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Post by bretf on Jun 19, 2018 2:45:15 GMT
Sounds to me like some Mormons just showed up and just before a "Deliverance-type" moment. You know, I could've gone without this reference, seeing as how I'm taking off in a couple days for a long canoe trip.
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Post by cccindy on Jun 19, 2018 13:45:45 GMT
Bret, have a great time on the canoe trip. Watch the clouds. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to moar...
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Post by bretf on Jun 19, 2018 18:02:34 GMT
Chapter 31
Wes walked a fair part of the way to Monticello leading his horse, as being at the same level made it easier to converse with the Smoke family. But he wasn’t used to walking long distances, so with sore feet and tired legs, he stepped up into his saddle and settled in with a contented sigh. Once settled, he looked back at the family incredulously. “And you’ve been doing this how long?” he asked.
“If I haven’t missed count, which is totally possible, this is day twenty-one,” Chad said.
Howie added, “And I walked twenty days just to get to Philmont two days before we started on this journey.”
Wes shook his head slowly, finding it hard to comprehend so much walking.
“But we haven’t walked all the time,” Chad said. “We took a full day off at Pagosa Springs, rode in a truck out of Taos, and went the first ten miles from Philmont in a wagon. And the last week has been pretty slow going.”
“Wow,” Wes said. “Even with breaks, that’s a lot of walking, and especially in your case,” he said, motioning to Howie. “I know walking is the way of it for most folks nowadays, but wow! So how many more days do you think you have?”
Chad gave a wry chuckle and said, “Monticello isn’t even half way, it’s more like a third of the way home. So if we maintain the same pace, we’re looking at another forty days, give or take.”
Wes let out a low whistle and shook his head. “And I couldn’t even go for one full day,” he said. He continued to talk about their trip, how glad he was it was them and not him. Especially if they crossed the Great Salt Lake Desert, although he wouldn’t want to walk across the mountains into southeastern Idaho either for that matter. He’d been to Bear Lake a few times, and remembered there was a lot of up and downhill travel. He didn’t think he could walk it with a pack on his back, especially not after the walk on the nearly flat highway had worn him out.
As the town came into view, Chad noticed a change in Wes’s demeanor. The easy manner he had with the family evaporated. Chad wasn’t sure if he was nervous about being seen with them or if he wanted to act like the big man in charge again once he was in view of the townspeople. Chad decided it was nervousness when he slumped down in the saddle as he led the procession past the first buildings. After they’d gone a short distance down a side street lined with houses on each side, Wes’s horse turned without being directed by his rider at a modest, white painted house. The paint was cracked and peeling in several places, a result of the unrelenting summer sun in the region.
Wes looked around nervously as he led the way past his house and stopped at a gate and dismounted. “I don’t have any room in the house so you’ll have to stay back here,” he said.
Howie looked around and said, “Horse manure and all.”
“Would you prefer the jail?” Wes snapped.
“No, of course not. Believe me, I ‘ve stayed in lots worse places, and since I’m traveling with Chad, I’m sure I will again. I was just making an observation,” Howie said.
“All right, and well, sorry. I guess I’m just tired and it sounded like you were disrespecting my home,” Wes said.
“Ha, not in the least,” Howie said. “Shoot man, you’ve got a home. That’s a whole lot more than I can say. I’ve heard that what was left of my hometown after it was nuked became a war zone.”
“Was it much better before?” Chad asked, trying to lighten the mood. He’d often needled Howie about the crime and violence in many of the large cities, especially in the ones where the thugs carried guns but honest citizens weren’t allowed to.
“No, you’re right. Parts of the city were bad even before everything feel apart, you know, the parts where the druggies and gangs were,” Howie said. “At least that’s what I heard. I never set foot in those places.”
Chad looked past the house at a wood and glass structure outside the fenced area. “Is that a solar dehydrator over there?” he asked.
“Yes it is. And if you notice it’s on the side where the prevailing breeze doesn’t cross the horse pen,” Wes said.
“Would you mind if I use it for our deer meat?” Chad asked.
“No, help yourself. Although it won’t stay hot much longer today.” Wes said, glancing at the sun lying low on the horizon.
“Yeah, but every little bit helps, and just spreading it all out will do it good,” Chad said.
“So go ahead and make yourselves at home back here,” Wes said. “I’m going to go look up Rex and see about getting you folks on your way.”
Chad gave a slight grin and asked, “What, you’re going to leave us unguarded? I’m not sure Doug would approve of that.”
Wes looked at him sternly and said, “I’d advise you to stay put. If you choose to leave without Rex, I’ll organize the rest of the men in town and we will hunt you down. You two,” he indicated Chad and Howie, “Will be killed.”
