“Are your parents going north?” Erika inquired, replaying a myriad of concerns like a broken record in her mind.
“They’re packing now. They’ll be on the move in the morning,” Vince replied, looking sorrowfully at the ground.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Erika said, holding him. “This is my fault.”
“No, it’s not, Erika. Not everything is about you,” Vince responded, irritated with her self-pity. “I made choices too.”
“I know, but . . .” She was cut short by her mother-in-law’s appearance.
“Hi, Kay,” Erika greeted her.
“Hi, Mom,” Vince said.
“Hi, guys. I know your dad has made his decision, but I just wanted you both to know how much we love you. I understand why you feel you need to do this,” Kay explained.
“Thanks, Kay, that means a lot,” Erika replied.
Vince looked on with tears in his eyes. “You know I love you too, Mom, and Dad, so much,” he told her.
Kay noticed Trucker’s presence. “Is Dexter home already?” she wondered.
“No, Mom, he didn’t come home,” Vince responded.
Erika’s eyes began to tear up. She wanted to believe he was okay, but dark thoughts of losing him kept surfacing. Kay’s eyes filled with tears as well.
“Hopefully, they’re okay, but no one could find them,” Erika explained.
“I’ll keep him in my prayers, and you guys too. Vince, your father wanted you to have this,” Kay replied, handing him a circle of metal.
“Grandpa’s pocket watch? I can’t take that,” Vince said.
“Take it! Your father wants you to have it,” Kay insisted. “I love you guys,” she said, leaving suddenly.
Megan came by after Kay told her the news, and Erika explained that Dexter was missing in action. The girl was distraught. She would be heading north in the morning and had been eager to see him before she left.
No sooner had Megan left when there was a soft rapping on the canvas. Erika got up to open the flap. An old man stood there.
“Hello,” he said.
“Master Rowan?” Erika guessed.
“Very intuitive, Mrs. Moore,” the man replied.
“Please come in. Where’s Daniel?” Erika questioned.
Vince was pouring a glass of water for the man as Mr. Rowan sat down at the table.
“I left him with my best student, Mr. Tillman. He’s safe,” Mr. Rowan explained. “You must be Daniel’s father, Vince,” he stated as Vince handed him the water.
“Yes, I am,” Vince replied.
“I came to ask a request of the two of you. Instead of taking Daniel to Denver, let him stay with me and train. There’s much he could still learn,” the man suggested.
Vince and Erika looked to one another. Separating again was not something they wanted to do, but taking Daniel into this battle was not an idea they favored either.
“I’ll care for him like my own and he’ll be safe at the homesteads,” Mr. Rowan encouraged when they did not reply.
“We’ll be regrouping here after the battle before we go north,” Erika commented.
“How does Daniel feel about this?” Vince wondered.
“He doesn’t know I’m here,” Mr. Rowan replied. “I wanted to discuss it with you before I gave the boy any ideas.”
“Thank you for that,” Vince commented. “We’ll talk to him tonight and see how he feels.”
“Thank you for hearing me out,” the old man said, rising smoothly from his chair.
Showing Mr. Rowan out, Erika noticed the sun’s position.
“Aren’t we supposed to be having dinner with Greg and Penni tonight?” Erika asked Vince.
“Oh shoot, I totally forgot!” Vince said. He didn’t want to keep his friends waiting.
They headed out into the private tent city. Greg and Penni were already at a table when Vince and Erika arrived at the mess.
“Where’s the family?” Vince wondered after they greeted one another.
“We thought it would be better to come alone,” Penni explained.
“Okay . . .” Erika replied, curious what the night would bring.
They got their food and sat down to eat together. They chatted and laughed lightheartedly about times past. Positive memories they could laugh at drowned out all the negative ones that haunted them constantly. The conversation turned to darker matters when Vince and Erika explained the situation with Dexter.
“How come you haven’t got a unit assignment yet, Greg?” Erika wondered. She was looking over the groups today and didn’t see him on the list.
