by C. A. Henry
If necessary, the caves will be a safe place to hide out for a while. That’s another reason to conserve food. We may need to take refuge here, and the food stored in the cavern will be all we have.”
Ian grinned. “Now I know why you wanted all those mattresses. We’ll get busy in the morning and move them in here.”
***
“You know, those caves seem to be beckoning to me. I can’t stop thinking about the ones we haven’t explored, wondering where they go, or if there are more caverns.” Erin and Tanner were, as usual, the first ones up, except for Ian and Sarah, who were on guard duty.
Tanner glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “And you’re looking for a partner to go off on an adventure with you.”
“Well, not just any partner. It would help if he was tall, and very handsome,” Erin tilted her head and looked up at him, batting her eyelashes and smiling coyly in her best imitation of a simpering debutante.
Tanner laughed and nodded. “Let’s go, then. That is, if you think I meet those qualifications.”
“You’ll do, I suppose.” Erin couldn’t hold back a chuckle any longer. “Oh, yes, I think you’ll do.”
While Tanner told Ian and Sarah where they were going, Erin packed some snacks and filled two canteens with water. Tanner took the backpack and Erin grabbed a notebook and a pen so she could draw a map of what they found. She stuck a flashlight in her hip pocket and shrugged on a light jacket.
“Ready?” Tanner asked.
“Yep, and eager to see what’s there.”
The cave that they intended to investigate branched away from the northwest corner of the cavern, mostly toward the west. It was rougher than the caves they had already seen, with an abundance of rocks and pebbles on the floor, making it a challenge to navigate.
About thirty yards in, they had to stoop to get through a section with a low ceiling. They emerged in another cavern. It was large, but not as big as the cache cavern. The floor was sandy, with only a few rocks, and the walls were dry.
“This would make a wonderful place to set up as sleeping quarters if we need more room, or if we have to hide for a while. We could even store some of our supplies here.” Erin turned slowly, examining the irregularly shaped space. “The cave continues over there, and there’s an opening over on the other side, too. Let me sketch this out, then we’ll go on.”
While Erin added the new cavern to her map, Tanner walked the perimeter, shining his light into the smaller of the caves that Erin had pointed out.
“Hey, it looks like there’s another small cavern through here,” he told her.
Erin closed her notebook and joined him. “Can you squeeze through that opening? It’s not very big.”
“I think so. Do you want to go that way, or through the other one?”
”Let’s go the other way. We’ll come back to this one later if we have time.”
They continued to explore that branch, which sloped uphill, sharply at times. Erin jotted down notes and drew all the twists and turns they encountered. Finally, they came around a bend and saw a light ahead.
Cautiously advancing, Tanner knelt and looked through the low opening. “I’ll have to crawl to get through, but we need to see where we are.”
He turned his flashlight off and dropped to all fours, creeping forward carefully until he could see out. Then he turned and signaled for Erin to follow.
A thick cluster of beech saplings grew right outside the cave entrance, providing camouflage for the dark hole.
Where do you think we are?” Erin wondered.
“I’m not sure. Let’s see if we can figure it out.”
Tanner took Erin’s hand and led her around the beeches and to a narrow ledge where they could look down.
A small stream flowed past, far down the slope. Erin’s eyes followed it upstream and she gasped.
“I know where we are! That stream is on the western edge of the property, and there,” she pointed, “is the little pool that I showed the girls when they came to visit back in the early spring. We’re pretty close to the road, too.”
“This is great,” Tanner decided. “We have three ways in and out so far, counting the pantry, and water available close by. How about we find a spot to sit down and relax while we eat a bite, then we’ll go back to the new cavern. We’ll still have time to check out that other cave, I think.”
***
“We need to name these caverns. There are three so far, and it could get confusing. I already call the big one ‘cache cavern.’ There’s another one in the east cave that has a seep and a small pool. I’ve been through that one all the way to the entrance, but didn’t go outside. I had no idea where I was, and didn’t want to wander around in the woods alone. We could call the cavern with the pool ‘spa cavern’ or ‘the seep’ or something. What could we call this new one?” Erin pondered, standing in the middle of the cavern in question.
“How about giving it a hotel name, since you thought of using it for a sleeping area? Maybe ‘Miller Inn’ or something like that.”
“I know! We’ll call it the ‘west wing’ for now. It’s on the west side, and sort of oval, like the Oval Office, and that’s easy to remember. And the one with the pool can be, oh, I don’t know. What about ‘the cabana’?”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s go see what’s through that other opening.”
They entered the unexplored cave, and to their surprise, it also slanted upwards. About twenty yards in, it branched, and they took the branch on the left, which also curved to the left. Just short distance in, they found that it was a dead end, with just a small, high opening that would be a tight fit for a cat.
“Tanner, look.” Erin’s voice was full of apprehension as she pointed at the cave floor.
Tanner stepped closer, and saw the remains of an old campfire. Ashes and partially burnt sticks lay scattered, looking like they had been there for some time.
“Someone knew about this cave. Someone was here,” Erin whispered. “The questions that arise from that are how long ago they were here, and whether they are still alive and in the area. If so, they could find our cache, and us.”
