by Mark Mathews
“Thanks. But I still feel like I should learn how to shoot now that we have the extra guns.”
Now she was looking up at Sarah, like a child asking her mother for something in the toy store. Sarah glanced down at her, then over at Wade before quickly looking back at the road. Wade avoided her gaze, letting her know this was completely her decision, and that he would go along with whatever she said. Sighing heavily, Sarah knew that she had to make up her mind. Wade was right. It would help to have someone else who was good with a gun, but she didn’t want Emily to be that person. Picking up a weapon made you a target, no matter what kind of weapon it was. She would have liked to have said she learned that at police academy, but the truth was, it came from a TV show that she used to watch religiously, Xena: Warrior Princess. It was true. No one cared about you unless you were a threat, and picking up a weapon would make you a threat.
“I’ll think about it until we get to a rest stop.” Wade could sense the weakness and that she wanted to give in to the little girl, but he thought she was right in taking the time to think about it.
“Well, no matter what she decides, I want to be much farther away from this group before we start practicing. I don’t want to be anywhere close enough for them to hear our shots and start looking for us again. They outnumber us, and even if we do take some of them out, or some of them leave the gang, it’s going to be a fight the next time we meet. I’m not happy about putting you into that fight, but like I said, we’re going to be outnumbered and all the help we can get would be welcome. I’m leaving this up to Sarah, and I’ll go with whatever she says. But I won’t start training you until we get somewhere safe and far away from these guys.”
A solitary tear slid down Sarah’s cheek and she quickly dashed it away. Having someone back her up and say that she was the one making the decision meant a lot to her. Emily nodded silently, leaning back into the seat and trying to get comfortable. They still needed to find a safe place to stop, use the bathroom, and look for supplies, but for now, they just were worried about getting as far away from danger as they could.
The sun was shining, but no one in the paddy wagon felt any warmth from it. They all were worried about what was chasing them from behind, and what they might find in the future ahead of them. Wade was watching the side mirror for any sign of pursuit, and Sarah watched the front. Emily couldn’t take her eyes off the piles of weapons at Wade’s feet. There was a fire in the little girl’s eyes that made her look older than she was, and a calmness washed over her that was beyond her years. Neither of the adults caught it, but something was going on between them, as well as inside of Emily, and she wasn’t sure she understood it herself.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
EMILY SAT WATCHING the scenery slipping by in the world around her. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get the thoughts of April out of her head. Seeing the young girl standing there, arguing for her rights, then watching her eyes grow wide as the bullet tore through her body, it was haunting. Chills ran down Emily’s spine as she remembered April falling to the ground, mouth open in surprise. It didn’t take long for her eyes to close forever, but the look in them…that’s what Emily couldn’t get out of her mind. Now she saw April standing behind every tree, in every bush, just staring at her with those empty eyes.
Wade and Sarah had taken turns driving, and Sarah now was in the passenger seat. Emily curled up next to her, needing the comfort that came from physical contact. Sarah looked down at the little girl, trying to nestle herself into her side, and she put an arm around her. Sarah wished she could take all of the horrors out of Emily’s life, but that wasn’t going to happen. She couldn’t turn back time, but she could make sure that Emily didn’t have to be afraid anymore. It was something that she already had voiced to the little girl, but every time she saw a hint of fear in her eyes or in one of her actions, Sarah swore it to herself again and again.
The drive had been monotonous, and they’d only stopped twice so they all could go to the bathroom and for Wade to take over driving. Sarah’s eyes burned with exhaustion, but she was doing her best to stay awake anyway, in case they came across something where she would be needed. Wade had told her a few times just to go ahead and rest her eyes a little, but she was being stubborn and refusing. There hadn’t been anything to look at out the window except trees, and it was really making it hard for Sarah to keep her eyes open. They started getting even heavier, and Wade glanced out of the corner of his eye to watch Sarah’s head slowly droop against the seat. He smiled. These girls were his family. He thanked circumstances for bringing them to him, because they both had taught him things about himself that he hadn’t known before, or hadn’t had the courage to admit to himself.
A little shack on the side of the road caught his attention, and his hackles rose. He felt like one of those angry cats that wanted to fight with everyone. Any other person they found would be a threat to him and the girls, and he didn’t want that to happen. He kept his eyes on the shack, watching for even the tiniest movement. Nothing. A leaf blew across the front porch, but that was it.
Once it was in his rear view mirror, he breathed a little easier. That relief was short-lived, however, because he saw another little house on the other side of the road. Houses didn’t just spring up everywhere. They must be getting close to a town. He hoped it was deserted. They needed gas and some more supplies, but he didn’t want to waste any more time fighting off people. He’d had enough of that to last him a lifetime. Unfortunately, he knew that wish was completely irrational. This world they lived in now guaranteed fights around every corner. Fights for survival. He was starting to think he might be getting too old for all of this, and that maybe it would be better to let the girls go on without him. He was going to be a burden sooner or later, and he didn’t want that. Hell, he hadn’t even wanted that before the world had gone to hell, but at least there were ways around it in that old life. This new one, though, there was no way that he’d be a burden. He’d take his own life first.
