Surviving Day By Day (Book 2): Fears, Flames, and Future

by Allensworth, Audra

  Alden had reloaded and was firing again, now he was picking his shots carefully. Tonto stood next to him growling. The hairs on his back were up all the way to his tail. Alden watched as Charlie and Ceara made their way back to safety in the rocks. Charlie was now firing slowly, shooting the Wanderers closest to him.

  Colt followed Alden’s lead and began to shoot carefully to keep the herd away from his friends.

  Four large pickups suddenly pulled up to where they were. Stray Eagle turned, “It’s about time you guys showed up. Where’s the rest?”

  Running Buffalo barked out orders and the braves lined up along the ridge on either side of Colt and Alden.

  All of them were armed with military weapons. Some had M-16’s, some had AKs, a few others had old M1 Garands. As they took up their positions, they started to slowly fire at the herd. Alden called to them to watch out for Charlie and Ceara down in the rocks.

  Running Buffalo stepped up next to Alden, and pointed out to the desert below. In the distance, Alden could see a huge dust cloud coming towards them. Raising his binoculars he could see about fifty braves on horseback following seven military Humvees, that appeared to have fifty caliber machine guns mounted on the back.

  Alden turned to Running Buffalo, “I got people in those rocks below us. I hope you can tell them that without having to send fucking smoke signals.”

  Running Buffalo ran back to a truck and grabbed a CB radio mike. Yelling into it his voice was clear and concise, “We have friendlies in the rocks just below us. Give them cover fire.”

  The answer came back simply as “10-4 Chief”

  Running Buffalo moved quickly to the back of the truck, and ran back to Alden handing him to large cords of rope.

  Alden took the ropes and quickly threw then ends down to Charlie and Ceara. They landed a few feet from them.

  Charlie looked up and Alden nodded, hoping that Charlie would get Ceara to start climbing back up.

  Charlie slid quickly to the ropes and brought it back over to Ceara. She looked at him with tears pouring out of her eyes. Charlie pleaded with her, “Honey we have to get back up there. There’s nothing more we can do here.”

  Ceara turned, “I ain’t leaving him like this, Charlie. I can’t… he’s… he’s my dog.”

  Charlie shook his head, “Honey, I promise you, when this is over, we’ll come back and bury him right. But don’t let his death go to waste. He died protecting the group; that was his job. It’s what we are trying to do now, protect what’s left.”

  As he spoke, he looked her in the eyes; she never noticed he had wrapped the end of the rope around her waist till he tied it off tight.

  Looking up at Alden and Running Buffalo, he nodded and gave a tug. The rope went tight and Ceara suddenly realized that she was going up the rocks.

  Once they were safely up, Alden looked both over then turned to Running Buffalo, “I think you have this now, I’m taking my crew home.”

  It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Alden turned, whistled for Tonto and called to his own group, “Mount up!” He looked to Tabitha, “I’ll drive the truck back, you can ride shotgun.”

  Tabitha just walked to the truck, climbing in without saying a word. Alden looked to Beth and motioned for her to follow him. Once they were a few feet away, Alden looked down at her, “We have a couple of issues, Ceara lost Max and Tabitha lost Heath…. We are two horses down and well… you choose, you can either ride back with me, in case Tab needs you, or I can have Ceara ride with me and Tabitha?”

  Beth nodded and looked back to the truck, “I’ll ride, Ceara has Charlie… Tabitha will need someone.”

  Alden went back to the truck and waited for Charlie, Colt, and Ceara to mount up, then got in the truck driving slowly back to the house.

  Chapter 29 – Fears

  The ride back was done in complete silence, no one wanted to talk or interrupt anyone else’s thoughts. Ceara let the horse have the lead, and it simply followed Charlie’s horse. Her thoughts were going back to her apartment. To the day she had found Maximus. He had been hiding in an empty apartment’s shower. Ceara had cleared her whole floor before hearing something in a bathroom. Maximus didn’t seem happy to meet her, nor was she wanting the snarling beast with her. She had left him alone to decide for himself what he wanted.