Chad bit his tongue. Yeah, maybe you’d kill me and Howie, but I guarantee we’d take more of you with us, a lot more, he thought.
“Your wife and kids, if they survive the battle anyway,” Wes continued, “Will be assimilated into our society. Your wife would become the second or third wife to someone. I’ve seen some of those, and I hate to admit it, but they aren’t always treated well. There is a lot of resentment from the original wife and too often, the man doesn’t enter the relationship for the right reasons. I think the man we can’t mention was right on the aspect of plural marriage, but that’s my humble opinion. I’ve never had the vision and been talked to directly by angels.
“Also, it will be better if you don’t wander around. If you’re seen walking freely, it’ll give people cause to talk. Neither of us want that,” Wes said. “So make yourselves at home here, and I’ll be back after talking to Rex.”
Wes rode away and the family got to work. Howie started with the goat, and Chad took the bag of meat strips to the dehydrator. A solar oven was near the dehydrator, so Carol put their battered pot in it, filled it with deer bones and water and closed it. Chad shook his head as he laid the strips out on the rack. It was so little left of the animal he’d killed. “You know, this is pretty pathetic,” he said.
“Yes, I know you don’t like to waste anything, but we didn’t have time to get more use from this deer. We didn’t have water or time to properly brain tan the hide, so under the circumstances, I think you did as well as you could. You can make up for it once we get home,” Carol said.
Given time and available water, Chad would’ve tanned the hide, cleaned the bladder and intestines, made glue with the hooves, and of course cooked all the bones. But Carol was right. They couldn’t have taken the time for any of it with Wes as an escort. If he killed another deer before they got home, he would most likely do the same with it. It galled him to waste resources but he didn’t see any way around it.
Once the meat was all in the dehydrator, Chad helped Carol lay out the bedding. With that finished he took her hand and gazed around the area, his sight lingering longer when he looked to the northwest. The houses around Wes’s home looked tired and weather-beaten. He longed for Mat’s comfortable home built into the hillside, even if returning with Carol, the kids, and Howie would make it over-crowded. They’d work something out once they got there. “The Good Lord willing, we won’t have to stay here long,” he said. Carol squeezed his hand in a silent agreement.
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Post by bretf on Jun 20, 2018 12:55:24 GMT
Chapter 32
It was twilight when Wes returned. Chad joined him, an old hunk of burlap in hand he’d taken from a nail in the wall of the small tack and feed shed. When Wes had the horse unsaddled, Chad began rubbing down the animal’s sweaty back and sides. Wes nodded approvingly.
“Did you find your nephew?” Chad asked when Wes stepped out of the shed having hung his saddle and blanket.
“Yes, I did. He’ll get everything arranged tomorrow and you and your family can leave with him the following morning,” Wes said.
“So we’re stuck here for a full day,” Chad said.
Wes leveled a flat stare at him and asked, “Do you want me to make it longer?”
“No, sorry,” Chad said, though he wasn’t sorry, not about what he’d said anyway. He was only sorry they’d have to stay for another day. “I’m just antsy to keep moving. We’ve been away from home for a long time, and now that we’re heading there, I hate to delay.”
“Well, this delay is unavoidable, unless you want us to come after you,” Wes said.
“Yeah, I know, and I’m grateful,” Chad said. “And in a way, it’s beneficial I guess. We could all use a day of rest. Too many days in a row on the road wear us down.”
“I sure get that after the way today got me down,” Wes said. “I really don’t know how you do it.”
“No doubt about it, it’s tough,” Chad said. He felt a stab of guilt and hoped he wasn’t pushing Carol too hard. “And besides getting some rest, staying will allow us to get the deer meat completely dried. Speaking of that, do you still think there’s a chance we can stock up on other food while we’re here? Deer meat gets tiring if that’s all you have to eat.”
“Yeah, about that,” Wes said. “After I talked to Rex, I spoke with a couple of families who have an abundant supply of dried vegetables and noodles. They both want silver for it. Do you have any?”
“My pockets aren’t deep by any means, but I do have a few coins,” Chad said. “But what about the meat your group ate yesterday. It would’ve fed my family for four or five days. Do I get some consideration for it?”
“Well . . . uh . . . about that, Wes said. He seemed uncomfortable. “Doug and his methods, well, despite the fact his father is the President, he’s not the most respected guy around. The folks with spare food are rumored to pass some of it off to Fred, so since it was the guys looking for him who ate your meat, well, they want full payment from you. I suppose we’ll just consider your meat a tax for safe passage through the area.”
Chad scoffed. “A tax. I’ve heard that term a few times in our travels, that and “toll”. It’s always felt like larceny to me.”
