by Hunt, Jack
“Come on in,” he said to Bailey. She was panting hard and looked stressed. He shut the metal doors behind him and then took out a flashlight from his bag and shone it around. Corey had brought him in a couple of times over the past few days, shown him where he stashed his cigarettes, a habit that he was trying to quit, and his private stash of beer in a cooler shoved behind all the rakes. Tyler reached up and pulled down some old sheets that had been used as drop cloths when they painted the house. He bunched them into a ball and Bailey stepped on the mound and turned, multiple times, raking the sheets with her paws before settling. He pulled out a can of beer and cracked it open. He took an old flowerpot holder and filled it to the brim for the dog. Bailey lapped up the beer. “Sorry it’s not water but you look like you could use it.” He sat and took a hard swig on the rest of the can, then reached into the cooler and pulled out a vacuum pack of beef jerky. “You hungry?” The dog sniffed the pack and he tore it open and gave her a bunch of it. He chewed on a chunk and looked at the door, keeping his rifle on the ready. He was taking a risk sleeping there for the night but the chances of anyone going all the way to the back of the yard and searching the tool shed would have been slim.
Tyler was at a loss for what to do. With his brother in the hospital, his father acting like a dick, the only other person who had shown any kindness since his arrival was Jude, and although he loved to go against his father’s wishes, he wondered why he saw him as dangerous. He was of two minds about going to see Jude in the morning. Even if he wanted, he’d need transportation and there was only one person he could think of who might have that — his father. Tyler grimaced then sighed and put his arm over Bailey and raked her fur, trying to get her to stop panting so hard. “I know, girl. We’ll find her. We’ll find both of them.”
9
Six days into blackout
A loud bang jolted Tyler upright the next morning. Instinctively his finger went to the trigger of his AR-15, and he raked the muzzle expecting to find himself face to face with trouble; instead, a mass of fur with a wet nose was inches away. “Holy crap. You scared the living shit out of me, Bailey.” He pawed at his eyes, ran a hand over his beard and looked around to see the cooler turned over and what remained of the packaged jerky in a pile, along with three unopened beer cans. Rising to his feet he glanced at his watch. It was a little after six. He shivered. The previous night he kept waking at every sound. He cracked the door to see what it was like outside. The first rays from a rising sun flooded in, warming his skin. One look at the house, and his stomach sank. Everything felt out of control. His brother being shot. His father on his case, and now Erika and Nate missing. Returning to his spot, he tore open another packet of jerky and threw some to Bailey. She swallowed it, barely chewing, and was right back in his face for more. “You have hollow legs, my friend.” He ruffled the fur on the back of her neck and stuffed the rest into his backpack.
“Time to move,” he said pulling wide the doors and dashing out towards the rear of the yard with Bailey in step.
It took a good two hours by foot to reach his father’s cabin on Whitefish Lake. It was in one of the most secluded spots in the area. He’d purchased two lots of land either side to prevent anyone from building a home nearby. Privacy was critical, his father would say. The less people know, the better your chances of survival. The only reason he’d built by the lake and not deep in the forest was so he had access to trout and pike. Fending for yourself, living off the land, was a critical component of why he’d chosen to live in Whitefish, Montana. Tyler remembered his reasons for choosing Montana as a place to survive. It was away from coastlines, nuclear plants and highly populated cities. It had little risk of natural disasters, plenty of fish and running water, an abundance of wild game and edible plants, fertile land for growing corps, long growing seasons, a strong economy, protected gun rights and a low cost of living. Yep, his father was always one step ahead of the game. There were very few times he’d ever seen him do anything that wasn’t related to prepping. From sunup to sundown, he was either selling outdoor gear, teaching or preparing for the big event.
Nestled in the woodland not far from Lakeshore Road, the familiar sights and sound of water lapping against the shore brought back good and bad memories, but mostly negative. Beads of sweat rolled down his temple as they made their way up the long winding driveway hedged in by dense bushes, scrub and ponderosa pines.
He knew his father would see him long before he arrived so he skirted around the area known to have cameras and motion detectors just to see if he’d upped his game. Multiple generators powered by the sun and diesel along with a collection of batteries kept his surveillance system operating around the clock. He didn’t need to be monitoring twenty-four seven as it would alert him to anyone coming within a mile of his home with flashing LED lights and beepers. Trudging through the thick undergrowth he came out into a clearing not far from the water. The property had its own private beach, dock and boat launch. To his right was the gorgeous log cabin up on a steep grassy incline with five bedrooms, a loft area, an office and a full apartment on the lower floor. The sound of his brother’s voice came back to him as he looked at the dock. In his mind he saw Corey sprint and cannonball into the water. “Come on, Tyler, the water is warm.”
Ever since his near-death experience after his father had tied his ankles and wrists, he’d had a fear of water. He stood there at the edge of the rocky shore, kicked out a few loose pebbles and threw one. It skipped across the surface of the water four times before plummeting into the depths.
“I’m not going in,” he replied to Corey.
