by E A Chance
She watched him for a moment before saying, “Thanks for helping Julia and letting me sleep.”
He stopped and straightened to face her. “Of course, Riley. She’s like my own daughter. I’d do anything for her, or you.”
“I believe that. I just wanted you to know I appreciate it. She told me yesterday she thinks you’d make an awesome father.”
He stared at her for several seconds without speaking. When the silence became awkward, and she fidgeted, he said, “That’s humbling. Please, don’t thank me for doing what I should. It’s what families do.”
The conversation was taking an uncomfortable turn, so Riley changed the subject. “What are we going to do about getting her up and walking? She can’t do that on crutches in three feet of snow.”
“That problem will be solved when we reach the ranch.”
“Hadn’t thought of that.” She smiled and picked up the bucket. “Be right back.”
They found two larger shovels in a compartment with the jack. It still took an hour to dig out enough snow to get the Humvee moving, but once they did, they were amazed at what a mighty beast it was. Coop had to go cautiously to keep track of where the road was, but they made progress for the first time in days.
The depth of the snow eliminated the debris issue. The tops of cars stuck out enough that Coop could maneuver around them. Even so, it would be impossible to reach Wytheville before dark. Riley didn’t relish spending another night in the truck, but it was better than freezing to death in a tent.
Two hours after getting on the road, they passed a sign indicating the ramp to I-81 was ten miles ahead. Coop stopped to check the map they’d found in the glove compartment.
“I think it’s safe for us to risk getting on the interstate. It’s the most direct route, and other cars may have made a track we can follow. Branson will have given up on us by now. We’re not worth wasting men or valuable resources.”
Riley folded the map and tucked it between the seats. “For once, I agree. I’ll drive to give you a break once we’re on the interstate.” She turned and smiled at Julia. “We’re on the home stretch. Our twenty-four-hour journey that turned into weeks is almost over.”
Julia cringed. “Don’t jinx it, Mom.”
Riley smiled and went back to watching the road. They were heading due west, and she was concerned to see the bank of dark clouds blowing toward them at a fast clip. Ten minutes later, the clouds were directly overhead. The first flakes fell and melted on the windshield. She had jinxed it when they were so close to their goal.
Coop rounded a curve in the narrow highway and slammed on the brakes. The weight of the Humvee propelled it across the snow and came to rest inches from an enormous fallen tree blocking the road.
He gripped the wheel and tried to catch his breath. “Everyone all right? Julia?”
“I’m fine. We’re lucky that didn’t end up like the space-junk crash.”
Riley stared through the thickening snowfall at this latest blow. The base of the trunk was at least three feet in diameter. It would be impossible for her and Coop to budge it. To their left was a rock face that rose twenty feet above them, and the right fell away to the valley below. Going around wasn’t an option.
Without taking her eyes off the tree, she said, “Time for one of your brilliant ideas, Coop.”
He unhooked his seatbelt. “You didn’t happen to see a chainsaw hiding in the back of the truck?”
She shook her head. “Not even an ax.”
“Don’t lose hope. We’ll conquer this beast. Julia, you stay here.”
“Funny,” she said, as Riley and Coop climbed out into the cold.
They lumbered through the deepening snow to the tree and stared at it for several seconds. The trunk looked even bigger up close.
Riley brushed the two inches of new snow off her jacket. “How much do you think that thing weighs?”
Coop stroked his chin. “Several tons, at least.”
Riley gazed up to the top of the rock wall. “It came from up there?”
He pointed at a deep opening along the ridgetop. “See the gouges in the rock and the displaced soil? The roots must have been weak. The wind and weight of the snow toppled it.”
“Still waiting for an idea.”
“Let’s try pushing the tree out of the way first. That Humvee’s a brute. It could work.”
Riley had her doubts. She’d seen enough fallen trees in Colorado to know that one this size would be impossible to move without chopping it into pieces, but she pasted on a smile and said, “Can’t hurt to give it a shot. First, we need to get Julia out of the truck.”
