Tabitha was tired of calling her Red and wanted to get a little more personal with her hoping that it would help ease her pain she continued, “Colt was injured, Charlie was really in bad shape and we all had not really had any sleep. Now look at how we did with that! A little rough for wear and we all pulled out of that just fine.”
Tabitha now turned her back to the door and lay right up against it as if she was hoping that Ceara had her back up against hers. “Ceara, we are stronger now. We know a lot more than we did then, and another thing…… we got Ranger Rick over there that seems to be just as good as Alden. I mean not as good, but damn he better quit looking at my ass like that or I am seriously gonna have a talk with that boy if ya catch what I’m saying.”
Tabitha stopped talking and hoped that Ceara had heard what she was saying. Taking a deep breath she turned around and leaned close to the door, “You do what you gotta do Ceara, I will watch out after Alden and everyone likewise. Just remember what I said, we are stronger now and together we are a family. Try not to focus on the negative, cause we know that is just how Alden is…like ripping a band aid off. Sure he could’ve worded it different, but he wouldn’t be the man we look up to if he had.” Tabitha got up and instead of joining the others she went right back to work.
Colt stood up and reached for Alden’s hand, “Well to be honest, I’ll get bit before you so, yeah you have my word but I will ask the same from you. I dealt with trying to keep Jessica alive as one of those things.” He shook his head, “She must have hated me in the end. I don’t want any of you trying to keep me alive, put a bullet in my brain and keep driving.”
He had made his way from Alden to Charlie, then Heath. All agreed, he then turned to Beth, “I’m with Alden on this honey, you have to give us your word you can do it.”
Beth took a very deep breath and nodded her head, “I agree with each and every one of you, I agree to do it, and I will if I have to but that won’t happen. So let’s just stay focused on that all right? I mean, we all have been put through hell and back, so if it comes to that and I emphasize “IF” then and only then I will deal with it…I give you my word on that.” Beth sat back down next to Colt and reached over to take his glass and took a small sip of the tea she had made for him.
Heath stood up and looked to what was left of the group, “I know I’m the new kid on the block. I haven’t had to deal with these things as much as you all have, but I do know that once bit you’re a goner. So Yeah… I promise, it’s against everything I’ve ever been taught, but I guess at this point, a lot of what I was taught no longer applies. Unlike all of you, I didn’t watch my loved ones die. Truth is, I don’t know if they’re alive or dead. I’m hoping alive and have been lucky enough to fall in with a group such as this.” He took a long drink and set his cup on the table upside down, “I uh….. I got some things to do so… errr… I best get at it.” Heath walked away towards the front of the cabins his hand going to his face told everyone he was wiping away a tear or two.
Alden finished his tea, “I’m sure Ceara will rustle up something to fill your bellies. Eat and let’s finish it up; tonight’s watch will be Beth and Colt, Charlie and Ceara, Heath Tabitha and I will take last watch. Tomorrow we leave to see what’s around the next bend….”
Chapter 10 – Born on a Mountian Top
The moon was still in the sky when Alden woke everyone; no one had slept much with the fears of the next day. Ceara and Charlie dressed and went outside just as Colt and Beth came out, each looked at the other. Heath, Tabitha and Alden were all at the fire drinking coffee.
Alden looked over at the rest, “One cup of coffee, then we kill the fire and move out.” Ceara walked to the fire and poured a cup and handed it to Charlie then did the same for Beth and Colt too, then got her own. She sat at the picnic table looking over the newspapers that Alden had thrown down the night before.
Beth stood beside Colt for what seemed to be the longest time but quite honestly it was just a minute or two. Seeing Ceara looking at the papers then taking a seat made her want to go look over the papers herself, once more before they left. When she found her a spot Beth sat down then picked up the one paper that was titled, US NEWS with the headline directly underneath of it, “WORLD WIDE PANIC NOW EXISTS”.
The first words that caught her attention, of course, were the words that started off the article, ‘The President has issued Marshall Law throughout the country.’ Beth read all of the article, in a nutshell it told her all of that she had been taught over the years of following standard ‘Emergency Contingency Plans’. If something would ever happen then there are certain procedures that the Government puts together in order to try to keep the citizens calm.
