Apocalypse Law 4 Page 11

  The others laughed.

  “To tell you the truth,” Nate admitted, “I’ve never done it. I just saw it in a film about farming during the Depression. My father said he had irrigated crops that way when he was young, but it was illegal to use lake or river water, since environmental laws were put in place over the decades. Hell, it’s been illegal just to cut a cypress tree down on the edge of a lake or river in this state for decades. I always thought it was stupid to force farmers to by fuel or electricity to pump clean, drinkable water out of the ground to water crops, when there’s a lake or river nearby with plenty of water that’s too dirty to drink but plenty good for watering vegetables.”

  “But the government can dam up a river and ruin the fish population, or drain a marsh and fill it in to make room for another prison.” Atticus shook his head.

  “No one ever said that government has to be smart,” Chesty quipped.

  The conversation was interrupted when Doctor Brant appeared, her face showing alarm. “Brian woke ten minutes ago. Before Doctor Millhouse or I could go get you, he had a seizure.” She raised her hands to Nate’s reaction. “He’s sedated. Brian’s fine.”

  Nate rushed past her and down the hall.

  Chesty paled. “Oh dear Lord.”

  She stayed just long enough to say, “If we only had the proper drugs, the seizures could be controlled.” She ran after Nate.

  Atticus followed. “I don’t know about you two, but I want to be there in case Nate needs me. He’s been there for us and the entire town.”

  Tyrone and Chesty followed in silence.

  Chapter 13

  She wasn’t even sure what she had heard was human, but Deni decided to take precautions, so she stopped in heavy concealment and cover to listen. She knew she wasn’t far from the dirt road that led to Nate’s farm and was ready for trouble in case anyone was around, but the noise she had just heard made her skin crawl.

  The sound came to her ears again. She suddenly realized it was a small child crying. Inching closer while staying in cover, she peered out into the clearing that was the road. Thirty yards away, she saw a ragged-out twenty-year-old pickup with a flat tire. Maneuvering closer enabled her to see from a different angle. She saw a filthy little raven-haired girl tied to the back bumper. The little girl was chewing at the rope in a desperate attempt to free herself. She kept looking down the road with frantic eyes, terror on her face. Deni searched the area for who or what she was terrified of. Seeing no sign of anyone, she moved closer, staying just within the edge of the woods and out of sight.

  After another look around, Deni yelled to the little girl, “Who tied you up?”

  The girl stopped chewing at the rope and jerked her head to face Deni’s direction. “Please untie me before he comes back,” she pleaded.

  “Who is he?” Deni asked.

  “A mean man,” she answered. “He makes me call him Daddy but he’s not my daddy. My daddy’s dead.”

  “Where’s your mother?” Deni asked.

  “She’s dead too.”

  “Is this man alone?”

  “Yes,” the little girl answered. “He went to get a tire off one of the cars back there in the road.”

  Deni knew she was speaking of a mangled mess of abandoned vehicles. “This man just took you?”

  She began to cry again. “He killed my daddy and then took me away.”

  Deni’s blood boiled. She wanted to stay there and wait for him to come back, so she could kill him. The little girl’s frantic attempts to free herself and the fact there was no sign that the man was coming back anytime soon, prompted her to decide to free the girl and take her with her. The people back at Mrs. MacKay’s farm were depending on her to get help from the National Guard, and she wasn’t going to waste time waiting around to kill a man, no matter how much he needed it.

  After one last look around before exposing herself to anyone who might be waiting out there with a rifle, Deni rushed to the pickup with a knife in her hand. The sharp blade cut the rope with one slash. “Come with me. Hurry,” she told the little girl.

  With residual fear in her eyes but glee on her face, the little girl stayed on her heels as they raced for the tree line and life-saving cover. They rushed through the woods one hundred yards before Deni stopped and turned to her. She kneeled down and set her carbine by her side, then looked the girl over for any injuries, finding only bruises and welts. “My name is Deni. What’s yours?”

  “Samantha.” She sat down to tie her shoe lace. “My mommy and daddy called me Sammie, sometimes Sam.”

