The oldest woman, Mariah, was definitely older than forty but Ashar couldn’t gauge a guess any closer than that. Her hair was long and white, but he supposed he could be mistaking it for a shade of blonde. Her arms were well-toned and she looked far more capable than the others, but she stood back from the group, her observing look intense.
The last were Patrick, the man who had challenged his arrival, his wife Chloe and their two children, Kate and Luke.
His presence was accepted and he was welcomed, suddenly a leader vital to all of them.
He wanted to take them back to where he and Irv had been camped with the hope that Irv would be there waiting. Ashar joined in as the assembly packed up everything they had brought, which was a lot. They’d carried it all in, so he said nothing about any of it. They would learn soon enough what was important and what was not.
If the pastor and Irv were right, and it was war, then life for many was about to change. For now, he had been sent this one small group to shepherd who needed his help, and he would not deny them. Within the forest, he had gained a purpose. His first task would be to move them all closer to a water source.
He led them into the woods, moving slowly since they weren’t accustomed to walking through the tangle of a forest floor.
Exclamations came from behind him as they navigated the rocks, fallen trees, brambles and dips that were just a part of being off a man-made path. It was slow going, but Ashar pushed on until they reached the area that he and Irv had camped in.
Irv was gone. It was a possibility that he was close by and watching, and might perhaps see the group with him and observe enough to convince him there was no danger.
He decided walking through the forest loaded down with supplies would be an excellent way to teach the group the importance of packing light, without saying a single word.
Ashar deliberately stayed far enough away from the creek that they wouldn’t know it was there, then led the group back to it to settle by for the night.
There was a lot of grumbling as sleeping bags were rolled out and everyone found a spot to settle in. He observed them, trying to learn more about the people whose lives had just connected with his.
Mariah had moved through the woods with more ease than the rest and Ashar guessed that she had some hiking experience. She had been the only one who had not uttered a complaint of some sort.
Carl and Adam had partnered up and the things he had overheard had been more conversational than griping. Comments on the bugs, the heat, the uneven ground, that sort of thing.
Chloe had been the worst. She had questioned every path he had chosen and their speed, referenced how heavy her bags were, and whined about dozens of other things. He was glad she had directed it all toward her husband.
Ashar made sure the camp was secure and told everyone to get as comfortable as they could and to sleep well.
Settling himself, he listened to the sounds of rustling sleeping bags, whispers, and someone sniffling from what he thought were tears, until there was only quiet breathing and snores.
Irv had left, abandoned him out of fear. Ashar didn’t understand. Maybe Irv had never intended to stick by his side. Maybe his intention had always been to teach Ashar to survive on his own and then go back to his solitary backpacker lifestyle. Ashar had simply taken for granted that they were a team and would continue as one.
He fell asleep thinking it wasn’t likely that he would see Irv again, and the ache of sorrow was heavy.
Chapter Nine
The light of dawn woke Ashar. He hadn’t slept well, and he knew none of the others had either, since they had continually roused him from his sleep with grumbling about the hard ground and their shuffling.
Granola bars were passed out by the kids’ mother. Members of the group dispersed to places where bodily needs could be taken care of, and finally everyone was ready to continue deeper into the woods.
“I don’t want to hear any more!” Chloe exclaimed when her husband pulled out his phone and turned it on as they began to walk.
“We need to know what’s going on, Chloe,” he shot back, his voice heavy with irritation and fear.
“We do,” Ashar agreed. “Can you fill me in on what you do know?” he asked.
“My phone isn’t working,” Patrick groused, swatting at a bug as he lifted the device higher into the air.
“We’re in the middle of a forest, idiot,” Monty snapped.
“There’s no need to be rude,” Chloe said, frowning over her shoulder at Monty, almost tripping. She caught herself on a tree, wiping away a tear as she straightened. Ash wondered if she had been the one crying the night before.
Patiently, he paused to pull back branches for those behind him. He was used to navigating the forest, but he’d learned the day before that most of the group had a tendency to plow forward.
Ashar thought he should find one of the nature trails so it would be easier on the group. He would take Irv’s suggestion to find a valley to settle in.
“Talladega was bombed,” Patrick told him as he held the branch for his kids.
“The extent of my knowledge is that lots of cities all over the US were.” Ashar watched the man continue to move his phone around as he walked in an attempt to get a signal.
“Some army calling themselves Axis is taking credit for the bombs.” Patrick scowled and took a couple steps away after Kate cleared the branch. It snapped back and almost hit Carl.
“We were watching a movie when we heard the first one hit,” Patrick continued. “Thought it was thunder at first, really close, but then we felt the next one. We still didn’t know what it was and my first thought was to get everyone to the basement for safety, so we all went down to wait it out.”
Luke wrapped his arms around his father, pressing his face into his side. “I thought we were going to die,” he said soberly. Patrick wrapped an arm around his son and gave his shoulder a squeeze before shifting so Luke was walking in front of him.
“We lost the television signal pretty quick, but I had a radio and batteries stored and managed to get a station.”
