by J. D. Oliver
Suong, came over and started to take the bandage off. She poked around a little bit, then said. “I think we can leave the bandage off now. Let it get some air, he’s a quick healer.” I have to go to the oil well and also the Refinery sight. You can get him up, if you want to. He should have a real bath, instead of those sponge baths.”
“So, who’s been bathing me this time?”
“Me, mostly. But Tiff and Hope have helped out.”
“Oh? That makes me a little bit embarrassed.” I said.
“Don’t worry about it, they didn’t. Yours isn’t the only Tally Whacker they’ve every seen, you know.”
“Okay, are you going to help me out of bed? I feel a little weak, laying here for thirty days.”
Faith helped me sit up, then I swung my feet to the floor. Faith said, “Just set there awhile, I’m going to run you a hot bath.” I was a little dizzy, not bad, it passed quickly. I called to Faith, “When did you take the I.V’s out, I see the marks where they were?”
“Oh, we did that yesterday, Suong said that you would wake up today. She was right. Just a minute and I’ll help you in, the baths almost ready.” Faith came in, just as naked as I was. She said, “I thought I might as well take one with you, kill two birds with one stone, you might say.”
It was a good thing our tub was a big one. It also had those water jets. I sat at one end, Faith got in and laid back up against me. The water was nice and hot, I dozed off.
“Hey, wake up, you’ve slept enough. It’s time to get back in the swing of things.” We did….
As we were getting dressed, I asked, “So who were those guys?”
“The same as the others. Harry Silver seemed to be glad that you were in another coma, he said, ‘perhaps now I can get some rest.’ isn’t that funny?”
“No, it’s not. He seems to think that this is all my fault. I still can’t figure out why they want me dead so bad. What did I ever do to them?”
“I don’t think it’s you so much, I think it’s what you represent.”
“Well, what do I represent, I’m just trying to take care of my family, that’s all. And perhaps do the right thing. I’m certainly not a do-gooder, that’s for sure.”
“You know, something else is different, you remember that old movie, ‘the night of the walking dead, or something like that, how these zombie’s came walking with one purpose? Well, Harry said that they seemed driven, like they have a one track mind, ‘Kill Clay Bronson, Kill Clay Bronson. Do you think there is something else, besides a mundane reason, like money, that they are trying to kill you? Like maybe something supernatural?” Faith said.
“Oh Yeah, ‘the Devil wants me dead.’ I can’t be that important, he wants us all dead, not just me.”
“Well, you’re important to me and the rest of the family. Say, that looks pretty neat, the way your hair has grown back over the bullet scars, they look like two lightning bolts. Hey! You could be a superhero, like from one of those comic books.” Faith said, as she came over and taking my head in her hands, gave me a long kiss.
“Come on, let’s go downstairs, the kids want to see you.” Faith said, taking my arm as we went downstairs. Setting in the front room, was Tiff, Hank and Poppy, with Alita setting beside her. Alita hopped off the couch and ran toward me, I swooped her up in my arms, she fastened her arms around my neck and wouldn’t let go. The rest of them grouped around me, hugging where they could.
Hope came in with a cup of coffee for me. “I saved some breakfast for the two of you, the kids have already ate.”
Everyone trouped into the kitchen with us. Alita wouldn’t let go of my neck, which I didn’t mind it in the least. She sat on my lap as I ate. I fed her some of my hotcake. She liked it with plenty of butter and syrup. The rest of the children sat down and had some, although they had just eaten.
I looked at Tiff, she was a beauty, “So Tiff, how’s the oil business going?”
“Good, they’re right on schedule. The second well came in while you were sleeping. And we are starting a distillation process, since Diesel comes off lower on the tower, we are actually making some product. We haven’t got the Cat Cracker on line yet. But things are looking up.”
“Where are you selling the Diesel that you have?” I asked.