  “Okay, Samantha, are you thirsty?” She handed over a canteen. Samantha took it and drank eagerly. “Whoa!” Deni warned. “Take your time. You can have more later.”

  “I’m still thirsty,” she pleaded.

  “Okay. Just drink slower.” Deni handed the canteen back. “How old are you, Samantha?”

  She held up five fingers.

  “Five years old. Well, that means you’re a big girl now and can walk a long ways.”

  Samantha nodded. “We have to get away from him before he comes looking for me. I’m not thirsty now.” She looked back toward the road. “Hurry. Let’s go.”

  “Okay. We’ll go, but no one’s going to hurt you. Not that man or anyone else. You’re with me now.”

  She looked up at Deni. “Why are you dressed like a soldier?”

  Smiling, she said, “Because I am a soldier. And my job is to protect little kids like you. I promise no one is going to hurt you again.” She picked up her carbine. “Can you follow along behind and try not to make any noise?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. If I’m going too fast or you get tired, just say my name.”

  “Okay, but we should go now. That man is mean.”

  Deni bent down and held her. “I told you not to be afraid. The last thing that guy wants is to catch up with us. It’ll be the sorriest day of his life. I wish I had time to stay here and take care of him now, but there’s something I have to do.”

  ~~~

  “We’re almost there,” Deni told Samantha. “I need you to stay in this brush and be quiet until I come back. I’m not expecting anyone to be around, but let me check and be sure.” She kneeled to talk to Samantha at eye level. “Can you stay here, don’t move, and be quiet?”

  Samantha nodded. “Don’t stay away too long.”

  “I won’t. It’ll only be a few minutes.” She took her pack off. “Stay right here with my pack.” Samantha nodded silently, her eyes revealing fear. “It’ll be dark soon, but don’t worry. I’ll be back before then. In about an hour, we’ll have something to eat.” Deni patted her on the head and walked away.

  Deni approached the bunker with caution. So far, she had seen no sign anyone had been in the area, but she wasn’t going to risk her life on that slim evidence. She found the alarm system Nate and Brian had set up. It was a fishing line stretched around the bunker back in the woods and at chest level. One end led into the bunker. She could only guess at what Nate had devised to provide an alarm, if someone walked into the line. The line had been broken, by deer or falling limbs during a storm, probably. She wondered what the lines were attached to, probably empty food cans that would make noise when someone walked into the fishing line, she thought. Certainly, Nate wouldn’t rig up explosives and risk an innocent person just happening by getting killed.

  Finding only animal tracks, she moved on to the cave, where Nate’s friend Mel had amassed supplies before the plague. It had taken him over a decade, and he endured many stinging remarks about him being a survivalist nut. In the end, the plague had proven Mel to be not so crazy after all, and the supplies of food and medicine had saved lives, including Brian’s. She found no evidence anyone had been near it. A bush was growing in front of the entrance, and it was almost impossible to see the heavy steel door behind. The fact the door had been painted olive drab also made it more difficult for a casual passerby to notice. She turned back to the bunker.

  Th
e first thing she noticed was the radio antenna had been blown down. After gaining entrance by unlocking a series of locks with the keys Nate had given her and pulling several hidden bolts, she found the interior of the bunker to be as Nate and Brian had left it.

  Five minutes later, she and Samantha were locked safely in the bunker. After using the hand pump to fill her canteens and watching Samantha enjoy a long drink of the cool, clean well water, she hooked up a hand-powered generator and set about recharging the battery that would power the radio. Nate had lost the solar panels when a tornado blew them away many months before. The small generator didn’t put out much power, and she was tired long before the battery was half charged. Still, she thought it would give her a little air time, so she grabbed her carbine and went outside to set up the antenna. Samantha followed, not wanting to be left alone.

  ~~~

  The first thing Brian saw when he opened his eyes was his father. Nate sat in a chair next to the bed, and his head was hanging down against his chest, rising slightly with each breath. His eyes were closed. Brian tried to clear his throat, so he could talk. The sound snapped Nate out of his fitful slumber. He raised his head and blinked his eyes open.

