by Newman, AJ
The leader climbed into the cab and yelled for them to leave. The trucks drove west toward Cottonwood. Meg heard them turn on Highway 89 and roar away. “I wonder how those jerks and Carlos will get along?”
Mattie looked at Tom. “How long?”
Tom grimaced and strained against the bindings. “Crap. I can still hear them, and they are several miles away by now. I guess I didn’t set the timers right. Double crap.”
The others stared at Tom. Tom shrugged his shoulders. “I installed two time-delayed switches on the vehicles so they would die a few minutes after taking off if the switches weren’t flipped on. Apparently, I gave them too many minutes. The good news is both trucks will die soon. The bad news is we’d better get our asses in gear in case those assholes come back.”
Meg untied the others before Tom, and then Tom held her close. “That man is right. You are one hell of a woman, and I won’t forget that. I hated to see you cry.”
“So you believed the tears.”
“Why you little faker.
“Even big mean assholes don’t like to see women crying. It works most of the time,” Meg said.
“I’ll remember that.”
Tom looked around and didn’t see Walt. He bent down and took his .38 backup pistol from its ankle holster. “We need to search for Walt. Meg and Mattie come with me to find Walt. Here, Ann, take this pistol and watch over the others.”
Walt woke up lying in the dirt with a throbbing headache. His mind was fuzzy, but then he remembered being hit on the head. He searched for his shotgun without success but was pleased to find his pistol still strapped to his side. The ones who attacked him failed to roll him over to find his weapon. Walt reached down for his knife, swooned, and fell to the ground. His blade was in his boot scabbard. Walt was still too unsteady to stand up, so he sat there as the sun rose in the east.
Walt saw Tom and the girls walking to him. “How?”
“How, back at you. What kind of Injun lets the bad guys slip up on them and rob them?
Walt frowned. “The kinda Injun with a big assed goose egg on the side of his head. The thugs snuck up and clubbed my ass before I knew they were here. It must have been an Injun because no Whiteman could ever sneak up on old Walter Two Shoes.”
Tom clasped Walt’s arm. “Sorry, but it was a bunch of ragtag white and black criminals that got the drop on you and Ann. At least she wasn’t knocked senseless.”
Walt’s eyes opened wide. “They didn’t steal …”
“Yes, they stole everything but our blankets, a couple of pistols and some food. Did you see them leave?” Tom asked.
“No, but I heard them drive by as I tried to wake up. They tossed something over there,” Walt said as he pointed to the main road.
Mattie scurried over to the place Walt pointed and found two full magazines lying on the dirt. She walked back and announced, “I guess we need to lay low until we can resupply our ammo and food. Let me look at that goose egg.”
“I say we go back to Bob’s place, get your truck, and some food. Then we can head back to Sedona, “Sally said.
Cristy nodded her head in agreement, and then suddenly Walt spoke. “Sorry ladies but that will get us killed. The two days are up, and Carlos will kill us all. We are only eight miles from Sedona and six to nine miles from a suitable hideout. There are hunting cabins and old homesteads in the mountains. One of them will surely work for us.”
Tom listened carefully. “I guess we need to elect a leader before we end up arguing all day. Then he or she can give us some guidance.”
They all stared at Tom speechless except for Walt. “Dumbass, you are our leader and have been since the first day. Lead us, leader.”
They all nodded in agreement. Tom stood up. “As your leader, I say it would be better for us to head on up to the Sedona area. Carlos won’t look for us up there. We were lucky those thugs didn’t kill or abuse anyone. Let’s hide while we gather food and other resources. Remember that asshole’s boss had my wife and Cristy’s little sister killed. I can’t bear to lose any of you. Let’s go.”
Ann thought about that asshole’s hands groping her but didn’t say anything. She was very brave but being helpless made her angry and afraid, which she wasn’t used to. When she got angry, people usually died. She was pissed that she couldn’t go off, hunt those men down, and kill them. Even though she had bloodlust in her eyes, she knew that without weapons or transportation she could never find or survive an attempt to get vengeance. She would settle that score later.
