Trekking Home

by Jeffrey Miller

  Nate turned to look at Ben. He was curled up in a fetal position. He still wasn’t clear what he was doing with him. But the reality of it was he couldn’t turn him over to the State. Ben had already made a bond with him. The kid probably wouldn’t do well being tossed around the place to place under good governmental conditions, let alone the disarray of everything as it stood. No. Ben was staying with him. He was now on a mission unlike ever before. This mission was thrown at him, but he caught it, maybe unwillingly at first, but he couldn’t just leave the kid with a dead old lady. That would be beyond wrong and cruel on so many levels.

  Nate was the kid's guardian and would be so for a long time to come. Nate did, at some point in his life, want to be a father, but never imagined being one without having a wife. The thought of having a wife was often on his mind since getting out of the military. He was tired of being alone. He knew it was just a matter of time before he found someone, and then he would plan for kids. He thought about that for a moment; having a father was most likely a concept Ben never considered. Would Ben now also want a mother? So many new ideas and issues on top of getting home lay upon Nate’s mind. Going home alone was a challenge enough, given the current state of affairs, but with a kid in tow, it would become even more treacherous. Nate had no education of Ben’s diagnosis. He knew what autism was, but never knew anything about high functioning autism. What would this mean when things became stressful? Would he be silent when required? Time would tell.

  The storm was starting to let up. The winds still blew, and Ben was still sleeping. Nate had managed some shut eye, but it was sporadic at best. He looked at his watch, 6:30 PM. They still had time to get past Estes Park if they left soon.

  “Ben wake up, it’s time to move,” Nate said nudging him awake. Ben woke up fast and helped Nate with picking up and reloading the Ranger. Nate double checked all the bungee cords. They were ready. It was only 20 miles or so to Estes Park. They headed west on Highway 34.

  Cars were scattered here and there. At first, Nate didn’t see any people. Driving further along the Big Thompson River they saw many people fishing. Some of the people fishing were doing so with tree branches. Nate soon realized these must be the tourists who were trying to catch food. The river was running fast along a shore lined with big rounded boulders. Some were fly-fishing waist deep in the river, while others did so from the shore. The temperature seemed to be getting cooler, and then Nate realized they were slowly going up in elevation. The river looked so inviting that he wished he had time to stop and do some fishing also. A refreshing breeze blew through the canyon. Nate was enjoying this route and could see the attraction to someone wanting to live here. Where he came from was nothing like this, it was more barren and isolated. His home was pretty in its ways, but this was beyond compare. The only place he saw this kind of natural beauty was in Montana.

  The sign read Drake, Colorado. Nate knew they were close now. Estes Park was near the Rocky Mountain National Park, a huge attraction drawing in millions each year. Nate wondered how many were now stuck in the area. Driving through Drake, Nate noticed many small cottages and cabins that seemed occupied but written on cardboard. This area appeared to have no power. He did see some that had small gas-powered generators running, and some were not. Some of the larger cabins had solar he assumed they had some power. After several miles more of twisting roads lined with the river on either side of them, he crested a hill and saw the sign for Estes Park. Then up ahead, he noticed two Sheriffs cars blocking the road. He didn’t care for this much, but he had to get by them regardless. He paused long enough to remove his newly acquired badge and his documentation from the sheriff in Laramie, Wyoming.

  He decided to approach the two deputies without hesitation when he pulled up. One of his generals told him long ago when you are on a mission and are trying to infiltrate a village or whatever, arrive like you own it and belong there.

  Nate drove straight up to the one deputy who was holding up his hands to stop. The other stayed back and off to the side slowly walking around the Ranger checking it out.

  “Good evening, Deputy. How is your town doing during this entire upturn?” Nate asked stepping out of the Ranger. He stretched his long torso out and made sure his badge was clearly evident on his belt. The deputy stepped back looking down at the badge and his Glock which Nate was carrying openly.

