She picked up the reins of one of the sleds and secured it around her torso. Bridger and Mccarthy had dragged the deer’s carcass to their camp and now hefted it onto the only empty sled. Julian reached for the sled, but Bridger beat him to it. They stared at each other for a minute, but then Julian shrugged his shoulders and wrapped the cords of the medicine sled around his chest.
“Follow me,” Bridger called, and started pulling westward to lead them back to their own camp.
“So where are you traveling to?” Julian asked, falling in line with Summer.
“We’re trying to find the Caravan.” Michael piped up, having been quiet since they had met Julian’s party.
Julian looked at Mccarthy, who was trailing several steps behind him.
“You don’t actually believe it exists, do you?” Mccarthy’s voice was trying to be gentle.
“It does.” Summer’s tone was matter of fact. “We’ve seen signs of their camps before. There are well over two hundred people, and the rumors about them are true.”
“So why haven’t you caught up to them if you were that close?” Mccarthy continued to question.
“That happened over twelve months ago. We caught something that I believe was some kind of strain of the measles and by the time we were better it was too late. The autumn rains had already washed away any mark of them.”
“I see,” Mccarthy grunted. “And have you seen any signs of them since?”
“No.” She admitted. “But it was said that they were trying to get to the southern border to escape The Invasion, so we have been keeping south.”
Mccarthy didn’t respond, and they walked in silence for the remainder of the distance to their own camp.
Summer could see Tania had started a small fire and she was crouched over it blowing on her hands.
“We caught it!” Michael called out, pointing excitedly at the contents of the sled behind Bridger.
Tania stood up and went up onto her toes to get a better look.
“Mom is sleeping.” She inclined her head towards the tent. “Who are they?”
“Friends.” Michael continued to shout until they got closer. “Summer knew them back in college. They’ve got food!”
Tania seemed more interested in the tall stranger behind her brother.
“What are your names?” Tania chirped, smiling with something more than a fourteen-year-old friendliness.
“This is Julian, and that’s Mccarthy.” Summer butted in, quickly unattaching herself from the sled and packing a couple tin dishes that had been lying next to the fire into her bag. Summer paused, “I actually don’t know the others’ names.” She shook her head. “I’ve told you not to leave these out over a dozen times.” She shoved the last mug into her bag.
Tania threw an annoyed glance at her sister.
“I’m Phil.” The man with the three women offered. “This is Mary, Stephanie, and another Mary.” He nonchalantly gestured to the three quiet women at his side.
“Pleased to meet you,” Tania replied, and smiled at the three women before turning her attention back to Julian. “So how do you know my sister?”
Summer resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She noticed for the first time the lengthening shadows of the trees.
“It’s going to get dark very soon now. We should stay here for the night and cook the venison. Then we can move faster in the morning.”
Bridger set down his rope and stepped near the fire.
“That’s right. Michael, you help Summer with the deer. Tania, go get some more wood for the fire. And you,” He turned to Julian and Mccarthy. “You can start your own fire over there.” He pointed at a flat clearing about fifty feet to the north of their camp.
“Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of staying together?” Julian threw a side glance at Mccarthy.
“We don’t need you constantly at our side.” Bridger rolled back his shoulders and stood a little straighter. “This is my camp, and I don’t need you spying on us during the night. We can share food, but it would be best if you remained separate from us.”
“Are you kidd—” Julian started, but Mccarthy grabbed his arm.
“That’s fine.” The older man interrupted. “We don’t want to step on any toes. We have some potatoes and canned beans that we’ll start preparing. Let us know if you need help with the meat.”
He turned to go still holding the coat sleeve of his nephew’s arm. Julian stood for a moment, and Bridger lifted his chin before Julian let himself get tugged and finally turned to pick up the cords that went to one of the sleds.
Bridger could hear them talking to each other energetically once they were farther away, but he had gotten what he wanted, so his interest in their conversation was minimal. He turned to the camp where Summer and her siblings were actively preparing to roast their dinner.
With Michael’s help, Summer had dragged the deer carcass away from the camp so that the stench of the gutting wouldn’t reach them where they would be sleeping. Summer tied a rope around the ankles of the animal’s back legs and started assembling a pulley system similar to what she used to spring her traps. This made the weight of the enormous deer much more manageable for her and her brother, and once everything was secure around the sturdiest looking branch of the assigned aspen, they both pulled on the rope hauling the stag into the air.
In the meantime, Tania had been building an ever larger fire, and the smell of smoke veiled the air as the sun was beginning its retreat, and the shades of light began to fade. Summer trekked back to camp and pulled out three long torches from a sack they had near their tent. She paused for a moment and listened to the breathing inside of the tent.
Her mother had gotten the worst of it when they became infected with the measles virus. She had never seemed to fully recover, and Summer could hear the wheezing sounds that had started to accompany her mother’s breathing. It seemed like her weakened immune system had moved on from the measles to some other kind of infection, and Summer caught herself holding her breath as she stood at the edge of the tent. She turned back to the fire and picked up a stick from the pile of wood that Tania had collected.
