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Post by Ozarks Tom on Apr 2, 2018 18:59:54 GMT
Thanks Bret, enjoying every chapter.
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Post by bretf on Apr 12, 2018 13:14:13 GMT
Chapter 8
A man and two women pushed their way through the people standing around the travois. The man, Frank Jeffries, took one look at the woman and barked out, “Get her to the infirmary, now!” The order spurred the group into action and the man leading the mule gave a tug on the halter rope and followed Jeffries. Jefferies barked out other orders and the women who’d come with him hurried on ahead.
When Chad and his family first arrived at Philmont, he approached the man with leaves, roots, and berries from various plants he’d collected as they traveled. Medicinal plants had proven to be great barter items as they’d roamed. After talking together for some time, Chad had been surprised to find he’d met Jeffries before. It was back at his own home of all places, before it’d been destroyed. When the smallpox pandemic began, Jefferies had been with the Centers for Disease Control, and was in charge of the region where the Smoke family lived. He’d put Chad’s dad Dan and all his co-workers into quarantine after another worker had brought the smallpox virus home from the Super Bowl. Then he’d been to the Smoke’s house to pick up their friend Matt, who’d died from the same virus. It was then that Chad met the man and would be forever grateful he had. Jeffries had given him a bio suit which remained unused until Carol caught the pox a few years later. Remembering he had it, Chat gave it to the town veterinarian turned doctor, and he’d put it to use, helping care for Carol and other townsfolk who were afflicted with the second wave of the disease.
After the bombs, Jeffries made his way to Atlanta where he’d lived. There was nothing left of his home and he never found any indication to show any of his family had survived. Afterwards, he’d wandered aimlessly for some time, eventually ending up in Philmont and became part of the settlement’s medical staff.
Chad watched the group hurry towards the infirmary, then glanced at Carol and jerked his head toward their cabin. They started walking, and Howie fell in beside Chad. Chad glanced at him and asked, “So what are you doing here Howie? I figured you’d stay at the place we left you. It seemed like a good place and safe.”
Howie was silent for several steps before he said, “You’ll probably think it’s dumb.”
“Not if you don’t tell me,” Chad said. “So try me, maybe I will and maybe I won’t”.
“Well, uh, I guess I was lonely,” Howie said.
“Lonely? But there were what, around three hundred people living there. How could you be lonely?” Chad asked. “And besides, that girl seemed pretty interested in you.”
“See, I told you you’d think it’s dumb,” Howie said, ignoring the comment about the girl. He didn’t want to tell Chad how it had gone with her once he, Carol, and John moved on.
Carol hardly heard either of them, unable to get Nancy Green out of her mind.
Chad was thinking of Nancy as well, and of just Bob, and how he’d been concerned about him causing trouble for people. It had him more irritated than normal and he snapped out at Howie. “I never said it was dumb, I just don’t know what you’re talking about because you haven’t told me anything.”
“So it looks like you guys have another baby,” Howie said, not addressing Chad’s comments.
Carol came out of her stupor and glowed when she looked down at Faith. “That’s right, you wouldn’t know, would you. This is Faith. She was born early this past winter,” Carol said. She never mentioned Faith had been a twin. It caused too much anguish to think about, and she didn’t need it on top of what had happened to her friend. “So I’m sorry Howie, I didn’t greet you right. I was kind of shocked to see Nancy with your group. She’s a very good friend of mine. How are you and what brings you to Philmont?”
“Well, as I was saying, even though there were a bunch of people back where you guys left me, I got real lonely there, and –”
They’d arrived at the cabin and Chad opened the door and held it open for Carol and Howie to enter. Howie froze and stopped talking when he saw their belongings. “You . . . you’re not leaving or something, are you?” he asked.
Carol saw where he was looking and said, “Yes, we are. We’re leaving for home in two days. So you were going to tell us why you’re here.”
“Oh,” Howie said dejectedly. “I guess I made a mistake.”
“Howie, come on. Why did you come all this way?” Carol asked.
“Well, I know you’ll think it’s dumb, but I’ve been missing my family a lot. And someone passing through told me guys you were here, and well, I wanted to be around family. Even if I never knew you before, you’re the only family I’ve got left. Well you guys and Uncle Dan and Aunt Lisa, but I’ve never met them. So I was hoping I could stay here and be around you guys,” Howie said. He saw Chad’s face change expressions. “See, I told you you’d think it was dumb.”
Chad looked at him without any of the irritation he’d had since seeing Howie in the group at the gate. “No, I don’t think it’s dumb at all Howie. I totally get it.”
“Really?” Howie asked.
“Really,” Chad said.
Howie looked around the small cabin and said, “But I guess it doesn’t matter. You’re leaving here, so I’ll be alone again with a whole bunch of strangers.”
It was quiet for some time and Howie looked like a lost little boy. At last he blurted out, “Let me go with you!”
“What? You realize where we’re going don’t you. Home to us is Idaho, over a thousand miles away and on the other side of the Rockies. It’ll probably take us three or four months to get there. And not a bit of it’ll be easy,” Chad said.
“I know, but I really want to go with you. I need to be around my family, even if you’ve got some real weird ideas,” Howie said. “And it’s not like I haven’t walked a lot of miles since all this started.”
“I’ve got weird ideas? My guns helped keep you fed, helped keep you safe, and if –”
“Chad,” Howie interrupted. “I’m joking. I know we’ll never see eye to eye about some things, but do you know what? I decided it didn’t matter. Not after everything that’s happened.”
Chad studied his face. He seemed sincere. “Okay, IF Carol and I say you can go, and that’s a big if, you have to do what you’re told. There’ll be times I can’t have you debating things. I’m better prepared for what we might face than you are, so my word goes. You got it?”
“But what if –”
“No buts,” Chad stated, staring at him.
“Alright, what you say goes,” Howie mumbled.
“Also, you’ll be in charge of the goat and cart” Chad added. Grudgingly, Chad remembered Howie had been a big help when he’d been with them before, freeing him from the tedium of watching the goat and trailer. After the goat got used to the work and settled down to the job, Carol could handle him. But for a while there, it’d been a big benefit to have Howie along, despite always getting on Chad’s nerves.
“I could do that. He wasn’t so bad after the first two weeks,” Howie said.
Chad turned to Carol with a questioning look. She gave him a barely discernable nod and said, “And you can help me with the kids too.”
Chad studied his cousin more and shook his head slowly. “Well, I guess you get to go on another long trip,” he said. “And Lord help us.”
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by bretf on Apr 18, 2018 10:58:55 GMT
Chapter 9
“Do you think we can see Nancy now?” Carol asked soon after getting out of bed the next morning. She’d tried seeing her friend the previous evening but Jeffries wouldn’t allow it.
“We won’t know until we get there,” Chad said. “I figured I’d go over with you.” He was already up and studying the worn atlas.