Wes’s features tightened and he said, “It is what it is. You have a problem with it, hang around and wait until Doug returns and discuss it with him. I was trying to help you out by getting you out of town before he gets here.”
Yeah, and help yourself out too, Chad thought silently. To Wes he said, “Then I guess we’ll see what we can get tomorrow.”
“That’s the spirit, Wes said. “Now I’m going to go in the house.” He picked up his saddlebags and bedroll from where he’d dropped them and went inside.
Chad watched, shaking his head. It seemed he was good and stuck, so he’d better make the best of it. He went to where Carol and the kids, and Howie waited for him and filled them in about the conversation while they had their meager meal, then turned in for the night. Sleep came easier, his only dreams pleasant ones of home.
#
The Smoke family was ready to go at first light when a young couple with packs on their backs appeared at Wes’s house two mornings later. Chad’s pocket was much lighter; the families he’d traded with the previous day had charged what he considered exorbitant rates for their dried food. He’d initially balked, but the people weren’t budging on their prices.
Carol took him aside and said he should pay what they asked.
“But it’ll take just about all the coins we have,” he protested.
“Yes it will, but with the food we get for it, it’ll take us all the way home if we supplement it with game along the way. You won’t have to forage, which I’m guessing will be tough anyway through the country we’ll be passing through. That silver won’t do us any good out in the desert, but the food will,” Carol said.
Chad grudgingly agreed. He remembered all too well the lean times following the nuclear exchange. No amount of silver would’ve helped fill his parents’ empty stomachs as they got thinner and thinner. When they finally did have ample food again, his mom and dad looked like survivors from a concentration camp. “All right,” he told her.
They completed the transactions and stocked the goat cart with a variety of dried vegetables and fruits, egg noodles, and a brick of hard cheese. It did in fact look like enough to take them home, given he could kill another deer or two along the way. It was all packed away with the dried deer meat and ready to go the next morning when Wes’s nephew arrived.
Wes made introductions all around. “Rex, Bea, this is the Smoke family, Chad, Howie, Carol, John, and the baby Faith. Folks, this is my nephew Rex Young and his fiancé Beatrice Haven.”
Hands were shaken, and impatient to put Monticello behind them, Chad told Rex, “We’re ready to go whenever you are.”
“Well let’s hit it then,” Rex said. “Our barometer readings make me think it’ll get quite warm today. Maybe we can beat the worst of the heat.”
“Thanks Wes. I appreciate this,” Chad said and shook their host’s hand, even though he was still fuming inside about the meat tax.
Rex led the way out through town, the group walking silently until the town was behind them. As they passed the final building, Carol broke the ice and asked, “So Beatrice, when are you to be married.”
“In two months, but please, call me Bea. Beatrice always sounds too formal,” she said.
“Or you can call her what her dad calls her,” Rex said. “Miss Bea Haven.”
“Rex, you didn’t have to tell them that,” Bea said with a soft swat on his arm, although she didn’t seem to mind. Howie laughed at the name.
Carol and Bea kept up a lively conversation throughout the day as if they were old friends. The men added a comment here and there at appropriate places, but the women chatted most of the time. Chad decided Carol was missing female companionship and hoped his mom, aunt, and sisters would fill the void once they made it home.
Unlike Wes, Rex and Bea were fit and used to walking long distances. They walked through the day until Rex led the way to a well-used campsite. “This is the half way point to Moab, so most people stop here for the night,” he explained.
When the evening meal was consumed, Chad asked Rex about guard duty. “No, there’s no need. It’s safe and peaceful around here. We, the militia I mean, killed or chased off all the scoundrels and miscreants,” Rex said.
Chad inwardly chuckled. Rex spoke haughtily and liked to use words Chad rarely encountered. He just hoped the man was right about not needing someone watching the camp, but knew he’d sleep light. There was always bound to be someone who slipped through the cracks.
He and Carol settled into their bed and Carol whispered, “Bea reminds me a lot of Nancy Green. I wonder how she is. I hope she’s recovering from everything, though it’ll be hard to get over the loss of Jimmy and the mental trauma she’ll go through.”
“Yeah, I hope she’s okay, and I hope they caught the rotten bastard who did that to them,” Chad said.
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Post by joebill on Jun 20, 2018 14:28:28 GMT
If you hear banjo music on your trip, paddle faster. Right after Deliverance, the movie, came out, a friend and I spent a few days going down the Embarrass river in the spring floods, and just as we were taking off, a couple of buzzards started following us. I pointed them out to my friend who was big on omens and he had some rough hours before they abandoned us for something already dead and ripe......Joe
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Post by bretf on Jun 20, 2018 14:52:53 GMT
If you hear banjo music on your trip, paddle faster. Right after Deliverance, the movie, came out, a friend and I spent a few days going down the Embarrass river in the spring floods, and just as we were taking off, a couple of buzzards started following us. I pointed them out to my friend who was big on omens and he had some rough hours before they abandoned us for something already dead and ripe......Joe We will finish in Weiser, ID, which just happens to be holding the National Old Time Fiddle Contest this week. Lots of banjos there as well as fiddles and guitars. Oh my!
