by Cooper, DJ
The response was simply, “10-4, over.”
None of us knew what was going on, I looked at him and asked, “What was that all about?”
He laughed and said, “Well, if you are in the conversation and don’t know what I said, then I feel good that others might not know either.”
Blinking at him in obvious annoyance I sat, waiting for an answer. He stared straight ahead and said, “We need to find a place to stop and look at this map. I’ll explain it then when we can see what we are doing. We also need to find a good place to spend the night away from here, in case anyone was listening. I can’t very well drive all the way in the dark without lights, and we can’t turn them on either.”
Doc turned to the back seat and asked Lia, “Do you know where the nearest highway is to here?” He looked at Rich and said, “I have an idea.”
Lia thought for a minute and said, “I’m not sure, I think the one where we were, in the rest area, is the only one around.”
Doc asked, “Do you remember how to get back to it?”
She nodded and said, “Yea.” Looking forward through the windshield and then out the back window, she said, “We gotta turn around.”
Rich turned the truck back the way we came. When backing up, it was like a beacon in the night. We all saw the lights in the rear of the truck. Every time he stepped on the brakes the lights would shine. Pulling into the first parking lot he found with some cover to get out of sight, he parked and jumped out of the truck. With a screwdriver, he broke the lens covers and removed the bulbs. The one on the back of the cab had to be undone to get the bulbs out. Hopping back into the truck, grinning, he said, “Gee, I hope I don’t get a tail light ticket.” We laughed.
It was only a couple minutes to the highway, and we hopped back on interstate 76 headed west. It was difficult to see in the dark, but worse yet was none of us knew what we were looking for. A fog began to roll in causing Rich to let out a heavy sigh. When all of a sudden Doc shouted, “There on the right.”
Rich slammed on the brakes, and half yelled, “What! Where?”
Doc pointed to a break in the trees; this was a service area for the road maintenance. A metal pole gate barred the entrance but wasn’t locked. We entered and closed the gate behind us. There was a building with some tractors and mowing stuff, a huge pile of salt in a giant tent-like covering, and an office trailer. Cautiously we approached it, pulling the truck behind and out of sight. Rich instructed us all to stay while he checked it out.
It was clear, and once inside it felt quite cozy. There were two large sofas and some folding chairs. A desk with an oversized rolling chair, and some kind of rolling cart with all manner of snack foods. Rich whistled and said, “Our tax dollars obviously hard at work.” Before turning and opening the door to step outside.
Catching him by the arm, I asked, “Where are you going?”
He smiled at me, turned back, and put his hand on my cheek saying, “Never far from you. I have to go bring in some of the stuff from the truck for the night.” Looking at the Doc he said, “Lend a hand?” Doc nodded and hopped up to help. The two of them trotting out the door like they were on some kind of boy scouts camping trip.
It was only minutes before Doc came back in, but Rich wasn‘t with him. I waited a few more minutes then went to ask Doc, “Where’s Rich?”
Doc was busy setting up sleeping areas, turned to me and said, “He’ll be along in just a few minutes. Don’t you worry now missy.” Winking at me I knew he was teasing me with the missy comment.
Rich returned after a few more minutes, with a look that resembled the cat that just ate the canary. Glancing at him with a sideways look out of squinted eyes, almost accusing him of being up to something. I stood near the desk, arms folded pretending to be annoyed with his secretiveness, but his boyish actions of one who couldn’t wait to show off the nifty thing he’d done was enough to make me smile. I asked him, “What have you been up to?”
Practically leaping to his feet, he grabbed my hand, winked at the Doc and said, “Come see.”
Now I was really worried; I couldn’t imagine what these two were up to, but was sure to find out. Outside, I could barely see it was so dark. What I could see was that the truck was missing. Turning to him in near panic, I said, “The truck! It’s gone!”
Rich put his arm out for me to take it, saying, “My lady, allow me.”