“But what about the kids? I don’t want to wake them yet and I’m sure not leaving them alone,” Carol said.
Chad got a mischievous grin and said, “Let me go next door and get your new hand servant over here to keep an eye on them.”
“Don’t be too rough on him. He acts sincere that he really wants to be around us. And he wasn’t even obnoxious,” Carol said.
“Yet. You didn’t add yet to the end, but yeah, you’re right. He did seem different yesterday. Let’s hope it’s not a temporary malady for him and as soon as we get too far from here to send him back, he reverts to his normal self,” Chad said.
“Well, hopefully he really is different and did a lot of growing up. Now let me get dressed and you go get him,” Carol said and removed her nightgown.
Chad stood unmoving, admiring the vision in front of him. “You know, we won’t have a bed this nice for months.”
She smiled at him; he made an excellent point after all. Her body stirred every time he looked at her like that and she loved him even more for it. She’d been sure after she caught the pox, he’d be revolted with her. She should have known better as she never saw anything of the sort in his eyes, only love and desire. And though she wanted him a much as he wanted her at the moment, she’d have to pass on the opportunity.
“Yes. But I also don’t want to start every day with morning sickness or get halfway home and have to stop for the winter to have another baby,” Carol said. “Besides, we don’t have time for what you have on your mind. We’ve got too much to do today to be ready to leave tomorrow. Now get going.”
“You didn’t get morning sickness with Faith, and although it’s a long way home, it’s not that long, and I think we could take enough time out of our busy schedule,” Chad said hopefully.
“I didn’t get sick with Faith, but I did with John if you remember. Now go get Howie.”
“Spoilsport,” Chad said and pulled his coat on. He paused before opening the door for one last hungry look, gave a heavy theatrical sigh, and went outside.
She almost gave in because of his pointed look. His looks turned her to mush inside.
He rapped lightly on the door of the nearest cabin. It had been temporarily empty and had been assigned to Howie for the two nights he’d be in Philmont. “Hey Howie, it’s time to start earning you keep,” he said and tapped again. He was reaching to tap a third time and repeat himself when the door opened and his hand swung in empty air.
“Hi Chad,” Howie said with a big yawn. One hand rubbed his eyes while the other hand kept his unsecured pants from falling down. “You sure get up early.” The sky was light but the sun hadn’t peeked over the horizon as yet.
“Yes I do, and I’ll get up even earlier when we’re on the road. Plus, you and I will be taking turns pulling guard duty during the night. So is getting up early going to be a problem?” Chad asked.
“No, I’ll manage. So what do you need me to do?” Howie asked.
“Carol and I are going up to the infirmary to see Nancy Green, the woman your group found. We need you to sit in with the kids while we’re gone,” Chad sad.
“Alright, just let me get my socks and shoes and jacket on and I’ll be over,” Howie said.
“Carry them, and put them on in our cabin,” Chad said. Although Carol had asked him not to be harsh with Howie, he wanted to see right off if his cousin would do as he was told without argument. If he balked, it’d be a lot better to leave him at Philmont than leave him somewhere along the road.
“Alright, I’ll just grab them,” Howie said and stepped away from the door. “But I will take enough time to button my pants,” he added.
Chad wasn’t sure if he was satisfied or disappointed by Howie obeying instantly. He was puzzling over his own thoughts when he heard someone approaching him from behind. He turned to find his friend Marty Garrison there.
“Hey Chad, I was just coming to tell you goodbye and what a pleasure it’s been to know you,” Marty said.
“But why now?” Chad asked. “We’re not leaving until tomorrow. It could’ve waited until later.”
“I doubt I’ll be here to see you off,” Marty said. “A number of us are going after that Bob character, so I had to tell you this morning. So anyway, travel safe. You’re a good man and I’ll miss you.” He extended his hand to Chad.
Rather than take the offered hand, Chad stared to the north for several seconds, then said, “Well why you didn’t say so. Let be grab my kit and I’ll go with you.”
Marty shook his head and said, “No Chad. As much as we’d all like to have you along on this hunt, you can’t go. You’ve got to get to Idaho before winter. Besides, we can manage without you.”
“But you –”
“No buts about it Chad,” Marty said, interrupting him. “You aren’t going. But you know, I expected this from you, you’re such a Boy Scout.”
“What? I’ve never been a Scout,” Chad said.
“Only in name my friend. You live by the Scout Oath and Law. You’re trustworthy, loyal, always willing to help others, like right now. I could go on and name everything else in the oath and law, because it all fits you, and you know it. But now you have to think of your family.”
Chad was ready to argue more but noticed Carol step out of the cabin door, and Howie’s cabin door close noisily behind him. “Good morning Carol,” Marty said. “I just came to tell you all goodbye and wish you well on your travels.”
“Goodbye Marty. I hope you have good travels as well and you catch that beast,” Carol said.
Chad looked surprised. “You knew they were going after just Bob?” he asked.
“Of course I did. You know I hear everything working at the kitchen. I knew and I also knew you’d want to go along if you knew. After hearing you say how we needed to get back home for I don’t know how long, I didn’t want you running off and delaying the trip. Now tell Marty goodbye so we can check on Nancy. And good morning to you as well Howie. The kids are both sleeping and everything should be fine. I just don’t like leaving them alone.”
Howie was shivering from the cold and gave a one-word answer as he hurried to their cabin. “Okay.”
“By the way,” Marty said. “I also wanted to tell you to check with Glen Price. He’s taking a wagon to the sawmill at Cimarron tomorrow. You could catch a ride with him and cut ten miles of walking out of your trip.
“Wow, ten miles from a thousand,” Chad said.
“Yeah, it’s not much, but every little bit helps,” Marty said. He walked close to Chad and wrapped him in a bear hug. “Take care my friend. I’ll miss you,” he said. Letting go, he turned to Carol and said, “Try to keep this Boy Scout from going off and rescuing the downtrodden on your way to Idaho. He’ll need close supervision to stay on track.” With that, he turned and walked towards the group of horsemen approaching.
Chad watched him, wanting to follow, then turned and looked at his beautiful wife. He never noticed the pox marks, always looking past them. She smiled and said, “I know Chad, you want to go along. That’s one of the reasons I love you so much. But this time you can’t go. We have to get John and Faith back home. Now let’s go see Nancy.” She’d covered the distance to him while she talked, took his hand, squeezed and pulled him to follow her.
Chad went along, but he glanced several times at the group leaving, wishing he was with them. There were eight men and three dogs in the group. Carol read his thoughts and said, “They can manage without you Hon. They’ll find that creep and hang him and it’ll be over.”
Chad said a silent prayer she was right as they walked.
They entered the infirmary and a young woman greeted them. “Good morning Carol, Chad. Nancy woke a while ago and Frank said you could talk to her when you came in, but only for a little bit. She’s in a lot of pain and we’ve given her what we can to ease it.” She stood from the desk and led them to a small room.