“That’s what we wanted to talk to you guys about,” Greg replied. “A lot has happened over the past year. We love you guys so much and support all that you are doing, but . . .”
“But, you guys aren’t going to fight,” Vince finished his sentence.
“We’re going to go north with the refugees. They need caretakers and guards. We can be of more use there,” Penni explained.
“I thought we were going to stick together,” Erika replied, disappointed by this turn of events.
“I thought we were going to, too,” Penni replied. “They airlifted your family out of Nevada and we got left behind.”
“We tried to get them to go back,” Erika responded.
“We know you guys did, but they didn’t. They don’t care about us. We’re just more cannon fodder. It’s impossible for you guys to get out, but we still can,” Greg explained.
“We can take our children and maybe be safe,” Penni agreed with Greg.
“We asked you guys to come with us in Las Vegas when we left, and you didn’t want to come then either,” Erika said, heartbroken.
“Look at what you went through,” Penni retorted.
“Look at all the good things that came out of it,” Erika countered.
“I’m looking for them, Erika,” Penni replied, honestly. “The two sides still went to war, people are still dying, so you tell me: What good did it really do?”
Erika didn’t have an answer.
“The fact that people don’t know our history together is the only thing that keeps my family safe,” Penni continued. “I’m sorry, Erika but that’s the truth.”
“Wow . . .” Erika paused, hurt by her friend’s statements. “I guess then we should have just forgotten about Las Vegas. Do you think they would have gotten you all out of there before the next wave hit?” Erika questioned, pausing for a response. When she didn’t get one, she continued, “No, they wouldn’t. We got you out!”
“Don’t think we don’t appreciate that for a moment,” Greg interjected, trying to calm down the two women. “We’re all family here.”
“I know, I was just expecting to have you with us again,” Erika replied, getting her emotions under control.
“That’s just the thing, Erika: You having us with you. We need to be free to choose our own path too,” Greg said calmly.
“I can respect that,” Vince interjected.
“I can too, but I’m sure going to miss you guys,” Erika told them with a tear in her eye.
“Ah, girl, you know we love you,” Penni assured Erika, hugging her. “We’ll see you guys up north as soon as your mission is done.”
They finished the evening up and Vince took a moment to pull Greg into a quiet corner, so he could tell him about the volcanic threat looming in the distance.
Erika was distressed over their decision, but Vince convinced her that it was probably for the best. What if they forced their friends into a battle they didn’t want to be a part of and then something catastrophic were to happen? The guilt would be too much to handle.
Seeing the silhouettes of Daniel, Nancy, and Star in the tent, Erika knew everyone was home.
“Well, might as well get all the difficult conversations over with in one night,” Erika suggested to Vince as they walked in.
“I guess so,” Vince responded half-heartedly.
“Mom, Dad!” Daniel lit up, seeing them.
“Hi, little man,” Erika responded.
“Hello,” Star and Nancy greeted them.
“How come Trucker’s here? Where’s Dex?” Nancy questioned.
Everyone looked at Vince and Erika curiously.
“Today, Sgt Pontever returned home with the team. She brought Trucker home with a story about how Dexter never came back from a scouting mission,” Erika told them.
“But Trucker came back?” Star wondered.
“Dexter left Trucker with Sgt Pontever when they left,” Vince filled in the blanks, looking at them with an eyebrow raised.
“What?” Nancy wondered. “That boy and that dog are always together.”
“I know, that’s what makes all this even more strange,” Erika agreed. “And remember before he left? There was something he wanted to tell me, but didn’t. I just know it.”
“Oh yeah, it was weird,” Nancy agreed.
“Who’s going to look for him?” Star wondered.
“No one, Star,” Vince informed her. “Everything is all set for Denver. Plus, you know Dexter, if he doesn’t want to be found, he never will be.”
“You’re right about that,” Star agreed, remembering many scouting missions that they completed in the past.
