Endure Series (Book 2): Enduring The Journey:

by Kinney, K. D.

  It was short-lived though. It didn’t look like that big of a hill but the road was at a slight incline and when pushing the Suburban with the trailer attached, it seemed more like a steep mountain they were climbing. They slowed way down and the girls were back to using their entire bodies to keep it moving.

  While they were working so hard on navigating around a few abandoned cars and trucks, they hadn’t noticed the dark ominous clouds that snuck up on them from behind. The sun was still shining when a very chilly wind whipped up suddenly. It wasn’t so bad until the hail started with the rain. It took no time for the sun to be blotted out by the clouds as the hail pelted the roof and bounced off the windshield and the hood. The girls screamed as they jumped in Old Betsy. It started out small, like peas and rapidly progressed into larger ice balls, about the size of marbles. And the ice acted like marbles too the way it bounced off the car and pavement. Tammy put the car in park and turned around when Tyson shrieked louder than the girls from the thunderous pelting on the rooftop. He covered his ears and hid his eyes while he rocked back and forth in distress until Charlie was settled in her seat. He scrambled over the bench seat to get to her.

  “Why does he want me all the time?” Charlie struggled to release his tight grip from around her neck so he didn’t strangle her.

  “I found a photo book in his bag and his mama has red hair like you.” Mae leaned over her seat to show her sisters.

  “Oh.” Charlie looked at the picture for a long time as she worked on repositioning him so she could comfort him better.

  “Cover the ear that’s not against your chest with a blanket and hold it there.” Tammy wished she could help the little guy but her daughter was actually doing a fine job.

  The hail turned into a massive raging downpour with thunder and lightning. Tyson was still whimpering in Charlie’s arms. They all ducked when they saw the intense flash and heard lightning strike nearby.

  “Remember, it stormed the other night. I bet he was all alone during that storm.” Amanda shivered as she reached for her blanket that was on the seat behind her. “It got cold fast.”

  “You’re wet from that storm sneaking up on us, and yes, it did cool off fast but it’s not that cold.” Tammy leaned back in her seat and decided they should give up for the day. She closed her eyes, not that she could sleep but so she could stop seeing what was in front of her. Cars that were in the way, a slow climb that was going to last for hours in a car that had already given up on her, and her daughters would have to push the whole set up without her beyond their limits to keep going until they got there. They had what they needed with them, though. If it took another day or two, they would be fine. They were safe for the moment. They had shelter and would be warm enough. There hadn’t been anyone else since the exhausted couple she helped, or actually Mae helped. But there were wild animals around.

  The storm was a good one. It rained for an hour or more. Constant pounding on the car made it impossible for the girls to do much to pass the time. Tyson continued to cling to Charlie and she was tired of it. Once the rain let up, it sounded more like white noise as it fell on the car. Tyson fell asleep and Charlie did too. In fact, all the girls somehow found a way to get comfortable once the worst of the storm was over. Mitsi was the only one awake. She was still enjoying getting to know everyone, loving all the attention she was getting since she had been cleaned, dried, and well-fed. She sniffed all around the front seat and climbed up on Tammy’s lap looking for attention. Running her hand down the little furry back, she started to relax. The lightweight fine fluffy fur was so soft, Mitsi was the softest animal she had ever touched. Tammy gazed in the pup’s eyes and thought for sure the dog was telling her how grateful she was to be rescued. She wagged her tail so much that her whole backend moved with her tail.

  “If it wasn’t for your barking, that little boy would not be here. You’re a good little dog.” She whispered and let the dog lick under her chin as tears spilled down her cheeks. “We will make it, just like you did. We will get there, all of us.” She rested her forehead on the window. The glass was cold and water ran down it in little rivers. “We are so close and yet so far.” She tried turning on the Suburban. It wouldn’t turn over. She tried a few more times and she had no luck. “Yes, I know. Nothing is going to be easy. This takes the saying “endure to the end” to a whole new level.” She smiled at the little dog with the funny little cartoon face. Mitsi’s tongue waggled out of the side of her mouth and she looked like she was smiling like anything Tammy said meant everything would be grand and wonderful. “Are you telling me we are going to be just fine or are you just one of those always happy dogs that is so naïve that you will trust me no matter what?” She held the dog’s head in her hands and smiled at her tenderly. “You’re naïve but it’s okay. We will make it.” She looked up at the sky putting her faith up to the higher power above. “We made it this far. We can do this…Right? I’m counting on you.”