“You won’t drown, I promise you.”
In one instant his father had taken all the joy out of swimming. Had it not been for the persistence of his brother, he doubted he would have ever got near large bodies of water again. Corey walked down to the edge of the dock and put his feet on the lip. Bailey sat at his side as he looked out.
“Just jump,” Corey said. “Or sit on the edge and slip into the water.”
“I dunno.”
“Come on, you can’t always be scared.”
“You still afraid?” came a familiar voice. The words sent a chill down him. Tyler turned to see his father walking down, chewing on an apple. He took a few steps away, still cautious, not of the water but of what his father might do. Although he wasn’t afraid of him, fear had a way of imprinting on a person’s mind and just the sound of his voice triggered him.
“I see you’ve extended the property over to the second lot,” Tyler said.
“Yeah,” he said, not explaining why. He had this smirk on his face as if he finally had Tyler where he wanted him. “You triggered one of the sensors just west of here.” He looked pleased with himself.
“Oh that one,” Tyler said, pretending to have seen it.
“You spotted it?”
“Wasn’t exactly well hidden,” he said walking up the dock to meet him. He hadn’t seen it but he wasn’t going to tell his father that. He knew he would obsess over it now and probably spend a few days going through several tests to check that it wasn’t visible to the eye.
“Ella inside?”
His father gave a nod. “I’m glad you finally came to your senses.”
Tyler got close. “Not exactly.”
He looked down at Bailey. “Whose mutt?”
“Erika’s.”
“Where are your friends?” he asked looking around as if expecting to see them.
“I’m not sure. They were gone when I returned home last night.”
He scoffed. “Probably took off. Let me guess, they took what supplies you had and left you with the mutt?”
Tyler could feel himself getting riled up. He didn’t want to. He’d spent nine years making peace with the past, but his father just knew how to get under his skin.
“Corey’s place has been wrecked.”
He blew his cheeks out and shook his head. “I told you. Bringing strangers into the midst of family is never
a good thing.”
“It wasn’t them.”
“No? They leave you a note telling you that?”
“I know them.”
“Do you?” His father got a little closer. It had always been his way of intimidating. He could remember him closing the space between them when he was a kid and looming over like a dark shadow. “You spend a few days on the road together and you think you know them?”
“Look. I only came here to see if I can use one of the horses.”
“One of my horses?”
Tyler nodded.
“Well that depends. Will you be returning here?”
“To drop it off, yeah.”
“No. To stay.”
Tyler studied him for a second. He knew what he was playing at. Using it as a bargaining tool. “Nope.”
“Then my answer is no. You know the way out.”
He turned to walk away.
“Why would you want me here? You’ve always acted like you don’t give a shit. So why now?” In Tyler’s mind it was all about control but he wanted to hear it from him.
His father stopped, and looked back. “It’s what your mother would have wanted.”
Tyler laughed. “So you’re doing it just because of her.”
“That’s right.”
“You are a piece of work. Lou was wrong about you.”
“Lou?”
“Yeah, your brother or have you forgotten him?”
His father scowled. “Watch your tone.”
“You know what? Forget it. I shouldn’t have come here. I thought I would give you the benefit of the doubt but I was right, Lou was wrong.”
His father turned and made his way over and grabbed him by the arm as he walked away. The second he did it, Bailey growled and lunged forward, snapping at him. His father pulled away, grabbing his Glock from his hip. Tyler quickly put a hand up and pulled the dog back by the collar. “No.”
With both hands on the weapon he kept it trained on Bailey. “You better reel in that mutt or—”
“Put the gun down, Dad.”
There was an awkward moment and then he re-holstered it. They began backing away without saying anything and Tyler melted back into the forest. Tyler looked down at Bailey, she kept looking back. It had surprised him that the dog tried to protect him, then again, she’d taken to him from the first day they’d met. Dogs had a good sense of what a person was like. And for whatever reason Bailey did not like his father. Once they were out of sight of his father, he crouched down near a tree and pulled his backpack off. He took out some jerky and took a bite before eyeing his father’s property. Chances were if he’d already trigged his sensors, it wouldn’t occur a second time so he could use that to his advantage. He tossed Bailey a piece of meat and contemplated taking one of the horses without his permission. It was a ballsy move and liable to land him in hot water but the journey to see Jude was too far to walk, and unless he stole a bike or lucked out and found an old vehicle that was operating, he wasn’t getting there anytime soon.
“What do you think, girl?” he said ruffling Bailey’s hair. “If I go in and get it, you gotta listen to me. You hear me?” The dog’s tongue hung out of her mouth as she panted, cocking her head a few times the way dogs do when they’re trying to figure out what’s being said. “Alright, let’s do this.”