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Post by meandtk on Jun 20, 2018 19:18:13 GMT
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Post by joebill on Jun 21, 2018 13:16:13 GMT
I thought of Chad and crew recently when the subject came up of the old guy who spends his life driving the length of New Mexico, back and forth, in a Shepard's wagon. The "engine" is a string of donkey's, I imagine gotten from the BLM during one of the sell-offs they have for those burros captured on government lands. Even has a pot bellied stove in the wagon, but says it has to be REALLY cold for it not to drive him out with the heat....Joe
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Post by bretf on Jun 26, 2018 18:22:18 GMT
Thanks everyone.
We had a great time on the water. Five days and 50 miles with 11 youth and 4 adults. We experienced a few scrapes and bruises, a number of capsizes (one scary), two diversion dam portages, and a lot of personal growth along the way. At one campsite I was crawling with detestable ticks. At another, we were in a young coyote’s hunting ground. He worked around our camp in an arc and would stop to yip and bark at us, starting at 5:30 am.
We never heard banjo music and encountered very few people. But we did hear and see lots of waterfowl, ospreys, red-tailed hawks, and five bald eagles.
Now I need a vacation after my vacation.
Chapter 33
“Do you see those buzzards up there, Dad?” Amy Gray asked as she shaded her eyes and looked into the distance.
Chuck Gray squinted at the specks in the vivid blue sky. “Is that what those fuzzy spots are? They might as well be gnats for as well as I can see them.”
“Yep, they’re buzzards. It’s too bad we never found some glasses that’d work for you. But at least you see well enough close up,” Amy said.
“Yet one more reason I prefer my shotgun,” he said.
“Well, anyway,” Amy said, “There must be something dead or dying up there. I wonder what it is.”
“I suppose we’ll see when we get there,” Chuck said.
As they neared the area the birds were flying over, Amy saw more perched in trees just off the highway. Others were on the ground, eating what looked like human remains. Two were on figures dangling from the trees.
“Oh God, Dad. It looks like scarecrows hanging from the trees. But it’s not. . . and on the ground. It’s people they’re eating. You don’t think . . .” Amy said, turning white. The putrid odors of rotting flesh and ripped open intestines were sickening and it was all Amy could do to put one foot in front of the other. Flies buzzed everywhere, drawn to the stinking mess. Bile flooded Amy’s mouth and she fought to keep from barfing from the stench. She looked to her dad for guidance.
Chuck’s jaws clenched together, his face set in a scowl and he released the waist belt from his pack and shrugged out of it. Amy mimicked him, and followed as he slowly approached the grisly site, though she wasn’t sure how much closer she could get before vomiting. They both jumped at a rasping voice from one of the scarecrows. “Get away from me you stinking carrion eater. You can’t have me yet.” One of the birds took awkward flight away from the man.
Amy and Chuck gave each other a look and hurried to the man. A rope from a branch in the tree he was beneath ended in a noose around his neck. His hands were tied behind his back and he was perched precariously on short sections of wood as big around as his lower leg. Any relaxation or wrong move and he’d lose his balance and the rope would tighten. “Oh my God,” Amy said.
Though her words were whispered, they were loud enough for the man to hear and lose his concentration. First one block of wood and then the other shot out from under his feet. The noose tightened and the man made a strangled sound as his feet dangled inches off the ground.
“Amy, help!” Chuck barked, dropping his shotgun. He wrapped his arms around the swaying man, taking pressure off the rope. Unfortunately, the noose had been tied with care and remained tight around his neck.
Amy dropped her rifle and pulled her belt knife out and attacked the rope. It felt to her like it was taking too long as she sawed back and forth through it. At last she cut through the final fibers, and the man and her dad crashed to the ground with the release of pressure.
Chuck scrambled to the man’s neck, cussing the man who’d tied the noose so well as he fumbled with it. The red faced man gasped and took a series of ragged breaths as Chuck pulled slack through the coils of rope. Chuck leaned back drawing deep breaths of his own, the burst of action leaving him momentarily drained.
When the man was breathing normally, he tried to raise to a sitting position, made difficult with his hands tied behind his back, and croaked, “Thanks. . . Water.”
