Beyond the New Horizon (Book 4): Dark Times

by Conaway, Christine

  “John, I think it’s time we put together some sort of bags of supplies. I’ve got a feeling we won’t be driving down to the river from here.”

  John nodded, “I think you’re right. I’m about out of diesel; less than a quarter of a tank and when it’s gone, there’s no more. I sure wish those kids would get back. I hope it wasn’t a mistake letting them go alone.”

  “I didn’t see any other choice. Matt couldn’t drive a tractor with the cast on, and it’s too soon to take it off. We didn’t have any other options, I’m just glad the kid has enough pluck to ride with it. Where they went up back there didn’t seem too bad to me, and we could probably make that grade with either of the tractors. Let’s wait and see what they find before we make any more decisions. I can’t help feeling we should have had them on horseback scouting sooner than we did.”

  “You’re probably right,” John said and slowly climbed down from his seat on the tractor. Mark had suggested letting them go ahead the day before, but John had thought they were too young to be traipsing around by themselves, now he wished he had listened. The truth was that he didn’t want Matt putting his daughter in the same position that he had put Lucas in. His decision back then hadn’t led to a satisfactory outcome for any of them. He just plain didn’t trust Matt’s judgment. Mary would never forgive him for letting Sherry go gallivanting off with Matt if something was to happen.

  John was trying to figure out how many days they had been on the trail and while it seemed like a year, he knew it could only have been a couple of days or maybe a week. They had spent more time backtracking than moving forward. He watched Mark use a stick to dip his fuel tank and knew he should be doing the same to be sure, but from experience, he knew he was almost out. Whenever the tractor got below the quarter tank mark, it began running raggedly; probably from picking up junk from the bottom of the tank and it had been running roughly the past few hours.

  “Wouldn’t you think that Sam would have caught up with us by now? They didn’t have the added burden of tractors or Charlie's wagon.”

  “You told him to give us two weeks before leaving, and it’s just over a week. They could be dealing with the same conditions that we are, in fact, if they’re behind us we know what they’re going through.” Mark shook his head, “I just hope they’re all okay.”

  John swept the fresh dirt off a boulder and sat on it, staring at the ground in front of him, “Mark, if you think it’ll help, you might want to start praying. I don’t see an easy way out of this, and we sure could use some divine intervention right about now.”

  Mark laughed, “I have been, but maybe us making it this far unharmed is part of His plan for us. At least we have food, and we’re away from civilization for the time being.”

  John shook his head, “Being down below, sitting on the banks of the “Joe” with a fishing pole would have been a better plan. Mary isn’t feeling good, and I’m worried about her. Losing Nate like that took something away from her. It’s like she’s just waiting for the next catastrophe to hit.”

  “She’s a strong woman, and she’ll make it through this. It hasn’t been that long. She needs time to grieve properly, and so far she hasn’t had it, and neither have you. None of you have. We’ve all lost someone, and our lives are too full right now to take the time we need to heal, but we will.”

  As John listened to Mark, he kept his eyes on Maggie who was gathering sticks for a fire. She walked along the trail they had come on using one arm to carry and the other to pick. Maggie stopped and stood up straight while looking up the slope. He was surprised when she let the armload of wood fall to the ground and turned to run looking back behind.

  She came running up to John and Mark, “I think they’re coming back. I was right back there, and I heard voices.” Maggie pointed back the way she had come from.

  John and Mark stood and walked back down the trail to see if it was Matt and Sherry. They walked and listened, but neither of them heard anyone. Maggie wasn’t the kind of girl to make things up, in fact, she rarely ever said anything unless she was spoken to. For her to voluntarily seek out John to report voices, was definitely out of character.

  Just when John had decided it must have been the wind or another falling tree, Mark grabbed his arm, “Shh, Maggie’s right. I just heard someone talking. Just for an instant, I’m sure I heard voices.”