They rested until sundown and then prepared to walk the eight miles to the area they wanted to search for a hiding place. They decided to move after dark to reduce their chance of being spotted. Walt knew the area and wanted to go about halfway to Sedona on Highway 89 and then take an unimproved road up into the hills above Sedona.
Walt pointed and then spoke. “Those trucks went the same way we are going. Keep an eye out for them and the trucks.”
Walt spotted the side road about an hour after they started and led them into the hills. They never saw the trucks. They slowed as they walked steadily uphill and had to rest often since none of them was in great shape except for Ann and Cristy. Cristy made fun of her dad as she saw him huffing and puffing. “Dad, you need to exercise more. I was doing cardio every day, and I also ran five miles a day.”
Tom stopped. “Then carry my fat ass up this blankety blank hill miss smarty pants.”
Meg added, “Me too. Standing around in a restaurant didn’t keep me very fit. My butt and calves are screaming in pain with every step.”
Mattie laughed at all of them. “You do know that without gas or electricity that anyone who survives will end up very toned and in great shape.”
Meg smarted off back at her daughter. “So a freaking apocalypse will take the place of a good diet from now on?”
Ann chimed into the conversation. “No, but you won’t get plenty of food from Kroger anymore or drink cases of beer while sitting in a recliner.”
Walt announced, “You just described my last 10 years!”
The intrepid survivors noticed the road had leveled off when Walt took them off the road and into the scrub brush. Before too long they saw a clearing ahead and a cabin with a shed. The cabin was in bad shape, but the shed still had a solid roof over it. Walt waved his hand around and said,” Home sweet home.”
***
An explosion off in the distance shook the ground and startled Tom. He reached for his pistol and ran out of the shed into the darkness closely followed by Ann and Walt. They saw the glow from a massive fire coming from the direction of Sedona. There were two smaller explosions and then the light dimmed. The others went out into the midnight air, and Meg stopped behind Tom and placed her head on his shoulder. “I wonder what is burning.”
“It’s been two weeks since the lights went out. I guess that people are running low on food and the looting has started. I never wanted to believe those post-apocalyptic novels and movies, but we could be headed to a Mad Max scenario,” Tom conceded.
Mattie watched the glow in the southeast dim. “Tom, in the morning we need to discuss our long-term plans. Even with the rabbits Walt and Ann caught, we are depleting our food supply. We need to scrounge for food and shoot something larger like a deer or a cow.”
Walt interrupted. “We need to save all the cattle we can find so we can grow a herd for the future. We need to find a fertile valley with some water and grow some crops. Ann and I will volunteer to go on a foraging excursion. I want some seeds as well as some food. Tom, could you search for a place we can live and plant gardens?”
Tom pushed back on Walt’s idea. “I think you should take Mattie with you to look for a place to live while Ann and I go search for food in town. You know the mountains much better than the rest of us, and Ann and I can handle ourselves in the city. Meg, Sally, and Cristy can search the immediate area for anything useful. Ann and I will take two of the pistols, and you and Meg have your side arms.”
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br /> “I guess that makes the most sense.” Walt agreed then went back into the shed and lay down on his bed of pine straw. Ann followed him and lay down next to Walt for the night. Mattie had the next four-hour watch.
Tom stayed outside with Meg. Tom felt her tense up when he mentioned leaving with Ann in the morning. He took her away from Mattie. “Babe, are you jealous of Ann?”
Meg knew this was coming and wanted to avoid the question. “Should I be jealous? Well, I’m not, but please come back alive. I have just realized how much I love you.”
Tom kissed her. “The same for me. I thought we just had a booty call arrangement until I thought I could lose you. I care for you and only you. Don’t worry about her. She’s much too tough for my taste.”
Tom wrapped his hands around Meg’s waist. “Forget that stuff and join me on the deck behind the house. I still have my blanket.”