Nancy Green lay on a bed on her side, nearly unrecognizable. Bandages covered every bit of her that wasn’t covered by the sheet except her battered and bruised face. Carol hurried to the bedside, wanting to hold her friend’s hand or rest her hand somewhere, but couldn’t see a spot to do it. Instead she put her hands on the sheet, clutching it tightly. “Nancy, it’s Carol,” she said.
Nancy opened her eyes, glazed by pain and the medicine she’d been given. Lacking medicines of the past, the settlement had resorted to home grown pain relief, growing cannabis and opium poppies. The need had caused quite the controversy based on Philmont’s history with Boy Scouts, but in the end, it’d been decided they needed limited production of the drugs for medical purposes. So far, they’d been closely controlled.
“Oh Nancy, I’m so sorry this happened to you,” Carol said softly.
“Carol, he . . . he killed Jimmy,” Nancy rasped. “And then he . . . he . . .” She brought her right hand out from under the sheet and wiped across her face.
Carol was glad to see the hand wasn’t bandaged and took it between both of hers. “Nancy, you can get over this but it’ll be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.” She turned and told Chad, “Get me a chair please. I want to sit here with her for a while.”
“Nancy,” she continued, “I’m going to tell you a story about myself and what helped me.”
Chad placed the chair beside the bed and squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll see you later,” he said softly and left, pulling the door closed behind him.
Carol sat down and said, “I . . . well, there was a boy back home and he was always . . . ” Carol talked for a long time about Rory Young and what he did to her, and what she did to get over it. Carol had never told anyone but Chad about it and telling it brought too many raw memories to the surface, more vividly than seeing Bob had caused. But she knew she had to tell Nancy before they left the following morning. The young women shared many tears during the telling. At the end she told Nancy of her resolve to never be a victim again and the steps she’d taken to make certain of it.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by bretf on Apr 20, 2018 0:43:02 GMT
Chapter 10
The top of the sun was just peeking over the horizon as Chad picked John up and set him in the bed of the wagon. Howie looked half asleep as he climbed into the wagon box and sat down next to John. Chad and Carol took more time. Several people had come to see them off. They’d formed strong friendships and gained a lot of respect for their strong work ethic in the time they’d been at Philmont. There was no shortage of hugs and tears before Glen Price said he needed to get going.
Faith was in a sling at Carol’s chest, and Chad helped her onto the wagon seat before climbing into the box. Their packs were in the rear of the wagon, as well as their cart. The goat was on a lead attached to the back. It looked as sullen with the early start as Howie. Price looked back and made sure everyone was situated, spoke to the four horse team while raising the lines in his hands and letting them snap across the horses’ rumps, and the wagon lurched into motion. It only took three feet before the forward motion was smooth as the team found their rhythm. The ride wasn’t as smooth, as the wagon box was affixed solidly to the axels. The only springs were on the driver’s seat. At least the wheels were rubber, not the iron and wood wagon wheels used on some of the Philmont wagons. Still, as the wagon bounced over dips and holes in the road, several sent jolts up Chad’s spine. He wondered if it might have been easier to walk those first ten miles. He glanced at Carol on the seat, the springs absorbing the jolts, and decided it was worth it. Any respite they could get would be welcome.
Unable to sleep as he’d hoped, Howie asked, “So do you really think it’ll take us three or four months to get to your home Chad?”
“You know, I’ve asked myself that same question and done the math hundreds of times,” Chad said. “We never traveled with two kids before, only John, so I’m not sure how far we’ll be able to go in a day. Also, I have no idea what it’ll be like for food along the way. We have a fair amount with us,” he said pointing at their packs, “But nowhere near enough to see us all the way home. So, as well as I can determine, I think at the very best, we need to count on two months. And we all know we can’t count on the very best and things will pop up more often than not. So I’m adding another month for the what ifs.”
“Wow, three months. And I thought it was a long walk getting here. That was only twenty days,” Howie said.
“Do you want to change your mind?” Chad asked. “I’m sure Glen would give you a ride back to Philmont and you could make a home and life there.”
Howie didn’t respond right away, thinking over what Chad said. “Do you want me to stay,” he finally asked quietly. “Because I will if you don’t want me to go with you. I know I tend to get under your skin.”
Chad thought Howie sounded more vulnerable than at any time since he’d known his cousin. And irritating or not, he was family. “Naw,” he said, “I’ve resigned myself to the fact you’re coming along. And I’m hopeful you’ll be a help to Carol with the kids and goat, giving me more opportunity to scout ahead. I just wish you were willing to shoot a gun if we need you to. There’s no telling what we’re going to run into.”
Again Howie was quiet for a long time. The wagon bounced over a rough patch of the road, seeming to jar him out of his thoughts. “I will if I have to, use a gun I mean. But you know I don’t like guns, and I don’t know much about them. You’ll have to teach me,” he said.
“I don’t know,” Chad said, grinning at him. “I might have to rethink it. It might be more dangerous to all of us if you have a gun.”
Howie was quiet for some time and then burst out laughing.
“What?” Chad asked.
Still chuckling, Howie asked, “Do you remember that movie, The Christmas Story?”
It was Chad’s turn to be quiet while he tried to remember. So much had happened in the time since he’d been able to sit and watch a movie. The idea seemed other-worldly. He was sure he’d seen the movie Howie mentioned, he just had to remember it. Like most Christmas movies, he’d probably seen it several times. Suddenly, he laughed as well at remembering and quoted, “You’ll shoot your eye out kid.” He and Howie looked at each other, both enjoying the moment. Carol turned in her seat and looked at them, smiling. “I guess it’ll be my job to keep that from happening,” Chad said.
“You know, a BB gun wasn’t the only risk to my eye-sight according to my mom,” Howie said, the corners of his mouth curling up. “She told me if I didn’t stop doing something else I’d go blind. I asked her if I could at least keep it up until I needed glasses.”
Chad looked at him, totally confused, although it sounded like something Nick would tell him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.
Howie wasn’t sure if he really didn’t know or was just messing with him. But he really thought he’d finally stumped his cousin and howled with laughter.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by themotherhen on Apr 20, 2018 4:09:35 GMT
bretf, thanks for the continuation of your story. I appreciate it very much!
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Post by bretf on Apr 22, 2018 12:02:16 GMT
Chapter 11
The ride to the sawmill took under three hours. Chad was sure he could’ve walked it faster on his own, but not with the family along. Plus, they were all rested, and Howie and John had both slept part of the trip.
“Thanks for the ride Glen,” he said to the wagon driver. “But are you sure you don’t want to see Idaho? It’d be alright with us if we kept going.”
Glen returned his grin and said, “Oh, if only this was a truck and gas stations were everywhere along the way. Then I’d be happy to take you. I always wanted to get to the Pacific North-Wet, but never managed. Now I suppose I never will.”