Amy hurried to her pack and pulled a water skin out and held it to his lips and let a trickle into his mouth. He winced in pain as it passed down his parched throat. His eyes conveyed the message to Amy he wanted more. His second swallow was easier, the third easier yet. He pinched his eyes closed, sighed and opened them and looked at his saviors. His voice was still raspy as he said, “Thank you. I don’t think I would’ve lasted much longer.”
Chuck nodded in response and asked, “So do you mind telling us who you are and who did that to you? And if we made a mistake in freeing you. I mean, if you deserved to be hung, you should’ve just been hung. That looked pretty sadistic to me.”
The man chuckled, wincing at the stinging in his throat. “Well Mister Gray, that was the work of my loving brother. I’m not sure if it should be considered sadistic, envy, or just plain personal. More water please.” Amy complied and he drank another mouthful before continuing. “He didn’t think I deserved to die too fast. He wanted to give me time to contemplate my sins.”
“So you know who I am, but I don’t know you. Now who are you and who is your brother?” Chuck asked.
“I thought it was important to know who you were so I wouldn’t run into you on accident, so I had someone point you out one day. I wasn’t sure how you’d react if you knew who I was.”
“And I still don’t know who you are, so if you want any more water or maybe to be untied, you better tell me,” Chuck said.
The man got a wry grin on his weathered face and said, “My name is Fred Lewis. My brother is the high and mighty Doug Lewis, extreme lord and commander of south east Utah.”
“So you and all these dead guys are the raiders,” Amy stated.
“I joined these guys two years ago. How many times was your town raided since then?” Fred asked. “Here, count the fingers I hold up. That’s how many.”
His hands were still tied behind his back, but the point wasn’t lost on Chuck. “We still had raids,” he said.
“Maybe so, but not from us,” Fred said. “We got enough from the Utah side and it was always more enjoyable to rub my brother’s nose in the mess he helped create.”
“Well it looks to me like he did the nose rubbing here,” Chuck said.
“That’s for sure,” Fred said. “It goes to show at times it’s better to be lucky than smart and he sure lucked into us here.”
“How so?” Chuck asked.
“It so happened I was dealing with a mutiny. I recently encountered a bit of trouble, so a bunch of these guys,” he said with a nod towards the bodies, “Thought I wasn’t useful anymore and were trying to decide whether they should just kill me or send me off naked and barefoot and let Mother Nature do it for them. They were hot in the discussion when Doug’s boys busted up the party.”
Chuck silently studied him and then asked, “So what shall we do with you?”
Fred said, “My vote is you untie me and give me a water skin and some food.”
“And what will you do if we do that?” Chuck asked.
“Well Mister Gray, I was telling those danged birds that if I somehow managed to deny them a meal, I was leaving this part of the country,” Fred said. “I decided it was time to move on and get a new start somewhere else.”
“Yeah? And where are you planning on going for this new start?” Chuck asked. “Please don’t say Pagosa Springs.”
“No, I wouldn’t go to your town. It’s too close and someone would be sure to recognize me there and it’d get back to Doug. No, I’m thinking I’d like to go to western Idaho. I recently met a family on their way there. They were on their way back home after being gone for years,” Fred said. He’d liked Chad and hoped the young man wouldn’t be disappointed with what he found when he got there.
Amy asked, “You met Howie, how is he?”
Fred was confused and said, “No, the man I met is called Chad Smoke.”
“That’s his cousin. They’re traveling together,” Amy said.
“Ahh, I see,” Fred said, “The other guy. They were all fine when I last saw them. If they didn’t run into any trouble, they should be the other side of Moab by now.”
It was quiet while the Grays were lost in their thoughts. Fred broke the silence and asked, “So what are you two doing out here? This is quite a ways from your home.”
Chuck looked at him and said, “You aren’t the only one looking for a change of scenery. After spending some time with that same family, we decided to pick up stakes and go to Idaho ourselves.”
“Really?” Fred asked, his voice filled with surprise and hope. “Well would you mind if I tagged along with you? It would be safer with three of us traveling together.”
Chuck studied Fred’s face and then looked at Amy. She twisted her mouth up and shrugged.
“But I need to tell you, I won’t be following the same roads the Smokes are on. I need to shoot north from here and bypass Utah. I wouldn’t be very popular there,” Fred said.
Chuck studied Fred more and made up his mind. “All right Amy, untie him. Don’t cut the rope and waste it like they loved to do in movies. Good rope can be useful.” To Fred he asked, “What about your companions? Should we bury them?”
“They were about to send me out without clothes or shoes. Heck no we’re not burying them. Leave them to the birds, Fred said.
“Then we need to get moving,” Chuck said. “At least to where the air is clear. If you’re up to it Fred, we can still make a few miles before it gets dark.”
