SURVIVING ABE: A Climate-Fiction Novel

by O'Brien, J. Z.

  Gus & Ela - Unaweep Canyon, CO

  Putting her mother's gun around her waist affected Ela emotionally as she cinched the belt up tight, past the notch on the belt where her mother wore it. The leather resisted bending at her smaller waist size, letting her know it would take time for the gun belt to settle on her frame as naturally as it had on the previous owner.

  Ela remembered how her mother had joked and bantered while being armed, how she looked so completely relaxed with wearing a sidearm. Yet, when the time came to use it Con had shown no hesitation, she had been at ease with that part of being armed too. She could almost hear her mother telling her not to strap on the gun, if she wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of using deadly force. Knowing that her mother would be proud of her, for accepting the responsibility that came with wearing a gun, brought tears of determination to Ela's eyes.

  After the emotional struggle of strapping on the pistol, slinging the AR over her shoulder felt as natural as her purse used to. She went to the kitchen and found a plastic grocery-store bag, filled it with food that could be eaten without cooking, and took it to the shop for Gus.

  Inside the shop she found Gus moving a sturdy table to barricade the personnel door at the front of the shop. She set the bag on the workbench, next to a large rifle and a shotgun, and then turned to Gus, "I brought you some food and drink. Do you need any help before I go back to the house?"

  "No, I don't think so, thanks for bringing the food." He watched her walk back to the house. Being armed with both a pistol and a rifle didn't camouflage the grief that hung on her as well. He took a step toward her before second-thinking it. The desire he felt to comfort her might well have an untrue foundation; he admitted to himself that her physical attractiveness biased his thoughts. The country falling apart over a snowstorm biased his thoughts too, and he had no idea what to do about that little problem either.

  Con's graphic death during a desperate situation had to be tough to deal with, and she didn't need him causing any more problems by coming on to her during a period of mourning. He had no more idea what to do about Ela's conscious condition than he did about Beth's unconscious one.

  Gus spent some time moving toolboxes, spare lumber, and anything else readily at hand, to the doors and windows to provide cover if shooting actually started. After an hour he decided it was time to check on the women in the house.

  He found Ela at the kitchen window looking toward Gateway. She looked at him when he walked in, then turned back to the window without speaking. Deciding not to disturb her further, he went on into the living room to check on Beth and found she had no pulse. He carefully removed the tape that had held her immobile and wrapped her body in the blanket that covered her. He carried her into the bedroom-morgue and put her next to Al's body, which lay next to Con's body.

  As he turned to leave the room he found Ela watching him from the doorway, tears were in her eyes. When he took a step toward her she turned and left the room. He followed her out of the room and shut the door. Ela turned back into the kitchen and Gus continued out the front door to the shop, neither having spoken a word; which is best when one wants to talk and the other doesn't. At least for now, he thought. Now that Beth had passed their options had changed, he needed to think it through and then discuss leaving together on the snowmobile for Grand Junction.

  ~~~

  Midafternoon Ela discovered no water came from the faucet when she tried to fill the teakettle. She found the hot water heater and filled the kettle from its drain spigot. She made two cups of tea, intending to take one to Gus, but stopped at the sound of an approaching snowmobile.

  She quickly went to the front door, opened it a crack, and looked out over the AR's sights. The snowmobile slowed to a stop in front of the house, the rider shut off the motor and looked at her in the doorway. This rider was dressed in work coveralls, instead of black nylon.

  "Hands up!" Gus shouted from the shop.

  When the man turned while putting his hands up, Ela saw a gray ponytail coming out from under his knitted stocking hat.

  "Hank?"

  Still with his hands in the air he turned back toward her, "Ela?"

  Ela put the AR down and ran out and hugged a confused Hank. Gus walked up as they parted; he also recognized Hank, having done some concrete work for him a few years ago.

  The pleasure of seeing one another faded quickly, as Hank looked from one to the other with an unspoken question on his face.

  Gus held Hank's eyes and shook his head. "Let's go inside," he said.