  A few days later, the dog was either hungry or wanting company. He came out and chose to join Ceara. The first few days they shared the space, not much else. Within a week they had both decided the other was ok and became partners. When Ceara had left the safety of the apartments, Maximus had gone with her. The escape didn’t go smoothly and Maximus had to kill a wanderer that had grabbed Ceara. Soon after, Maximus was officially named after the main character in the movie Gladiator.

  Ceara’s horse came to a stop and she realized they were back at the house; she slid out of the saddle, flipping the reins over the horse’s head. Alden was getting out of the truck with Beth and Tabitha. Ceara handed the reins to Charlie, “I want to go thank Heath for at least trying to help…” She couldn’t say Maximus’ name yet, it hurt too much.

  By Charlie’s look Ceara thought he understood, “Ceara…. didn’t you see?”

  Ceara didn’t really listen to him, simply turned walking to the truck. She saw Alden at the back, Beth and Tabitha walking to the porch, “Where’s Heath? Didn’t he drive the truck back?”

  Charlie stood behind her looking to Alden for help.

  Still feeling very numb, Tabitha quietly got out of the truck, as though she was just going through the motions. Tears were still flowing down her face when she heard what Ceara had asked. Tabitha stumbled as she began walking across the yard by herself. Beth came over and helped her to her feet, “Come on honey, let’s go get you cleaned up?” Tabitha looked over to see Ceara, then back to Beth, “She doesn’t know!” Tabitha started crying even harder and laid her head on Beth’s shoulder as she led up the porch.

  Beth walked with Tabitha into the house, and sat her down gently on the couch. Beth sat by her. As Tabitha was crying, Beth looked over her shoulder, out the window to notice that Colt kept looking at her. For the first time in a very long time Beth was speechless. The love that she had felt for Colt was beginning to flow through her, then she looked over to Tabitha. While she stroked Tabitha’s hair, she remembered how Tabitha helped her get through some of her rough times, “Tabitha, honey I will be right back.”

  Beth got up and quickly went back to their bedroom and grabbed her stuffed puppy, placing it up against her nose. Beth breathed in the scent and felt comforted by the memories of her parents and her sister. As she walked back into the living room, she saw Tabitha still sitting on the couch with her head hanging down. “Tabitha, here is Chappy. Now I need you to take care of him, and hold on tight to him.”

  Tabitha remembered Beth placing the puppy on the mantle of the first place that they had all stayed in. She gently took the stuffed animal into her hands, and then clutched it to her chest.

  Beth began stroking Tabitha’s hair again, “Now I need to go outside and check on Red, alright? I need you to take care of Chappy for me and I will be right back… ok?” Tabitha looked up to Beth and tried to smile but all she could do was sob even harder.

  “I will be right back honey, Chappy will take care of you and I will be right back.. I promise.”

  Beth ran outside and got Colt, “Colt, I need some help here with Tabitha. She is not doing well with this. With us losing not just one member of our family but two…” Beth shook her head and a tear fell down her face, “We are going to have one hell of a night and I can’t do this one alone.”

  Colt had taken the horses to the corral, and just let them go until he had time to unsaddle them. He had just come back around, standing in the yard wondering just what to do, when Beth had caught his eye from the window, she was soon standing beside him. “Honey, no one is asking you to do this alone, we will all get through this together.” He leaned over and kissed her hair, “I just watched
Alden and Charlie take Ceara around back, I don’t know if they told her about Heath yet.” He shook his head, “I don’t understand how she didn’t see it happen.”

  Colt glanced to the house, “Let’s go talk to Tabitha, I’m not sure how close she and Heath really got, but I know that they damn sure were closer than she was with the rest of us. Heath understood her better, I think.”

  Colt had his arm around Beth’s shoulders and her arm was around his waist, he gently guided her back in the house.

  Once they rejoined Tabitha, Colt could see the tear trails in the dust on her face, “Tabitha…. look at me please….” Colt had scooted the coffee table out of the way and had knelt right in front of her. “Honey, you have to come back to us…”

  Tabitha’s eyes were glazed over; nothing Colt did made a dent. “Tabitha, I know this is hard, I know you feel like there is no reason to try anymore… I know everything going through your mind right now. I’ve been there, most of us have been. You have to go forward, no matter how hard it is, or how much you don’t want to, you have to.”