Ashar paused to kneel and examine the trail, scanning the ground for the thin flat line that signaled where the animals moved. Kate balanced on her heels next to him and smiled at him. She was a cute kid.
“The bombs hit all over the US at the same time I guess. Whoever did this seems to have had it all planned out. The reporter we were listening to said they were getting information in from all over America about simultaneous attacks. Kate, what are you doing?”
“She’s trying to figure out what I’m doing,” Ashar said over his shoulder. He thought anyway. She stood up when he stood up. “So they’re saying it’s just the United States?” Ashar asked.
“Yeah,” Patrick nodded. “My phone was still working, and I was watching these videos people were posting on social media. Unfiltered and uncensored.”
Chloe was crying and came forward to take her daughter’s hand and pull her away. Patrick reached out to touch her, but she shook her head and turned her shoulder to him.
“Someone posted pictures of an elementary school reduced to rubble. Not a single survivor in sight. That could have been our children.” Chloe swiped at tears.
Patrick shoved his phone back into his pocket. Ashar thought he looked irritated at his wife’s snuff. “A football stadium with a crater where the field had been, bodies everywhere. People were filming from a part of the stands that were still standing, showing how many were dead or injured from the bomb and debris, or trampled by others trying to get to safety. I can’t even…” Patrick stopped, choking up.
Monty spoke up from the back of the line. “They hit places where there were lots of people. Concerts. Plays. Theaters. Subways and malls.”
“I heard the army is everywhere,” Carl informed Ashar. He was at the back of the procession and talking loudly to be heard. “Groups of soldiers with guns shooting people, setting places on fire, and detonating more bombs. They were targeting p
laces with crowds of people I think.”
“Don’t forget the tanker trucks,” Monty shot the words at them like they weren’t mentioning them on purpose. Ashar stopped to look back and wait for the group to not be so straggled. Monty was sweating profusely in his bulky jacket. His black hair was sticking to his face and the front of his black hoody was damp.
“I didn’t hear about any trucks,” Patrick replied. “What about them?”
Monty wiped an arm over his forehead “They drove into main bodies of water and detonated, spilling poisons.” He was telling the group the information like they all should have known.
Ash moved along the path again, listening to Chloe start to sob behind him. “This is horrible. We’re all going to die.”
She certainly was dramatic. He glanced over his shoulder and watched Patrick awkwardly wrap an arm around her as they walked, shifting his bags and shushing her, murmuring that she was scaring their children.
It was far worse than Ashar had ever imagined. Irv hadn’t missed the mark at all. No one said anything after Chloes grim prediction. He used the silence to muddle all of the new information through his mind and process it as quickly as he could.
“Well, I’m thinking the trails are probably safe if everything is segregated to well-populated areas,” Ashar finally concluded. “At this time, I think we can deduce that scouting nature trails in a forest is probably not on their priority list, so let’s keep following the deer trails and go deeper into the forest. Find another place close to water where we can settle. That’s the plan for now. Anyone disagree?”
He wanted them all to feel like they could offer input. Heads were shaking and all of them seemed content to let him lead.
“I don’t know what a deer trail is,” Kate whispered, coming up alongside of him and looking up at him with scared blue eyes.
Ashar had zero experience with kids. Awkwardly, he patted her head. “It’s okay. I can find one. Remember how I was looking at the ground earlier?” She nodded and he thought about how to describe to her what to look for, but wasn’t sure how to for a child her age. He scanned the ground for signs of animal-made paths.
Motioned her over and pointed. “See that thin flat area between all the green on the forest floor?”
Kate nodded.
“That’s a deer trail. It’s where the animals walk through all of this.” He waved an arm at the foliage around them. “That make sense?” he asked her.
She nodded. Chloe stopped beside her daughter, jiggling the bags she was carrying and huffing. “Kate, leave him alone. Walk beside me.”
She hadn’t been bothering him but Ashar wasn’t sure Chloe would care. He started forward again.
Now that he knew more of what their homeland was dealing with, he realized finding somewhere well off any nature trail was the safest option. Just because the army wasn’t currently trekking through the forest looking for survivors didn’t mean that they wouldn’t when they’d finished with their first targets.
There was a lot more bickering between the couple as the group picked through the undergrowth. Patrick continued trying to get a signal on his phone and Chloe nagged at him to stop, claiming she couldn’t handle knowing any more about what was happening.
The sound of rustling branches and an occasional grunt of annoyance at the terrain came from the others. Carl and Adam talked among themselves, but not loud enough that Ashar could make out what they were saying.
When the trees thinned a little Carl fell into step beside Ashar, sweating like the rest of them. “So, you actually live out here in the mountains? How long have you been doing that?”
Ashar guessed Carl was in his early twenties, and he didn’t have the appearance of one who spent a lot of time outdoors. His skin was pale and clean-shaven, his hair fair, his build trim, and he wore a fitted plaid shirt open over a simple white tee and skinny jeans. His shoes Ashar doubted would last a week and already the checkered black and white sides were stained with green from the forest floor and grimy with dirt.
“Not for very long really,” he offered. He didn’t have a lot of experience talking to strangers. He hadn’t bothered with all the nurses or doctors, and at his job he had worked alone and most of the communication had been done through email. Plus, he doubted he and Carl had much in common.