  ~~~

  After Gus told Hank how Con's fast reactions had twice saved them, Hank told the two young people his news and why he decided to look for them. "The first morning it snowed I called Con, when she didn't answer I figured the two of you were off somewhere for the day. By the next day we had no power, no cleared roads, everything was closed or had come to a stop for about twenty-four hours, as if everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop. That night I heard the first gunshots and smelled smoke. By morning I knew it was too dangerous to even consider going into town, because of all the shooting and smoke coming from that direction.

  A friend of mine is a ham radio operator, so I went to his house to find out what had happened. When he told me the Governor of Colorado had declared martial law in the State, and the rest of the U.S. had been placed under a State of National Emergency, it started to soak in that the situation wouldn't get better in a day or two. That's when I borrowed a snowmobile and came looking for you. Highway 141 is blocked just past Whitewater and I ended up coming up Dominguez Canyon and over the Uncompahgre then back down to the highway. I found Con's car and your tracks coming this way. Wish I had come sooner," Hank said.

  Ela asked, "So is Grand Junction safe now?"

  "Probably not, I believe all the food stores have been looted by now. If you've got some food stored, and a group of people working together to protect your resources, as well as each other, it might be safe. Otherwise no. People are desperately cold and hungry and the veneer of civility is peeling away, gangs are taking over, even in cordial GJ," said Hank.

  "Predators in packs are at the top of the natural food chain, so it makes sense that armed human packs, or gangs, will be the evolutionary step we need to take when the shit hits the fan. One man's family group looks like a wolf pack to another man." Gus looked at Hank, "We'll need to decide if it's safer to stay here, or mobilize our gang of three and go back to GJ."

  "There is probably enough food for three or four days for the three of us, but no water from the tap anymore," Ela said.

  "Water isn't a problem, I helped Al work on his system once, so I can probably get water figured out and running again. As for going back to GJ, we can do it by snowmobiles, so getting there isn't a problem. Knowing when to go is," Hank said. "Your mother probably told you what a cynical bastard I am, not trusting banks, or much else. Abe, the storm that damn near buried us, must now be hitting the East Coast; the power is still out and there's no news of what's going on in the rest of the country. We're on our own, for a few days at least, maybe longer. Let's see what tomorrow brings before we decide anything."

  Both Gus and Ela nodded, and then Ela stood up from the table and went to the window to look out.

  "Did you hear something?" Gus asked.

  "No, just nerves."

  "I think the problem with the water may be out in the shop, so that's where I'm headed," said Hank.

  "I'll give you a hand," said Gus.

  Beyond a door in the end wall of the shop, Hank showed Gus the cistern and the wellhead in an insulated addition to the shop. Once they hooked the generator to the pump, water started flowing into the cistern. "That should solve the water problem," said Hank. He looked at Gus for a moment then continued. "I don't feel one bit sorry for that free-spirited old woman, by dying while fighting for family, rather than living deaf in a rest home; she successfully avoided her personal version of Hell—went out like a hero to boot. I'm glad for her, s
he went out the way she wanted, but sorry for the rest of us, we'll miss her sorely . . . God Bless her."

  "In the two days I knew her she saved me once by thawing me out, and twice more in gunfights. I guarantee she will never be forgotten, not as long as I'm still around."

  "How's Ela taking it?"

  "Con's death was graphic and it weighs on her, but she is standing up to it a little better as time goes by. This whole thing is tough to adjust to with bodies starting to pile up. There are three in the house, two in the shed, and we can't bury them with the ground frozen. I don't know what to do for Ela, or the dead." Gus shook his head and then continued, "It's a good thing you showed up, there's a lot of tension between us that neither of us seems able to defuse; we could use your help."

  "Let's get back to the house to check if we really fixed the water, and Ela shouldn't be left alone with her thoughts right now," said Hank. In the house they found the faucets working and Ela at the stove solemnly stirring their evening meal.

  Hank walked over to the stove sniffing and smiling, "So, Young Lady, what do we have going on over here that smells so good?"