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2018 0:07:03 GMT
Thank you! These are good people and I hope they are able to catch up with Chad and crew. More safety in numbers. Glad to hear your vacation was enjoyable Bret.
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Post by meandtk on Jun 27, 2018 13:59:11 GMT
bretf, I'm glad you had a good trip. I'm not too sure that I trust Fred yet.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2018 14:08:00 GMT
bretf , I'm glad you had a good trip. I'm not too sure that I trust Fred yet. I don't trust Fred, but I don't not trust Fred.
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Post by bretf on Jun 29, 2018 1:16:03 GMT
(Pony warning)
Chapter 34
“I sure was looking forward to riding back home in a truck,” Bea Haven told Rex. “Even with two days’ rest, I’d still rather not walk all the way if there was a chance we could ride.”
“I know, you’ve reminded me about it every mile since we left Moab,” Rex said, exasperated. “Are you planning on complaining all the way home? We’ve only been walking half a day and it’s already getting old, very old. I’d rather ride too, but they didn’t know how long it’d take to get the truck running again. You know I’ve got to be home by tomorrow night,” he reminded her again, just as he had nearly every mile since leaving Moab.
“Yes, I know, and nothing against your company, but I miss having Carol to talk to today. It was nice to talk to another woman who doesn’t know everything about me,” Bea said.
She’d hinted to Rex several times how she wanted to move once they were married. Living in Monticello was like living in a fish bowl, and she needed to get away from all the busybodies who watched her every move. It would be so much nicer if they could move to Provo.
Her older sister lived in the capital and made sure to tell her in every letter how much better it was than the “tiny village on the edge of nowhere” where they’d grown up. Provo couldn’t be more different. It was the center of everything, of the world.
Bea longed to experience it firsthand, but Rex hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of moving. However, if she couldn’t get him to move to Provo, maybe she could talk him into going to Price. She had cousins there and they assured her she and Rex would fit right in. Anything to get away from Monticello.
“Well you might’ve liked talking to that Carol woman, but I’m not so sure it was a good idea,” Rex said. “She filled your head with all kinds of nonsense. You’ve been lost in La-La Land ever since you talked to her, and I swear, you’ve forgotten your place. I wonder if any of what she told you was even true. Most of it sounded like a load of horse manure to me. I think you need to just forget all about her and her stories and quit dreaming. Being my wife and living in the same town we’ve lived in all our lives is all you need. Besides, once you start having babies, you’ll be too busy for such silliness.
“And another thing,” Rex said, on a roll. “We’re walking, so I don’t want to hear any more about riding in a truck. Now let’s pick up the pace.”
Bea followed but wasn’t able to get Carol out of her mind. After nearly a half mile, she said, “Well I believed Carol, and I hope they have a good trip home and nothing bad happens to them. And did you notice how Chad was attentive when she said something? It’s like he values her opinion unlike some people I could name.”
Rex gritted his teeth and kept walking. “So what, you want to run off and see the world? Being my wife and raising my children isn’t good enough for you? Maybe you’d rather be the second or third wife to someone else, so you could raise another woman’s kids instead of your own.” A few yards further he squinted at a tiny figure in the distance. It was hard to tell, but he thought it was a person coming towards them. “I wonder who that is,” he said, then turned his attention back to Bea.
#
The man called Bob looked out across the God-forsaken landscape as he plodded up Highway 191 in Utah. Why anyone would choose to live amidst such desolation was beyond him. Idiot Utahrds. There wasn’t a single redeeming feature that he could see. Well there was one thing, he amended. It sure as hell was no place for the living, but held a lot of promise for the dead. He’d seen several places within easy distance of the road where a body could be hidden and never found. Or more than one body if the opportunity presented itself. It would be a great place to catch up with Smoke.
He stared at the landscape and cursed out loud, yearning for any sign that he was on the right track, and Smoke hadn’t turned off on another road somewhere. It didn’t seem likely as the road he was on was the most direct route to Idaho. But he wasn’t sure, and furthermore, he wasn’t sure where in Idaho Smoke was trying to go to. He’d been sure he’d catch them somewhere in Colorado, so he was growing concerned he might’ve taken the wrong road at some point and would end up missing them.
Bob looked at the landscape again, and saw a perfect place to hide a body. “Ah man, if I’d only known this place existed before. Those so-called detectives never would’ve found me if I’d ditched the bodies here.” He seemed to listen to a non-existent voice and said, “Well, that’s true. It wouldn’t have been as fun to play those idiots. They were like dogs chasing their tails and I did whatever the hell I wanted, killed whenever I wanted.”
He listened again, and snapped, “Yes, I realize they found me because I got that damn cellphone. It was the best surveillance device the cops ever had, and like so many other fools, I was too damn dumb to realize it until it was too late. Now just drop it.”