“Well, you might have been disappointed with our area if you thought we were in the wet portion. Our home is actually in a pretty dry area, just instead of cactus like around here, we have lots of sagebrush. In fact, there’s a lot more rain here than we ever got,” Chad said.
“I’d still like to see it,” Price said. He held out his hand and shook all around. “Now you all better get to walking and I better get this wagon loaded up.”
Chad and Howie already had their packs on and Howie was holding the goat, harnessed to the cart. Carol also had a pack, but it was much smaller than the men’s, and she had Faith slung in front of her chest. Chad carried his AK47 in his right hand and a staff in his left, and Carol had their high caliber air rifle slung over one shoulder. With a wave, they started walking. John was excited to go and scampered ahead of them. Chad wanted to tell him to take it easy and not tire himself out but kept quiet. They were sure to face tense times on the trip and if John needed to vent pent up energy, it was fine. They’d put him in the cart once he tired enough.
Cimarron had a small population, all located in the old, historic part of town south of the river. The north side, where the state highway ran, was different. It hadn’t been occupied in years and looked like a ghost town as they passed by silent, dilapidated buildings. Many of the buildings had been scavenged, windows and building materials taken and hauled off to be resurrected elsewhere. It was a common sight from Chad and Carol’s travels.
“Do you remember how we have to walk?” Chad asked Howie as they walked down the silent blacktop road.
“Oh yeah, sorry,” he said, and he and Carol stopped walking. Chad also stopped and knelt in front of John. “Okay Buddy, I need you to walk with Mom now, alright? And if you get tired, you can get in the cart.”
“Wan walk wi you,” John said.
“I know you do Buddy, but Mom might need you to help with your sister. Would you do that for me please?” Chad asked.
John got a pouty look on his face and said, “Don’ wan to but will.
“Thanks Buddy,” Chad said, stood and walked away alone. When traveling in unknown areas, Chad insisted on wide spaces between each of them, making them tougher targets if they were ever ambushed. When Chad was several yards ahead, Carol and John followed. Howie let an equal space form before he started walking again. The goat seemed content to wait and then walk at his side.
Nearly a mile out of town, Chad stopped and let the others catch up. He noticed John was riding in the goat cart. Pointing at the highway sign, he said, “I think we’ll shoot for Eagle Nest for the night, and Taos for the next.” The sign was a mileage marker reading “Eagle Nest 25, Angel Fire 36, Taos 56”. According to all the information Chad had gathered, the two days to Taos should go smooth for them. He’d talked with several travelers who’d come from Taos and all indicated it was safe traveling through the region. Chad said a silent prayer it remained safe beyond the town.
Howie looked grimly at the sign. “You know, it might be better not to see those signs. Twenty-five miles might not seem like much in the grand scheme, but man, it is. When I was traveling with that group to find you guys, we saw some of those signs. And each one was a horrible reminder of how far we still needed to walk,” he said.
“So you’re still a glass half-empty kind of guy, huh?” Chad asked.
“I don’t know,” Howie said. “Maybe, maybe not. But I know if you’re walking day in and day out, twenty-five miles is a long way. And this is just the first day of two or three months.”
“Yeah, it’s a long way on foot, but we’ve done it before,” Chad said.
“I guess,” Howie said.
In the old days when cars sped down the roads, traveling twenty-five miles wouldn’t have been a big deal. In fact, a couple of the men who’d worked with Chad’s dad commuted that far each day. But on foot with a toddler and an infant, following a few months of staying in one place, it turned out to be grueling. After walking down a long seemingly never-ending stretch of straight road, the highway began to climb and the hills closed in on each side. It was beautiful, with high rock cliffs and evergreen trees towering above the snow covered slopes. First Carol and then Chad experienced leg pain as unused muscles protested at the effort. John got out and walked on occasion but always tired quickly and returned to the cart, letting the goat take him up the long winding road. It was disheartening to Chad that Howie was doing the best of all of them as he was more accustomed to travel. Howie had had a hard time even keeping up in the past.
Chad knew from talking with Frank Jefferies it was lactic acid causing the leg pain so he called several breaks and slowed the pace. And the road continued to climb. Already at a high elevation when they started, they climbed steadily throughout the day until they were over eight thousand feet above sea level. It was a cold walk with snow encroaching to the side of the blacktop and covering the road’s surface in many shaded spots. It didn’t take long at each break before they were chilled and had to start walking again to warm back up. And through the long day Chad was chagrined that his goofy cousin and the goat were handling the walk best of all of them.
Finally, with the sun hidden behind the mountains to the west and the temperature plummeting with its absence, they saw Eagle Nest Lake in the distance. “Let’s stop for the night at the first good spot we see,” Chad said. “We can build a small fire to heat some food, but after that, I want to have a cold camp.”
Carol simply nodded, numb from the long day of travel. Chad wanted to get her and John fed as quickly as possible and into bed.
“Howie, after we eat, are you good for the first watch?” Chad asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” he said.
“Okay, you go to that rock outcrop and settle in while I set up camp and get something warm to eat. I’ll bring you some food as soon as I can. Then you and I will have to trade off on watch depending on which of us can stay awake.”
Before going to the spot Chad indicated, Howie got the goat free of the cart and took its harness off. He gave it a quick rub down with an old cloth before the goat attacked some nearby brush, stripping the tender branches off and munching them contentedly. Chad watched his cousin walk away. It was only the first day, but Howie had surprised him. Maybe he wouldn’t be so bad traveling after all.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by bretf on Apr 25, 2018 18:02:12 GMT
Chapter 12
A dark shape moved like a ghost out of the shadows and rapidly crossed the open grass area and slipped into the Philmont dining hall. It paused just inside the doorway. Despite watching the building for over a half hour and not detecting any signs of life, the figure waited, standing still and making sure the building wasn’t occupied. Moonlight shone through the windows, lighting the room enough the man could make out the tables and chairs but no occupants. With his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he moved in near silence into the kitchen area. It was darker there with no windows to let the moonlight in and the man paused again, straining to see. Unable to make out anything, he took the windup flashlight out of his pocket and clicked it on.
He located the large cooler unit, a darker shape in the dark room, and moved over to it. A prep table was just past the cooler and he set his pack on it and pulled out a canvas duffle bag. “Jackpot,” he whispered when he pulled the cooler door open and looked inside. The shelves were stacked with meat and cheese, eggs and butter, cottage cheese and milk, fresh vegetables from the greenhouses. He filled the bag as fast as he could, avoiding the fresh eggs and liquids.