Worried, the two returned to the point where the cave branched and entered the passage to the right. It sloped downward sharply, then leveled out, and was much longer than the other branch. A hairpin turn to the left, and the cave suddenly widened into a long, kidney-shaped cavern, about twelve feet wide and twice that in length. At the far end, they could see a light.
The opening to the outside was high, maybe five feet above the cave floor, but the wall was rugged and sloped, making it easy to climb up. Once Tanner had checked it out, they both climbed up and exited the cave, discovering that there was a large rock overhang sheltering a wide, level area low on the side of Erin’s mountain. The opening to the cave was at the far eastern end of the overhang. They scrambled down the slope and stared through the trees, then turned to each other, grinning broadly.
Less than thirty yards away, beyond the wooded area where they stood, was a clearing, and in the clearing, they could see the white shape of a delivery truck. They could just make out the words painted on the side, McClure’s Furniture, and past the truck, the lodge.
***
When they got back to the lodge, Tanner asked Ian and Shane if they would help him get the dog food and other preps from his training kennel. Erin heard them talking and wanted to go along, but Tanner didn’t like the idea.
“Things are getting more dangerous every day, and I don’t want to risk your safety. Besides, those bags of dog food are heavy and I doubt you could lift them.”
“But I can load up the other supplies, can’t I?”
“You could, but we can get it just as easily. Three can ride in the front of the truck, but if we have four, we’ll have to leave a space in the back, so we won’t be able to bring as much stuff. Please, stay here where you’re safe.”
Erin looked rebellious for a second, but then her shoulders sagged and she gave in.
“Okay. I’ll stay here, but you be careful, all of you. Take the backroads in or something. Just stay out of town. There are a lot more of those convicts than there are of you.”
The three men got permission from Sarah to siphon gas from her Explorer and put it in the delivery van, then they headed for the kennel. They loaded over two thousand pounds of dry dog food and over a hundred cases of canned dog food, plus everything else they could fit into the back of the truck. There wasn’t room for all of Tanner preps, so they hid the rest in a locked storage closet and hoped that it would still be there when they got around to coming back for it.
“Man, I had no idea you were so into prepping. You had a lot of supplies here,” Shane remarked.
“Well, Erin insisted on paying me for Blitz, so I spent it all on preps. There’s a lot more, too, hidden at my grandparents’ place. We can get it later.”
Unloading the truck went quickly, with Richie and the girls helping. The cache cavern was starting to get crowded, but they managed to fit the load in somehow. Tanner was concerned about rodents getting into the dog food, but Erin showed him some tubs of rat bait, which they scattered around on the floor of the cavern near the big bags of canine chow.
***
Rumbling thunder in the distance woke Erin before daylight the next day. She washed up and got dressed, then padded into the kitchen to make coffee.
Tanner moved soundlessly into the room and watched her for a few moments. The stress of the past few weeks was beginning to show on her lovely face.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered. She jumped, almost spilling her coffee, then smiled sleepily.
“It is a good morning, isn’t it? I feel better now that everyone knows about the cavern. We have a fine bunch of people with us, and now the caves will provide security for any of us who need it, regardless of what happens to the others. What are your plans for the day?”
“I might go check on my family. Would you like to go?”
“I would love to. In fact, I’d like to go through the caves and see how close the other entrance is to their house. We should show them where it comes out so they can use it to come here if there’s bad weather or they need a hide-out.”
“I suspect it comes out very close to the property line, but we can find out for sure. I can’t believe you’ve known about the caves for so long and haven’t taken the time to explore them.”
“I’ve been through to the end of the east cave. To be honest, Tanner, I was a little afraid that I might get lost or hurt checking them out by myself, and nobody would know where to look for me. I’m a bit of a chicken that way. I knew that the one on the east side must be safe, because Uncle Ernie said he had been that way, and he didn’t mention any hazards. I only went as far as the opening, but I didn’t venture outside alone. Taking unnecessary chances is a losing proposition these days.”
“You’re one of the bravest, calmest women I know. You have a valid point. Checking them out alone would have been foolish. We should tell whoever is on guard duty where we’re going, just so they’ll know.”
Micah came downstairs just then, and wanted to know what they were planning.
“Can I go too? Please?” he begged.
Tanner looked at Erin, who smiled and shrugged.
“Sure, you can go. You’ll get to meet my nephews. They’re nine and ten, a little younger than you. We’ll take Blitz, too. Do you have a jacket? It’s cool in the caves.”
Micah darted upstairs, then came running back, skidding to a stop in front of Tanner, and shrugging into a gray hoodie. They each grabbed a flashlight, and Erin led the way, at least when Blitz wasn’t running ahead of them.
The portion of the cave beyond the cavern was new territory for Tanner and Micah. In some places, the walls were close, and in others, Tanner had to duck to keep from hitting his head. It was evident that Ernie had not had all of this section enlarged. The floor was rough and uneven, but not too bad.