Taking his arm, I let him lead me to where he’d parked the truck. Curious that it was inside the salt tent. I looked at him and felt overwhelming love for this man whom had not only saved my life but saved me. I was not sure what he was doing but the time and effort he made, just for me, was endearing.
Once we got to the truck, I could see that in the back seat he’d put the extra things on the floor and stretched out blankets that made a very appealing bed. Much more so than the floor of that trailer would be. He opened the door for me and said, “My lady, if you would care to stretch out in your sleeping chamber.”
I climbed in and stretched out. It was comfortable. Rich sat in the front seat, looking at me. I asked him with the best coy voice I could come up with, “Care to join me?” Batting my eyelashes innocently. Thinking all the while, this was silly, but I loved it.
He winked and rather than opening the doors to get in, climbed right over the seats. This man has taken our circumstances and made me love him even more. I couldn’t understand why he chose me. I felt warm from the inside out. Staring into his eyes, I could see he was genuine, and I could trust him.
We lay there in the night, motionless in each other’s arms, and for a time, I think we even slept. I felt safe in his embrace, somehow stronger. The world could go to hell, and in his embrace, I was transcended into peace. I watched him as we lie there, he was peaceful and handsome. Tears fell down my cheeks thinking of how beautiful he made me feel. I knew Matty would love him too, which made the tears nearly sobs of anguish for my son.
Rich woke to my sobbing, with his sleeve he dried my cheeks, asking, “What’s wrong?”
I laughed through the tears, saying, “Nothing is wrong, everything is perfect…too perfect. It scares me; I’m afraid it’s not real.”
He kissed me softly, holding my head with one hand and my waist in the other. He pulled me closer and whispered, “Does that feel real?”
His kiss sent fire through my veins, a fire of desire and need. We lay that night together, clothing having been lost in the fury of our desire, looking at him, I said, “I love you.” And I meant it.
He looked into my eyes, softly kissing my hand he said, “Be my wife? I know life is hard now, but I promise to love you always and never let harm come to you again. I love you more than I’ve ever known. Without you, I’m nothing.”
Tears flowed freely, I couldn’t even speak. My mind was overwhelmed with joy. I nodded… Yes!
Chapter 9
“Finality of Death”
The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins.
-Edgar Allan Poe
We slept peacefully, finding comfort in each other’s arms. I don’t know exactly what woke me, Rich or the gunshots, but I sat straight up horrified by the unknown threat upon us.
I searched for my clothes, missing the leg of the jeans while putting them on and I was stuck. Rich was already dressed, checking his gun, and spare magazines. He looked worried and said, “Please stay here. Quickly, find the first aid supplies and be ready. I don’t know what’s going on, but someone is shooting at the trailer.” Peering out the entrance once more he grabbed his knife and continued, “I’m going to try and do what I can. I don’t know if I can, but I think I can cut through the canvas of this enclosure, I’ll sneak out on the backside. Darling, please, don’t make any noise.”
Rich was able to cut a hole in the enclosure and silently slip out into the darkness. I found the med supplies and laid them on the seat of the truck. I prayed I would not have to need them.
I find another knife in the center console of the truck, it’s quite sharp, I moved to the side and got down on my knees. Piercing the canvas, I cut a hole that I could look through and see what was going on. I saw four men, but I couldn’t see Rich. They all had rifles that looked like the kind the military guys carried.
Shots from the shotgun that Doc had could be heard above the others. I think he got one because he was close to the door and the shot went right through it, and the guy fell over. The one by the truck had something that was burning and carried it near the trailer. He threw it at the trailer, and it started burning like paper, it was all on fire in just a few moments. Just as he tossed it onto the trailer, he fell over and lay dead. The two others fell one after another.
I heard it, and a shiver went down my spine. A blood-curdling scream could be heard from inside the trailer. I think it is Rebecca, but I’m not sure. I don’t want to sit here anymore dammit where is Rich?