“Did you date Julian?” Tania appeared right behind her. Summer bent down to the fire and lit the end of the stick with the licking flames.
“No.” Summer replied shortly. “You’re still sneaking up on people I see.” Standing back up with the stick in one hand and the torches in another.
“It comes naturally to me.” Tania smiled with pleasure. “That’s why I’d be good if you ever let me go out on the hunts with you.”
“We’ve talked about this.” Summer’s voice hinted at the weariness of repetition. “Someone needs to stay behind to guard the camp with mom. And besides Michael is older than you.”
“By only two years!” Tania trailed after Summer as she went back up to the site of the strung up deer. “It’s not fair. You’re not even my parent. I bet Bridger would let me go if you weren’t so against it.”
“Bridger is more against it than I am.” This conversation was starting to feel like a déjà vu.
They both made their way to where Michael was waiting with a butcher knife they had found in an empty warehouse last year. Summer dug the end of the torches into the ground on the other side of the aspen and lit them with her stick from the fire. Michael handed her the utensil.
“I don’t get why you get to do everything when I’m stuck at the camp all day.” Tania continued to fight, now diverting her argument to include her brother.
Michael’s tone was immediately defensive against his sister’s hostility.
“I actually have a weapon.” Michael pointed to the sling hanging from his belt.
“So? I could make one too. It’s not that hard. And besides, I have better aim than you.”
“Yeah, right! You’re just lucky sometimes. I’m the one who
—”
Summer cut open the belly of the deer, starting up and slashing downward ending right before the dangling neck. She had stepped to the side, and the animal’s entrails came belching out onto the ground. The smell was horrendous.
“Gross!” Tania flew back from the dead organs and went behind Michael.
“You can take my spot for this.” Michael smiled, seeing the disgust on his sister’s face.
“Very funny.” Tania was unamused and looked back towards their camp. Bridger was back near the campsite and was carving a symbol into the trunk of a thick aspen tree. It was too far away to see what the symbol was, but Summer already knew the shape of it. When he finished, it would be a sharp line with a diamond at the bottom of it.
“Why does he do that?” Tania seemed annoyed.
“Who knows.” Summer replied flippantly and turned back to the deer. She had noticed him starting to make those symbols on the days where their hunt resulted in a big kill. The habit disturbed her, but she never said anything to him about it. He had finished the carving, and after stepping back to admire his work, he picked up a large pot full of snow and placed it over the fire to melt into water.
“He’s going to mess it all up.” Tania hurried back down towards the fire, which she was always paranoid of going out.
Summer was in the middle of her work, severing off the biggest hunks of meat from the flank and tossing them onto the sled that had carried the body. Michael held the deer in place while Summer piled the meat into the sled and the evening continued to give way to the darkness of night.
By the end of it, Summer knew there must have been a more efficient way to get more meat, but she was satisfied with merely cutting the antlers off to finish. The fox that she had originally caught had followed them to this campsite, encouraged by the scraps of food Tania would leave for it. Now, Summer took a small piece of meat and flung it in its direction before she and Michael slid the sled back to camp.
“You smell awful.” Bridger cast a distasteful glance at Summer and Michael as he stabbed a chunk of meat with a branch that was sharpened on the end.
Summer ignored the comment and followed suit in taking a roasting stick and putting meat on it. The smell of sizzling meat made her stomach growl, and she kept pulling it out of the fire to see if the redness had gone away yet.
“It’s never going to cook that way.” Bridger had made himself comfortable and was leaning on his elbows, partially laying down on the dirt where the snow had been cleared away for the bonfire while his meat cooked.
“I know.” Summer admitted quietly. She looked over at the campsite where Mccarthy and the others had started a fire as well. “We should go give them some meat.”
“Be my guest.” Bridger swooped his hand towards their direction dramatically.
“I’ll do it!” Tania quickly volunteered. “You stay here and cook our meat.”
She nimbly ran to the side of the tent and grabbed the one large metal bowl that they had. She brought it over to the sled and began filling it with meat.
“Don’t let that out of your sight,” Bridger warned. “The last thing we need is for them to start stealing what little amount of dishes we have.”
Tania had a way of seeming not to hear when people said things that she thought were less than intelligent, and she made no signal that she was listening now. Instead, she picked up the bowl and minced over to the other campsite eagerly.
Summer’s meat was cooked thoroughly now, and she sank her teeth into the juicy brown meat. She closed her eyes with the first sweet taste of venison, relishing the moment, but her stomach demanded more than just taste. Soon the hunk of meat was devoured, and she impatiently stabbed another piece and hung it over the flames as Michael and Bridger were doing as well. They sat like that for a while, going back and forth between the sled and the fire. Luckily, Tania had built an excellent sized fire, and there was little need to pay attention to its upkeep. Eventually, Summer set aside a couple of pieces that she cut into smaller sizes into a small tin and carried it over to the tent.