He looked up the highway again and muttered a curse that he better be on the right track. He’d hoped to find someone to confirm it in the last fly speck of a town he passed through, but after scoping it out, had slipped past in the night, unnoticed. It didn’t appear to be a town where he’d find the type of people he was looking for, stinking Utahrds anyway. Besides, he was still jumpy after nearly stumbling into the group of heavily armed, mounted men. He’d barely avoided them, and then it sounded like they were in a gun battle not too long after he’d seen them. It all added to his jumpiness. If they’d come from that town, he didn’t want to be there when they returned. But he had to know. He had to find confirmation soon that he was on the right track.
“Well what do we have here?” he asked the countryside when he saw two tiny figures on the road ahead. “Ask and you shall receive.”
He listened to the voice in his head. “How am supposed to know if they know anything until I ask them.” He suppressed the voice as he looked around, locating a place to conceal the bodies if it came to it.
As Bob got closer to the two people, he plastered on an artificial smile. “Hello, fellow travelers. What a beautiful day to be out and about.”
“Hello,” the man said with no warmth in his voice. “We don’t see many random travelers passed through. When I saw you, I expected you’d be someone I know. So who are you and where are you going?” he asked bluntly.
The smile never left Bob’s face. “Oh I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten my manners. My name is Bob Roberts and I’m headed to Idaho. And you are?” he asked, extending his hand.
Rex looked suspiciously at Bob’s hand before he took it and introduced himself and Bea.
“It’s a pleasure,” Bob said. “So anyway, I have some good friends I’m trying to catch up with. They left Philmont before I was able to get free from my obligations,” he said. “Maybe you’ve seen them?”
Rex frowned, but Bea beamed and said, “Do you mean Carol and Chad Smoke? And their cousin Howie?”
“Why yes, so you have seen them?” Bob asked. He wasn’t aware another man was traveling with them. Evidently, his information in Taos hadn’t been complete. He tried to keep the smile on his face while he contemplated the information. Howie, he said silently. So there’s another one. Might as well hit the trifecta while I’m at it. Cousin Howie might complicate things, but not much. I’ll just have to be a bit more careful.
“Have we seen them? Oh my goodness, we walked with them from Monticello to Moab,” Bea said. “Carol is amazing.” She stopped before saying she wished she could’ve gone with Carol when she saw the scowl on Rex’s face.
“Are you kidding me?” Bob asked. “What’s the chances of that? Man, do you think I’ll catch up with them today or tomorrow? I’d sure rather travel with them, than always chasing after them.”
Bea considered and said, "No, you’ll need a few more days. We spent two days in Moab after they moved on. You’re close to them, but it’ll take you a few days to catch up with them, even if you move fast,” she said.
“We should be going,” Rex said.
“Rex, hold on. This man is man is a friend of Carol’s and if we can help him, I want to,” Bea said.
Rex glared at her for talking back to him. It’d been a big mistake to expose Bea to an outsider.
Bob silently considered. Two days plus. It was still a considerable distance, but not insurmountable, not since he knew he was on the right track. But he had another dilemma. Idaho was too damn big and he had no idea where in the pork chop shaped mass Smoke was going. He smiled at the young woman in front of him, imaging what he would do to her. She’ll be fun to play with. The toad scowling at her, well maybe I’ll kill him first. I’m not sure he’ll be all that concerned with watching me play. It’s fate, these two delivered to me right here and now. It’s been too long, and she’s going to be so fun, the perfect tune up for when I catch Smoke.
He tried to keep the feral look off of his face. “So . . . uh, okay . . . this sounds dumb, but I’ve forgotten where in Idaho they live. Chad would go on and on about this town and that town, and well, he talked so much, I can’t remember which one they live in.”
“Oh, Chad’s family lives in Indian Valley. It doesn’t sound like much of a town, but it’s in Idaho after all,” Bea said with a laugh. “But I guess Monticello isn’t much of a town either. Carol lived in a town called Cambridge, but they’re going back to Indian Valley to live with Chad’s family. It’s somewhere north of Boise, or what used to be Boise.”
“That’s right, Indian Valley. I don’t know how I could forget that name,” Bob said. He had what he wanted and for a moment, the smile on his face wasn’t forced.
Two days plus behind Smoke; he could still catch them, he just needed to push a little harder. But in the meantime . . .
Bob angled his left side towards the other travelers. His right hand wrapped around his knife and he slowly slid it from the sheath. The toad man needed to die right away. It was written all over his face he wouldn’t be upset to watch the woman be played with. He could take a while to savor his time with the woman. It’d been too long. He eased the knife free and edged closer to the couple.