  She felt a little peace wash over her that it was a good decision to call it a day and stay put for the night. Besides, her eyes were burning. She pulled her blanket tight around her shoulders as she shivered. Perhaps it was going to be a cold night after all.

  15

  Ben

  It felt as though the drive to Eagle River took ages and that was mainly because of how badly Ben needed a restroom. He kept thinking that perhaps they were close and yet they weren’t.

  Once they exited the Glenn Highway, Ben knew where they were and that the office was close.

  When they pulled in, the parking lot was a hubbub of activity. There was a trailer with a UTV and a small trailer beside it. There were boxes and gas cans and several people standing around chatting and sorting through what was there.

  Dimitri had to turn around in the parking lot and almost pulled out on the road again because there was so little room for his rig and trailer in the space that was left in the parking lot.

  Ben and Nate didn’t waste any time getting out of the back once they stopped. Ben’s jeans were still damp and were not comfortable to walk in at all as he approached the office staff. He’d only visited with them in person briefly before he was sent off to the village for the summer.

  They all stopped what they were doing and were excited to see Ben and Nate as they crowded around to say hello.

  “You made it!” Dave was the first to shake their hands. “Jim said the weather was horrible there all day. He said you two left on a single four-wheeler piled high with all your gear and he didn’t think you’d make it until late in the day if you even managed to get here at all.”

  “Yeah, we lucked out when we crossed paths with Dimitri. He had room for the ATV and made a spot for us in the back of his truck. We were already pretty soaked through by then.” Nate shivered and looked as though he regretted it. “I really need a bathroom, though.”

  Everyone moved out of the way as he hastily headed for the door to the office.

  “Sorry, but I need to go where he’s going.” Ben didn’t want to leave Dimitri hanging. “I’ll be right back. Can someone help unload the quad? Dimitri, please don’t leave until I can tell you goodbye properly.” Ben waited for the kind Russian to nod before he ran inside.

  When he returned, one of the men was trying to get the quad started after it was rolled off the ramp.

  “You guys weren’t stranded when I stopped, were you?” Dimitri asked.

  “No, I drove it up on the trailer, remember?” Ben answered.

  “It won’t start now,” Dave said.

  Nate’s expression was serious as he looked at Ben. “Divine intervention at its best.” He took a turn trying to start it too but it wasn’t happening.

  Ben rubbed the whiskers on his chin. “Looks like an intervention actually happened before we needed it instead of after for once.” He looked up at the sky and whispered, “Thank you.” One little detail worked itself out before it needed too. He felt it had to be a promising sign of what was to come.

  They a
ll said goodbye to Dimitri and his family. Ben noticed when Dave compensated the Russian with cash for helping them. He hoped that it was an answer to Dimitri’s prayers too. He’d overheard Elena prodding her husband to show her what was handed to him and he just shook his head motioning for her to get in the truck.

  Once they were gone, Dave was eager to show them what he had collected so far.

  “So this is fantastic. I had no idea you’d get here this early but we actually have most of what we wanted to send you off with before you arrived. Good thing we weren’t counting on that four-wheeler to get you home. We have this decked out UTV Polaris Ranger set up for you. It’s not new, but it’s not as old as that thing you fellas brought with you. This thing is sound and has all the bells and whistles. I’m confident it will get you home. It has lots of room for supplies and whatever luggage the two of you brought along. I have a couple of spare tires lined up as well. Robert was about to go pick those up. Melinda will take you to the store. But the stores have been hit hard and there’s no word on when they can restock so that might be an issue. Now, we aren’t trying to rush you out of here so take your time if you want. You two look like a couple of drowned rats. Take a shower and get some rest. If you’re still good to go, we’ll go through everything a few times and if you have everything you need, there’s a possibility that you could leave as early as late this evening so you can be at the border by daylight tomorrow.”