“We opened one of the closed stations in town. You know, the one that was a Casino, we took all of the machines out and turned it into a family restaurant. We have two Diesel pumps. We’re selling it for a dollar a gallon. There is a line all of the time. The Big Oil stations are madder than a wet hen.”
“Well have they brought their prices down any?” I asked.
“Some, but they say they can’t. Which I suppose is true, since they get their supply from Big Oil Refinery’s. They keep pressuring us to raise our prices. I am getting a little worried about what Big Oil might do. Do you think we should hire more security?”
“You do what ever you think is necessary. More guards might make them think twice, before they start a war with us.” I said.
I turned my attention to Hank and Poppy next. “So guys, how are the training of the Horses and Mules coming?”
“Good, we don’t have to do too much, they seem to be training us. But we need more saddles and pack saddles with panniers.”
“Alright, you guys just buy what you need. I’ll call an open an account with the Saddle Shop in town. Hope can drive you in anytime you want.” I said.
I looked back at Tiff, “Say, has the EPA given you guys any trouble?”
“Some, they are there all of the time, if they want something done, we just do it. We follow all of their guide lines.”
“I bet that pisses them off?” I said.
“At first it did, I think they were looking for an excuse to shut us down. But now I think they are pretty happy about how accommodating we are.”
“What about down in New Mexico, how are things going down there?”
“I just talked to Rosie this morning, their right on track. Rosie said that she would be back in a couple of days.”
We talked for awhile longer. Then everyone went about their chores. Alita went with Poppy, they were going to ride Matthew and Luke. Poppy had been riding Luke, since Iris wasn’t here. They were both standing right outside the kitchen door. If you weren’t careful to shut the door, Hope told me, those two mules would be right in the kitchen.
Seeing Luke, Iris’s mule, made me think of Mary Jane and Iris. As Faith and I were cleaning off the table, I asked, “Have you heard from Mary Jane?”
“Sure, we talk almost everyday. You wouldn’t believe the layout they have up there. She couldn’t tell me everything, top secret you know. But she did say that the Helicopter that picked them up; it can go into outer space, way out, not just forty of fifty miles. She said that Earth was sure pretty from the Moon.”
“No? You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope, Elizabeth took her up there, before they went to the Ranch. But she did say that they miss us. I told her that we missed them also. And oh yeah, she did say that they have been seeing a lot of Pete Frank. Mary Jane said that Pete had been through some kind of reconditioning.”
“Reconditioning? What do you mean, physical?”
“No mental. Wolf told her that they went through his brain and removed any harmful tendencies.”
“I don’t think I like the sound of that. Smacks of brainwashing to me.” I said.
“No, nothing like that, I asked her. She said that they just put his brain back in perfect working order.”
“Perfect? How can that be, there hasn’t been any brain that has been perfect since Adam and Eve, then they lost that for us.”
“I don’t know, that’s just what she told me. But, I sort of like your Devilish little mind, especially in bed. I don’t think it would be as much fun if you were perfect.”
“Oh, you can never tell, it might be better.” I said as I reached for her and gave her a kiss and squeeze. When we came up for air, I said, “Do you want to go for
a ride, we can saddle Brutus and Nick up?”
“Sure, I haven’t been riding either, been setting beside you mostly. But we had better get our weapons. We didn’t put them on when we came downstairs. From now on, I think we had better put them on anytime we leave our room.”
“Isn’t it the pits, to have the forces of evil so pissed at you, that you have to go armed.” I said.
“Isn’t that pretty melodramatic, ‘forces of evil’?” Faith said, as I walked behind her up the stairs.
“Huh? Oh yeah, I sort of got lost in your get-a-long there, I can’t believe one woman can be as beautiful as you.” I said.
“Well, you had better believe it, Buster, because I think it’s ditto.” Faith said as she pulled off her top and bra, to put her special bra on, the one with knives built in. “Fasten that for me, will you sweetheart?” She said. I did so with trembling hands….
On our way through the kitchen, Faith knocked together a little lunch for us, something easy that would fit in our saddlebags. Hope said, “When will you be back?”