The wheezing sound came back into Summer’s ears, and she breathed in a deep sigh before opening up the flap. The dark interior showed her mother’s frame lying in the corner inside of a well-worn sleeping bag. Summer silently tiptoed her way over to her mother’s side and knelt down. She gently nudged her shoulder.
“Mom.” She whispered. “Mom, wake up. I have food for you.”
The firelight seeping in from the open entrance shone on the side of her mother’s face as she opened her eyes.
“Summer.” She said softly, smiling at the image of her daughter above her. Summer’s face softened, and she returned the smile while her mother sat up.
“Here.” Summer placed the tin in her hands.
“You caught the deer!” She seemed more excited about Summer’s success than about the food that it had provided.
“Yeah, we did.” Summer motioned for her to start eating. Meline gave her an amused look at the maternal manner of Summer’s concern, but she dutifully picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her mouth.
“We ran into some people.” Summer mentioned, after she had watched Meline take several bites. Meline’s eyes widened.
“What kind of people?”
“Friends.” Summer’s tone was still filled with surprise. “One of my old professors, Matthew Mccarthy, I think I told you about him.”
Meline nodded.
“Yes, I remember. Philosophy, was it?”
“Psychology, actually. Anyway, he’s traveling with some people who apparently were involved in some kind of cult before they escaped. One man and three women. It’s crazy what people resort to”
Meline nodded knowingly.
“It is strange what can be brought out of us in unfamiliar circumstances.”
Summer pursed her lips and grunted in agreement. The tent grew silent, and the faint crackling of the fire sounded like winter’s version of the song of chirping that could be heard from crickets in the summertime.
“Didn’t you take class with Mccarthy’s nephew?” Meline asked innocently after a long pause.
Summer stared at her mother in consternation.
“I told you more than I remembered.” Summer eventually managed to say.
“Yes, you used to tell me about everything.”Meline said with both an acknowledgment of shared information and a tinge of wistfulness.
Summer gave a half-smile and took the empty tin that was now sitting in her mother’s lap. She kissed her on the forehead.
“I need to take care of the fire.” She announced, standing up. “We’ll be in for bed shortly.”
“Goodnight.” Her mother’s voice sounded like the beginning of a lullaby.
“Goodnight.” Summer returned, stepping out and closing the flap of the tent.
Outside, the fire had gone down to burning embers, and Michael was setting up the forked pieces of wood they had made for smoking jerky around the fire. He proceeded to place sticks across the fire, and Summer walked over to the sled to start cutting the remainder of meat into smaller strips. She and Michael worked together in silence to string the strips above the fire, covering the three different branches. There was less meat than there usually was, which concerned her at first, until she realized they had four more people that were eating with them. The sled was empty now. Michael stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
“Do you want me to stay with you?” He asked with sleepy eyes.
“No, go to bed. We’re going to try to go far tomorrow.”
“Whatever you say.” Michael pointed to the tent that Bridger had set up about ten feet away from the fire. “He’s already asleep.”
“Where’s Tania?”
“Still over there.” Michael yawned again. Summer looked down to the other campsite and saw their fire was still going. For the firs
t time, she noticed distant sounds of conversation and laughter. She saw Tania tossing a small knitted bag to Julian who caught it with the side of his foot and kicked it back to her. Michael walked over to the tent where his mother was, his feet crunching heavily in the snow.
Summer sat down and stirred the coals with a stick. The dark ash flashed red and orange as it was moved around and a few flames came back to life. The mesmerizing embers seemed to pulse in rhythm like they were the heart of the dying fire. Summer gazed deeply into the cinders as her mind wandered to the questions of the day.
Chapter 9
Yes, she trusted Mccarthy’s group.
Yes, she was sure that The Caravan was out there.
No, she didn’t know where.
Yes, she had taken classes with Julian.
No, they had never dated.
How she knew Mccarthy and Julian had been simple enough, but to explain what it meant to see people from the past who, in her mind, might as well have died ages ago was something that she could not so easily explain. Or define for that matter. And to have those people be Mccarthy and Julian out of all the survivors of The Invasion seemed fantastic.
She remembered the first day she met Julian. It was her freshman year of college when she was new to California and eager to prove herself. She had graduated high school early and it was thrilling to be on her own as a barely seventeen-year old student. Julian was several years older than her, but was only a freshman at the time because he had been interning for his father’s firm previously. He passed her in the hallway, and though it had only been a few seconds, they exchanged looks sizing each other up. She recognized the competitiveness ingrained in the slightly ironic line of his mouth and the heightened awareness in his quickly scanning eyes. From the beginning, she had wanted to challenge him.
She got her chance that semester when they were both enrolled in Mccarthy’s psychology class as well as an English common law class. It began when Julian was asked the year that the Milgram Shock Experiment had started. He stated it was 1962, which caused a speedy hand raise from the girl sitting two rows behind him.
Sin: A Survival Romance Fiction (Her Story Trilogy Book 1) Page 6