“She doesn’t have any more poison, Nick. Look at her. Her hands are empty. There’s nothing in them. She can’t poison you.”
“Hey, man.” Eli reappears. “She’s right. Katie’s hands are empty. I’ve got a great sandwich for you. It’s made with fresh baked bread. Can’t you smell it?” Eli breathes in, deeply. I can smell it. “It’s really good bread, Nick. Eli just made it for you.” I give Eli all the credit, because it fits our story. Nick eyes the sandwich. Eli sets it at the table, about three feet from where Nick is by the bed. I eyeball the distance between Katie and the sandwich. If he comes for the sandwich, Katie could get to us. I take a real breath when I see him let go of Katie, heading for the sandwich. He’s got to be starving, given how long he’s been in the feverish sleep, living without food. Katie sits up, silently.
“There’s no poison in the sandwich?” He asks.
“No way, man. I’ve got your back. That bread is sooo good! You won’t believe how yummy fresh baked bread is. Once you eat this, you can go to the kitchen, pretty soon the other bread will be done and you can try that,” Eli urges. He reaches the sandwich, picks it up, and takes a bite. I glance, nervously from him to Katie. Katie stands up, moving softly around to the far side of the bed. He continues eating the sandwich with his eyes darting between me and Eli. Silence descends while we wait for him to eat and see what will happen. He eats the rest of the sandwich, then lunges at us. He’d been edging around and is close enough to grab Eli, pulling him to the floor. I’m trying to figure out how I can help but they’re moving so fast. Katie darts for the door. Eli rolls Nick over onto his back. Then Nick flings Eli over, struggling as I watch helplessly.
Then I get an idea. I crouch down, waiting for Eli to roll Nick over again so his feet are closer to me then grab them. I hold tight to his ankles, while Eli manages to sit on top of Nick with his knees on Nick’s arms. Jose appears at that moment, taking over the ankles for me.
“Lo tengo,” he whispers. I got him. “We’re going to hold you down until you calm down.”
I take a book off the shelf then, reading out loud. It’s a classic, Wuthering Heights. “I have just returned from a visit to my landlord...” I read, attempting a British accent. “This is certainly a beautiful country!” I observe Nick while I continue to read. He seems mesmerized by this old story, so I keep reading, sitting on a chair, near him. Soon, Gracie comes out.
“Is everything okay?” She asks, taking in the chaos in the room.
I keep reading, hearing Jose letting her know we’ve got this under control.
Glancing up while reading, 3:30 comes. Watching Nick closely, I notice he no longer has his hands in fists. Around 3:40, I notice his eyelids getting heavy.
“How are you feeling Nick?”
“I’m tired. Are you guys going to get off me any time soon?” he sounds lucid.
“Are you going to fight us?” Eli asks.
“No fucking way, man. I don’t have enough energy right now.” Nick sounds like his old self. “Can I just get up and get something to drink? My mouth is so damn dry all of a sudden.”
I put Wuthering Heights back on the shelf.
“I’ll bring you some juice.”
Alex’s voice comes from outside. “How’s Nick holding his shit together?”
“Pretty well. We’re coming in.”
We head inside. Alex is up, walking around. “How’s the latest victim?” Alex asks.
“Hey, bro!” Nick and Alex embrace.
“So, your head is feeling better?” I ask.
“Yeah, I gotta keep you hoppin’! I’m still a little dizzy with pain, but it’s bearable. I’m tired of sitting on my lazy ass.” Alex is standing at the butcher block having bread with butter. “You want some juice, bro?” He pulls some out of the fridge and Morgan passes him a glass.
“I’m cooking tonight. I’ll accept help but I’m cooking. What do we have to choose from?” Alex used to work as a chef in a restaurant before he got his degree as a botanist.
“I think all we have left is a leg of lamb.” I tell him. It’s defrosting in the sink.
“Okay. I’m all over that. I’ll make a Moroccan leg of lamb.”
“I think we’ve got you covered. They’re bringing back meat so we should be okay for tomorrow.”
“Dope!” Alex exclaims.
Gracie checks the bread as the timer rings. “Oooh, it smells delicious! Is there any butter left?”