“Should be before dark, can you watch Alita? Faith said.
“Sure, her Mule watch’s her most of the time, I have to talk like a Dutch Uncle to get her off him. Don’t worry, if you’re a little bit late, her and Poppy can sleep in that bedroom by the kitchen anyway.”
“We have our Satellite Cell phone, we’ll call if we’re going to be late, Okay?” I said.
“Yes, you two have a good time. Are you sure you’re feeling up to a long ride?”
“Yeah, Suong must have put some hi powered stuff in my I.V.’s”. I said.”
While we were saddling up, Alita and Poppy came into the barn yard. “Where are you going Momma?”
“Daddy and I are going for a ride, why do you want to come?”
“Yes, can Poppy come too?”
“Do you want to go for a long ride Poppy?” I asked.
“Yes, but I would have to ask Mom, I’ll run and ask her now, okay?”
“Perhaps you had better go with her Faith, should probably pack more food and water.” I said. All three went back to the house. I went to the gun locker that was in the tack room and took out two Winchester Saddle Guns, .44 Mags. The same size as the revolver that I was carrying. I also tied a camp ax and shovel behind the Cantle on top of the bedroll’s, one never knew.
I checked the saddle’s on Luke and Matthew, rearranged them a little, then tied bedrolls behind their saddles also. Why was I doing this, when we were going to be home before dark? I didn’t know, perhaps who ever was pulling my strings, maybe they knew.
The women came back with more food tied in a canvas bag. The children had changed to shirts and jeans with hats. They also brought jackets. At night in the mountains it gets cold. Now why did ‘night in the mountains’ come up in my mind?
I glanced over at Alita, she wasn’t even bouncing in the saddle. Matthew sure had a smooth trot. We went by the oil rig, waved at them and kept on going. We came to a small spring, that I used to water my horse at when I was a kid. It was still cold and pure.
We had a bite to eat, just enough to keep hunger pangs away, made sure our canteens were full of the spring water. The animals cropped grass and then drank their fill from the spring. We didn’t have to hobble them, they wouldn’t go anywhere. Why? Because they were where they wanted to be, with us.
I didn’t realize it, but we were making a bee line for one particular spot, that waterfall I told you about earlier. Faith pulled Nick up and said, “What’s the hurry, Honey? Where are we going?”
I looked around at the hills and the towering mountains. “Uh, right up in that cut over there into those beautiful green hills, right close to the mountains.” I said.
“Did you know that before I asked you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I thought as much, lead on McDuff.” She said, as she gave Nick his head. I followed along in the rear, riding drag was my thing. Although I was in the rear, I could still see way ahead of everyone else.
We followed the stream back into the hills, till we came to a small valley with the waterfall at the other end. We rode up within 50 yards of the waterfall. Dismounted, loosened the cinches’ and let the mounts graze. We walked around easing our legs and backs. After all it had been awhile since we rode.
Alita was over two years old now and she was in better shape than us old ones. If 28 was old. She walked over close to the falls, I went after her. And took her hand, “Daddy, there is a cave behind the falls.”
“Huh? There is?” I said, as we walked closer. Why hadn’t I noticed that before?
Maybe because, when I was here before, it was in the spring time, when the streams ran high. We got closer still. It was the last part of August and the stream flow was down. We had a dry summer, with little rain.
I picked Alita up, Faith was right behind me, with Poppy behind her. I walked into the waterfall. The cave, if it was a cave. Was about eight foot tall and about the same wide. Funny thing, there was no debris laying around. Then I felt a breeze, not from where we just walked under the falling water, but from the depths of the cave?
You would expect it to be dark; the further in we went. But it was as if the stone walls were giving off a soft reflected light. The breeze smelled like spring time. You know when the dew is heavy on the grass and flowers in the early morn.
I heard the clip-clop of hoofs, I glanced back over my shoulder, our steeds were following us. I should of expected it, they wouldn’t be left behind.
