Reluctantly, Bailey moved to comply, leaving the man on the couch. Inside the bathroom, she stripped down, her hands trembling when she reached for the knob; damn. At least at The Ranch we would have a purpose. Chores we can do instead of go stir crazy; she thought of the animals in the barn and horses that would need tending. Yes, I would much rather be there.
Out on the sofa, Caleb put the phone up to his ear. Peter Mason answered the line on the second ring, “Hello?” his voice sounding anxious.
“Hey Pete; how are things down south?”
“Caleb? Do you have any idea what time it is? Why the hell are you callin’ me t’ ask such an asinine question as that?”
“Well,” the younger man exhaled lightly, listening to the sound of water spraying in the other room, “Because it’s lookin’ like all hell’s gonna break loose here any day now, an’ I was hopin’ me an’ Bailey could come home.”
“Naw, I can’t condone that. Not right now,” the girl’s uncle answered quietly. “I can bring it up to a few people, get a feel o’ where everyone stands, now that they’ve had time to get used to the idea of her joining us. An’ she’s been a good girl.” He exhaled in an exaggerated manner. “Let me call you back in a day or two. I can let you know more then.”
Caleb sat staring off into space when Bailey rejoined him, “So, what did they say?” she sank down on to the cushion, a towel in hand to catch the drips from her hair.
“They said they’ll get back to us. In a day or two,” he stipulated. “They wanna be sure you’ll be accepted before they give their word.”
Nodding, she agreed quietly. “Ok. I’ll try to hang on here the best I can. I’ll go to work, and to school, until we find out more. That is, if we don’t get a snow day.”
“A snow day?”
“Sure. A bunch of the kids have been talking about it non-stop since the weather turned bad up north. Apparently, a little bit of ice on the ground, and everything around here shuts down,” she explained. “Back home, we go anyways,” she chuckled. “Of course, what’s happening in Lincoln right now is a lot worse than anything I’ve ever seen,” she pictured the latest newscast in disgust.
“Yup,” he agreed, “I heard some are really callin’ this a hundred year storm; only supposed t’ happen once a century; three weeks o’ solid deep freeze across seven states, an’ no sign o’ lettin’ up. Don’ worry, little bit. We’ll get it worked out.”
“I know,” she smiled softly, grateful for his caring. “I’m really glad that you’re here with me. I can’t imagine having to face all of this alone.”
“You’d be alright,” he stood, heading towards the hall, only pausing to check the door on his way by. “You’re a smart girl. An’ you’re strong. I know you like havin’ me t’ look out for you, but you could do it on your own, if you had to.”
“Probably,” she agreed, standing to join him, “But that doesn’t mean that I would like it.”
Rock the Boat
The following day, Peter made his way down to see John, not even waiting until breakfast had been served. “Missed you at the gym this mornin’,” he called to the other man, glaring at Martha across her kitchen for a moment before she picked up on the vibe and steered Carson and herself out of the room.
“Somethin’s goin’ on,” he took a chair and spoke in a lower tone after the pair left. “Caleb called me at damn near midnight last night. Says that all hell’s about to break loose. You know anything about it?”
“Only what I see on th’ news,” his comrade grunted. “Sure was disappointed in that boy.”
“Well, don’t be,” Pete admonished. “That ‘Manda’s a liar, an’ always has been. I’s glad when they broke up, an’ I got no problem believing that he ain’t the father of that baby. The problem is, who it could be. Havin’ Bailey come in here wasn’t the worse that coulda happened to us, an’ you damn well know it.”
“What’s that suposta mean?” John squinted at him for a long moment, “You know somethin’ you ain’ tellin’ me?”
“Only that claiming it was his’d be the easy way out. We got a lot o’ families packed in here. If it turned out to be one of the menfolk’s doin’s, that’d put a real crimp in everyone’s attitudes.”
“Yeah, or if it turned out t’ be yurs,” the other man charged. “She says its Caleb’s, an’ until I get proof otherwise, that’s how it is. Anything else you’d like t’ discuss?”