Bea smiled broadly and said, “I sure hope you can catch up to them, but I’m not sure if you will. They really want to get back home.”
“Well, I appreciate the information,” Bob said, and put his left hand behind his back and transferred the knife to it. He reached his right hand out to Rex to shake hands with him. “Now I probably should take off if I’m going to catch them. It sure was nice talking to you folks.” He grasped Rex’s hand tight, his left hand tense to strike when Rex perked up and turned back the other direction.
“You hear that?” Rex asked, wrenching his hand free. It sounds like they got the truck running. “We won’t have to walk all the way back home after all.”
Bob could’ve screamed when he saw the truck round the closest curve in the highway and saw two men in the bed holding rifles. There would be no playing, but at least he knew where Smoke was going. He slipped his knife back into the sheath unnoticed and kept his composure as the truck rolled to a stop beside him and the couple.
The couple and the men in the truck greeted each other and the couple climbed into the back of the truck. The young woman waved as the truck roared away and Bob waved as well, though he dropped all his fingers but one as the passengers in the truck became indistinct.
Then he did scream, an unintelligible sound voicing all the frustration he felt. The emotion was lost on the silent landscape. When it faded, he yelled, “Smoke, you’re going to squirm when I remove your woman’s skin!”
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by bretf on Jun 30, 2018 11:12:53 GMT
Chapter 35
“That has to be Wendover up ahead,” Chad croaked as he squinted at the far-off buildings. The distant structures appeared to shimmer from the heat waves rising in the air.
“Good, I can’t take much more of this,” Carol said.
Though they’d equipped as well as they could, it’d still been a long trek across the desert. Carol wasn’t alone in her feelings; each member of the small party, including Chevon, had their head down, nearly dragging their feet as they placed one in front of the other.
They approached the former border town with anticipation, as they’d been told it’d become a travelers’ oasis of sorts. The gambling halls had been silent for a decade, but the town was a hospitality center on a miniscule scale to its glory days. A section had become a wayside for travelers, offering limited food, a working water well, and a place to get out of the unrelenting weather. It’d been set up when the salt trade was re-established in the area. The purveyors of the salt mines preferred people leave loaded down with salt instead of extra water.
“Well, unfortunately, I’m not sure the next eighty or so miles north will be a lot better,” Chad said. “I get the feeling there’s not much that way until we get into Idaho.”
“At least we’ll be able to rest in a nicer place and restock our water before we hit that,” Carol said.
#
“Hey Darling, can I get you anything? Something to make you more comfortable?” Dan Smoke asked his wife.
“I want my son! And my grandbabies!” Lisa snapped with more fire than Dan had heard from her for some time. She coughed weakly after the outburst and collapsed against the stack of pillows.
Dan sat on the edge of her bed and took her skeletal hand in his, stroking it gently. Anguish was evident on his face. “I know hon, I know. But I don’t know how we can find him. The last letter didn’t even tell us where they were, but they were coming home after the babies were born. They should be well on their way now; we just don’t have any idea from where. Russ Camp sends out feelers with every traveler going through and we got word to the Wyoming oil camps. I just don’t know what else do to,” Dan said, “Except continue to pray.”
He, Mat, Nick Robbins, and Russ had discussed trying to find Chad several times. Russ had offered Mat the use of one of the town pickup trucks that’d been converted to run on wood smoke gasses. But Mat didn’t have any idea of where to look for his brother. Still, he’d used the truck with Nick riding shotgun, and gone as far as they could in one full day’s travel to further get the word out. Unfortunately, one day of travel with the truck wasn’t what it’d been in the past. Nature was exerting itself and the roadways were showing massive deterioration from years without maintenance. It was much faster than walking, but cruising down the freeway at eighty miles per hour was a thing of the past.
Lisa squeezed Dan’s hand with more strength than he thought possible. “I just want to see them before I go. I don’t know if I can be at peace with God if I can’t see them and hold them at least once before then.”
“I know Hon,” Dan said, feeling as helpless as he had when the smallpox was ravaging his body.
“Please bring me his letters,” Lisa said. “I want to read them again.”
Dan did as she requested, though he was sure she’d memorized every word on the worn pages. It was a good thing she had, as tears flowed and she couldn’t make out the words on the first page. She was asleep a short time later and Dan took the letters and laid them on the side table. After he arranged the blanket over her and refilled her water glass, he slipped outside.
Dan moved to the outside bench in his shuffling walk. He’d favored his right leg ever since the bullet had smashed into it years earlier. He sat down and clasped his hands, bent his head and prayed for the Lord to deliver his son back home again.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
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Post by meandtk on Jun 30, 2018 13:15:23 GMT
Now things are picking up!
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