  As soon as Ceara went to Alden he pointed to the back yard, “Let’s go talk kid, come on Charlie.”

  Ceara watched as Beth and Tabitha got in the house, she saw Tabitha crying and couldn’t figure out why Tabitha was crying over her dog, but maybe Tabitha loved Maximus too. Alden led the way around the back and she saw the horses still saddled in the corral, “Damn it, Colt needs to figure out not to treat animals like this!”

  She started to storm off to the corral but Alden caught her by the arm, “Sit down, we need to talk.”

  Ceara looked to Alden, then Charlie, “I am not that big of a baby, I need to stay busy… let go Alden!”

  Alden pulled her back and gently pushed her to sit by Charlie, “Kid, we need to talk about Heath.”

  Ceara looked around, “Where is he? Why do we have to talk about him if he isn’t here?”

  Charlie played with his hands, not looking at her, “Heath isn’t coming back, he’s… gone.”

  Ceara’s eyes went back and forth between Alden and Charlie, “Why would he stay with the Indians? He liked us; he was one of us… What about Tabitha? I thought he loved her?”

  Alden sat on the bench beside her, “Ceara…. think about what has happened in the last hour. What do you remember?”

  Ceara got tears in her eyes, “I remember enough to know I don’t want to remember any of it.”

  Alden didn’t drop his eyes, “Tell me what you remember?”

  Charlie moved around, “Alden, do we really need to do this, like this?”

  Ceara jumped up, “I remember going to the ridge to help YOUR friends… I remember Max…” She still didn’t want to say his name, “I remember Charlie following me down the cliff to try to help me… I remember Heath coming to help us and…..” she dropped her head, “But he got there too late, no one could get him in time, those fuckers killed my dog!!”

  Alden stood and walked over to her, he placed both hands on her shoulders, “What happened to Heath?”

  Ceara looked confused, “What do you mean?”

  Alden looked right in her eyes, “If Heath came to help you, why didn’t he?”

  Ceara looked over to Charlie, she saw tears falling down his face, she faced Alden again, “He – he – he came back… didn’t he?”

  “No Ceara, he didn’t come back. He wasn’t able to get out of there.”

  “NOOOOOO, that is a fucking lie!!!! You just don’t want me upset over Maximus! HEATH!!!! HEATH, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!” The fear and anger overpowered Ceara.

  Ceara spun around on Charlie, “This isn’t funny!!!! I get it ok! I understand that a dog isn’t a human but SHIT this isn’t the way to prove it!! HEATH!!”

  Charlie jerked Ceara into a hug, “Ceara, we aren’t teaching you anything, Heath didn’t make it, I’m sorry.”

  Ceara was hitting him on the chest, “Noooooooo, Oh God, I am so sorry!!!”

  Alden walked away into the coral and began to unsaddle the horses. He placed the saddles on the rails of the coral then walked the horses to their stalls. Reaching over he grabbed a pitch fork and threw some hay into each stall for them. Turning he walked out of the barn and closed the door. He watched as Charlie had Ceara sitting next to him on the picnic table. Turning he saw the sun shining almost straight down. He looked at his watch, “Damn it’s not even noon yet.”

  He walked to the front of the house and over to his truck. Retrieving a bottle of Jim Beam from under the seat, he took off the cap, took a long drink, and then sat down on the tailgate. Taking another long drink, he looked down as Tonto walked up to him, “You lost your best friend, didn’t you boy?”

  Tonto jumped up onto the gate, laying his head on Alden’s lap. Alden reached down and stroked the back of his neck gently, as Tonto laid there looking off into the desert. “I’d give you some of this, if I thought it would help.” Alden said as he took another long drink from the bottle.

  Charlie sat with Ceara at the table, holding her as she cried onto his shoulder, “I didn’t know,” was all she kept repeating.

  Charlie rubbed her shoulder and brushed her hair with his fingers. “I know honey. He tried to get a horse to us, but he got overrun. He fought hard then they took the horse down and…..”

  Ceara looked up at him, “OH God, he’s going to turn into one, isn’t he?”

  Charlie’s eyes filled with tears again as he began to cry, “No. Alden saw to that.”