  “I wonder what’s up this hill? Maybe we should have looked before we sent the kids out there.”

  Right then the sound of a man’s laughter echoed from somewhere above them. “Mark, go back and get our guns. Tell the women to stay quiet until we check this out.”

  Mark turned and almost tripped over Maggie who had followed them up. In a voice only loud enough for Maggie to hear, “Go tell the others to be really quiet until we get back. No talking, laughing or noise of any kind. Can you do that?”

  Maggie nodded and ran back down the trail, her long ponytail bouncing with every step. Mark had figured Maggie would get back to camp quicker than he could, and he cautiously followed her back. The idea that there was just the five of them to protect their stuff and one of them was a young girl, did not bode well for them if there were a confrontation. Unlike John, who seemed to waffle between belief and disbelief about the people they met, Mark had no doubt that anyone they met should be regarded with caution. His one and only encounter had almost proved deadly for himself and Evelyn, and he wasn’t taking chances with anyone. John had questioned Marks treatment of the men who had invaded his farm and killed his neighbors as going against his religious beliefs, but Mark had countered with, “God gave me the ability and the right to defend myself.” He thought that half of John’s problems stemmed from his having to take lives and he hadn’t dealt with it. Mark had prayed on it more than once, and he had never had any qualms about keeping himself and Evelyn alive, and he would continue to do so for anyone that he deemed in need of protection. Too many times in the past, he had watched criminals turned loose because of some loophole in the law or someone hadn’t done their job correctly. On his ham radio, Mark had heard they’d turned prisoners loose from not only the jail in Spokane but hardened criminals from Walla Walla, including those sitting on death row. As soon as Mark had heard that he had made up his mind to defend his family with any means possible and he would deal with God, should he ever make it to the pearly gates.

  “And, I’m working with a clear conscience right now,” he muttered as he grabbed both rifles and his Glock. He didn’t see John’s .45 and hoped he had it with him. He had to dig to find the 5.56 ammunition for the rifles and chastised himself for not being better prepared. He did a quick check to make sure they were all loaded, and with his finger to his lips, he cautioned the women to be ready.

  Mary surprised him with her look of determination as she showed him she was armed, and Evie had her shotgun in hand. She pointed to the sparse woods behind them and tipped her head, a question on her face.

  He nodded because them hiding was a good idea and he should have thought of it. He watched, Mary, Maggie, and his wife slink off into the brush. The downed trees, with their roots rising above their head in places would give them an excellent place to hide and still keep an eye on their things.

  Fully armed, Mark worked his way to where he had left John. He found that John had moved off the trail and climbed the slope. Close to the top, he found John on his stomach looking down the other side. As soon as Mark was far enough up to see below, he sucked in air through his teeth and let it out slowly. There were at least a dozen heavily armed men and what appeared to be a young girl with them. The men were all unshaven but they all wore an eclectic assortment of clothing, and several wore the same color dark green britches. He thought he remembered that dark green was the color of those prisoners who were on death row. He had been to Walla Walla on more than one occasion to minister to a detainee; the son of one of his parishioners but had quit going after the riot in 2012. Evelyn had begged him to minister closer to home, and he had conceded to
her wishes. He hadn’t confided in anyone, that he had been afraid for his life at the time.

  Mark was surprised by how far away the band of men was from them and couldn’t imagine the men being able to hear them.

  John tipped his head down the hill behind them and crawled backward. When he was out of the danger of being seen from below, he sat back on his heels and waited for Mark.

  “What now?” Mark asked once he was seated beside John.

  “I’m not sure that we have any options. We can’t start the tractors with them this close and we sure can’t outrun them if we did. Unfortunately, I think that’s the direction we need to go and the same way the kids went. “John sighed, “I guess we wait them out. It didn’t look to me like they have any kind of a camp set up so maybe they’re passing through the same as us.”

  “You did notice that those men were wearing uniforms? Prison uniforms…” He waited for Johns reaction.