I saw him in the blazing light of the fire, he ran for the door and hauled Doc and Lia out the door, nearly flinging them to the ground. I ran for them. Lia’s jacket was on fire, and she was flailing around. Doc grabbed her, throwing her to the ground smothering it. I ran for the trailer, but it was so hot I couldn’t get to the door. The window in the front smashed out and Joshua handed me Jennifer and climbed out himself. I could see Rich searching in the flames and disappear. I screamed, “Rich! Please…Oh, God. Please come out!
He came crashing through the door, flames encircling him, carrying Jakob and dragging Rebecca by the arm. Doc had burns on his hands and face, not bad but enough so that he couldn’t be much help. I ran to the truck for the first aid bag. Full run I returned with it tossing it in the direction of the Doc and racing to where Rich knelt over Rebecca doing CPR. Jakob lay motionless beside her, his eyes open with a blank stare. Blood covered his face and shirt. He’d been shot; his neck was an open wound where blood no longer oozed but sat drying on his lifeless body.
Doc came crawling over to his wife and son, sobbing, praying that she wakes up. A few coughs and she opened her eyes. I could see she was barely hanging on. I hadn’t noticed, but a large blood stain soaked the left side of her shirt. Rich tended to it as she spoke to Doc saying, “Jakob? Did Jakob get out?”
Doc sobbed saying, “Yes, he is here. I have him.”
Knowing his son was already dead, he never told her. Holding her hand sobbing and praying, “Rebecca, Rebecca… please hang on.”
She never said anything else, her breathing soon became rattled. We could hear the blood flooding her lungs. The anguish the doctor felt, he tried to stifle as he looked deep into her eyes. It felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was but a few moments. She lay quietly choking on her own blood until her breathing stopped altogether. Almost as though the light had gone from her, and she too was gone.
The doctor sobbed holding his wife, genuine tears of sadness while his children looked on in horror. Joshua knelt holding Jennifer. She never said a word, just stood there bleeding. I looked at them and saw the discoloration on her jeans. Something wet was oozing from her left thigh. I went to her and touched the area. She flinched immediately, emitting only the slightest whimper. Drawing my hand back I could see that it was blood and a lot of it. Kneeling down I looked at her and asked, “What happened?”
She was small for her age, petite. At fourteen one might think she’d begun to blossom, but she was what her mother described as a late bloomer. Even her voice was small, “It was glass from the fire bottle that came in the window. Mama pulled the glass out and was trying to put a tie on it when Jakob was shot.”
I scooped her up and carried her to the truck, where the bigger box of first aid supplies were available. Joshua followed with Lia. I could see that Joshua was on the verge of tears himself, but settling Lia’s tears was his focus at the moment. I asked Lia to help me with Jennifer. “Lia, help me take off her pants please.”
Jennifer gasped, “Not with him here.”
I looked at Joshua and asked him if he could gather some plantain from the grassy area behind the canvas salt house. He looked at me and asked, “What is plantain?”
I described it for him, “It is a green leafy plant that grows close to the ground. We see it in most lawns. People think it is a weed. Gather anything that might look like it and bring some to me please?”
He shrugged and trudged out of the area; he knew I just wanted him to leave so we could get Jennifer undressed. Once we got her pants off, I was stunned to see a gash on her outer thigh that was nearly two inches long and so deep I could see fatty tissue poking through. I knew a few things I’d learned from Laurie, like the plantain, but I was not equipped for this. She needed stitches. I asked Lia to go get Doctor Hostin.
He returned with Lia only a few moments later nearly catatonic. I looked at him, “Doctor, what do I do.”
He just looked at Jennifer and said nothing. I stood right in front of him and said, “DOC!”
Looking as though he just came out of a trance, he said, “Hua?”
I pointed to Jennifer and said, “What do we do?”
He said, “Let me think a moment.”
I said, “What the hell? You’re a doctor aren’t you?”
He replied, “Yes.” And with a sharp tone added, “Of Psychiatry.”
I just huffed at him and said, “You still know more than I do.”
He looked at Jennifer and down to the gash in her leg, tearfully he spoke, “Oh my dear sweet child, I’m so sorry. Let me look at this.”