☆
Chapter 5
Tom and Ann left camp after midnight and started down the trail heading southeast. It was only about a mile, but the going was slow since the moon barely gave enough light to walk. It took them an hour to cover the mile of uneven rocky trail. Ann had tripped on a rock and Tom had a mild sprain from twisting his ankle stepping on a rock. Boynton Pass Road was a paved road and in much better shape plus the moon was now higher giving more light.
“We’re only about six miles from the outskirts of town. There’s the Canyon Road up ahead. See the lights from those houses. What the heck are people doing up at this hour?
A few minutes later they heard someone scream, flashes from one of the houses, and the crack from two shots. Tom and Ann instinctively dropped to the ground and watched for trouble. A few minutes later the scenario was repeated at another home. Ann and Tom had the same thought, but Ann spoke first. “I want to go help those people, but we could get killed saving people we don’t know. There could be one or ten men raiding that subdivision.”
Tom nodded. “Let’s scoot on down to Sedona. We have our own problems surviving. Let’s roll.”
They walked on until they were only a half mile from the intersection with Long Canyon Road. Ann saw the trailer park. “Let’s cut across and go around those trailers. Just watch for snakes.”
Tom followed behind Ann until they were only 50 yards from the trailers and Ann walked off the road and through the bushes. There was a steep hill to go down, then the land leveled off behind the trailer park. Again, they heard fighting but no gunfire from the trailer park. On several occasions, they listened to a woman scream. Tom felt terrible as they continued walking. They were silent as they passed through several built-up areas with numerous homes. Many of the houses had been destroyed by meteor strikes, but several were on fire.
Tom said, “The fires from the meteors were out long ago. I’ll bet some looters did this. My God, why burn a perfectly good home. There won’t be any homes like these built again for fifty years.”
“I’m not sure, but someone started the fire to get the people out of the homes to capture them.”
Tom responded, “But wouldn’t the people’s possessions be more valuable than the people?”
“It depends on what you plan to do with the people,” Ann disclosed.
“Oh, crap. You mean sex?”
“Yep, that and slaves.”
Tom thought for a minute. “I’ve read a few of those post-apocalyptic novels and always thought mankind wouldn’t sink so low as to have slaves much less sex slaves.”
Ann said, “Tom did you lead a sheltered life. Think about only what you saw in the news. Hollywood with its pedophiles, rapes, sex trafficking, and members of Congress paying women off to settle sexual harassment claims. The world has always had perverts, sexual deviants, and rapists. Now there is no law to reign in the gangs, pedophiles, and criminals. I’m one tough bitch, but even I’m afraid of being captured. I need to find a good man to watch my back.”
Tom patted Ann on the back. “I was a cop in my previous life and have seen a great deal of depravity. I can’t imagine you being afraid of anything, but I get it. A woman alone in this screwed up world could be a nightmare. Hell, it’s a nightmare for all of us, but it would be worse if these assholes preyed on young girls and women. I think you should stay with us until we find out if the government is going to re-establish law and order.”
Ann was almost desperate to get Tom to like her. She continued flirting with him, but he didn’t return the attention. Ann asked Tom to stop and hide for a while when they continued to hear gunfire coming from Sedona. “Tom, let’s check on some of these deserted ranches and farms and not go into Sedona. There are too many bullets flying around to suit me. The farms should have some seeds and maybe some canned goods in their cellars.”
“I like that idea. Let’s also look for materials to make some animal and man-sized traps. We’ve got several months before we can even think about eating any vegetable we grow.”
They spent the rest of the night moving west of Sedona to several small gentleman farms and ranches. These 10 to 20-acre operations were more like hobby farms. They sprang up over the past 20 years when the annual rain increased due to Global Cooling. Much of the arid land around the area could grow crops and cattle year round.
The first two they stopped at had kerosene lanterns in the kitchens as the day was about to begin. They avoided them and moved on to a ranch that appeared to be abandoned. Tom noted the corrals and pasture were empty and the gates open. He was thankful someone had freed or taken the animals. “Ann, check out the house while I take the barn.”