Morgan passes her the butter which is nearly gone. I pray they’ll bring back plenty of milk so we can make more butter.
Twenty-One
Sam
Destruction at Polyrock Ranch
“Okay, load up.” Rob says. “You driving?”
“Yeah,” Sam says, climbing in the driver’s seat with Jonathan and Simon beside her. Jessie, Rob, and Nadir climb in back. “We’re off. I’m thinking we stay on residential roads, avoiding the main ones.”
“Maybe we should stop by my farm first to get another set of butchering tools,” Jessie suggests. “It will be so much faster if we can all work at once.”
“That makes sense. I hope we don’t have to, but if we do…” Rob trails off.
“Look over there! There’s a fight!” Jessie yells, her voice tense.
“There are eight of them,” Sam says, a slight squeak in her voice. “Do you suppose they’re all crazies?” She glances at them. “That’s weird. How are they finding each other?”
“That’s peculiar…” Jonathan mutters.
They turn zigzagging through the hill, avoiding main roads. They all watch the stillness around them. Their next turn brings them headlong into a small group of crazies.
“Careful!” Rob barks. “Let’s turn around and go the other way.”
Sam makes a U-turn, heading the other way around this circular road, screams trailing and rocks flying at them. The other side is blissfully calm.
“Is anyone else praying besides me?” Jessie asks.
“We could all pray,” Jonathan laughs nervously. “It wouldn’t hurt anything. Mom believes in that shit.”
“You never know,” Sam jokes. “We’ll just imagine a welcoming committee with a freezer full of meat!” She turns onto the main road ahead, unable to avoid it. There’s another group of crazies there.
“Be careful.” Jessie offers. “Can we get around them?”
“Maybe.” Sam’s voice is tight. “Can you guys crack your windows and have guns ready, in case?” She presses her lips together.
“Watch out!” Rob yells. Shots ring out. Things get crazy as they skid through the intersection, turning towards the farm. Sam is frozen in time, watching one of the crazies drop. Then they’re heading out of town.
“Is anyone hurt?” Rob asks. All is quiet for a few beats.
“No,” several voices murmur.
“No one is hurt?” Jessie asks, recovering slightly. More no’s are murmured. Then they’re turning into Jessie’s long driveway.
“What happened?” Sam asks.
“One of them lifted a gun towards us.” Rob’s voice shakes. “I shot him. I’ve never shot anyone before. I think I killed him. Jesus Christ!” They bounce and bump down her road towards the house.
“Should we raid the garden while we’re here?” Jessie asks.
“I think so,” Sam agrees. “Where will we find baskets or buckets? We can pick while you get the butchering tools.”
Jessie points around the side of the house where Sam and Jonathan find several large buckets. “Around the back of the house you’ll find apple and pear trees,” Jessie directs. “There’s apple, pear, and persimmons you could check. Over on the side there is the vegetable garden.”
“I’ll check the persimmons, then come help you guys with the apple and pears in the back, okay?” Sam picks the brightest persimmon, tastes it, and decides they can take a few. She admires the trees full of bright orange orbs, the reddish apples, and green pears. Surrounded by abundance, her nerves are calmed. Her heart rate slo
ws down, her jaw relaxes, and her shoulders loosen. After the persimmons, she heads to join the other group, picking apples.
“Why don’t I help pick apples and pears and you do the vegetables okay?” Jonathan asks.
“Okay. Nadir, you wanna come?” Sam asks.
“Sure.”
They head to the vegetable garden, gathering a variety of fall vegetables.
“Jake, stop!”
Sam hears Jessie’s voice, running with Nadir towards the sound. She leaves the buckets in the garden, arriving at the shed, seeing a man with Jessie backed against the wall. He punches her in the face. Sam shoves him off her as Rob reappears. “Back away from her.” She flashes her knife.
He starts screaming. “You’re one of them. You’re after me!” He’s screaming but not advancing.
Sam thinks about how Eliana calms people, takes a few deep breaths, and speaks quietly. She remembers the medicine in the first aid kit. “She’s not after you. She wants to help you. Jessie, go get some medicine from the truck.” Jessie staggers towards the truck, her hand on her swelling cheek.