However, when she read some of the other articles, the stories were of sheer panic and chaos. With her training, there was something that she did read between the lines, and that was the President along with all of the local agencies, were not really taking any responsibility for this. Taking a very deep breath and releasing it quickly Beth tossed the paper back on the table and got up to join Colt.
Colt stood there looking into the flames of the fire beginning to die down, when he saw her he asked, “Everything ok?”
Beth stood there with her arms crossed and the look that was on her face was one that Colt had never seen before. Tabitha looked over and she knew that look. It was the look of, ‘that bitch is pissed!’ Tabitha walked over, “Beth, what’s up?”
Beth simply shook her head, “That so called President of ours, not to mention all the government cronies aren’t saying shit, let alone taking any responsibility for it.”
Tabitha thought of what she could say and the only words that could come into her mind she spoke without thinking much more, “And this surprises you how?”
Beth was angry at that remark, but then remembered who she was around, and that she herself was still alive. She took a steadying breath, and then calmed down. “Well to be honest Tabitha, it doesn’t… However, what does surprise me is that instead of saying there is a chance of HOPE, they say there is none, but yet they had time to get the word out.”
Beth stood there for a moment not saying a word and Colt reached down and gripped her hand to show her some kind of comfort. Squeezing back softly, Beth’s demeanor completely changes to the better as she continued, “Fact of the matter is, that there IS hope out there and that hope is us and other survivors that have found refuge in some sort of group like we have. Quite frankly, if their waiting on our goddamn government, they might as well be waiting on their next fucking welfare check. Because that isn’t going to be coming anytime soon either.”
Beth looked up at Alden, who was standing across from her, “Alden, we are on our own and I just want to say I will follow you anywhere, along with our group. Right now, we as far as I know, we are all that is out here, except for those brave service men we ran into back at that grocery store a few weeks back.”
Colt headed back to the fire and dumping his coffee into it, “Did anyone go get the milk? If this is our last meal here, I want to have something in my belly.”
Alden looked over at him. “This is a grab and go day son, we aren’t building up a fire or dirtying up the dishes. Like I said, we finish our coffee and head out. Now to answer your question, yes, we have the milk. All three vehicles will have one Mason jar to drink and I will take the rest of the coffee.”
Colt nodded, “Guess I was just trying to prolong the inevitable, not really looking forward to this day.”
Ceara nodded, “I agree Colt but like Tabitha said yesterday,” she glanced to Tabitha, “Yes, I was listening… it’s like ripping a Band-Aid off. Let’s just do this and get it over with.” Tossing the paper she was holding into the fire, “We won’t truly know what’s out there till we get there.”
Alden looked at the group, “Okay you all know who’s riding with who, so let’s mount up.”
He turned and picked up a pail of water pouring it in the fire. The group stood watching the ashe
s scatter as the steam and smoke rose up. Alden used his boot to stomp out the remaining coals and walked to his truck. Tonto was already up inside the cab when he got there. Turning he saw the others get into their vehicles. Picking up the radio from the seat he keyed it up and said “Check.” Each one of the other radios responded.
Alden climbed in his truck and started it up. He took one last look at what they had called home then turned to Tonto, “Okay boy let’s do this.”
Putting the truck in gear he pulled out first with the trailer of animals behind him. Next was Colt’s Land Rover followed by Tabitha and Heath in Ceara’s jeep, with Charlie and Ceara pulling out last in the van.
He had done his best on planning the trip. Using as many of the side roads as he could to avoid any areas that would be populated with more than a few hundred people. The first trick was to get past Mt. Home, Arkansas, a small town of about 12,000 residents nestled between two good sized lakes. The trip to Mt Home took only about an hour and Alden saw very little activity.
There were a few Wanderers, mostly just walking through fields. They turned towards the vehicles as they passed but none really tried to chase them. As they entered the north side of town, Alden turned west on a little side road the caravan started to snake their way around the outskirts. Cars and trucks had been abandoned and left where they ran out gas. He worked his way around most of them, but occasionally he had to use the push bar on the front of his truck to simply push them out of the way.