Studying the shelves more carefully, the man called Bob pulled off one more half-slab of bacon and forced it into the bag. Seeing he couldn’t fit anything else into it, he tied the drawstring and stepped to the door. He froze, and it wasn’t from the temperature in the cooler. Voices were coming from the dining hall, and getting louder. His thumb pressed the light’s switch, plunging him into total darkness. The glow of an oil lamp accompanied the voices. He looked into the dark room, desperately searching for a place to hide, but couldn’t make out a thing without his light and the voices were too close to chance turning it on again. There was no way he could get out of the cooler and hide in time so he pulled the door closed and retreated to the back. After bouncing off a hind quarter of beef hung from a hook, he clicked the light on for an instant. The beef offered the only cover in the cooler so he stood behind it and stuffed his bag under the lowest shelf. Clicking his light off, he held it in his left hand and pulled his long knife from the sheath. If he was discovered, he’d shine the light directly in the person’s eyes to blind them and cut their throat, just like he’d sliced the throat of the man on the road. Fast, with no time for reaction. A part of him longed to be discovered, to feel the warm blood and smell it as it flowed out of the woman’s body. He hadn’t had near enough time with the last woman before that group of people came along and stopped him, and he wanted to kill again, to take the time and savor it. But he couldn’t savor it here, not the right way. It had to be slow and drawn out, to slowly draw the life out of the woman. Just like his of a mother had sucked the life out of him before he’d broken free as she tried to complete her crazed plan with her razor. It’d been glorious, seeing the terror on her face, in her eyes, when she realized what she’d created after he wrestled the razor from her, both of them bleeding from several slashes. He held the razor out and she cowered in fear. To think only moments before she’d had the audacity to think she could turn him into half a man. She paid dearly for that, and for everything leading up to that moment. May she burn in Hell!
Bob shook his head, trying to clear the image of his dying, bleeding mother from his mind and focus on the present. Maybe he could take a woman with him, get away from Philmont and savor it. His mouth watered with anticipation. He could nearly taste it. His pulse rate quickened and he began to sweat despite the cold.
“I hope you’re right and warm milk will work to get him to fall asleep. He’s getting me frazzled,” a woman said in an exasperated tone as the door to the cooler opened. One woman stepped into the cooler and another stood at the open door holding the light. Bob’s hand tightened on his knife handle and he tensed his legs to leap.
“I’m sure it’s just what he needs. It always worked for mine when they were little,” the woman holding the light said.
The first woman took a jar of milk from the shelf, turned and closed the door. Bob relaxed slightly, then remembered his pack was sitting on a table. Feeling his way, he went to the door and put his ear against it. It was too thick and he couldn’t hear anything through it. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to picture the room beyond the cooler. Though he’d been focused on the cooler, he’d noted the layout of the rest of the room. If the women heated the milk there in the kitchen, their backs should be to him. It would be chancy, but there was a possibility he could slip out, grab the pack, and get under the table his pack was on. And if not, well it would go bad for the women and he’d have to get out of there faster than he’d planned. He decided it was worth the risk and pushed the door gently.
The women had their backs to him as he’d hoped and he slipped into the room and reached for his pack, but hesitated. It would be so simple to step across the room, kill the older woman, knock the younger one out, and leave with her over his shoulder. But from their conversation, at least one of them, if not both, would be missed. If he took the woman, he’d have to leave the bag of food, and it was the main reason he’d sneaked back to Philmont. His mind made up, he grabbed his pack and slid under the table.
“I can’t believe how tired I got today,” one of the women said. “We sure missed Carol in the kitchen.”
“I never worked with her but it seemed like she always worked hard.”
“She did, and we’ll all miss her here. I hope she has a good trip to Idaho, but I don’t envy her. That’s a long ways to go with two little kids. Mine is bad enough right here in a comfy cabin.”
“It is a long way. I passed through there years ago and we were in a car. I can’t imagine walking all that way with two little ones. But she and Chad have done a lot of traveling the past few years, though it was with only one kid of course. But they should be okay.”
Bob stopped listening, his mind racing. Chad, Carol. Wasn’t that the do-gooder who’d stepped in on his almighty high horse the first day he’d gotten here? So Smoke was gone, he and his wife. She’d be a fun one to play with, especially if he could keep Smoke alive to watch. He wanted to hear the do-gooder howl, to show him what happened when he stuck his nose into other people’s business. It would’ve happened sooner or later anyway if he’d been able to stay around. Smoke would’ve had an accident, and then his wife would’ve disappeared. But this was even better. Now they were on the road, heading into the middle of nowhere. His hand relaxed on the knife and his pulse rate returned to normal as his face twisted in a cross between a smile and a grimace. Those two women had just been granted a longer life as long as they didn’t see him there.
“Carol said they were going to try to get to Eagle Nest tomorrow and Taos the next day. That sure is a long way to walk in two days.”
“Yeah, and that’s just the start. Marty told me Chad thought it would take them two or three months to get home.”
Bob zoned out again, and started planning his trip away from Philmont. He’d walk most of the night to get away from the compound, but he didn’t think those fools looking for him would come close. It was all he could do not to laugh when he thought about them futilely hunting for him. Hell, he’d watched them when they rode out of the settlement, the clueless saps. Surely they’d expect him to run from where he’d killed the man, and he had, just not in any direction they expected. He’d ran straight back to Philmont while they went on a snipe hunt. It couldn’t have worked out any better. Now it was time to go hunting. It’d been several years since he’d anticipated anything near as much.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by themotherhen on Apr 25, 2018 22:22:47 GMT
They should have taken care of Bob when they had the chance. Misplaced compassion can get people killed in a world like that.
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Post by meandtk on Apr 26, 2018 4:39:03 GMT
This is becoming a nail biter!
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Post by bretf on Apr 28, 2018 21:48:55 GMT
Chapter 13
“I’m glad to see you didn’t shoot your eye out,” Chad told Howie as they ate their cold breakfast. Howie rubbed the aforementioned eyes and yawned.
On the wagon ride from Philmont, Chad had given Howie a Ruger .22 pistol and a lesson on how to use it. All through the lesson, Howie paid rapt attention, and then did as Chad instructed, but Chad could tell he was uncomfortable handling the gun. Neither fired the weapon as Chad didn’t think it would be a good idea with the team pulling the wagon. There was no telling how they’d react, but chances were, it wouldn’t be good. Chad prayed they’d never get into a life or death situation where they needed Howie to fire it. It was probably more dangerous to the family than to anyone they may encounter to have his cousin armed. But its presence might help scare someone off.
“So can you get the cart and goat taken care of Howie? I want to scout ahead a ways,” Chad said.
“Me go wi you Dad?” John asked, not giving Howie a chance to answer.
“Better not this time, Buddy. Stick with your mother for now, and later I can spend some time with you, alright?” Chad said.
John didn’t look happy about the decision. He idolized his dad. His lower lip stuck out and quivered. “We need you with us,” Carol told him. “You can help me with Faith and help Howie with the goat. You’ll be a great help to both of us.” It was the perfect thing to tell him. John had been an incredible big brother, always wanting to help with his baby sister. Sometimes too much of a help.
Chad raised his eyebrow to Howie and his cousin nodded his head and said, “Sure, I can handle it. Me and old Chevon got along pretty well yesterday.”
