them stood on the other side of the wooden bridge where they’d parked the Subaru and van, away from the house in the event that the bridge got swept away again.

  “You have everything you need?” Dion asked. He held out the key fob and dangled it.

  Sara put her hands on her hips and let out a sigh as the wind whipped her rain poncho around her arms. While the rain had slackened, the wind seemed to have picked up, blowing through the trees and tossing what remained of the leaves and other loose debris everywhere. The clouds were still gray and lit with a weak glow of light from the sun, although they were streakier now, as if the wind was stretching them across the sky.

  “I think so. Guns, a small pack of food in case we get stuck somewhere. Trusty companion…” Sara glanced into the hatchback glass to see Rex looking back at her with a curious expression, head cocked to the side and ears standing straight up.

  “You think Rex will help?” Dion asked. He reached out and moved his fingers along the glass while Rex gave a playful yelp and let one ear fall to the side.

  “I’m not sure,” Sara said with a shrug. “He might be able to sniff out some food or something.”