Coming around a sharp bend, they could hear the sound of water flowing over rocks. As they continued forward, Erin stood back to watch as Tanner and Micah saw the little cavern for the first time. Tanner knelt and put his hand into the crystal clear water.
“It’s warm,” he noted in surprise, then brought a handful up to his mouth and tasted it. “And sweet, too! This is fantastic. Ernie picked the perfect piece of property when he bought this place. See, the pool must have an outlet somewhere, because even with water coming in, the pool doesn’t overflow.”
Micah looked puzzled. “And that’s good?”
“Yes, it’s very good. It means that the pool probably won’t ever flood the caves, and the water isn’t stagnant, so we can use it. If we bathe in it, the pool will naturally cleanse itself. We can drink the water from the seep, too. We probably should filter it just to be safe, but if we ever do have to live in the caves, we’ll have a water source without having to go outside.”
They passed through to the other side of the cavern, and again, the cave narrowed somewhat, to the point that the adults had to turn sideways to get through. It was impossible to estimate how far they had come, since the cave had many turns, but they eventually reached the opening to the outside.
A slender shaft of dappled sunlight illuminated the cave’s door to the outside world. Tanner extended an arm to stop Micah from running out, cautioning him and Erin to be quiet. He silently moved forward, staying in the shadows as much as possible. He listened for several minutes, peering around, then finally slipped out, checking the area. There was no sound other than that of birds twittering and the light breeze fluttering the leaves.
Tanner beckoned, and the others joined him, blinking in the light. The storm had passed to the north, and the ground was dry. Most of the sky was bright blue, and it was a beautiful day.
“Look at how the angle of that rock conceals the entrance from that side, and that thick clump of trees does the same on the other.” Erin stepped a few yards away, and looked back. “It makes the opening really hard to see unless you know it’s there. If we had tried to find this from the outside, I doubt that we could have done it. So, Tanner, where do you think we are in relation to your grandparents’ house?”
Tanner rubbed his chin, looking around. “I played in these woods for years with my sisters and cousins, and never knew that this cave was here. The house is down there,” he said, gesturing to the northeast. “It’s very close, just fifty or sixty yards.”
***
They made their way down the slope, with Tanner giving Micah a lesson on how to move quietly through the woods. As they approached the house, Talako and Julia stepped out on the porch to greet them.
“How did you know we were coming?” Micah wanted to know.
“We have three of Tanner’s dogs in the house. They went on alert, so we did, too.” Talako ruffled the boy’s hair. “How are you, Micah? Come in the house, and meet our grandchildren.”
After introductions were made, Zeke immediately invited Micah to join a game the children were playing in another room. Blitz eagerly tagged along, leaving the adults to visit. Julia served tea, and they chatted about the weather and their gardens for a few minutes, Then Tanner turned to his grandfather.
“Did you know about the cave up the slope about fifty yards or so?”
Talako laughed. “Of course. It’s not on my property, but I knew of it. Ernie showed the caves to me, and I helped him design and build the pantry and its hidden doorway. That pantry is not original to the house. We did a good job adding it on without it looking like it was added on, didn’t we?”
Tanner gave him an exasperated look. “And you never mentioned it?”
“Ernie swore me to secrecy. It was not my secret to reveal. I knew that he thought Erin was curious enough to look, and smart enough to figure it out. In case she didn’t, I would have told her soon.”
Erin touched the old man’s arm. “Talako, Julia, if things get worse and you need to leave this house, you are all welcome to use the cave to come to u
s at the lodge. It’ll be crowded, but we will make it work.”
“Thank you, Erin. We’ll keep that in mind, and we appreciate it, especially since we have children here. We don’t plan on taking any chances with their safety,” Julia assured her.
Then Tanner and Erin told them about the trouble in town, describing their narrow escape, and how Micah used the secret tunnel to save them. They told about Richie coming out with all the medicines and supplies from his store, and about retrieving all the preps that Ernie had left in his house.
Julia frowned thoughtfully. “There is evil in the world, and I do not believe that our God wants us to sit back and not defend our families. Killing in self-defense or in the defense of others is not murder. Those who commit acts of evil must be stopped.”
Tanner nodded in agreement. “I hope sometimes that they will move on, but if they don’t, we’ll have to deal with them. There are innocent people in town, who are struggling to survive even without the menace the convicts bring. There will be a day of reckoning, and I plan to be there.”
“But if they move on,” Talako interjected, “they will just hurt people in some other town. We know what kind of men they are. It would be wrong to allow them to continue to rape, steal, and kill, moving from town to town, maybe growing in number as other evil men or women join them. We don’t have an efficient way to warn the other towns, because we don’t know where they might go next and we have no phones now to call a warning.”
The old man shook his head. “No, we should deal with them here, if possible. If it turns out that they have already left our town, we should get Mac to warn any ham operators in the area.”
“I left a hand-held radio with the preacher,” Erin remembered. “We can communicate with him, if we go up near the top of the mountain. Many of the women and elderly are already staying at the church building.”
“Good thinking, Erin. If you have to go into town to help them, I’ll go with you, and so will John and Will, I’m sure.” Talako offered.