When Howie traveled with Chad and Carol previously, he’d asked Chad about the goat’s name. Chad laughed and said, “It’s a reminder to him of what will happen if he acts up too much.”
“Huh?” Howie asked.
Chad laughed again and said, “It’s derived from the French word, chevré, which means goat. Chevon is goat meat. I’ve told him what’ll happen to him if he doesn’t pull the cart for us, though I’m not sure he understood it.” Howie had laughed along with him then.
“Sure, go on ahead,” Howie said. “John and I can handle the goat and cart.”
“Alright,” Chad said. He looked at all his family sitting there. Man, I hope I’m not messing up here, he thought. “So you guys are good here if I go on ahead?” he asked out loud. Even though the road was reportedly safe, he wanted to scout it first.
Carol stood and took both his hand in hers. “We’ve got this Hon. You go ahead and make sure it’s safe out there,” she said. She pulled him into an embrace and they stood there for a long time clinging to each other.
When they separated, they stared into each other’s eyes. “You be careful. I love you,” Chad said and his eyes strayed to John and Faith.
“And the same back to you,” Carol said. “We all need you, so no risks. Promise.”
Chad returned her gaze and said, “All the info I got said it was clear to Taos. So there’s nothing to worry about,” he said.
“Whatever, but still be careful,” Carol said and pulled him back into a hug.
When they separated, Chad gave her a long kiss, then knelt in front of John. “You take care of your sister and help Mom, alright Buddy,” he said. “And Howie needs a lot of help.”
John got a serious look on his young face and said, “Me do Dad. Me help Oowie,”
Chad might’ve laughed in other circumstances, but he couldn’t at the moment, not while going on ahead and leaving his family behind. He gave John a quick hug, then stood and shouldered his pack. A lump formed in his throat when he looked at them. “I better go,” he croaked and faded into the pre-dawn gloom. He hated leaving his family, HATED IT, but he had to.
As had been reported, the road towards Taos was free of incident as he walked down the empty highway. He stopped several times and allowed his family to catch up. Each time he did, he stressed and fretted while he waited. Something must have happened. I can’t be that far ahead. I’ve gotta go find them. And each time when he’d run out of patience, he’d only taken a few steps back when he saw Carol approaching in the distance.
The first time they caught up to him, he pulled Carol and John into a tight hug. “Don’t crush Faith,” Carol said with a half-smile, although she’d been as worried about him. When they separated, Howie was getting close. “You good?” Chad asked him.
“So far, so it looks like we aren’t eating goat tonight,” Howie said.
Chad studied him more, then gave him a nod. “Good. I kinda like the knucklehead. So let’s take a while for you guys to rest.” Chad grinned ruefully, remembering the friend he’d traveled with for a while. Coop used to say, “Let’s take ten.” It’d been years since Chad had a functional watch and the term had become just a vague notion to him. He might rest for ten minutes, or five or twenty, he had no idea of knowing. How rested he felt dictated when it was time to start again.
He walked to the cart, absently scratching the goat as he passed. Chevon raised his head from the brush he’d started eating the moment Howie stopped, looked at Chad, then went back to it. Chad took a water skin from the cart and passed it around, followed by strips of dried meat. “It should be easier from here. The road starts going downhill. In fact, we’ll drop almost as far as we climbed yesterday.”
“I hope so,” Carol said and pointed at the sign at the side of the road. “But are you sure it’ll be easier? It looks like we might have to slow down some.” The sign she pointed out was a yellow sign with a black arrow warning of a curve ahead. Below it, was a smaller sign indicating 40 MPH as the safe speed to take the turn.
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Chad said. “Slow down to forty.”
He studied Carol and then Howie. It was obvious Carol could use some rest, and Howie too, though he didn’t show the fatigue she did. The previous day had been tough , but hopefully with the gravity assist, they’d all hold up and make their target for the day. After taking a drink from the water skin, Chad sat on the road and leaned against his pack. John hurried over and sat on his legs; his legs that ached from the previous day. Chad gave a silent groan. Out loud he said, “How are you doing Buddy? Are you holding up okay?”
“Me do good, help Oowie an ride in cart,” he said.
“Good boy. Oowie needs all the help he can get.” Chad flashed Howie a grin and shrugged his shoulders, “Though it looks like he’s doing well.” Better than I am, he silently grumbled.
Faith had woken with the ceased motion and started fussing. Carol checked her diaper, then opened her coat and put the baby to her breast. Faith emitted contented grunts as she nursed.
All too soon, Chad’s strip of meat was gone and he stood to start on his way. “Love you,” he said and walked away with heavy steps.
#
Chad stopped beside the highway mileage sign squinting at it through the falling snow and considered what Howie had said when they left Cimarron. Still five miles to Taos, and though he longed to get there before nightfall, he decided it would be impossible to make it. Soon after midday, clouds had gathered. Not long after, light snowflakes began to fall, thickening as the day went on. Visibility dropped with the snow and he couldn’t see more than a hundred yards ahead of him. The heavy cloud cover blotted out the sun and he wasn’t even sure how much longer the meager light would last; plodding along into the swirling whiteness had left him disoriented. He looked back the way he’d come and saw his tracks were quickly filling up. He grimaced and came to a decision.
Chad started walking back the way he’d come as fast as he could go. It would've been nice to make it to Taos; an acquaintance of his, Clay Lloyd, had offered him a place to stay when he passed through. But that would have to wait for a day. For the present, he had to find his family.
Despite the stinging snowflakes, he moved his eyes constantly from one side of the road to the other and to the road ahead as he walked. He needed to find a place for them to shelter for the night. He HAD to find shelter. It might be the end of their journey nearly where they’d started if they were caught out in the raging storm.
He emitted a heavy sigh of relief when he made out dark shapes in the road approaching him. Though it was counter to his instructions, he was pleased to see Howie and the goat trudging along with Carol. John was a lump snuggled in the cart.
“Chad!” Carol said, in a relieved, half-cry when she saw him.
“Hey,” he said. His voice shook with the single word, his relief at finding his family so strong. Gaining his composure, in a steadier voice he said, “I guess we won’t make Taos today after all. I passed a place a little way back I think we can stay at. The barn looks sound so we can get out of the storm there.”
Chad led the way to the home he’d picked to take refuge from the storm. As they walked down the driveway past the house, he considered it. Several windows were broken out and the front door was ajar. The house might offer the most comfort, but he kept going to the barn. There may be something in it Chevon could eat and there was no way he’d leave the goat out there alone and unprotected. He was just too valuable for that.