Coop nodded and helped Riley spread the tarp on a low bank above the road and cover it with blankets. They carefully carried Julia to the bank and gently lowered her to the tarp. Riley covered her with another blanket, then tucked it around her.
“Whatever you’re doing, make it quick before I get buried in snow,” Julia said.
“We’ll do our best, WP,” Coop said and climbed behind the steering wheel.
Riley directed him through the blowing snow until the bumper gently tapped the trunk, then jumped onto the bank beside Julia.
“Cross your fingers,” she shouted to Julia above the howl of the wind and roar of the engine.
Coop rammed the bumper against the tree and gunned the motor, but all that got him was spinning tires. He tried three more times with the same result.
He got out and ran to Riley and Julia. “What next?”
“The Humvee has a winch and a tow cable,” Riley said through her chattering teeth. “Hook the cable around the tree and wrap the winch cable around a boulder or another big tree.”
Coop looked skeptical but jogged off to try her plan. She went after him to help. The storm was intensifying and they were running out of time. They worked in a rush to rig the cables, then Riley rejoined Julia.
“I know,” Julia said, brushing snow off her blanket. “Cross my fingers.”
Riley held her breath when Coop powered the winch. When the line tightened, the tree shifted a few inches then stopped, but Coop kept the winch running. The tree creaked and shivered but refused to move. Seconds later, the cable tore off the tree it was anchored to and whipped up, missing the windshield by inches. The tow cable came loose and the Humvee careened toward the fifty-foot drop off on the far side of the road.
Riley couldn’t watch. She threw her hands in front of her eyes and waited for the crash of Coop plunging to his death, but the only sound was the wailing wind. She peeked through her fingers and saw the truck resting parallel to the cliff with its tires three inches from the edge. Coop climbed out and inspected the damage before waving her over.
“That tree’s not budging and moving it isn’t worth dying for. Let’s get Julia back inside the truck, then I’ll search nearby houses for saws or axes. Should be something this close to the interstate.”
Riley put her hand on his shoulder. “Wait until the storm passes. We have enough gas to keep the engine running for hours. You were lucky to make it back yesterday. Don’t push it.”
“No, we can’t wait. If the snow gets too deep, we’ll be trapped, even with the Humvee. I won’t wander far, and I’ll be prepared this time.”
“It’s your neck,” Riley said and headed back to Julia.
The snow was so thick that Riley couldn’t see the fallen tree by the time Coop left on his crusade. Julia was sick with worry, and Riley thought desperately for a way to distract her.
“Why don’t we create our own game?” she said. “Or play twenty questions?”
Julia’s eyes brightened and she straightened in her seat. “Coop had a travel chess game. Check his pack.”
“He took his pack with him.”
“But he dumped everything out and repacked it before he left. Look behind the seat.”
Riley didn’t think Coop would have bothered with something so frivolous as a game when they escaped the compound, but she peeked over the seat to humor Julia
. It only took seconds to find the chess set perched on top of the contents from his pack. And lying under the game, Julia’s book. Riley smiled and ran her thumb over the cover. She’d never figure out that man.
“I have a surprise,” she said, and held the book up for Julia. She squealed in delight and snatched it from her. “I found the chess set, too.”
Julia set the book in her lap and helped Riley set up the chessboard. “Do you know how to play?”
“Yes, but it’s been years. I’ll read the rules and tips. It’ll come back to me as we go.”
They soon became engrossed in the game and stopped obsessing about Coop. Riley was impressed at how quickly Julia picked up the strategy. Riley had always been a good chess player herself and must have passed the ability on to Julia. She remembered playing engrossing matches with her father on long snowy nights and hoped to start that tradition with her daughter if they ever stopped running long enough.
Three hours passed before Coop pounded on the window. Riley got him in quickly and went through the same routine as the day before to get him warm.