  “Fine Sir, are you an officer?” He asked still looking Nate up and down. Nate figured the man to be in his late twenties. He was not short but average in height. Nate settled his hands on his hips, but far from his weapon.

  “Laramie County Wyoming Just trying to get back to Texas. Left Wyoming days ago; I had just taken a position with the department when all of this stuff happened. They agreed to let me get back to settle things and check on the family. Unfortunately, they don’t have enough vehicles and gas available, so I’m on this.” Nate said pointing at the Ranger.

  The deputy nodded his head. They had no real ability to double check what Nate was saying, and he knew this.

  “If you have radio ability just call up the Sheriff Wyatt Cartwright, he will confirm what I’m saying” Nate added.

  The deputy smiled.

  “Wyatt? Do you work for Wyatt? I met him, last year. He almost recruited me to move up there, but hell I can’t leave this place. Look at it, even without power; it’s pretty as hell” he replied, seeming to relax more now. Nate looked around and spoke.

  “Hell, maybe I should apply here. Instead, I can’t believe all the fly fishing I see here,” Nate added.

  “This is my son Ben; we just planned to head south from here from town to town avoiding all the trouble in the big cities.” Ben heard Nate and looked up. Nate already talked to Ben about speaking. He asked him not to. He needed to avoid any questions about Ben.

  “Have you heard much about what’s going on out there? Other than what ham operators have told us. Even the Guard won’t deploy, no money no reason. We have local FEMA here feeding people that flew in, but now they are stuck also without much from the Government.” The deputy explained. Traffic in Estes Park was mostly on foot. There were many on horseback and several on mountain bikes going to and from places. Nate would be only a hand full of people with a gas powered vehicle.

  Nate went on to discuss in detail everything he knew about the state of affairs in the nation, the others officers he met up in Rustic and described the turmoil he had seen. He didn’t paint a pretty picture for the young officer. Nate then went on to suggest some ways they could improve their defensive stance and blockade ability. He explained that bad gangs were forming, from what he had heard and a small road block like this wouldn’t stop them. The officer was very receptive. It wouldn’t be easy, but if some of their trapped tourists were military, they might want to help. After 20 minutes, the original deputy told Nate he would personally escort them to the south part of town and see them on their way.

  The trip through the small town was slow with all of the onlookers just sitting around everywhere. Most of the shops looked empty except one little store. It was still busy, and Nate could see the worker inside operating an ancient machine. It was pulling and pushing Salt water taffy. Ben noticed it and got excited. Nate waved to get the sheriff's attention. He slowed up. Nate went to explain something, and the sheriff walked over to the store and came back with a bag of salt water taffy assorted. The deputy told Nate that the store was the only store with full power using both an enormous solar array and a massive diesel generator. The owner told everyone he wanted to continue to make the candy because he lived through the great depression and candy kept America sane.

  The deputy and Nate said their goodbyes as Nate passed him heading down Highway 7 south from Estes Park. The next town didn’t take too long being only 16 miles away. They would have been there sooner if it were not for having to navigate around vehicles and semis that apparently run out of gas. Nate had spotted the huge tent city set up by FEMA; it was just outside of Estes Park in a large clearing. It l
ooked like a disaster itself. It was no place he would ever want to be. Some people were on the roads walking towards Estes Park. One family who looked very distraught and confused waved and said something about needing water. Water was something Nate wasn’t too concerned about; he had the knowledge and ability to come up with that if needed. Most people, especially during times like this, did not have a clue how much water was around them, let alone how to purify it safely. Nate slowed up to them letting his badge be seen now moved to his right jacket pocket.

  “Officer, do you have any water? We haven’t had any in nearly two days.” The man said holding his small child. Ben looked very unsure of what was going on and seemed distracted by it all.

  “Hang on.” Nate jumped off the Ranger and removed a five-gallon water container that was full. He handed it to them with a large bag of beef jerky Rachael had given him.