Once through the barn’s door and out of the snow, they were engulfed by blackness and couldn’t make out a thing. “Give me a bit and I’ll light a candle,” Chad said. He got on his knees beside his pack, and by feel, located his fire kit in a side pocket. He took out a beef tallow candle and placed it between his knees, and then put a small bird nest of tinder on it. Fishing back into the fire kit, he found his flint and steel. His first sparks missed the tinder but allowed him to zero in on his target. The second stroke found the mark and he raised the candle and blew softly on it. The glowing ember flared to life and ignited the candle wick. The pungent smell of burning fat wafted off it.
“Let’s unhook Chev first,” Chad said.
He smiled when John jumped to his side to help. “You hold light Dad, I hook,” John said. His tiny hands attacked the buckles while Howie worked on the other side. Despite John’s best efforts, Chad had to help him release his side.
When the goat was loose, Chad led the way to inspect the barn. One corner had a small mound of hay. “Can we spread it out and sleep on it?” Howie asked.
Chad lowered his candle to look closer. Mouse and rat feces were everywhere in it. “No, we better not. I don’t want to disturb it at all. There’s too big a chance of hantavirus.”
“Oh,” Howie said dejectedly. Chad noted Chevon sniffed the hay and refrained from eating any. That told him volumes.
“Wha hanaviwus Dad?” John asked.
“It’s a disease you can get from mouse and rat poop and pee. It makes you very sick, or worse,” Chad said. “That’s why we don’t want to mess with it at all. You breath it if it gets disturbed.”
“Oh,” John said, echoing Howie’s answer moments earlier.
They continued around the room. A large area had old, dried out horse manure scattered about. Further on, they found an area of packed dirt free from feces. “We can set up our camp here,” Chad said. “And I think I saw a down tree out there. C'mon Howie, let’s see if we can get some of it in here and build a fire. John, you stay with Mom.” He handed the candle to Carol and he and Howie went out into the storm.
Chad was glad for the candle burning steadily when he worked on getting the fire started. The tree had been dead for some time but had soaked up a lot of moisture over the winter and required the constant flame to ignite. Eventually, he had a steady flame going, the wood hissing as the moisture burned off. He added larger and larger branches until a fair part of the barn was lit up. The blazing fire raised their spirits as well. Soon they’d eaten a warm meal and sprawled out on their bedding, the adults with hot cups of tea cradled in their hands. John was snuggled against his dad sleeping, exhausted after two days of travel. Chevon stripped bark off the firewood for his meal.
Chad considered the day. Only two days out of Philmont and they’d already been delayed. He knew there were sure to be more obstacles on the way, but he wished they could’ve made it further before the first change in plans. Still, he’d expected to run into storms along the way and it wasn’t a bad spot to spend the night. “Well, it’s not a house in Taos, but we could be somewhere a whole lot worse,” he mused.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by cccindy on Apr 30, 2018 5:27:27 GMT
More than Bob or Hantavirus, at this moment I'm worried about Fire. Keeping us on our toes, Bret. Thanks!
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Post by bretf on May 4, 2018 12:50:24 GMT
Chapter 14
The man called Bob looked through the low branches of the pine tree he’d sheltered under and cussed at the rotten snow and his bad luck. He hadn’t gotten as far from Philmont as he wanted before he faltered and had to hole up for some rest. Despite his exhaustion, rest didn’t come easily. He’d woke nearly immediately, the nightmare vivid in his mind. It always seemed to find him when he slept in a place with tight confines.
In the dream, he was back in the eight by eight cell on death row. Always back in that rotten hole. “Hey dirtbag,” the guard yelled. “It’s time to fry your sorry ass, now assume the position you piece of crap!”
The guard was friends with the father of one of his victims and tormented him mercilessly to the extent he could get away with it. At least this day would end the torment, though Bob wished he could have just five minutes alone with the goon before they strapped him down and put the needle in his arm. The man had made what life he had in the tight cage a living hell.
Bob had tried to get away from the man through the legal process but failed. Actually, he didn’t think his attorney even tried, in fact, he didn’t think his attorney tried to defend him from day one. He seemed to get queasy every time he talked about the crimes he was trying to get Bob acquitted for.
So Bob changed his tactics in dealing with the guard. Each time he was taunted, he filled the guard in on some of the grislier details of the girl’s death. It’d yielded bittersweet results. The first two times, the man turned white, tucked his tail and ran. The next time was different. The moment the guard opened the cell door for Bob’s one hour of the day outside, he started in. Bob responded with a particularly intimate detail of the young woman’s death. He never saw the fist coming, and afterwards all he knew was pain, severe, agonizing pain. The guard nearly killed him. He woke in the infirmary, still feeling pain everywhere. They wouldn’t even give him drugs to numb it. It seemed the guard was well liked and a recording of what Bob said to incite him was shared around. But at least the guard got a suspension and Bob got out of his cell for a while. Both were short lived and the guard returned, taunting him, reminding him how he was going to die soon. It was ironic, he thought; it was considered a crime when he killed, yet the state was killing him. Ironic indeed.
In the nightmare, as it had in real life, the day had come, and Bob stood outside the death chamber facing his own death. He made the first step into the room and the nightmare ended there as it always did, Bob waking sweat covered, his heart hammering and unable to catch his breath.
The dream always ended too soon, always before his salvation. After taking the first step into the room, he couldn’t go any further. He was frozen in place looking at the room where he would die. The guard on his left, the goon, shoved him savagely. He stumbled forward as the lights went out and the ground heaved under him, jarring his senses back to awareness. One emergency light came on in the hallway as Bob was moving. He didn’t take the five minutes with the guard he’d longed for, but he took long enough, then located the keys to his shackles. The devil had sent him salvation and he didn’t plan to waste his second chance.
After waking from the nightmare several times, Bob finally slept soundly, too soundly. When he woke again, it was snowing, and had been for some time as evidenced by the amount that’d piled up outside his tree cover. With no way of knowing how long the storm would last, he considered his options. He cussed again as he looked at the accumulating snow. He had two choices, neither very good.
He could leave as the storm raged and hope he could get some distance away before holing up again. If he did that, his tracks would be covered and he’d be further from Philmont and the hunters. Maybe the storm would blow over quickly and he’d be far away with all traces of being there erased. But he didn’t like the idea. It was too chancy moving in the heavy storm, fully exposed, and it might last for a day or two. He’d seen it happen often enough.
His other choice was to stay in place and weather the storm. But he was closer to Philmont than he liked and would leave tracks if he left as soon as the storm blew over; tracks that could be found by other people. Maybe the snow would melt fast, giving him the chance to travel without leaving tracks. It did happen with spring storms. He cussed again as he stared into blinding whiteness.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by cccindy on May 4, 2018 13:23:17 GMT
Wow, dark stuff, but not unexpected. Thank you!
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Post by bretf on May 7, 2018 15:36:06 GMT
Chapter 15
Carol was surprised to see daylight streaming into the barn when she woke. It wasn’t like Chad to stay in bed late when they were traveling. Trying not to disturb Faith where she was nestled against her breast, she rolled over and felt a cold void instead of his comforting warmth. Okay, he wasn’t in bed, but he’d allowed the rest of them to sleep late. She rose up enough to see more of the barn and located him. He’d rekindled the fire and was sitting cross-legged on the ground near it with his head bent down, working on something in his lap with his knife. Their battered black pot was beside the fire, steaming.