Pete frowned, “You know, we’ve been working on this a lot of years, you an’ me. We put every dime we made into building this place. Building a refuge for our families when they need it.” He pointed a stiff digit at his best friend. “You think about that; an’ then you give your son a call. Tell him t’ bring Bailey an’ get down here where it’s safe, while they still can.”
Standing, he gave his sandy curls a shake in disgust, heading out the door and onto the porch. “Martha, you have time for a word?” he patted Carson on the head.
“I suppose I do,” she glanced back at the screen, then stepped off the porch, walking towards the greenhouse, Peter catching up and walking stiffly beside her. “What’s it you wanna discuss?” she asked when they were inside the large structure.
“I think you know that baby don’t belong t’ Caleb,” he got right to the point.
The woman shrugged, turning towards a row of potted plants. Pushing her thumb into the dirt to see if they needed water, she responded calmly, “I can’t help you with that, Pete. Things are goin’ perdy smooth right now, why you gotta rock th’ boat?”
“Because my niece’s life’s at stake,” he shot back evenly. “An’ maybe your son’s. Just… talk to John about it. Tell him what you think, an’ see if you guys can figure something out. Before it’s too late.” Leaving her to her chores, he stomped down the road, completing the short distance to his own house, and his meal with the boys he had come to think of as his own.
Bailey rolled out of bed feeling groggy. Putting on her clothes for the gym, she opened her door and listened. Hearing the sound of the man in the other room, she drew a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
As soon as he was out, she planted herself next to him while he moved around, setting up the coffee pot for when they returned.
Staring at his hands, she confessed, “I had a dream last night.”
“A dream, huh,” he chuckled, “You’re not one o’ those people who thinks they actually mean somethin’, are you?”
Looking up at his clear blue eyes, she gripped the edge of the cabinet next to her. “No, not normally. But with the way things have been going, I thought I should bring it up.”
“You know,” he stopped in mid movement, dropping the pack of filters onto the countertop, “I really care about you, Bailey. So I don’ want you to take this the wrong way. But you’re actin’ like a big baby over all o’ this end o’ the world shit. Do you really think that’s what’s hapnin’ here? ‘Cause I don’t,” he slapped the laminate, causing her to jump. Lifting the white package, he returned his fingers to fumbling in an effort to remove one.
Her jaw dropped, she glared at him, confused by his profession of caring, followed by his harsh reprimand. “So what would you like for me to do about it?” she stammered. “You don’t even want to hear what I dreamed?”
“No, I don’t,” he quibbled, finishing with the machine, and indicating the door. “Le’s get over to the gym. You can take your anger out on me while we train.”
Taking him up on his offer, she pushed herself beyond belief, doing everything she could to lay into him. By the time they had finished, her arms and legs were exhausted; and this is only the training, the workout comes later.
Sprawling out on the mat next to her, Caleb stared at the ceiling. “You’re really tough when you’re pissed. You still wanna tell me ‘bout your dream?”
“Not really,” she pouted slightly, “It doesn’t matter. You make it sound like everything happening around us is normal, or that I shouldn’t be worried about it.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s normal,” he replied, getting to his feet and offering her his hand. “But worryin’ about it ain’ gonna help.” Hauling her up next to him, he paused, staring into her clear green orbs. “I’m really scared, little bit,” he admitted in a quiet whisper.
Meeting his gaze, she inhaled sharply, “Why? You really think this could be it?”
“I don’t know,” he confessed with a shrug, grabbing her jacket and handing it to her, along with her pants. “I mean, most scenarios have some catastrophic event; somethin’ that happens, an’ the world spins into chaos in a day or two. Like this, it’s like watchin’ it happen in slow motion. You know what happens to a frog when you put him in a pot o’ boilin’ water?”
Reaching for the door, the girl shook her long waves, “Sorry, I can’t say that I do. Other than, it would probably kill it.”