He took out his binoculars and observed the cabin. Through the windows he could see his father walking back and forth, a look of frustration on his face. Ah, this was going to be sweet, he thought. He motioned to Bailey with two fingers and running at a crouch he zigzagged his way through the woodland and around to the stables. He could hear the mares inside moving around, the sound of hay beneath their feet. The smell of horse shit drifted out as he pulled back the door and slipped in with the dog. “Now stay here. Don’t move until I’m out.” The dog sat and wagged her tail. She must have thought they were playing a game. In some way they were. There were four pens, two on either side. Tyler hurried over and scooped up a saddle hanging from a hook. He looked over his shoulder towards the door. Bailey was still there. Moving fast, he unlatched the wooden door and slowly approached a gorgeous mare. It had been a long while since he’d been on the back of one but it was like riding a bike, once on, you never forgot. He slung the thick brown leather saddle over and patted the horse on the neck. “There, there, it’s okay. You and I are going for a little ride.” Taking the reins, he led the beauty to the far end while telling Bailey to come around so she didn’t spook the animal. He led the horse out and mounted it. He had just yanked on the reins to pull it to the right and head through the woodland when he heard the sound of a bolt on a rifle being driven home.
“Get off the horse, Tyler.”
He cast a glance to his left. Up on the crest of the hill, high up on a wraparound porch was his father, aiming a bolt action rifle at him.
“Can you for once in your life not be a giant asshole? Is that even possible?”
“Dismount. Now!”
“You going to shoot me?”
“If I have to.”
“I’m your son.”
He didn’t reply to that.
“Get off the horse. I won’t tell you again.”
“You have three more inside, and I don’t see you using them right now.”
“Where are you heading?”
He could have lied but what was the point. “Olney.”
“I told you not to go there.”
“We have bigger problems than your issues with Jude.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand that you are a scared old man that spends more time trying to protect himself than those he loves.”
“Everything I did, I did for you boys.”
“Bullshit. You did it for yourself. For once in your life, tell the truth. For your own ego.” He eyed him. “Have you ever visited mom’s grave since she died?”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Or what? Huh? Must be hard, Dad, you know, living up here alone knowing that you pushed your family away.”
“I didn’t push anyone. You chose to leave.”
“Yeah, I did. But have you ever asked why I didn’t choose to stay?”
“That’s not my business.”
“No, our lives aren’t your business. Only when it matters to you, right?”
His father peered down the rifle. “Dismount. This is the last time.”
“I need the horse, Dad. I’m taking it. You want to shoot me, go ahead.”
He snapped the reins a little and the horse took a few steps. His heart sped up. Tyler kept his eyes on his father. If he was going to shoot, he would have to look him in the face when he did it. Tyler called Bailey forward and the horse broke into a trot. Before he disappeared around the corner he pulled on the reins and looked back at his father who still hadn’t lowered the gun. “Maybe you can find out who trashed Corey’s home instead of sitting up here in your castle barking out orders.”
With that said, he snapped the reins and dug his heels in and the horse took off in a gallop with Bailey running alongside. His father was full of hot air. The nerve of him to raise a gun at his own son.
From his father’s cabin to Olney by car it would have taken around half an hour, he figured on horseback closer to an hour, maybe less. “Faster, Bailey! Faster,” he said to her as she hurried, bounding over the grass like a racing dog. He kept a steady pace, his mind now turning to all his father had said about Jude. Was it a mistake going? He was about to find out.
10
Erika paced the room like a penned-in animal. It was no bigger than a prison cell with a set of metal bunk beds and a small walkway to the door. At least a cell had a toilet. She had to ask permission to go and they’d already denied her. She banged again with the back of her fist on the steel door.
“Come on, I need to use the bathroom.”
“Sit down. You are starting to give me whiplash,” Nate said.
He was lying back on the lower bunk
with his hands behind his head.
“Inmates get treated better than this,” she said.
“Well at least you’re not in an orange jumpsuit.”
She squealed and crossed her arms, kicking the bed. “You are of no use.”
He twisted over on his side. “I would beg to differ. Snuggle up beside me and I’m sure I can change your mind.”
“God. What is it with men? Always thinking between their legs.”
“I can’t help it if you are frigid.”
“Frigid?”
“Yep,” he said turning onto his back and folding his arms behind his head. She slowly walked over and crouched down beside him, eyeing him. He got this grin on his face as if he thought she was going to prove him wrong, instead she hammer fisted his family jewels. He bolted upright and banged his head on the bed above, and curled over in agony. “Oh, c’mon, why the nuts? My lineage is depending on these bad boys working. That cow already twisted them, and now you’re playing whack a mole. Seriously!”
“If we don’t get out of here, there will be no lineage.”
Nate swung his legs off the edge of the bed and sat up, grimacing and looking at her through one open eye as the other was screwed shut. She banged again a few times on the door but no one came.
“You’re wasting your time.”
“Where the hell are we?” she said bringing a hand up to her forehead.
“You were the one awake when we came in. Didn’t you see or hear something?”
“They blindfolded me before I got out of the van and then spun me around multiple times, carried me, dropped me down some steps and I blacked out. I have no idea where we are. For all we know we could be in a shipping container on our way to China.” She rushed to the heavy steel door and kicked it hard with the bottom of her foot.