It was still daylight, but he felt as though it should be much, much later in the day. As it was, he was glad he could see what was going on around him. The little town came into view, and he was happy to see no signs of life whatsoever. It made him relax a little, but not very much. He knew better than most that looks could be deceiving. He saw a battered gas station and pulled into it. The silence when cut off the engine made Sarah jump a little, waking up Emily, who had fallen asleep in her arms.
“Hey, girls. It looks like we’re in a little town of some sort. I’m going to get us some gas. You guys can stretch your legs a little, but don’t go too far, okay?” Sarah nodded.
She took Emily’s hand and started to help her down. They both had somewhat stiff legs, , so climbing down out of the paddy wagon was a little awkward. Wade thought he might as well try the nozzle, maybe there would be a miracle. The dull thunking of nothing coming down the tube made his heart sink. He searched the area, hoping for some kind of tank or maybe a gas can that had been left behind. About twenty minutes had gone by, and Wade was just about to go looking for the girls when he heard the shot. His heart started hammering in his chest, and his pistol was in his hand without him remembering to reach for it. He followed the sound and found Sarah with her gun out. He watched as she handed it to Emily. His heart started to slow down. She was teaching the little girl to shoot. There was no danger, it was just practice. He stood there, watching for a few minutes, as Emily raised the gun and took aim. She didn’t flinch when the gun went off, and she didn’t take her eyes off the target until she heard the bullet hit. She was a quick study. He wouldn’t mind having her backing him up. He waved his arms over his head to get their attention. Sarah saw and spoke to Emily, who pointed the barrel of the gun down to the ground before turning around to look at him.
“What’s wrong, Wade?” Sarah looked concerned, but he smiled at her to let her know it wasn’t anything serious.
“Well, it looks like you guys have a pretty good thing g
oing on here, and I don’t want to interrupt. So, I’m going to go into town and see if I can get a few supplies. You guys keep it up. That was some good shooting, Emily. Keep listening to what Sarah tells you, and you’ll be just fine.” Sarah looked somewhat concerned, but Emily grinned at him and waved before turning back to the tree she’d been shooting at.
If Emily wasn’t worried about him going into town, then Sarah shouldn’t be either. She turned her attention back to Emily. To be honest, she was very impressed with how quickly the little girl was picking up the fundamentals. She’d barely had to make any corrections to Emily’s stance or form once she’d let the little girl watch her. She was having a proud mommy moment and she almost hated herself for being so happy about it. She really didn’t have a right, because she didn’t know how Emily would feel about her starting to consider her as her daughter. Sarah shook her head and let that thought run out. That was something to discuss once they had a place to live that was safe and where they could eke out a living for themselves.
Wade made his way down the main street, keeping a sharp eye out for anyone who might get in his way. The first house he came to couldn’t really be considered a house. It looked like a shack, but half of the roof was collapsed in on itself, and the front windows were missing. It screamed abandonment, so Wade thought there probably hadn’t been anyone living in it for a long time. Vines and moss were growing on the sides, and the door looked as though it had rusted shut years ago. Definitely not a good place to get supplies. Time to move on. The next house he found looked like someone had been taking meticulous care of it until recently. The flower beds had few weeds in them, the grass was short, like someone had cut it not that long ago, and the whole house looked as though it had had a fresh coat of paint on it before the disaster happened. Maybe this one would have some food in it that he could bring to the girls. He loosened his pistol in its holster before going up the short and well-manicured walkway to the front door. He put his ear up to it and listened. Nothing but silence greeted him, and it made him relax a little. The door didn’t creak when he opened it, and that worried him a little. If someone tried coming in here after him, he would have no warning. They could be on him in a second. Maybe this wasn’t the best house to ransack. A bad feeling settled into his gut, but he’d come this far, so he might as well see what he could find. He was in a beautifully decorated living room, with pictures of the family everywhere. It looked to be a happy family of five, and he felt a twinge of guilt at the loss of his own family.
He pushed those feelings aside and began clearing the house the way he’d been taught in the police academy. Nobody in sight. He holstered his gun and headed toward the kitchen. It would help if he could use both hands. Out of nowhere, a shadow crossed his path. He half-turned, looking behind him at the shadowy movement. There was a little closet under the stairs that he hadn’t bothered to look in, and now the door stood ajar. A man had rushed out of it, slamming into him and wrestling him to the ground. The man’s weight helped him knock Wade down, but it was easy to see that he had no fighting skills at all. Wade quickly reversed their positions, leaving the man lying on his back.
“Please! Don’t kill me! I have a family to take care of!” The words gave him pause, but then again, it could be just an excuse to let the man live. More movement caught his eye, and he turned to see a woman clutching a young girl in the closet under the stairs. Wade backed off, holding a hand out to help the man to his feet.
“I’m not a threat to you. I was just here looking for some food. It doesn’t look as though you guys are doing all that well.” The man got up and looked at the woman in the closet. A quick nod to her, and she came out of the closet with the little girl clinging to her legs.