  John frowned and shook his head, “How would they get free? Maybe a work gang or transport bus?”

  Mark nodded, “Maybe, but some of the clothing is the same color I saw on death row inmates at Walla Walla. I would say that someone turned them loose or they broke themselves out. It doesn’t matter how they got here, or where they’re going as long as we don’t have to deal with them. For now, I think we should avoid all contact and be ready to run.”

  John nodded, “You want to watch them? I’ll get things ready and prepare the women to move out?”

  Mark nodded, “Okay, but you better figure out how to let the women know it’s you, or risk getting yourself shot.”

  John frowned, “They’ll be able to see it’s me coming in.”

  “They will if they’re watching, but I told them to hide, and they’re armed.”

  “Oh…” He grimaced, “I guess I’ll figure it out when I get there. Be right back.”

  “John!” Mark hissed, “make sure you take all of the guns and whatever ammunition we have for them.”

  John laughed softly, “And this from a man of God? We need food as much as we need the guns.”

  “We won’t need food if we’re all dead.”

  John paled as if the thought had never crossed his mind. He looked up the hill, where they could still hear faint laughter, “I never thought I would ever have to put bullets ahead of food, but you’re right. I’ll get our bags ready.”

  John turned to leave, stopped and sank back to the ground, “I know you probably think I’ve been a little strange lately and I know the others think it too, but I feel like I’m battling demons inside me. I dream about those men I killed every single night. I know I would do it again if the same situation arose again, but I can’t shake my brain free of the images. Sometimes I feel like I’ll go crazy if they don’t stop.”

  “John, I can’t give you absolution, but you can ask for forgiveness from God. You didn’t kill those men to prevent them from killing the mother and daughter, it was already too late, but you did stop them from killing probably many other innocent people. Those men were sick, and they tortured those women. They deserved no better than you gave them, so how about we let God sort em out?”

  “I wish it were that easy, but you’re right. I’ll try to keep the images of the women in mind the next time I am plagued by nightmares.” He turned and scrambled down the slope.

  With John gone, Mark crept back to the top of the hill with his rifle hung across his back. Careful to not make any sudden moves or put his profile above the ridge line, Mark watched the people down below. He thought they appeared to be looking for something. Mark wondered if they had found the horse tracks Sherry and Matt had left. They seemed excited when two men came into their camp and pointed back the way they had come from. One man stood out from the rest, and it was him the two newcomers went to. He was dressed differently than the rest. His clothing was cleaner and more coordinated than the others, and he was cleanly shaven as far as Mark could see. He was also heavyset which made Mark think that where ever he’d come from, he was well stocked with supplies.

  The other dozen or so men were much thinner, unshaven and some were dressed in clothing that was even from a distance, too large for them and then there were the men in the green pants. They seemed healthier than the majority of the men but not as fat as the man that Mark thought must be the leader of the bunch.

  One of the two new arrivals was pointing and gesturing behind him, and he seemed excited by whatever he was telling the leader. They appeared to be arguing until the man waved several of the others to follow the two who had just arrived.

  Mark was just getting ready to slide back down the slope when he heard a branch crack behind him. John dropped to his knees beside him. “Okay, the women each have a pack, and you and I have duffels full. I sent them back down the trail we came in on. You and I can either stay and watch these guys a while longer, or we can leave the tractors here and hope no one finds them or we can engage. Your call.” John patted the bag he had hanging off his side.

  “We could pick some of them off from up here and probably hold them off for a while if we had to, but half the group just left. If we start shooting, it won't take them long to come back, and we could find ourselves outflanked. I think it’s better that we disappear until we know what’s going on. I just wish those kids were back.”

  “Well, I hope they don’t run into these guys unexpectedly.”

  “As much noise as these guys are making, I don’t think that Matt would let himself be found. They are much faster on horseback than those guys are on foot.”

  “They can’t outride a bullet.”