“Aaaah!” Jake screams, beating his head with his fists.
Sam speaks slowly. “They’re not going to bother you. We have some medicine that can help.”
Jake suddenly rushes at Sam, tackling her. She stabs at him automatically, feeling the knife slicing as he rolls off her, screaming. Sam sits up, seeing blood oozing down his arm.
Jessie hobbles back, “Eat this,” she tells him. She puts a couple pills in his mouth, while he screams about his arm. He seems fascinated with the blood streaming down his arm.
“Just relax so I can treat the cut,” Jonathan directs him. “Did you swallow the pill?” Jonathan asks. “I know how you’re feeling because I’ve felt it too, but it will get better. Take calming breaths.” Jonathan dresses the wound. Sam admires how the man, Jake, responds to Jonathan.
“You guys got this covered?” Sam asks. They nod. “Let’s go work on the food, okay? Jessie did you get your tools?” She stands up, brushes herself off and saunters out of the shed, across grass and wildflowers, hearing Jessie behind her. “Do you need some ice for your face?”
“I could really use some. My face is aching.” She grabs some tools off the wall and leads the way to the house.
Nadir and Simon stride quickly ahead of Sam, back to the garden.
“I’ll head out back for the other fruit,” Simon assures Sam. Sam and Jessie disappear into the house and when they return, Jessie has an ice pack on her cheek. Sam walks to the garden to get more vegetables, while Jessie sits under a tree, nursing her bruised face. There’re a lot of vegetables here, more than Eliana has back at her garden. Sam realizes Jessie has quite a skill. She knows Eliana and Jose are skilled gardeners, so Jessie and her husband must be masters.
“We’re heading for apples and pears,” Simon says.
“I’m going to put the vegetables in the truck,” Nadir says with his Persian accent.
Soon, Sam realizes they’ve harvested everything available. As long as there isn’t a bad freeze, there will be more vegetables here, at least greens and brassicas. She loads the buckets into the truck, joining the guys in the back, who have just begun picking pears. A lot of the pears are on the ground, but Jessie smartly mulched with hay where there isn’t grass, so the pears are not damaged. They pick the tree clean, putting the one’s which dropped on the top of the bucket since she knows they’ll be riper.
They head back to check on the guys. “How’s he doing?” Sam asks Jonathan.
“He’s calming down, aren’t you Jake? He let me check out his cut. It’s not bad. He just got grazed. I don’t know how he’ll fit in the truck though.”
“I feel better,” Jake says with wonder in his voice. “I really thought you guys were coming to take me away or do something awful to me. What a fucking relief!”
“I can sit on Rob’s lap. We’ll make it work,” Sam assures them, realizing this is Jessie’s husband.
“Wow, Jake, I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Jessie sounds off, making Sam wonder if she’s in a bit of shock.
“Can you get up and walk, bud?” Jonathan asks.
“Yeah, man, give me a hand, will you?” Jake takes Jonathan’s hand and stands up. “Ooh, I feel a little weird, kinda woozy.”
“Yeah. It takes a little getting used to, but it’s better than that awful fear, isn’t it?” Jonathan reassures Jake, while they head to the car.
As they arrive at the truck on the rocky drive, lined by pine trees, they pile into the silver king cab. Jonathan puts some music on the radio while they head to the main road. No one has much to say, processing the events at the little farm. They drive out the empty highway to Polyrock Ranch, awed by the peaceful beauty, just trees, empty roads, and some animals grazing.
Turning up the drive to Polyrock Ranch with its long, curvy, gravel driveway, Sam admires the hundreds of acres of land, quiet hills covered with pines, fields with Jersey cows, beefalo, and sheep. Closer to the house, horses graze.
They park near the small, milking room, disembark, and find Jan in the barn, milking cows.
“Oh, my God, you guys are okay!” Jan exclaims, delightedly. “I am so glad you’re here. Can you help?” She shows us how the milking gadget works. “I’m so exhausted taking care of all these animals with my son sick and…” She trails off at the end.
“Of course, we’ll help!” Sam leans in, watching.
“I have a good memory for faces.“ Jan chuckles. “I know you’ve been out here before. Just don’t ask me to remember your name!”