  “Are you praying again?” Brian asked. “We tried that with Mom and Beth, remember? It didn’t work.”

  Anger flashed across Nate’s face for a second. “That’s not exactly something to joke about.”

  “I’m okay. Don’t be mad at the first thing I say after waking up.”

  Nate rose from his seat. Exhaustion forced him to steady himself by putting his hand against the nearby wall. “The operation certainly hasn’t changed your personality. Do you notice anything wrong, such as blurred vision or a severe headache?”

  Brian blinked and looked around the room. “Don’t worry. I see the same as always. I do have a headache, but it’s not bad. I’ve had worse, like when Big Jim tackled me in a football game in school.”

  “They’re not supposed to allow tackle football in PE class.” Nate wasn’t interested in what happened in Brian’s school before the plague, but it was a good way to test Brian’s memory of his past life.

  Brian shrugged. “We played a game of tackle while the coach wasn’t looking.”

  “He must not have been looking for a long time.”

  Brian laughed. “You don’t think teachers and coaches actually ever did anything to earn their pay, do you? At least 90% of school was a waste of time.”

  “That explains a lot,” Nate’s eyes lit up for the first time since Brian woke. His son seemed to be fully alert and lucid – a good sign.

  “Well, don’t worry about me being stupid. You’re teaching me everything I need to know about how to survive.”

  “You know I didn’t say that. It was a joke, and you certainly should know about jokes.”

  “You mean smart ass jokes.”

  “Yep.” Nate moved to the end of Brian’s bed and pulled the blanket up. “Move your toes.”

  Brian wiggled them. “So, you’re worried I might be paralyzed? They must’ve operated on my brain.”

  Nate didn’t want to worry him. “You had a blood clot that the surgeon had to remove. I think he just opened a small hole in your skull. Everyone agrees you’re out of the woods now.”

  Brian reached up and felt the bandages around his head. He turned whiter than he was before. “So they did operate on my brain.”

  “I wouldn’t call it that.” Nate hoped his face was unreadable. “Like I said, the worst is over. We’ll probably be home in a week or so.”

  Brian regarded his father closely. “Yeah, well, my vision is still good. Know how I can tell?”

  Nate sighed. “I’m not in the mood for any bullshit, Brian. You’re all I have, and this has been hard on me. A thousand times, I’ve wished I had either left Slim alone or killed the bastard. Making an enemy of someone like him and leaving him alive was a stupid mistake. It nearly cost you your life.”

  “Wasn’t your fault.” Brian’s eyes were wet. He blinked. “I was going to say you were lying, but it doesn’t matter now.” He clenched his jaw and swallowed. “If there’s any way I can recover, I’ll do it. Even if I didn’t want to, I’d get better so you’ll stop blaming yourself for something that wasn’t your fault. Slim was an asshole, and now he’s dead. There’s no point in even thinking about him anymore.”

  “Mostly I think about you. Calm down. I’m not the one who’s hurt.”

  For the first time in his life, Brian seemed to be as concerned about his father as Nate was about him. “Yes you are,” he said, “more than me.”

  ~~~

  Deni managed to contact two HAM radio operators before the battery ran down. Both knew about the problem with Col. Hewitt, as they were the same men Austin had talked to before. While she was talking with them, someone from the Guard broke into the conversation and informed Deni that Hewitt had been arrested and the crisis was over. It was then the battery voltage dropped below usable level and the conversation was cut short. Relieved, she put the radio away.

  “Well,” Deni told Samantha, “I’ll recharge the battery later. Right now, we need to eat.” She patted Samantha on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’re as hungry as I am.”

  Samantha nodded. “Real hungry.”

  “I’ll make extra then,” Deni promised. “There’s plenty of food here.”

  ~~~

  Deni woke before sunrise and set about making breakfast without disturbing her new little friend’s rest, careful not to make any noise while starting a fire in the wood burning stove. She almost had the meal finished, when she dropped a stainless steel cup on the concrete floor.