  “Are we driving this up there?” Nate peeked inside the big utility terrain vehicle. “This sure beats us having to cram together on something as small as a motorcycle seat.”

  “I agree. This is great. It has a roof and a windshield too.” Ben could tell the seats wouldn’t be that comfortable but staying warm and dry was his main concern. He had gained a few bruises from the suitcases that had been stabbing his back while they were on the ATV so he wasn’t going to complain.

  “We’ll get busy and wrap this up. It looks like you guys need to dry off and warm up before you do anything else. There’s a shower in the back of the office. You two can fight over who gets to go first.” Dave diverted his attention back to his staff to direct what needed to happen next.

  The day was going by so fast. Ben was stunned at what all Dave had lined up for them already. He didn’t expect his boss to go to all the expense preparing them for their journey. He also gave them their last paychecks in cash.

  Ben had been kicking himself for not bringing his entire survival backpack on the trip. There were a few things he couldn’t bring on the plane and he only had so much room for all the clothes he’d needed for the length of time he was going to be gone. He brought what he could, though. The things he didn’t have he put on the list. There were quite a few items he felt were a priority and he was hoping they would be able to find everything he starred on his list.

  Dave wasn’t kidding. The stores were poorly stocked. The sporting goods store wasn’t as slammed as the grocery store so they had better luck there getting some basic winter survival gear, decent hunting knives, paracord, and ammo for the guns Jim had given them. Dave also bought them both shotguns and bear pepper spray.

  Ben felt pretty good about what all they had by the time they were done.

  The UTV was a four-seater and they piled their suitcases and cooler in the back seats.

  “You know how much these cost?” Nate whispered in Ben’s ear.

  “Spendy?”

  “Uh, yeah. And a four-seater with a trailer costs more than my car.”

  “It looks like it has been working hard, though.” Ben looked over the body of the UTV. It might be sound according to Dave but it was beaten up. Paint was missing across the back and some of the plastic was cracked in places and oxidizing in others. Winters were harsh in Alaska, though and if they took it to several jobs, sometimes they had to barge in the equipment on the rivers or perhaps even fly it in because there were no roads to the native villages in the Alaskan Bush. It could have been beaten up from being on the job though.

  “We used this on some of the village boardwalk building projects up in the northern part of the state. It’s been field-tested thoroughly, that’s for sure, but I promise, it’s well maintained. One of our guys is pretty responsible and took care of this thing quite well. We’re replacing it with a special ordered newer model with a utility bed that is supposedly on its way here soon. But who knows if that’s the case now. It doesn’t matter, this four seater’s trailer wasn’t big enough for us so it’s not worth keeping either. We’ll load it with all the fuel you can haul.” Dave motioned for them to help him move the small trailer closer to the gas cans.

  Once everything was loaded up and Ben and Nate were sure they had everything they’d need, they were taken over to Robert’s house to have a decent meal before they got some sleep.

  “They say the border is closed. I don’t know where everyone is headed but they’re sure clogging up the highway heading north. Maybe they think they’ll be safer heading to Fairbanks. Or maybe they’re all finding there’s no place left to stay here. Doesn’t really matter, I guess. They all know staying put in Alaska is wise for the time being. They aren’t heading to Canada.” He shuffled some papers around that he had pulled out of the printer. “I’ve been studying these maps all morning when I heard you were coming. I will get you as close as I can to the border and set you free. You’ll have to off-road it to get into Canada and I have no idea if they’re using drones for patrols or what. There’s only so much I can look up since the blackout hit. I swear, the internet has gone back in time to what it was like with dial-up. I do have some print out maps for you to help you navigate.” Robert handed them some bedding. “You’ll want to sleep while you can. I’ll let you know when it’s time to load up and then you can sleep on the way there too. You might as well enjoy the warmth and comfort of an actual bed while you have it because who knows how long it will be before you have access to a real one again.”