Sam just laughs, “Sam. Tell us what to do.”
Jan demonstrates how to place the device on the udders comfortably. “It’s faster.”
Sam helps milk the cows, astonished by the number of gallons of milk each cow provides. Jan sends the guys to feed the sheep and horses, while she feeds the pigs.
“What else would you like help with?”
“Thanks. Isaac is all I have and he’s sick…” She touches my arm. “Do you mind cleaning stalls? There’s also the vegetable gardens to maintain.”
Sam hears the gang in the sheep pen. “How do you know which animal is next for slaughter?” Sam asks.
“All the meat cows are in the upper pasture. The same goes for lambs but they’re in the south pasture,” She explains.
“What else are you producing on the farm?” Nadir asks.
“Polyrock only produces meat, milk, and eggs, but we used to lease out land for vegetable and berry farmers.” Jan waves towards the massive greenhouses, beyond the animal field. “I’m not sure what to do with all the food because they’re not coming back now. Do you guys need some?”
“Well, yeah!” Sam laughs.
“I’d be happy to share, maybe trade something that I need.” Jan explains, leading us to the next job. “Actually, anytime you can come help, I’ll be happy to send you home with food. Help is what I need the most.”
We follow her to the sheep and lambs, but the guys are feeding them, so they clean stalls, then head to the house.
“We brought you medical supplies,” Sam explains. “So, no one’s left?”
“My son is alive but he’s really sick. I don’t think he’s going to make it through the night…” Her voice cracks. Sam wraps her arms around Jan as she begins sobbing quietly.
“I know.” Sam just holds her for a long time. The tears continue, shaking her body, soaking Sam’s shoulder. “We have two young men sick. It’s frightening.” That seems to open her up as she sobs soundlessly.
Eventually she quiets. “I don’t know what to do for him.”
“Do you have any comfrey out here?” Sam asks. “We think it helps fight the flu.”
“What does it look like?” Jan perks up, lifting her head, bright eyed with hope.
“In the summer it gets about four feet tall, making pretty, tiny, purple flowers. It dies back in winter. Right now, it would probably have white mold on it unless it’s in a
really sunny spot.”
“Maybe.” Jan looks off in the distance, a hopeful look on her face. “Do you think you would recognize it?”
“Probably.”
Jan leads Sam around to the south side of the house, showing Sam a crop of plants. “Does that look like it?”
“Yep that’s it.” Sam frowns. “It’s full of mildew. We could dig up some root, but we have some salve for you.” Jan rushes to grab a shovel. “How about lemon balm or peppermint?”
“Right over there.” Jan returns with the shovel, pointing to lemon balm and peppermint right near the house. They dig up some comfrey root, then cut a bunch of the herbs. “Do you have a food dryer?”
“Yeah. I’ll put the herbs in it.” Jan leads Sam into the house.
“Do you have any elderberry?” Sam asks. With 450 acres, it’s possible. Sam encourages her to start a pot of water to boil for medicinal tea. They put in some of the comfrey root, lemon balm, and peppermint. “Lemon balm is a good antiviral and with the peppermint, it will taste better.”
While it’s simmering, they head back outside to identify some elderberry bushes. “Yeah, look, the berries are pretty dry but you can still pick them and make syrup for him.”
“Yeah, thanks. I can handle this.” Jan sounds bright with hope. “I can do more tomorrow. I’ll just pick enough for a small batch tonight. You know where the freezers are. Take as much meat as you want, okay? Please take all the milk. We’ve already got all we need and there will be more tomorrow. I’ve been making cheese so as not to waste it. You can take cheese too. The thing I need most are worker bees.”
“Thanks. Here’s the comfrey salve Eliana sent for you and the medical supplies.” Sam passes it to Jan. “We’ve been rubbing comfrey on their throats and face. It helps relieve congestion and may help heal the throat. Good night and good luck.” They hug and Sam heads back to the group who have loaded nine gallons of milk into the truck. Sam hopes they can get it all in the refrigerators back home. They back up to Jan’s freezers for frozen meat.
Considerable Destruction Series (Book 1): Evasion ( Page 19