  “It’s not much, but you will survive a while on this if you eat and drink it all slowly. About 5 miles up the road is a FEMA camp, past that is Estes Park. If I were you, I would get to the town and bypass the camp.” Nate instructed. The woman, likely the wife, cried with gratitude as she sat the water on the ground. Nate reached in the back and removed two small nearly empty water bottles and handed them to the woman.

  “Remember drink slow, walk slowly, and take breaks. Conserve.” Nate said. He wished he could do more, but he couldn’t. Things were hard to see and handle. He could tell that Ben was confused. Nate wasn’t sure if he had a total grasp of what was going on. He would need to discuss things later.

  “Thank you so much, officer, thank you.” they all said, as Nate slowly pulled away trying not to let what was happening to take hold of him.

  The small community of Allenspark didn’t have very many people, compared to Estes Park. Nate saw people, but they kept to themselves way off the roads and on their property. He saw small trailers and some beautiful homes sporadically as he drove along the mountainous area. It was breathtaking, but the sun was going down, and he knew soon they would need to find a place off the road. Ben was getting sleepy again. Nate knew it was just the vehicle doing it. It’s all fun at first, but after awhile the hum of the small engine and the bumps can make anyone tired even on a smooth paved road.

  Nate drove the small UAV until he was well out of town. He spotted a little side road that for once did not have a mailbox. He took the road and followed it for about half a mile up and up until he came to a clearing on a small hill at the foot of a much larger mountain. He looked around trying to see if he was obviously trespassing, he didn’t wish to start trouble. He was sure someone owned the land, but maybe it was part of a national park entry point he wasn’t certain. Tonight the clearing became camp.

  Chapter 16

  Top Notch Fire Ring

  Ben did his part helping Nate set up a good campsite. Nate planned to use up the last bit of perishable food he had from Rachael. She wrapped them tightly in a vacuum sealed bag. She provided them with two large salmon fillets. She also included, from her garden, fresh carrots peeled and already stewed. Nate just needed to steam them in the foil. He didn’t want to use his little stove for this, so he asked Ben to help him gather up stones to make a fire ring. He explained the concept and went to get branches having Ben stay within eyesight. Nate’s Glock sat on his him while carrying the rifle across his shoulders.

  The wood gathering took longer than Nate wanted, but he finally had enough using his Laplander folding saw. It always made fast work of tough woods. Nate headed back to the camp. He walked up to Ben who sat with a huge pile of rocks quickly assembling a very tight, almost puzzle-like structure that would be a good size fire ring.

  Over the years Nate witnessed many unique campfire rings constructed in many ways. Creations and works of art, but nothing he’d seen could compare to what Ben had made. Somehow he had located just the right amount of rocks and pieced them in a fashion that would have made the Egyptians jealous. Nate wished he had a camera. Ben even made a capstone all around the structure. Ben said it was to rest their feet or to warm the food.

  “Great work, Ben. Do you like fish?” Nate complimented Ben on his excellent fire pit. Ben seemed to get excited about the fish question.

  “Love fish, like to fish too. My dad used to take me, my grandmother said, when I was young.” Ben replied.

  “Well, we might have to fish on the way back to Texas, but for now I have two large Salmon to grill in that nice fire pit you made. When we leave here someone will have a nice campsite to use.” Nate said, placing some of the smaller wood chips and twigs to start the initial fire. Nate then removed a small Bic lighter from his pocket. He always carried many, but most of them were in his pack.

  It did not take long to grill the fish and the carrots in the thick foil. Rachael had done a great job on the seasonings. The glaze of honey was also a nice treat on the salmon. Nate and Ben sat near the fire. The night time temps were cool but not cold. The fire, however, made things very cozy. Nate had the small tent ready and placed their big packs in the tent. They needed to get as much rest as they could. In the morning Nate planned to top of the fuel and continues south through many small towns not stopping for at least 4 hours or about 140 miles. He was so thankful to have the Polaris Ranger, things would be far different on foot, but it was still slower than a car. He also knew he would have never met Ben.