  Nate raised his eyebrows at Ben. It was a sobering thought for them both.

  16

  Tammy

  “If this rain stops, are we going to keep going?” Amanda asked when she woke up from her nap.

  Tammy struggled to open her eyes. She couldn’t believe she had actually dozed off. “There isn’t much daylight here in between these mountains. I think we are going to stay put for the night.”

  “Oh.” Amanda looked out the window like she was looking for something. “Man, I wish we were closer.”

  “Me too.” Tammy ran her hand through her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. “If it stops raining, I want to see if we can get the generator hooked up to the freezer.”

  But it didn’t stop raining. The younger girls let the chickens out one by one in the back so they could stretch and eat. Tyson still wasn’t talking. He mostly watched and played silently. He was frightened easily and he’d climb back into Charlie’s lap. She was tolerating it well. But there were a few looks she gave Tammy that said she would appreciate it if someone else would step in.

  Soon the sun was gone and they were sitting in the dark. The rain was still falling but it was not even close to what it had been earlier. It wasn’t totally silent. The sound of rushing water from the river was welcome over complete silence.

  As more time passed, Tammy was growing anxious. She wanted to make sure she didn’t lose the freezer full of food. At least it was the last thing loaded along with the generator at the back of the trailer. Her main concern was letting it run all night when they didn’t know if there were people nearby that were desperate for food and water. At least the rain would possibly be a deterrent. However, the generator was so loud, it would be a call to the lost.

  She stopped ruminating and got out of the Suburban.

  “Mom, what are you doing?” Zoe started to open her door.

  “Stay there. I’m just going to run the generator for a bit.” She rubbed her calf before she walked to the back of the trailer.

  Tammy was getting ready to lift the gen
erator when Charlie showed up and she jumped. She waved at her daughter to go away. “I said stay inside.” The rain fell lightly and her shirt was already wet all across her shoulders.

  “I need a little space.” Charlie rubbed her arms. “He’s a cute little boy but I don’t know how long I can handle him clinging to me all the time.”

  Tammy could hear him crying. “Once we get to the cabin, I’ll work on transitioning him to me and your sisters more. But right now, he’s had a lot of trauma. He’s spent several long nights in the dark alone in that car with his mom dead in the front seat. I’m sure he has no idea why she never woke up. If you’re the one he needs to feel safe right now, please just give him all the love he needs.”

  Charlie was quiet as she nodded slowly.

  Tammy rummaged through a tub and found the solar lights that didn’t have any charge, a few flashlights, and some taplights. “Turn on the taplights and give him one so he can have some light and feel safe. I’ll be fine out here. I won’t be long.” She waited for Charlie to do as she was told.

  Hooking up the freezer to the generator was a piece of cake. First thing that hadn’t been overly complicated all day. She climbed in the back of the trailer to get out of the rain and rearranged a few things so she could sit in a chair while she kept an eye on it. She was so anxious that she wasn’t comfortable leaving it running when she couldn’t see the backend of the trailer when she was back in the Suburban.

  She noticed something smelled rather strong coming from inside the trailer. It wasn’t the exhaust from the generator. It was something else. Tammy couldn’t locate where it was coming from but the odor was familiar and had the potential to get much worse. Or maybe they had put something smelly from Tyson in the back. However, until the rainstorm blew in, the day had been quite warm and the trailer would warm up quite a bit more inside than it was outside on days like that. So perhaps something in the trailer went a little overly ripe. She rearranged a few tubs while she tried to track down the smell when she stepped in a puddle. Shining a flashlight on the floor, she tried to figure out where it was coming from. All the enclosed plastic tubs were the only things on the floor but there could be a roof leak. She paused when she remembered. The men that were shooting at them after Dale had left had shot holes in the trailer.