Vince looked to Daniel. The young man was distraught over his brother’s absence. Vince went and hugged him tightly. “We have something else we need to talk to you about,” Vince told him, releasing the boy.
“What, Dad?” Daniel wondered.
“I know you said you never want to be separated again, and we don’t either,” Vince began.
“Yeah . . .” Daniel replied, scared of what his father would tell him next.
“What if you could stay and train with Mr. Rowan while we went to Denver? We’re regrouping back here anyway before we go north,” Vince told him, carefully judging his reaction.
Daniel thought long and hard on the option.
“Would Master Rowan be okay with that?” Daniel wondered.
“He came and asked us if we would leave you with him,” Erika responded. “But we all know what happened last time and how you feel about it.”
“True . . .” Daniel mused.
“I could stay with him,” Nancy interjected. “No offense, Vince, but I really don’t want to go north with your parents and I don’t want to go south. I want to be with you guys, but I’m not going into some battle, so I’ll stay with Daniel at Mr. Rowan’s, if that’s okay with him.”
“Really, Grandma? That would be awesome!” Daniel responded, excited about the possibilities.
“Okay, if that’s what you guys want to do, we can talk with Mr. Rowan tomorrow,” Vince concluded.
The family readied for bed, but Erika’s mind was racing. The quiet time had passed. Tomorrow afternoon they were leaving for Denver. It would be a nighttime assault to try to catch the Federal Forces dug into the city off guard. She worried about Dexter and where he was sleeping tonight. She worried about her friends and family who would be heading north with Yellowstone on the edge of eruption. She worried about Daniel and her mom staying behind. There were many variables that all needed to run smoothly, and in this reality that was never guaranteed.
Chapter 22
The first item on the agenda in the morning was a visit to Mr. Rowan. Erika wanted to see his home and ask him if Nancy staying there was an option. He welcomed them warmly and Erika was impressed with his setup. The art studio was amazing, and she could immediately tell which works Daniel’s were, even without him pointing out all the incredible details. Erika was not surprised that the boy felt at home with Mr. Rowan. It was a heavenly place for him.
Mr. Rowan welcomed Nancy’s presence and it was decided. The two would stay there while Vince and Erika were in Denver. After they moved Daniel’s and Nancy’s belongings, Vince and Erika went to gear up for the trip east. They were issued extra rounds for their rifles and handguns. Erika had them spotlessly cleaned. She slid her knives into their sheaths and strapped them in various places around her body. Star returned from the mess; she would be suiting up to go into Denver with them. There were people with less able bodies that would handle the meals for the soldiers. There was a moment of self-reflection as the sound of the Velcro on the ballistic vests crackled in their ears.
“How’d it go with Greg and Penni last night?” Star wondered. “I’ve been so busy, I haven’t seen Jen in a couple days now.”
Erika stopped prepping her backpack and looked at Star.
“Nobody told you?” she asked.
“Told me what?” Star wondered.
“Greg’s whole family went with Grandma and Grandpa’s group. They needed able-bodied fighters since so much of the force is going to Denver,” Erika explained.
“Oh . . . crap, I would’ve liked to say goodbye,” Star said solemnly.
“It was a sudden decision,” Vince chimed in, watching his daughter deflate.
“I know . . . it’s just with Dexter gone and now them too.” She plopped down on her cot.
“How we doing in here, folks,” Kyle announced cheerfully, poking his head through the tent flaps.
Star sat up quickly. “Just getting ready,” she told him.
“What can I help with?” he wondered, stepping into the tent.
“We’re pretty much all set,” Erika announced, clipping the last strap down on her backpack.
“I’m set too,” Vince agreed, shouldering his gear.
“We’ll meet you two out by the gate, and don’t forget your cloak,” Erika directed Star.
“I got it, Mom,” Star replied, like she was still a little girl.
Erika smiled at her as she left the tent. They were headed for the transports that would take them to Denver. The eerie sky was ever-present, but the wind had picked up a little. They exited out the gate and saw a mass of soldiers all waiting for the transports as well.