Looking at Tonto during one such episode he grinned, “I’d give my eye tooth for a deuce and half right now.” Tonto barked in agreeance.
As they reached the west end, he turned south once more. He knew the main highways would be the worst and hoped that’s where most of the traffic had gone and a fleeting hope that the state Highway 178 would be less traveled. This would be the hardest part, trying to navigate through the Ozarks, they would be limited to where they could drive.
As he reached Rodeo Dr., he could see the burned out houses to the east. Bodies littered the roadway as the crows and buzzards filled the telephone lines. As he approached, dogs and even cats, could be seen running from the corpses they’d been feeding on, only to return after Charlie’s van had passed. Alden looked at Tonto who sat quietly looking out the window. Alden grinned at him as he rolled the windows up and turned on the a/c, “Smells kinda getting a bit rough ain’t it boy?” Picking up the radio he informed the rest that they may want to follow his lead till they all got a little farther away from the town.
Tabitha had the mic lying across her leg so that she could have easy access to it in case of emergency picked it up and joking replied, “Roger that Big Daddy!”
After placing the mic down, Tabitha glanced over to Heath, he had a questionable look on his face as if to remark, “Big Daddy?!”
Tabitha looked back out at Alden’s tail lights with a smile, “As I said he is the only one that can call me Tabby, and for that privilege I can call him whatever I feel like.”
She began to chuckle until she looked over on the shoulder of the road to see a rotting corpse that had these huge flies swarming over it. Once she passed that she saw a couple motorcycles laying amongst the trash with rubble sprawled all around it. “I don’t know about you Heath…. But I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be getting the hell out of dodge on one of them crotch rockets. Talk about your meals on wheels.”
Heath looked over at her once more with his eyes as big as saucers. Shaking his head, “Tabitha, you sure do have a way with words, don’t ya?”
Tabitha shook her head, “You finally noticed after a week of being with us?”
Heath smiled for a bit, but the smile slid from his face when their vehicle passed a child’s three wheeled tricycle on the side of the road. The little ribbons that were on the handlebars reminded him of the ones that his son had on his. After they passed it Tabitha saw his expression go from a smile to a frown. Tabitha remembered what Heath had talked about the other night. Tabitha was searching to change the subject when she saw a big billed board sign saying, ‘REAL ESTATE PROPERTY FOR SALE’ with smaller writing underneath ’77 ACRES OF LAND PRICED TO OWN TODAY’
Tabitha began laughing, “Hey, I bet we can get it for next to damn near nothing…In fact nothing would sure as hell buy that.”
Heath squirmed a bit in the seat as he turned away from the window. “These things were definitely not built for someone with long legs.” He had moved the seat all the way back and even reclined the back which had helped some but he still felt a little cramped. He watched out the front as a flock of buzzards gave way to a pack of what looked like coyote’s fighting over the body of a rather large black man. The body was bloated and had been gnawed on a lot, “If one of those coyotes bust that stomach the smell is going to be unbearable.”
Just as he finished talking one did. The flies poured out of the gaping wound as even the coyote jumped back and seemed to be sneezing to get away from the smell. Both of them quickly rolled up the windows as the smell poured into the jeep. “Oh my God, that’s rank,” Heath said as he pulled a bandana from his pocket and tied it around his face. Then reached into a little bag he had in the back and pulled out a red one for Tabitha, “Here let me do this.”
He wrapped the bandana around her nose and mouth. Tabitha turned with tears in her eyes; Heath was pretty sure there was a smile under the mask and thanked him. A few miles farther down the road they came across, a flock of buzzards picking at an old man in bib overalls. Heath looked at the scene and turned to Tabitha, “This is just wrong. These people deserve better than this.”