The light was getting brighter, we had went about fifty yards, I expect. I really wasn’t counting. I hesitated, why? Maybe it was the unknown, or just my natural caution at a new experience. I got no feeling of dread, it wasn’t that.
Alita leaned close to my ear, “It’s Okay Daddy, there’s nothing there to hurt us.”
“Oh, and how do you know Missy?” I said, kissing her on the cheek. Faith and Poppy were hanging onto my coattails, so to speak. We all felt it, the feeling that our life was going to change, somehow.
We stepped out into a beautiful light, soft diffused light, but sunlight, never the less. There was a valley, ringed by the mountains. Running down the middle, toward us was a nice crystal clear stream, it disappeared into the ground a short distance away.
Where did the water come from that caused the waterfall that we just walked through? It couldn’t be from this stream that ran back underground, it had to come from someplace higher. I bet this would be a geologist’s dream.
The valley ran on for at least a mile, I would bet. We could see fruit trees, Apple, Pear, I don’t know what all. The grass was belly high to a tall horse. A Doe and Fawn bounded away, they didn’t go far, just stood there looking at us. We stared back. The Doe stomped her hoof, snorted and tossed her head. Alita said, “Daddy, I think she wants us to follow her.”
There was a trail of sorts, we followed them as they started off at a slow walk, with both Doe and Fawn looking back to make sure we were following along. Bees were busy at the many flowers growing everywhere.
Setting beside the trail was a Coyote, chewing on a raw carrot, that he was holding in his paws. No, I’m not kidding. He was sitting on his haunch’s holding this carrot, using his dew claws like thumbs.
We stopped, with jaws agape. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a Coyote before?” He said, at least that was what I heard, whether it was through my ears or was it just in my mind?
Alita clapped her hands in delight. Poppy was almost jumping up and down, giggling. “Daddy, can we keep him?”
“Keep me? Young Lady, I’ll have you know that I’m not a pet. I’m a free individual the same as yourself.” Alita squirmed to get down, I sat her on the ground. She walked over to him. “Would you like a bite of my carrot?” He said, holding it out to her, Alita took a bite and then handed it back to him. All before we could protest.
He was almost as tall as Alita, setting on his haunch’s, Alita put her arm around his shoulders. “Oh Da
ddy, isn’t he just wonderful?”
“I reckon he is, Honey.” I said, then to the Coyote. “Well you’ve got us here, what’s next?”
“What do you mean, I’ve got you here? You all came of your own freewill. But there is more that I would like to show you. If you will follow us.” He got up and dropped in behind the deer.
We followed in a daze. I did look up at the sky. The sun was filtering through what looked like water vapor. So that was why I had never seen this place from the sky, when I had flown over. I know I’ve covered every inch of these mountains by plane.
Thinking back, I’ve often wondered why clouds always hung around this one spot.
As we walked, there was about every species known to this climate, running around. A Grizzly bear that was overturning rocks for grubs, stopped what he was doing and waved at us as we passed. I glanced back at our animals, they never even turned a hair at the bear. Most of the time horses and mules would do most anything to get away from a bear.
We came to a clearing, setting in it, was a long stone building. The roof was also made of stone, slabs cut about two inch’s thick, overlaid like clay tiles. You could tell that it had been there for hundreds of years, moss was growing on what must have been the north side.
There were more fruit trees, plus what looked like a garden spot. Coyote seen me looking at the garden. “Oh, that’s our garden, we tend it now. We even store food in the root cellar over there.” He pointed.
“Who built this?” I asked.
“I don’t know for sure, but there’s some kind of writing on the walls in places, Norse, I believe.” He said.
Faith spoke for the first time, “Vikings? Really? It must be well over a thousand years old then.”
“I suppose it is. There’s a few graves over near that hill, I’ll show you when you have time.” Coyote said. “Would you like to see inside the house, we’ve been keeping it clean, waiting for you?”