  Ela smiled sheepishly at Hank, "It's just some canned soup and a fresh onion added. At home most of my meals are in restaurants. Gus is a much better cook than I am, you should have tasted the beer pancakes he whipped up for breakfast yesterday."

  "Well, it smells good to me. And I bet there's a great cook inside you just waiting to be discovered," said Hank. Standing beside Ela at the stove he put his arm around her shoulders while inspecting the contents of the pan and then smiling at her. "Looks like it's about ready to be served, huh?"

  His good humor proved contagious to Ela and she playfully pushed him away from the stove while smiling. "When was the last time you ate? Only someone on the brink of starvation would get excited about canned soup," she said.

  Gus stood at the window keeping watch outside and inside. When he saw Ela relaxing and smiling it defused some of his stress and helped him relax too. With all three of them grinning in the levity of the moment, it brought a sense of camaraderie to the kitchen that had been missing since their arrival.

  After his first taste of the soup Hank looked at Ela seriously, "Okay Young Lady, canned soup never comes close to tasting this good in my experience. What did you add?"

  "Just an onion and some spices," Ela answered.

  "I've always thought taste improves with the cook's timing skills. Knowing when to add the spices makes all the difference, my compliments," said Hank.

  Watching Ela’s reaction Gus thought he detected more color in her face, behind the smile she gave Hank. The elixir of his charm had soothed the pain of her grief and released her spark for life, it radiated from her in that moment.

  A question from Hank brought him back to the moment, "Gus, did you see any elk before the snow?"

  "First day while glassing from a point I saw some cows off and on. That evening I spotted a nice 6-point bull I planned to go after. A day and a half later on my walk out in the snow, I ran into the same bull, at least I'm pretty sure it was the same one. At forty yards in a snowstorm we were eye-to-eye for a moment. When he turned to look at me his rack extended to his flank, a 300 class bull elk any bow hunter would be proud of.

  Just to teach him a lesson about humans I shot him in the ass with a blunt. Just to teach me a lesson about elk he broke trail through the snow, and probably saved my life. Elk and I are at peace, I'm done elk hunting."

  That earned Gus a smile from Ela and a slap on the back from Hank. "Gus, I knew you were a good man when I first met you. Of course, if you tell that story to a game warden he'll be happy to help you keep your word about not hunting. Your story is safe with me, and I hope I can count on you for a good price on that RV pad I want," Hank chuckled.

  Gus laughed, "Good luck finding me for a bid. The other story I'm sticking with is that I'm on my way south to a tropical beach, to take advantage of the warming oceans, and to soak Abe's chill out of my bones. It could take awhile."

  "Well the beach part may be coming to you soon, only without tropical. It's raining," Ela said. They all went to the window to see dark clouds rolling in from the southwest.

  "I'm off to the shop to check the generator and the water pump. I'll probably hang out there for a while watching the approaches," Gus said.

  Hank gathered the bowls and started cleaning the kitchen, "Ela, grab a chair and keep me company. I'm not much of a cook, but I'm an accomplished dishwasher."

  Ela did as he asked, "Thanks for being here Hank and doing the dishes."

  "Best way to keep a cook happy and more food coming is the smell of dish soap on someone else's hands."

  "All of us that would rather not cook would do well remembering that bit of wisdom."

  "File it under Domestic-Rules-of-Engagement. How are you getting along with Gus?"

  "He's fine, and he's been a gentleman. It's stupid even to me, but every time I see him it brings up Mom's death. I want to blame him for not saving her."

  "There have been more times than I care to admit that not getting what I wanted turned out later to be a good thing. As the daughter of Con I'm sure you've been introduced to the difference between needs and wants. 'Don't let unrealistic wants get in the way of your needs,' are her words I think. Right now you and I need Gus, just as he needs us. We, all three of us, need each other to survive. I've known of him by reputation for years, and he's built a good reputation in a tough crowd. Con wouldn't blame him, and I'm positive she wouldn't want you to."