  “Ok Ben, it’s probably time to get some sleep,” Nate said. Ben didn’t move at first then turned to Nate.

  “My grandmother told me someone would come to help; she knew I would be ok. She kept speaking this all the time. I never doubted her; she always took care of me. So does that mean you will take care of me?” Ben spoke with some degree of maturity that Nate didn’t know existed in the boy. Nate considered what Ben said carefully. Ben was asking for a reason. Was he nervous or scared that Nate would not keep him? Had something happened?

  “Ben, can I ask, why are you asking this question?” not knowing if Ben had ideas that Nate was going to give him over to someone later. Nate felt a kinship to Ben already building. He couldn’t and wouldn’t give him over to anyone.

  “Back in the town when you were talking to the cops and told me not to speak, you told them I was your son,” Ben replied.

  Nate didn’t realize Ben had heard him say that. He was nearly 15 feet away and figured he hadn’t talked very loud. But Nate now realized why Ben was asking.

  “Ben, I think in many ways I do consider you a son. I also promised your grandmother to take care of you and I always will. I never had kids of my own but someday I might get married, and you will be there. I promise that I will always take care of you like you are my son.” Nate replied speaking slowly. Ben’s eyes filled some with tears, but he did not cry. Ben hadn’t remembered much of his father, just small images in his head. Now Ben was feeling happier than he had in a long time. For years it was just him alone with his grandmother, he had no friends in school and sometimes liked it that way, but did want a father and mother again.

  Nate had tossed a lot of wood on the fire to keep it raging all night. When the morning came, it was still smoldering with only a tiny log left to burn. The heavy smell of smoke filled the air as Nate climbed out of the tent. Ben was still sleeping. Nate looked around as he slipped on his boots. The morning air had a tinge of frosty feeling, which he loved. Nate walked over to the nearby tree and removed the small knot in the rope that was holding his food supply high up and dangling in mid-air about 15 feet. Bears were a problem and any food left anywhere they could get it would just be an invitation to enter the camp. Nate even had to dispose of the fish waste far from camp.

  With the sack down, he removed the items to make coffee in his small percolator. Then he heard Ben unzipping the tent and climbing out. This kid was an early riser, must have gotten used to that from being with the old lady so long, Nate thought to himself.

  “Morning Ben,” Nate said as been slipped on his boots. Nate wasn’t sure if Ben owned a pair of tennis shoes back at hi
s grandmother’s place or not. Nate wondered if they would ever get to go back there.

  “Morning Mr., I mean Nate,” Ben said, almost unsure if he said it right. Nate smiled.

  “That’s fine Ben you can call me Nate” Nate knew this would all change and in the back of his mind looked forward to the change.

  “How about some black coffee” Nate offered to joke. Ben walked over to the small fire.

  “I love black coffee” he replied, Nate was a little surprised.

  “My grandmother drank it all the time; she finally let me have a cup, and I liked it. I think I played the video games that day longer than I ever had before. It made me feel so awake.” Ben explained. Nate rummaged through his pack pulling out a small tin can that looked like the kit he had used in the service. He poured Ben a half a cup and watched. Ben tilted it back and took in small sips then a larger one as he got used to the heat of the coffee.

  “That is good,” Ben said gasping for air as the last sip felt hotter. Nate removed his now favorite mug he got from Sammie back in Wyoming. He wondered how she and her family were doing.

  Ben was watching Nate drink his coffee and was staring at the mug. Nate watched Ben’s eyes as he was trying to read what the mug said. Finally, he saw Ben smile some.

  “I like that, what it says,” Ben said pointing at the mug Nate held. Nate turned the cup so he could read it. He knew what it said but liked to read it again.

  “A friend of mine made this mug and gave it to me. She lives up in Wyoming.” Nate explained.

  “She, you have a girlfriend?” Ben asked looking surprised. Nate laughed inside.