“Well, if the pot’s boilin’, the frog jumps out, so no, it don’t kill it. It knows as soon as it hits, that he don’ belong there,” he reached over, looping his fingers with hers, “But you put that same frog in a pot o’ cool water an’ bring it to a boil; he dies.”
Bailey frowned, releasing his digits at the door of their home, “So, what are you getting at?” afraid of what his analogy referred to.
“Well, we’re the frog. Mankind that is. If we were dumped into a pot o’ boilin’ water, we’d know that it was gonna kill us, an’ we would jump, no question about it.” He moved towards the kitchen, taking a cup of the brew he had set up before they left, “But that’s not what’s goin’ on around us. Things are hapnin’, but it’s not all at once. Like raising the temperature nice an’ slow. We won’t notice the boil, cause it don’ feel that different than it did yesterday.”
“So you’re saying all of these things are only the beginning, and the water’s just starting to get warm?” she stared at him, amazed by the simplicity of the comparison.
“Maybe,” he took a noisy sip. “While you were asleep, havin’ your dream, I was awake last night. My mind was too full o’ things, past an’ present, an’ I jus’ let it go. An’ that’s what I came up with; we’re jus’ like that damned frog.”
“Ok, so we know that the water’s warming, what do we do about it?”
“This isn’t the warming, little bit. This’s the boil. The waters been warming for years now, an’ man’s been too comfortable in it to notice. Little signs, small changes, an’ we’ve been ignoring them. Or adjusting to them, like creating FEMA. Reacting, rather than fixing the problem.”
He inhaled deeply, exhaling noisily through his nose. “You’re right. We can’t stay here. But I’m not sure we can go to The Ranch, either. Within three days, we’re leaving; either way.”
“So where’re we gonna go, if we can’t go there?” she demanded loudly, suddenly in full on panic. “We don’t even have a car! All we have is your bike, which offers us no protection from the elements.”
“I know,” he nodded slightly, “That’s what I’ve been tryin’ t’ figure out. So please don’ think that I’m not takin’ this seriously. We need a plan before we act, tha’s all.”
Staring up at his clear blue eyes, his words suddenly made sense. Throwing her arms around his neck, she pulled him against her, stroking his short golden stubble that ran along the nape of his neck. “You think my brothers are going to be ok?” she breathed against his shoulder.
“Yeah, little bit, they’re gonna be fine,” he pulled her firmly against him, “We’re the ones that’re gonna need savin’.”
Love Thy Neighbor
Bailey went in to work that evening, unsure what else to do. She had come to care for her place of employment very deeply over the last few months, and some of her co-workers were people she thought of as friends. Slowly putting her bag in her locker, and moving to the floor to take her post at the register, she wondered if she should mention to them what Caleb had said, and that they were in danger.
Arriving at her spot, she swiped her card and Mark immediately presented himself next to her. Pointing at a list taped to the side of her machine, he indicated the menu behind them, “We’ve marked most everything that we’re out of…” he began.
Her mouth hung open as she stared at the sign, “We can make burgers, but we’re out of tomatoes and pickles, and plain French fries only. That’s it?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled lightly, turning his palms to the ceiling. “I called the main office when the truck got here, with almost nothing on it, but they said it’s out of their hands. We got what there is to be had. So,” he nodded at his favorite employee, “Give them your best smile, and do what you can.”
He turned to walk away, but she called softly, “Wait!”
“What?” he stopped, slightly irritated that she needed further instruction.
“We should leave,” she replied lamely. Stepping closer to him, she lowered her voice, “It’s not safe here. There’s too many people, and not enough supplies. It’s going to get dangerous.”
He blinked at her, stunned by what she suggested, “So you’re saying we should all just… leave town?”
“Yes,” she cast her bright green eyes around at the others, a few of whom were staring at her. “We need to go, now, while we still can.”
Frowning, he shook his head, “Maybe you need another night off,” he reached for her card to swipe it for her, and close her out of the drawer.
“You don’t believe me?” she stammered.