  Samantha woke instantly and ran to a back corner of the bunker, where she looked around the small room, wild-eyed.

  “It’s okay,” Deni said. “I just dropped a cup.” She bent down and picked it up. “I told you yesterday you’re safe with me.”

  Samantha seemed to calm down. She stood there barefoot in the corner rubbing her sleepy eyes.

  “Breakfast is ready.” Deni sat a plate of the steaming freeze dried scrambled eggs on the small table. “I found some hot cocoa mix for you.” She took a small packet out of her backpack and shook it. “And for me… I have Army issued coffee. It’s three years old, but the Army promises it won’t kill me. The water should be hot by now.” She dug into the pack again. “Here are two MRE cookies for your dessert. You can eat them with a second cup of cocoa after you eat your eggs.” She smiled warmly and motioned for Samantha to sit at the table. Producing a knife from a uniform pocket, she slit open a dull tan package. “Look at this. We even have flatbread for toast. It’s MRE stuff and taste like mushy cardboard, but it’s not really that bad.”

  Samantha sat at the table.

  “Oh wait,” Deni said. “I’ll pump water so you can wash your hands, then you can do the same for me.”

  Deni’s heart jumped into her throat, when she saw Samantha looking at the food with hungry eyes. “It’ll only take a minute. Then we’ll get right to eating.”

  ~~~

  After breakfast, Deni patrolled the perimeter to be sure no one else was around. Then she spent half an hour cutting more firewood and carrying it into the bunker, while Samantha watched. She spent the rest of the morning cranking the generator to recharge the battery.

  When Deni stopped to rest, Samantha walked over without a word and cranked it for a while, using both hands on the handle. Five minutes was all she could take of it. “Are we going to stay here for a while?” Samantha walked to the table and sat down, rubbing her tired arms.

  Deni pumped water into a cup and handed it to her. “We’re going to recharge the battery some more, then I’m going to use the radio again. We’ll probably be leaving tomorrow morning.” She started to speak, but a sound outside caught her attention. Cocking her ear and listening more carefully, Deni said, “Helicopter.”

  Samantha’s eyes grew large. “Are they coming after us?”

  Deni turned from looking o
ut a loophole. “No. They’re probably coming to take me…home. There’s a place where there are children your age. That’s where I’m going to take you. You’ll be safe there.”

  Samantha ran to her. “I want to stay with you.”

  Outside, the helicopter was landing.

  Deni knelt and held her. “I’m not the only one in the world who will be good to you. There are a lot of good people where we’re going. You may have an aunt or an uncle who wants to take care of you. These people can help find your relatives. And if you have no relatives, they’ll take care of you themselves.”

  Samantha’s fear manifested itself in tears.

  Deni held her tighter. “This isn’t good-bye. We’ll be together a while longer. There’s no reason for you to be afraid. Now stay here, while I go outside to see who’s in that helicopter.”

  Samantha followed her to the door.

  Deni slid the heavy bolt out of the way. The steel hinges squeaked when she swung the door open. Samantha wrapped her arms around her left leg. Deni held her hand. “All right. We’ll go out there together.” Samantha looked up at her. “Close your eyes,” Deni said, “The helicopter’s blowing a lot of stuff into the air.” She led Samantha ten yards into the clearing in front of the bunker and stood in the open, so the soldiers could see she was unarmed.

  A man in a soldier’s uniform jumped out of the helicopter and ran toward them. She did not recognize him. He had a smile on his face and seemed to know who she was. Three other soldiers bailed out of the helicopter and formed a defense perimeter. “I didn’t know you had a kid with you,” the soldier said, yelling over the noise of the helicopter. “I was ordered to give you a ride. I guess she can come too.”

  When the soldier came close enough to hear without her being forced to yell, she said, “I thought you were Army at first. I see you’re ANG.”

  “Yeah,” the soldier said, “I’m with the Guard.” But we have mutual friends. My name’s Mel. The last time I saw you, you were unconscious.” He looked around. “Nate and Brian wouldn’t be here with you, would they?”