  Ceara turned looking to the coral then all around the back for Alden. “Where is he? Where’d he go? We have to talk to him. We have to help Alden.”

  Charlie shook his head, “He put the horses up and went around front. I don’t think he wants to be bothered right now. Alden has his own way of dealing with this, and when the time is right, he will come around to us. I wouldn’t force it honey.”

  Ceara laid her head back on Charlie’s shoulder, “We’re all like Alden’s kids, but Heath, Heath was more like a baby brother to him.” Charlie gave her shoulder a squeeze but didn’t say anything.

  Charlie had moved Ceara into the front room after an hour. Colt, Beth, and Tabitha were still sitting there. No one was talking much. Colt had gone to the kitchen and brought back the pitcher of tea and Beth poured each of them a glass. No one was really drinking; they all simply sat in silence, offering hugs to whoever started to cry next.

  Colt was the first to hear the sound of horses riding up outside. Getting up he went to the window, looking out he saw several braves riding up, with a couple them driving a wagon.

  Charlie looked up at him, “What is it, Colt?” Colt didn’t turn around, “It’s the Indians, they’re back.”

  Alden sat and watched as the braves approached. Tonto jumped off the gate and stood growling at them. “Easy boy, they’re friends.”

  Alden stepped off the gate as Running Buffalo, Stray Eagle, and Billy rode up leading the rest.

  They stopped in front of him. Running Buffalo was the first to speak, “We are sadden by the loss of one of your braves. He was an honorable and courageous soul.”

  Alden who was showing the effects of the whiskey just glared at him with a hard cold stare.

  Running Buffalo dismounted, handing the reins of the horse to Billy. He walked up to Alden and stood in front of him then placed a hand on Alden’s shoulder, “Your brother fought well and died to save his family; as such he should have a proper burial.”

  Running Buffalo turned and began to walk to the wagon. Alden followed him. As they reached the back of the wagon, Alden looked in. There in the wagon was a large Indian blanket that wrapped with what Alden knew was the remains of Heath’s body. The Blanket had been sewn shut. All around him were all sorts of Native American articles. Across his chest was a beaded breastplate, on top of that, laid a bow with a set of arrows. Along his right side, was a spear. His left side had a stag handled knife. At the top of his head, was an Indian headdress made of eagle feathers. At his feet was a pair of moccasin bo
ots.

  Tears came to Alden’s eyes as he gazed upon the tribute the braves had done for his friend. He turned toward the house as he heard the other come out the front door.

  Ceara hung back not wanting to be near Tabitha, she knew the girl must hate her right now. As soon as everyone was out on the porch, she stepped out and saw the Indians, “What are they doing here? Haven’t they fucked things up enough?”

  Charlie looked down at her and the look told her she better shut up. Her feelings were raw and having the man that she thought would be on her side no matter what, just seemed to turned on her, Ceara felt alone. She turned back going in the house, she went straight through and out the back door. Ceara saddled Spirit, “I know we just got back, but we have to go on a little trip.” She patted his neck, “I promise to let you rest after this, but you got to help me out just a little longer.”

  Ceara climbed in the saddle and looked around for Maximus, until she realized she would never have to do that again. She kicked the horse into a trot, making sure to head off to where none of the others would see her leave. Knowing full well that when she got back she would be in a world of trouble, but right now she wasn’t even sure she was coming back.

  Ceara made sure she had a gun and ammo, her knife and water… she was good for a few hours. The sooner she found some of the Wanderers, the sooner she could deal with the anger that was threatening to consume her.

  Colt stepped off the porch first and joined Alden; he could smell the whiskey on his breath. His first thought was asking if he had enough for everyone, but the vision in the wagon stopped the words in his throat. The prone display was the saddest thing he had ever seen, he placed a hand on the side, “Thank you for returning our friend.” He couldn’t say anything else; tears were welling up in his eyes. He stepped back and went to the end of the wagon, “Charlie, can you help me with him?”

  One of the braves stepped up, but Colt shook his head, “Thank you, but we need to do this.” The brave stepped back and allowed Charlie in to help. They carried him to the large oak on the opposite side that Larry had been buried, and looked to Alden, he gave a very slight nod as they laid him down.