“No, Bailey,” his tone remained cross, his voice raised, “You’re not making any sense. Where would we go, do you think? There’s a couple o’ hundred thousand people here in Midland, alone. And Odessa, and Andrews, and Big Springs. There’s what, nearly a million people in a fifty mile radius? Where’re we all gonna go?” Wafting his hand at her, he ratcheted his voice down, noticing the stares, “Just get out. Go home and rest. Come back tomorrow; or don’t.” Turning his back on her, he went to make a few phone calls to try and replace her shift.
Retrieving her purse, she hesitated for a moment, a sick feeling in her gut, as if she had suddenly lost something dear to her; forever. Walking briskly back to the apartment, she stumbled inside to find Caleb sitting in the man chair, chest bare, and flipping through the channels. Gaping at her after she entered, he stammered, “What’re you doing back so early?”
“They’re out of food. They are serving meat, bread, and French fries. I left,” she put it succinctly, not bothering to explain her momentary meltdown. “I’m not going back. I tried to warn Mark that it was a bad sign, and he just stared at me, telling me I was crazy.”
“He didn’ believe you,” her roommate sympathized.
“No,” she shook her head, “It’s not that he doesn’t believe. He’s hopeless, I think. He doesn’t see any way out; so he isn’t even going to try. He’s going to stay there, selling burgers, until the entire place is bare.”
“Wow,” Caleb ran his hand through his short spikes, then down across his smooth chest. “I’ve heard o’ that. People in th’ middle of a catastrophe, not leavin’ their post ‘cause they can’t fathom what’s goin’ on around them.”
“It’s crazy,” she replied. “So, I’m not going to school tomorrow. I’m going to go clean out my bank account, instead. We can take the cash and buy a vehicle of some kind. Something that can provide some protection when we head south.”
“That sounds an awful lot like what I was sittin’ here thinkin’,” he nodded, his head bobbing in an odd circle. “We can pack up what we have here in the house, food wise, an’ take it with us. Plus we need water, an’ lots of it.”
“Agreed,” she moved to the kitchen, preparing to cook some of the frozen items for their dinner, “People can live for weeks with no food, but only three days without water, max.”
“You’ve been reading up on th’ subject, have you?”
“No,” she replied, adjusting the oven, “I’ve been paying attention.”
He smiled, “Ok, I’ve got about fifteen thousand in
my account. We may be able t’ get a really decent vehicle for that. We don’ want anything that’d break down on us.”
“We should finance it,” she replied, putting vegetable medley into a pan to boil.
“Finance,” he grimaced, “Why? What if they won’ let us?”
“If they won’t, we can use the cash,” she flicked her eyes over at his hand, resting on his heaving chest, finally ready to mention it, “Could you go put a shirt on please?”
“A shirt on? What the hell for? I thought we were talkin’ about gettin’ a vehicle.”
“We are,” she agreed, “But where I grew up, walking around without a shirt on wasn’t condoned. Please,” she cut her eyes over at him, “Go put one on.”
“I’ve been walkin’ around here without one every day for months, and now it bothers you?” he grinned from ear to ear. “Or you want me to leave the room for some reason?” he eyed her suspiciously. “Anyway, please,” he cajoled her advice, “Why should we finance the car?”
“Because,” she rolled her eyes at his refusal to get dressed, “If they finance it, we still have the cash, and if they don’t, we pay cash for it. Either way, we get the car, but with the loan we have the ability to buy more supplies to take with us.”
“Tha’s a good plan,” he agreed with an exaggerated nod. “I’ll be right back,” he called through the window to her as he sauntered down the hall. Locating a clean button-down in the closet, he returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, adjusting the collar and fastening the front.
Sliding into a chair to watch her, he smirked, “So, why didn’ you say somethin’ before? If it bothered you t’ see me half-naked.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” she lied flatly, “I didn’t want to come across that I wanted to boss you around.” Glancing over at him, she smiled, “But thank you for getting dressed.”
The Irrevocable Series Boxed Set Page 28