  "You're right about that, I could tell Mom liked him from the start. Maybe the changes and shocks to my system, going from a heat wave to getting stranded in a winter storm, and then witnessing Mom's death, has me more addled than usual. Do you think things will ever get back to normal, Hank?"

  "A week ago when the rain started I thought how wonderful for our drought. This rain starting tonight fills me with dread that it will turn to snow like the last time. If it does, it will be the equivalent of stomping and kicking us after we’re already down for the count. Things will get back to normal, but it might be a new normal and take more time than we like."

  "I think so too, the old status quo just suffered a blow to its underpinnings. The Earth is averaging one of these super storms every year or so. When one comes to your neighborhood it changes your priorities. After this week I'd rather have a set of long underwear and a warm pair of socks than the latest laptop and smart phone I was planning on getting."

  Ela got up from the kitchen table and wandered to her spot next to the window, she watched the rain blowing against the glass, glad to be on the dry side.

  ~~~

  In the shop Gus found the cistern two-thirds full, more than enough for a day or two of water in the house, so he shut down the generator to conserve the limited amount of gas he'd found. It looked like Al had a manual pump set up to fill the cistern, in addition to the electrical pump, so they could have water without using the generator if they had to. He thought about trying to get the generator up to the house, but decided against it. The house had running water, heat from the woodstove, and kerosene lanterns in every room for light. Al and Beth had designed the house to be functional without electricity, even down to the propane stove and refrigerator.

  The loud drumming of rain on the metal roof masked hearing anything else, so Gus went outside and stood in the shop's rain shadow. In the reduced background noise he concentrated on the sounds of the world for a few moments, without hearing anything unnatural. With the reduced visibility and the suppression of sound due to the rain, Gus realized it would be possible for someone to get close to him undetected. He retrieved the shotgun from inside and decided he needed to get used to being armed with it, to the point of feeling naked without it.

  Protected from the rain on the north and east sides of the shop, he moved from one side to the other. The random walking helped reduce his stress level much better than just standing in one place. However, his premonition of trou
ble gave him a dry mouth as the drizzling rain began to crystallize into flakes of snow.

  Tess & Eric - Corsica River, Chesapeake Bay, MD

  Eric sat in the corner of the cockpit, mainly trying to stay out of the way. He watched Tess raise the mainsail about halfway and then adjust the tension with some smaller ropes that affected how flatly she could stretch the triangle-shaped sail. Then she unrolled the sail on the front of the boat, which flapped hard enough for a moment to shake the whole vessel. Tess pushed past him with a length of stainless steel, plugging it into the top of a vertical stainless steel spool, which Eric now recognized as a winch. A thick rope from the corner of the flapping sail looped around the winch.

  Hand over hand she took up the rope's slack, then grabbed the winch handle and quickly cranked the rope in until the sail quit flapping. By reversing the direction that she cranked the winch it shifted into a lower gear, putting incredible tension on the rope that pulled the sail in against the force of the wind; the rope between the winch and sail appeared to be as hard and unyielding as a steel bar.

  A screeching sound from the straining rope, as it coiled around the stainless steel drum, rose in pitch until she stopped cranking. She watched the sail for a moment and let out a few inches of rope. Apparently satisfied with the sail's behavior, she removed the winch handle and moved back to the helm to check the boat's heading.

  Noting that Tess accomplished the task of raising one sail, unfurling the other, and then trimming both without breathing hard, Eric began to get a better understanding of her physical strength and conditioning. At that moment he doubted anything would faze her. To him she embodied the invincible traits he imagined a sea captain would have.

  The boat heeled and he could hear the water rushing past Robin's hull. Tess pulled the winch handle out of its sheath, where she'd just stowed it, put it in a smaller winch by the companionway and cranked that winch, while watching the sail directly above her. She stepped to the helm and adjusted the heading once again, then she focused on the knot meter to confirm that her sail trimming had increased the boat's speed. Once she appeared satisfied with the heading, she leaned out of the cockpit, stretching to look under the sail at the water ahead of them. Sitting back on the stern seat she looked up to see Eric watching her.