  “Give the kid some credit John, he’s not going to put himself or Sherry in jeopardy.”

  Back at the wagon, Mark and John picked up the duffels that John had packed for them. They put their arms through the handles and hefted them onto their backs, to keep their hands free, and set off the way the women had gone, following the ruts made by the tractors.

  If the men came over the hill, there would be no hiding from them if they stuck to the road, but neither John nor Mark wanted to go too far and miss the kids when they returned. John left some obvious tracks, and hopefully, Matt would see them and follow in case they came back a different way.

  Neither man was paying enough attention to the tracks on the road and almost missed the others until Mary stepped out of the brush behind them and whispered, “We’re here.”

  Both Mark and John were surprised at hearing her words from behind them, and both swung around in a panic; neither man holding a gun ready to defend themselves.

  “Careless, you guys. What if I was someone other than me?”

  Mark looked at John, a sheepish expression on his face, “She’s got us there, but it’s just as well we weren’t ready, or someone could have gotten hurt.”

  Mary chuckled, “I looked to see where your trigger finger and guns were as you walked by and saw I had nothing to be worried about.”

  With a jerk of her head, Mary led them into the brush where Evelyn and Maggie were sitting. “Maggie, can you go sit quietly by the trail and keep a watch? If you see Matt and Sherry, make sure they’re alone and bring him this way and if you see anyone else, quietly come back here.”

  “Why are you sending her? In case you forgot, she’s only a little girl. I think one of us adults need to be standing guard,” John whispered and turned back the way they had come from.

  Mary rolled her eyes, “Stop and listen to yourself for a minute. Yes, she was a little girl before the shit hit the fan and now she’s a participating young adult. Leave it alone John.”

  “I can do it. I’ll be really quiet.”

  Mary nodded at her to go, and she did. Maggie slipped away before John could protest further. “John, you have to realize she is not a little kid anymore. If she doesn’t learn how to stand watch now, when will she ever learn? After the rest of us are dead and gone?”

  John didn’t understand what Mary was saying and glared at her, “She’s a child, and we’re sti
ll here. She shouldn’t have to stand guard or do adult things as long as adults are around.”

  “John, lower your voice, or someone will hear you,” Mark cautioned as John’s voice rose with anger. “I agree with Mary in this case. We need to teach these kids everything about survival that we can. If standing watch helps to make her aware of what’s around her, she’s learned something. We won’t always be here to protect them. And you saw for yourself those men seemed to be going in the other direction.”

  “For now maybe they are, but what about the tractors and the rest of our belongings? Are we going to just leave them there?”

  “You said yourself that you’re almost out of diesel, and I’m not far behind, so you tell me what you expect we should do?”

  John didn’t have a comeback for Mark and sat down in silence. He didn’t know what they were supposed to do. He was aware that they couldn’t go on with the men over the hill and they couldn’t retreat because of the noise the motors would make and right then their only alternative was to sit tight and wait for Matt and Sherry to return. They hadn’t felt any more tremors that day, and he wondered if they were over. The landscape had changed so drastically in the past month, he didn’t know and couldn’t envision what other changes could be in store for them. They had seen mountains pop up out of the virtually flat ground, crevasses open up one minute and close up the next, they had seen massive walls of rock come up out of nowhere and mountains slip into valleys. He no longer felt as if they had any choices of what they did or where they went. They would have to let the land decide where they were going and it wasn’t a feeling that John was comfortable with. He knew they had been fortunate to be alive and not trapped as a result of one of the upheavals. He didn’t know if their luck was going to hold much longer because there was nowhere left for them to go. They were surrounded by mountains that had previously been nothing more than hills, and disappearing roads. The creeks ran in the wrong direction and they had no way of knowing what lay ahead. John was ready to go back to the ranch, even with the volcano, because at least they could see when it erupted and run. With all of the changes, John didn’t know if they could make their way back home or not.