Instantly, he was like another person. He looked at the wound and asked what we had to clean it with. I told him alcohol or sterile water. He asked for the water while he put on a pair of gloves and began to clean the wound with a clean gauze pad. Jennifer cried softly as he did, making him wince.
He asked, “Do we have a suture kit in there?”
Feeling frantic, I searched and said, “I don’t know,” picking it all up, I brought the whole kit to his side.
He rummaged through it, pulling out different things. Nodding he organized himself. He looked at her saying, “Baby, this is going to hurt.”
She nodded tears in her eyes but still silent. He began to stitch the wound. I held her leg still as he sewed. On the fourth stitch, she cried out. Joshua held her hand telling her to squeeze it. She did so, digging her nails in. For the remainder of that one and three additional stitches, she cried, screaming and begging him to stop. I don’t know how he did it, but he stitched it closed. Wrapping some gauze around it and taping the ends he stood. Holding her head to his chest, he apologized to her, both of them sobbing. I took Lia and left the family to regain their bearings after the loss of Jakob and Rebecca.
Rich had already started digging graves for mother and son when I walked over. He asked me to check those guys over and see if Lia knew them or if they had anything that would help us know who they were or why they attacked us.
Lia was unafraid, rummaging through their pockets and rolling them out of jackets. Standing she looked at one, tilting her head like she may have recognized him. I asked her if she did and she shook her head no then went to another. Again she looked at him funny and hurried over to the third one nearby, kicking his head to the left, she looked back to me. I don’t really know what the look was she gave me, but I could tell it meant trouble. Turning back towards the graves I shouted, “Rich, get over here.”
He hopped up out of the hole, and half walked half jogged over to where Lia and I stood. She still stared at the dead man, but the look on her face was recognizable now. Fear. She looked at Rich and said, “I’ve seen this tattoo before.” Pointing to a tattoo on his neck, she continued, “They all have it.”
I asked, “That circle with the two lines?”
She said, “Yea.”
Rich asked her, “Do you know who they are?”
She said, “No, but we need to leave…right now!”
“Why?” He said.
“Because they are part of the gang that ca
me and hurt everyone after the guys who took my parents left. There are lots of them, and they listen to someone called Ranger.”
“Do you know where they come from?”
“No.”
She started crying, begging Rich to leave. He told us to gather everything from them and the trailer and get everyone in the truck as quick as we could and that he would finish taking care of Rebecca and Jakob.
We stripped them of their guns and any rounds they had on them or in their truck, took knives and other tools. Found two five gallon cans of gas and a bunch of canned goods. Joshua and Doc came to help we put the guys inside the burned trailer and moved their truck behind it. Rich came over to where the truck was, opened the hood and ripped out some wires, then put a big hole in the gas tank with the claw of a hammer. Looked up saying, “If they find them they aren’t going to be driving this anywhere.”
Rich had placed Jakob in Rebecca’s arms and laid them in together. He took a tarp and covered them before filling in the hole. Once we were ready to go, we stood a few moments at the grave of Rebecca and Jakob. Doc couldn’t hold back the tears as he spoke, “I’ll miss you, my love. Take care of our baby and watch over us.”
It was sad, I felt bad for the family, while even yet; thankful Rich was ok. We got into the truck, Jennifer was stretched out across the back seat on the laps of Joshua and Lia who were careful not to touch her leg. The gate was open when we reached the end of the small dirt road to the highway. Rich stopped the truck once we pulled through, and nodded to Doc, understanding the unspoken intention; Doc jumped out and latched the gate. In moments he returned to the truck, Rich sped down the highway. West on Interstate 76. We took our chances with the highway because of the higher speed. There were some cars stranded on the road, but they were mainly on the sides.
Leaving was hard, Rebecca and Jakob were missing, and the truck was silent except for the muffled sobs from Jennifer. Between the loss of her mother and the gash in her leg, the already quiet fourteen year old became withdrawn in only a matter of hours. She refused to speak to anyone and just continued to cry staring back in the direction we’d come.