Tabitha looked out and then to Heath, “Yeah I guess so, but I’m not about to stop and give them a decent burial.” Turning back to look one last time, he just shook his head. He watched out the window at the world which now seemed to be filled with the dead, savaging animals, burned out cars, houses, and buildings. He watched as Alden slowed and rammed a car out of the way and then proceeded on. As they passed it on the right Heath could see down inside. There in the driver’s seat was the headless body of what appeared to be an elderly lady in a flowered, blood stained dress. Her head was lying on the seat next to her with a straw sun bonnet still on. Heath turned back looked out the front windshield once more.
Ceara had reclined her seat as much as she could, the windows were up but Charlie had no air conditioning so inside the van was becoming stifling. She looked over at Charlie, he was wiping sweat off his brow, “Charlie, do you think we could at least crack the windows?”
Charlie shook his head, “You put that seat up and you will see why not.”
Ceara set her seat back up and immediately wished she hadn’t. They had just passed a small restaurant and from the number of Wanderers in the parking lot, Ceara figured most had been there for the all you can eat buffet. “Why are they still here? Don’t they keep going once the ‘food’ is gone?”
Charlie shrugged, “Not sure what their thought pattern is, hell I don’t know if they even have one.” Ceara watched as they left the little town, they were slowing down more often, allowing Alden to move several cars out of the way. “With him pulling the animals, should he be in front? What if he gets stuck?”
Charlie didn’t answer because they had slowed almost to a stop and he was looking around nervously. Ceara started leaning forward to see why they had stopped; Alden was working on getting the trailer of a big rig out of their way. “Don’t worry, we will be moving soon.” A slap on the window caused Ceara to jump and scream. Charlie laid on the horn; Ceara had all but climbed into the seat with Charlie. Maximus was barking wildly as Ceara screamed, “GO, GO, GO!!!”
Charlie pushed Ceara back and handed her the mic, “DAMNIT I CAN’T DRIVE WITH YOU IN MY LAP! CALL ALDEN AND TELL HIM WE GOT TO GO NOW WE’RE UNDER ATTACK BACK HERE.”
As Ceara fumbled for the mic Charlie pulled a pistol from under the seat and made sure it was ready. Just then another Wanderer slammed into his side of the van and he jumped and hit the gas swerv
ing to miss a car. Ceara glared at him, “Not so brave when they’re on your side, are you?”
Charlie gave her a look, “They are coming back and were stuck until Alden gets that moved, lower your window; they are both coming up on your side.”
He was watching the rearview mirror and now so was Ceara. “You better not miss!” She got on the mic, “Alden we were being attacked back here! Can you get going a little faster!?”
She began rolling down her window until it was halfway, before Charlie got a shot off an arm came through the window grabbing for Ceara. Maximus jumped across the seat burying his teeth in the arm. Charlie tried to get Maximus back but now the second wanderer was at the window. He had no choice, checking his side of the van to make sure it was clear he climbed out his window gagging on the smell but was able to get to the roof and shoot both men. He quickly climbed back in when he saw the convoy moving again, “ROLL UP YOUR WINDOW!”
Charlie grabbed the mic, “Alden, listen up man, you had our asses hanging out in the wind back there.”
Alden came back quickly, “Well now cupcake, if you want to come up here and drive this rig, I’ll be more than happy to sit back there in the van and have Ceara pour me a glass of fucking milk.”
The radio was silent but Charlie was pretty sure the others were getting a good laugh, hell even he was starting to chuckle and Ceara, though still rattled, was giggling. She turned and smiled at Charlie waving the jar, “Got Milk?”
The two looked at each other and started to laugh.
Beth had her Beretta locked and loaded while looking out her rear view mirror when she saw Charlie’s daring feat. All of the windows in their Rover were up and the air had been running for a while because the smell of the rotting corpses were making Beth’s stomach turn. Colt had turned around in his seat watching past Tabitha & Heath’s vehicle to see Charlie climb back in his vehicle and when he heard Alden make his comment he busted up laughing. He didn’t know why, but under the circumstances he had to do something. He thought if he started freaking out screaming, “WE”RE ALL GONNA DIE” wouldn’t show Beth much confidence.
Surviving Day By Day (Book 2): Fears, Flames, and Future Page 16