When his teeth stopped chattering, she said, “Did you find a chain saw?”
“Something better. There’s a perfect cabin not half of a mile from here. It’s stocked with shelves of canned goods, a fireplace and cords of wood, so I imagine we’ll find an ax. It didn’t look like anyone’s been there for ages, and with the snow and CME, I don’t think we need to worry about the owners showing up tomorrow. It’ll be a rough go carrying Julia, but the snow is slowing, and we can chop up the tree after the storm.”
Riley looked to Julia for her opinion. “We can’t live in the truck, Mom. If the gas runs out, we’ll freeze.”
“Good point, WP,” Coop said. “After she’s settled and we get a fire going, we’ll make trips for the most crucial supplies.”
Riley chewed her lip while she weighed their options. She didn’t like putting Julia at risk, but they’d already done that by taking her from the infirmary. Staying with the truck was likely more dangerous than being in a cozy cabin. She just hoped they were strong enough to make it without getting lost or freezing first.
Riley zipped her coat and pulled up her hood. “We don’t seem to have any choice. I’m ready.”
They bundled up as much as possible and laid Julia on the tarp and blanket. Riley covered her with one of the solar blankets to keep her dry and piled the crutches on top. Coop faced forward and reached for the two corners of the tarp near her head. Riley took the ones at her feet.
“Ready,” she said. "On three.”
With both of them carrying her, Julia wasn’t as heavy as Riley expected. Plodding through the deep snow was a challenge, but the wind had quieted, and her legs were strong. The last bit of the trek was an incline, but when the cabin came into view, Riley felt like she could run.
“Guess I worried for nothing,” she called to Coop.
Julia laughed. “Why should today be any different?”
They stomped up the steps to the front door and laid Julia on the small porch while Coop undid the latch. Once the door was open, they lifted Julia and set her on a small couch across from the fireplace. It was dark and frigid in the cabin, but Riley had a roaring fire going within ten minutes.
She took off her wet coat and draped it on the back of a chair she’d pulled close to the fireplace. The rush of adrenaline she’d felt coming up the last slope had drained her and her legs felt like cooked spaghetti.
“Give me a minute to rest and get warm before we go for the rest of the supplies. That wore me out more than I thought.”
Coop sat in front of the hearth and stripped off his boots and socks. “No argument from me.”
Riley collapsed in a dusty old easy-chair next to the couch and sat back with her eyes closed, letting the heat warm her bones.
“I thought we were doomed to die in that truck,” Julia said.
Coop laid on the floor and folded his hands behind his head. “That thought crossed my mind when I saw that gigantic tree.”
“I’ve thought we were doomed to die twenty times since we left the hotel,” Riley said. “Once the snow melts, we’ll be a two or three-hours’ drive from Wytheville. Am I foolish to hope we might actually make it?”
Coop rolled on his side and smiled at her. “I’ll make sure we get there.”
“Why did we risk escaping instead of staying in the compound until my leg was better? What did those bad guys do to make you want to run?”
“We’ll tell you the whole story once we’ve had time to rest, sweetheart. In the meantime, we’d better go for the rest of the stuff.” When he didn’t respond, Riley said, “Coop?”
In answer, he let out a snore, and Julia giggled. “Guess the stuff will have to wait.”
“A nap’s not a bad idea. I’m going to check the bed situation.” Riley got up and handed Julia the crutches. “Want to join me?” Julia took them and was off the couch in seconds. “Careful. You aren’t used to being upright.”
“I’ve been lying around for days, Mom. It feels good to move.”
“Just take your time.”
Riley made her do two circuits around the small front room before they went to tour the rest of the cabin. There was a tiny rustic kitchen with a gas stove. Riley wondered if there was a propane tank that still might have fuel and planned to check that first thing in the morning.
Down a short hallway were two bedrooms and a bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower. One bedroom had a bunk bed. The other had two twins.
“We’ll take the room with the twins,” she told Julia. “Coop can have the bunkroom.”