She must have made a noise, because he looked up and smiled at her. “Hey, good morning Sweetheart. Did you sleep well?” he asked quietly. He smiled and raised his eyebrows, at the incredible sight in front of him.
She sat up more and pulled her night shirt closed. He shot her a pouty look, making her smile at him in return. “Yeah, I did,” she said, equally quiet. “But why didn’t you get us up so we could get started?”
He pointed to the door. “It was still spitting snow when I got up. I went out and looked around and it looked like it was clearing up in the direction we’re going, so I figured we might as well wait it out. Besides, I needed to make these,” he said and raised his workpiece to his face. “We just have to keep them out of Chevon’s reach.”
“Oh, yeah, good idea,” she said.
Chad held a thin piece of pliable bark over his face. It had a notch to fit abound his nose and thin slits over each eye. One time of being nearly blinded by the snow was enough for him, and anytime they spent any length of time exposed to snow and bright sunshine, he made snow goggles. He’d mentally kicked himself when he went outside and realized he hadn’t thought to make some before they left Philmont. “I’ve got two of the big ones made, so I have one more and John’s yet to do. I wanted him to be awake though, so I could hold it to his face and make sure everything lines up right.”
“Should I get him up so you can fit them?” she asked.
“Naw, let’s let him sleep a little longer. I’ll get the last big one made first.”
“Well the extra rest is appreciated. I know it’s only been two days, but I was give out yesterday. So, what are you thinking for today, are we going out into it or did you want to hole up here?” Carol asked.
“I’ve considered it quite a bit since I’ve been up. I don’t like the idea of going ahead of you guys very far and leaving tracks for someone to find. And these things,” he held up the piece of bark, “They protect the eyes, but at the same time they limit visibility so much. So I thought we’d have a warm meal and then take off. I’ll stay a lot closer to you than yesterday. It’s going to be slower going with the snow, and we’re sure to be wet after slogging through it, so I’m hoping we can get to Clay’s house today so we can dry everything out,” Chad said.
“Five miles in snow. Well, we’ve done worse,” Carol said.
“That we have, Sweetheart, that we have,” Chad said. But not with an infant and a two year old, he told himself.
Carol soon had a meal prepared and Chad woke John and Howie. He fit the goggles for John’s face and tied them on, thinking about generational differences as he did so. In his time, with television, movies, and comics, kids would’ve thought of the goggles as a super hero mask. It was something John would probably never know about, like so much more of their destroyed world. Chad vowed he’d at least know peace and safety, but they had to get home for that.
With a warm meal in their bellies and everything packed, they started out into nearly eight inches of snow. It was a rough start as the driveway from the barn climbed steeply to the highway. But they all made it, the goat struggling more than the humans, and stopped to catch their breath. Chad had carried John up the driveway and put him in the cart once they were on the road.
“Me wan play in snow Dad,” John said.
“I know you do, but we can’t let you now. Your clothes would get wet and then you’d get cold. We don’t have a place here where you can get warm.”
“We go to barn an fire,” John answered.
“Nope, we’re just going forward now. But if we get to Taos early enough and there’s snow there, you can play in it when we find my friend Clay’s house, alright?” Chad said.
John had a cross look on his face but allowed his dad to put him in the cart.
“At least it should be easier from here, with the highway going mostly downhill,” Chad said. “But look at that. I’m sure glad we didn’t start a day later than we did.” He pointed back up the mountain they’d come from the day before. It was obscured by dark clouds as the snowstorm raged.
Carol said, “Yeah, instead of a barn, we might’ve had to make snow caves if we were up there. And though we’ve stayed warm enough in them, I never particularly liked them.”
“No, but they did protect us during some rough weather,” Chad said. “Now we better get going.” He started out, walking slowly. Howie and Carol each fell in behind him at ten yard intervals. They’d switched positions, Howie next behind Chad so Carol would have the easiest going, following a trail walked in by both men.
It might have been easier going than the driveway, but it wasn’t easy, at least not for Chad and the goat. Besides Chad having to walk continually in unbroken snow, the wheels of the cart were outside their path, making the goat work harder than he had on the other side of the mountain. At least the depth of snow lessened as they descended in elevation. Chad tried not to be impatient about the slowed pace. He’d known there’d be troubles and obstacles. It wasn’t like he and Carol had always had easy traveling in the past.
Though the snow had stopped, the sun was obscured by heavy, gray clouds, so he was walking without his goggles on. He was glad for it as he hated the reduced visibility they afforded. The snow ahead of him remained mostly unbroken, though he did see the tracks of one deer and another time a coyote. It seemed the animals didn’t want to move around and Chad didn’t blame them. If it wasn’t for the pull to get home and the chance to spend the night in comfort, he’d have stayed at the barn for one more day.
After nearly four hours of walking, and still in four inches of snow, they approached Taos. Like all towns Chad had visited in the region, there was a guard post. Chad slung his rifle over his shoulder and held his hands out and approached slowly. “My name’s Chad Smoke. I’ve come from Philmont. Clay Lloyd can vouch for me,” Chad told the guard as he approached.
“Clay Lloyd? I don’t know if I can trust anyone who uses that skunk for a reference,” the man said. “Now come closer so I can get a better look at you.”
Chad was confused. Clay had seemed like a good man, but maybe he’d been a good actor. Or maybe the guard was the shady one of the two. He approached the guard post slowly, not making any sudden movements. The guard stepped out where Chad could see him and Chad twisted his face as he studied the man. There was a strong resemblance. “So, you wouldn’t happen to be related to Clay would you?” he asked.
The corners of the man’s mouth curled up. “Only by birth, so you see why I don’t trust him?” the man asked and extended his hand. “I’m his brother, Claude. He let us all know to expect you once it looked like spring was really here. Though after yesterday, it looks like you’re still a bit early,” he said and indicated all the snow.
“It sure does, but I’ve found in the mountains it can snow any time of the year,” Chad said.
“Aint that the truth. Now call the rest of your group up here and I’ll show you how to find Clay’s house.
They went through the town, like nearly every other town they’d seen, a shell of what it’d been in the past. Empty store fronts faced the road, many with faded signs advertising pottery. John ran alongside his dad, happy to be out of the cart and kicking up snow. At the house Claude had indicated, Chad stopped and looked back in the direction they’d come. The mountains were still wrapped in clouds. “Maybe our timing wasn’t so bad after all. It looks like we’d be stuck in Philmont for some time if we hadn’t got across there when we did.”
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Post by themotherhen on May 7, 2018 19:18:22 GMT
Hopefully the snow slows Bob down! Thanks Bret!
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