Tom entered the barn and found the stalls to be empty, but there were several saddles, blankets, and reins hanging from the stall walls. There was even an old horse drawn wagon that was a ½-scale reproduction of a Covered Wagon at the back of the barn. Everything he saw was something they would eventually need but not now. They needed seeds and food.
He went to the far side where he saw a man door leading out to the home’s backyard with a room to its right. He saw something that made his face turn into a big grin. The wall was covered in gardening tools, and there were bags of fertilizer and pesticide. He opened the door to the room and lit a candle he carried in his pocket. Suddenly there was a hiss and something black ran past him and escaped through the open door. The darned cat scared him and caused him to stop and calm his nerves down.
He looked around the room and saw a bench with dozens of jars full of seeds. He picked one up to see Heirloom Tomatoes. Others read cucumbers, beans, squash, and so on. This was the treasure they had come for on this trip. Tom saw several envelopes that had names of flowers on them and dumped the seeds in one large container. Then he filled the envelopes with the vegetable seeds, which would make them much easier to pack back up the mountain.
Tom opened several of the drawers under the bench and struck a different kind of pay dirt. A half-empty pint bottle of Jim Beam Black and a full pint of Bulleit whiskey were in the back of the drawer. He tucked them into his shirt after taking a pull from the Jim Beam. “Hot damn that was good.”
Tom heard. “What was good?” The sudden voice behind him scared the crap out of him. He drew his gun without thinking but holstered it quickly when his brain recognized Ann’s voice. “Darn, your hide. You are the second asshole to scare the crap out of me. A black cat jumped out at me when I opened the door.”
“You didn’t answer the question. What was darn good, and if it was that good, where is my share?”
Tom reached into his shirt and produced the half-empty whiskey bottle. “Here, take a swig of this. It’ll put hair on your chest.”
“Most men like my chest naked. I never met a man that liked fuzzy boobs.”
“Smartass, just take a drink.”
Ann thought, “I’ll get Tom drunk tonight, and after I’m through with him Meg will be in his rearview mirror.”
Ann tipped the bottle up and took two swallows. “I always liked JB straight or with coke. Thanks for sharing.”
“I also fou
nd plenty of seeds for a large garden. Did you find anything useful?”
Ann pulled her knife from its sheath and cut something. She handed a chunk of something soft and round to Tom. Tom sniffed the piece of summer sausage and then took a big bite. “That’s pretty good stuff. Got more?”
Ann cut them both a hunk of the sausage and then reached for the bottle. Tom traded the whiskey for the sausage. They sat down on a stack of horse feed beside the bench, ate sausage, and washed it down with the rest of the Bulleit. Ann had slouched down against Tom and then sat on his lap. She slurred her words as she talked a mile a minute. Ann then kissed Tom on the cheek and asked if he had more whiskey. What Ann didn’t know was that Tom only faked taking a slug of whiskey each time because he knew someone needed to stay sober with the damned gangs all over the place.
Tom looked at the petite Latin beauty. “Honey, you are half my size, and I’m getting a buzz. You’re coming on to me and slurring your words. You’ll be drunker than Cooter Brown any minute now.”
“You’re klinda coot. I like big stronnnng man. Kiss me and take me to bed. I need …”
Ann passed out and snored, so Tom picked her up and laid her gently on several bales of hay. He found a raincoat and covered her. He then took a swig of the Bulleit and lay down beside her for a good nap. They were lucky the raiders skipped the house where they slept in favor of the occupied one they had passed.
Ann’s eyes hurt as she tried to squint to tone the light down. Her head pounded and her mouth was dry as cotton. She tried to reach her canteen by the bench but only managed to fall off the hay bales. She dropped the two feet to the floor and tumbled until her butt stopped against something. Suddenly someone picked her up in his arms and carefully laid her back on the bales. “Water. Please water.”