“I’d love sharing a room with you, but why aren’t you going to stay with Coop like you have been doing?”
She dropped onto one of the twins and sighed. “That was partly because of Hannah, and I had to keep an eye on Coop. Now, I need to be close to keep an eye on you. You’re still in the early days of your recovery, and these aren’t exactly ideal circumstances.”
“As long as it’s not because something happened between you and Coop.”
Riley gave her a weak smile and let the matter drop. She found some dust-covered blankets and sheets in a small closet and made their beds. She was about to climb into hers when Julia said, “I’m not tired and it’s too cold in here. I’m going to sit on the couch and read. I saw some books on a shelf by the kitchen.”
Riley walked her to the living room and read off the book titles. Some weren’t appropriate for Julia, but there were two or three Riley felt would be fine. The last book in the stack was The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She held it in her hands for a moment and fought back her tears as she pictured Hannah with the book, grinning at her from the back seat of the old truck.
“What’s that, Mom? What’s wrong?”
Riley tucked the book under the others. “Nothing. That book reminded me of something, but you wouldn’t like it. You have plenty of others to read, and I’ll bring your book from the truck tomorrow.”
Julia’s look told Riley she wasn’t buying the lie, but she wasn’t ready to face the emotions that surged up with her discovery of the book. She kissed Julia’s forehead before going to her new room with hopes of falling into sweet oblivion.
Riley woke in another dark room, in another strange bed and wondered how many there’d been since the Hotel. She counted the cottage and theater before convincing herself it was better not to dwell on it. What mattered was making sure this would be the last unfamiliar room before reaching the ranch.
She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see she’d slept three hours. The darkness wasn’t from clouds. It was after sundown. She dragged herself off the rickety mattress and went to the bathroom. They’d gotten spoiled with functioning toilets at the compound, and she frowned when nothing happened after pushing the handle. They’d have to use buckets of water to flush this one, but she was glad they wouldn’t have to use buckets as a toilet.
Julia was alone in the living room, rea
ding her book by flashlight. Boxes of their supplies were stacked against the wall by the door.
“Where’s Coop? Has he been making runs to the truck by himself?”
“Yes. He only slept for an hour. This is his last trip. He’ll be back in a minute.”
As she spoke the words, the door swung open, and Coop stomped in carrying five boxes wrapped in a rope on his back. He unloaded them before locking and bolting the door. After hanging his coat on a hook, he went to get warm by the fire.
“That’s it for tonight. It’s snowing hard again and the wind is whipping. If the storm passes by morning, we’ll get the rest and start working on that tree. I found two good axes in a small shed behind the cabin. I would have preferred a chain saw, but we can’t get greedy.”
“Why didn’t you wake me? We might have been able to get everything.”
“We have more than what we need for the night, and I want you rested when we attack that tree. Hungry?”
Her stomach growled as he said it. All she’d eaten that day were the cinnamon rolls that morning.
“Starved. What do we have?”
“Come with me. I have a surprise in the kitchen.” He lit one of the stove burners and grinned like the first human to discover fire. “I found a propane tank out back and figured out how it works. I don’t know how much gas is left, but hopefully, it’ll last the few days we’re here.”
They made a stew of canned meat, tomatoes, and potatoes with seasonings they found in the cupboards. They polished off the rest of the cinnamon rolls in front of the fire for dessert.
Coop groaned and rubbed his stomach. “Not used to so much food. Why didn’t you stop me from eating that last roll?”
“You were done before we blinked,” Julia said.
Riley slumped in her chair and sighed. “Our stomachs have shrunk. We need to pace ourselves.”
“I don’t know why you’re complaining,” Julia said. “I ate as much as you, but I’m fine.”
Coop glared at her. “That’s because you're young. Don’t rub it in.”
Riley pushed herself out of the chair. “You need to rest, Julia. Come on, I’ll help you get ready for bed.”