SSgt Gleeson was at her side immediately.
“Are you nervous?” Victoria asked.
“About what?” Erika questioned, wondering what out of the myriad of things that Erika had to be nervous about, Victoria was asking about.
“All those soldiers up there? After what happened when we left the homestead . . .” she explained nervously.
Erika could feel Victoria’s tension increasing as they approached the crowd. Ignoring the feeling, Erika walked forward proudly. Vince was at her side and the soldiers would need her positive vibes. The large group erupted into cheers when someone spotted her approaching. Erika waved at them, causing them to cheer louder. Noticing 1stSgt Bennet and MGySgt Nickleton, she veered off in their direction.
“You all set to go, cupcake?” Bennet asked as she approached.
“Yeah,” she replied shortly.
“What about you Vince?” Bennet asked, wondering why Erika was acting upset.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied.
“Where’s Star and Kyle?” he wondered.
“They’re coming,” Erika told him.
The crowd thundered again when Cassidy approached. She weaved through the crowd, greeting people as she went.
“Let’s load up, Bennet,” Cassidy announced jovially as she approached. “How you doing, Erika? You ready for this?”
“Heck yeah!” Erika announced to Cassidy with a high-five. Erika could feel the adrenaline starting to surge.
They turned to the crowd watching them load up. Cassidy grabbed Erika’s hand and lifted it high into the air, clasped with hers. The mass of people roared in approval. Then Erika and Cassidy loaded into the bus.
“Nice to see you made it,” Erika told Star and Kyle as they appeared in the doorway.
The man looked sheepishly at Erika, and Star blushed. “We made it, didn’t we?” she defended.
“Just in time, Super Star!” Vince declared, feeding off the positive vibes the crowd was producing. “I got an extra seat here.”
Star sat down with Vince as the buses were loaded. They were one of two bu
sses headed for southern Denver.
“How big is the force meeting us?” Erika asked Cassidy, watching the activities surrounding the busses.
As always, Phillip and Eli were present and occupied the seat in front of them. SSgt Gleeson and Sgt Hensley loaded on the bus as well. Geir’s friend Ned had also decided to join the fight.
“It’s a prepper group about five-hundred strong. Not extremely well armed, but tenacious as ever. LtGen Merkley is sending arms with us so they can be a serious threat that must be reckoned with,” Cassidy explained. “LtGen Merkley sent his son to handle the exchange. That guy could make a diamond in his ass, it’s so tight,” she chuckled.
Erika laughed at her joke, soaking in the information. Looking out the window, Erika saw SSgt Merkley headed towards the second truck. He was accompanied by five very formidable- looking fighters.
“I’ve never seen those guys he’s with before,” Erika commented. “They look tough though.”
“New recruits. We’ve been flooded with them,” Cassidy said, getting up from her seat. “I’ll be right back.”
Eli rose and followed Cassidy down the aisle to the front of the bus. Bennet came and sat down in Cassidy’s seat.
“What’s up?” he asked directly.
“Again, Bennet, really?” Erika accused.
Bennet looked at her naively. “Again what, Erika?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Erika asked him.
“Tell you what?” Bennet wondered.
“That Yellowstone is in the process of erupting,” Erika told him.
“What?” he asked, concerned.
“Don’t play dumb, Bennet. It doesn’t suit you,” Erika accused him again.
“Erika, I don’t know where you got your information, but I haven’t been informed of that situation,” Bennet said honestly.
Erika studied him carefully as the doors to the bus closed.
“Please don’t analyze me like that,” he requested. “I’m telling you the truth. Who told you that, anyway?”
Erika didn’t want to tell him. She would have to report on her activities.
“Where did you hear that?” he asked again, as the bus started to roll forward down what was left of Highway 295.
“You know the restricted access door at the camp?” she asked.
The Changing Earth Series (Book 5): Dark Days in Denver Page 15