“We’ve been trying to keep moving from town to town, getting whatever food we could and sleeping in whatever houses we could find that were unlocked. We came in here for food, but then I heard you scrape on the floor and I had them hide in here. I thought maybe I could take you out so we could go in and find whatever supplies this house had. I’m sorry.” He really looked it, too. Wade felt bad for him.
“First off, don’t apologize. This is a new kind of world, and you have to do whatever is necessary to protect your family and yourself. I have two girls myself that I’m protecting, and I know the way you feel.” The man looked around the otherwise empty house.
“Where are they?” He looked confused. Almost like Wade had found a better hiding spot for his family.
“They’re back at the gas station with our van. If you want, you guys can come with us.” The woman came up behind her husband and put a hand on his shoulder. They shared a meaningful look, and he finally sighed.
“If you wouldn’t mind, we would appreciate that. We don’t really know where to go or how to survive in this world.” The look of utter self-hatred that the man had for himself twisted Wade’s heart. He couldn’t fault the man for his feelings, but he could help him better himself.
“Come with me and we’ll head back.”
They went through the rest of the house first, packing up whatever supplies they could find. There wasn’t much, but they took everything they found. Wade led them back to the spot where he’d left Sarah and Emily. Before they could reach the little clearing, however, they heard gunshots, and it sent the man and his family cowering under the trees.
“Wait! It’s alright! It’s my family. I promise, it’s okay.” The man came out slowly, holding his wife’s hand, the girl following. The wife’s face was pale, and it looked to Wade as if the poor woman was going to faint on the spot. She refused to let go of her husband as they continued to follow Wade through the trees.
“Oh my goodness!”
The woman gasped as they cleared the trees and saw that Emily still was putting round after round into the tree where Sarah had indicated she should aim. The woman’s daughter squeaked and hid behind her mother while the man just stood there and stared. Sarah became aware of someone watching them. So she turned toward where she felt the intruding gaze was originating. She saw Wade and the other three people, who made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. What was going on?
“Wade! Is everything okay?” Her voice floated over, and that made Emily put her gun back in the holster and start toward him. Sarah made sure she kept herself between Emily and the new family, because she just didn’t trust anyone anymore.
“Everything’s fine. I found them in one of the houses I was looking in, and they didn’t have anywhere to go. So, I told them they could come with us.” He hoped Sarah would understand. She wanted to keep it to just the three of them after the incident with April, and he didn’t really blame her, but he couldn’t leave this family to their own devices to die. Sarah’s gaze raked over the family, and she hitched a fake smile up on her lips.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Wade nodded, looking at Emily to see if she would be alright on her own.
She gave a curt nod and went over to make friends with the little girl. It made Wade smile. When he looked up at Sarah’s expression, however, the storm in her eyes gave him pause.
“I get that you’re trying to be nice to these people, but we don’t owe them anything. No offense to them, but they don’t look like they would be any help to us when we reach the Great Lakes. He doesn’t even look like he can fight, and she is much too soft to do anything. If I tried to give her a gun to shoot, she would drop it and run away screaming.” Sarah had a knack for reading people, and Wade felt sheepish that she’d hit the nail on the head when it came to the man.
“We don’t know what we’re going to find when we get there.” That much was true, and he was hoping it wouldn’t be an all-out war. Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to calm down. She admired Wade for trying to help everyone they found, but she refused to risk their safety.
“Do you really want to take that chance, though? Think about Emily. Think of everything that she’s gone through. Can we really risk it?” Wade understood where she was comi
ng from, and he decided she wasn’t going to stop until she got her way. He sighed heavily and went back to the family. Emily went over to Sarah, sensing that something was going on.
“It might be best for you guys to stay more on the edge of town and only come in every now and then when you need more food.” The woman’s mouth dropped open.
“So, you’re just going to leave us behind? After you told us that we could come with you?” There was anger in the man’s voice, but he didn’t lunge.
“I’m sorry. I have to protect my family, too, and right now I don’t know if we can risk it. I’m heartbroken.” Wade walked away from the family, not able to look back at them.
Sarah took Emily’s hand, leading her toward the place where the paddy wagon was parked. She could feel the family’s eyes burning into her but she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin as she walked away. They were angry at her, and she understood that, but when it came down to it, she knew they would do the same thing if their places were reversed. She helped Emily get in the paddy wagon, and Sarah made sure she took the window seat, just in case they wanted to follow them and throw rocks or something. Yes, it was petty, but it was something that she herself would do, so she wouldn’t put it past anyone else. A slight twinge of regret tugged at her heart, but she knew she was doing this for the greater good, and so she ignored it. They were leaving now to continue on their journey to a better life.
CHAPTER THIRTY
THE LITTLE GROUP came to what looked like a resort of some kind, nestled in the side of another mountain. Wade was a little skeptical about going there to look for supplies. A resort would be well-stocked, and thus a beacon to others looking for supplies. But when he looked at the girls, he knew they needed a little break from the run that they’d been on. He’d been ready to fight, but the girls hadn’t even tried to argue. It was their lack of fight more than anything that showed him they needed a little time alone for themselves. He angled the paddy wagon toward the front gate.