“Why?” Carl asked, his voice tinged with interest. “Where are your parents? You look younger than me.”
His parents were not a topic Ashar cared to delve into. He’d done enough of that with Irv, and even Irv barely knew anything. Deciding no response was best, he shrugged. He found the hole in his jacket and tucked his thumb through it, scanning ahead for any breaks off the trail that looked easier to hike through.
Carl was silent and Ashar wondered if he had put him off with his lack of a response until Carl’s quiet, “My parents died,” slipped out. Pain was raw in his voice.
Ashar stopped walking, shock pulsing through him as it suddenly occurred to him that his own parents might have died. He spun around, seeking Patrick. “Was anywhere in West Virginia hit?”
There was sympathy on other faces looking back at him, but he only noticed it for a moment because Patrick was nodding. The soft breeze howled in his ears. The air grew cold. His heartbeat pounded painfully with sharp beats.
“Charleston did.”
A hand pressed against his shoulder. “Is that where you’re from?”
Heat burned off the cold. His heart slowed but the trees were spinning. He wanted to shake the hand off, but thought it was all that was holding him up. “That’s it? Only Charleston?”
“It’s the only one I remember hearing about. I’m sorry to tell you, but not a single state that I’ve heard of only had one city targeted. Washington DC was all but obliterated. The only reason the government is still functioning is because they weren’t in DC at the time of the attack.”
They had all stilled on the path. Kate was looking up at her mother, who had started crying again. Adam was examining his fingernails, blinking furiously. Mariah stood to the side, her face sympathetic.
“They weren’t doing anything about it though, were they?” Monty’s words were aggressive. Ashar stared at him, struggling to bring his mind back from wondering about his parents.
Why hadn’t he asked himself any questions? The pastor had told them multiple cities had been bombed, not just Talladega. He and Irv hadn’t discussed any of it on the walk back into the forest, hadn’t pondered what was happening beyond the smoke and rubble of Talladega.
“Maybe you should sit down for a minute,” Chloe suggested, coming forward to take his arm and guide him off the path to a log. She swiped at her wet cheeks. He felt like he was one of her children as she stroked his arm to offer comfort.
He hadn’t even said goodbye. He’d packed all he had and just left. Even if they hadn’t had his best interests at heart, they had still been the only family he had ever known. Now, they could be dead, or if they weren’t, they could be wondering the same about him.
If he had stayed, he might be dead too. Ashar lifted his eyes up, not seeing the heavy branches blocking his view of the sky. Was this God’s plan? Had that letter been meant to lead him away to save him? Shaking his head, Ashar realized he’d made no attempt to change things for the better.
“I’m so sorry, Mom and Dad,” he whispered.
“They will forgive you. My mommy always does.” Kate spoke to him, peering at him with eyes the color of the sky above the trees, certainty making them bright. Ashar brushed away a tear that had slipped out, and nodded.
“Yeah,” he murmured, swallowing hard. He didn’t know if they even cared, really. He glanced around at the eyes on him, a reminder that he couldn’t lose himself in grief. He had people relying on him now. Tired, grief-stricken people, who had experienced the horror of the beginning of a war firsthand. They had run from it. They needed his help to hide from it and stay alive.
“I’m okay,” he told them. He stood up, releasing the softness of h
is jacket that his fingers had sought. “Let’s keep moving, find some place where we can all rest for a while.” He didn’t wait to see if they followed, just started again along the path, needing to move, to focus on anything but the thought of his parents’ bodies blown to pieces.
The little girl was crying from exhaustion by the time he found a place near water that was flat enough for all of them. It had been hard to ignore her pleas to stop and she hadn’t seemed to understand his explanation that they couldn’t stop until they found water. Searching for a valley had led them away from the creek.
There was enough light left for Ashar to take stock of everything the group carried. They needed to shed what they could. He hadn’t addressed a single complaint about the weight anyone carried, because he had known they were carrying things that weren’t necessary.
Now, it was important to take only what was needed so they could move faster the following day. War was overwhelming to think about and Ashar was trying to gather his thoughts about living long-term in the forest with the group and what they would have to do to survive together.
Between them all, there were very few necessities. Canned food, water bottles, protein bars, trail mix. They’d also brought clothing, jewelry, photos, toys for the kids, electronics that were worthless in a forest, and material things they’d deemed too important to leave behind.
Mariah’s bag held the most pertinent items for a survival situation: a water filter, re-usable water bottle, rain jacket, a fire starter and a thermal sleeping bag.
The family, at least, had been smart enough to pack all of the camping gear they’d had. A tent, sleeping bags, pillows, a lantern, rope, a cooking stove, kerosene, and a small cache of kitchen items. They’d even brought the radio Patrick had spoken of, which turned out to be solar powered as well.
Ashar had no experience with electronics. “Does this work without a signal?” he asked Patrick.
Patrick nodded. “Yes, but it’s drained. It’s been stored for a while. The battery is still in it though, and I have an extra.”
Seal Two Page 5
