The Long Roll Home

by Anderson, Diana E.

  “Why are you worried about insurance and registration?” Andy asked. “It’s not like you’re going to get stopped or something.”

  “No, but I don’t want to leave anything behind to let people know where we are headed. Before we leave, you’re going to take the plates off the vehicle, and those will come with us, too. Later on, when we stop to rest, I’ll burn these papers and bury the plates. No sense making it easy in case anyone decides to try to follow us.”

  Finally, they looked at the cart and decided they were ready.

  “Oops, wait a second,” Cassie called. She grabbed Petra’s bed from the back of the van and tossed it on top of the pack lashed to the cart. “She’d never forgive me if I didn’t bring her bed,” Cassie laughed.

  Andy just shook his head. He opened the door of the van and took a quick look around. Not seeing anyone, he jumped out and quickly removed the license plates from the van. When he was done, the two worked together to deploy the ramp and carefully roll the loaded cart down.

  “I’m going to push the cart first,” Cassie said. “I’ve not had therapy in two days now and I don’t want to get too stiff.” She put her pack on top of the trunk, slung her rifle behind her, and began to push the cart. Andy held his rifle at the ready and looked around them as they left the van.

  “Shouldn’t we close the door and put the ramp back in?” he asked.

  “Why bother? I’m never going to see the van again, and don’t really care what happens to it. It might be able to give someone shelter or something. Besides, putting the ramp back in will take time we really don’t have. I’d like to be away from the airport before daylight.”

  Andy nodded agreement, and they headed off. The back roads through the airport were eerily quiet. Occasionally in the distance, they could see the light from campfires, but none of them were close. “You were certainly right about us taking the back roads and leaving while it’s still dark,” Andy whispered to Cassie. “If you look over towards the front of the airport, you can see a lot of fires – probably a lot of people hanging around there waiting for help to come. I’m glad we went this way.”

  Cassie nodded and grunted. They had been walking for almost an hour, and she estimated they had covered about three miles. “When we get outside the airport, we need to trade places so I can rest my legs for a bit.” Andy could see how sore she was and suggested she change now rather than waiting until they were outside the airport.

  “No, I can make it. I really need to push myself or else I’ll start getting really stiff,” she answered.

  About twenty minutes later, they passed the gates of the airport. Andy went ahead, checking the road to be sure it was clear. After a few minutes, he came back to the cart. “Nothing out there that I can see. Time for you to rest your legs.” Cassie smiled gratefully at him as he helped her up onto the cart. She put on her backpack and settled onto the trunk facing Andy. He looked at her funny, and said, “I thought you were going to watch the road ahead for us?”

  “I think it might be better for me to make sure nobody comes up behind us. That way, you can see what’s ahead and I can watch the sides and behind.” She stretched out her legs in front of her and slung her rifle in front of her. “Let’s go home,” she said as Andy began to push the cart.

  The first hour or so, both Cassie and Andy were silent, intently watching the dark landscape around them for threats. They passed a few homes tucked into the woods here and there, but all were dark with no signs of life. Petra walked quietly next to the cart, but every so often, she would dart off to the side of the road to investigate strange scents or noises. By the time the sun came up, they determined they had already gone about four miles from the airport. Andy pushed the cart off to the side of the road.

  “I need to take a break for a few minutes,” he said. Cassie climbed off the cart and pulled two bottles of water from the trunk.

  “Drink this,” she said, handing one of the bottles to Andy. “The last thing we need is to get dehydrated. That will make us too weak to walk, and we won’t make it to the ranch.”

  Andy gratefully took the bottle and downed half of it in one long swallow. “Thanks, I really needed that. Give me a couple of minutes, and then we can take off again.”

  “I can push for a while,” Cassie offered.

  “No, I’m good for another couple of hours. One of the few sports I was good at in my younger days was long distance running. Years of patrolling on foot has helped me build good endurance. I promise, I’ll let you know when I’m tired and need you to push.”

  Cassie frowned. “That doesn’t seem too fair to me. I can push, too,” she argued.

  “You’ll get your chance to push, but I’m not ready yet. Besides, I need you to be able to do other things to help us.”

  Cassie looked at him with a confused expression. “What do you mean?”

  Andy began to turn red. “I have a confession to make. I’m not really good with fieldcraft. I can sort-of start a fire if I have a lighter, and I can set a tarp up as a shelter, but I doubt I could survive for very long trying to live off the land. I love being outside, but only if I have an inside to go to when it rains or is cold. I never got to be a boy scout, and to be honest, I stayed away from assignments in the Army that involved having to do anything beyond staying in a tent when we were in the field. I am hoping you can teach me what we need to do, because other than being able to push this cart, I’m not sure I have many other skills to offer.”

  Cassie smiled. “Andy, I am happy to teach you whatever I can. It’s not complicated, really just common sense for the most part. I’m not sure I’d call myself an expert, but I know that I can live in the woods for an extended period with my get home bag and still be okay.” She climbed back onto her perch on the cart. “Are we ready to get going again?”

  Andy grinned, and started pushing again. “I’ve got to ask. How did you figure out what to put into your get-home bag? I mean, how did you even come up with the idea to put a bag together instead of just putting the things in a tote in your van?”

  “That’s a long story. I am a voracious reader, and I’ll read just about anything that I can get my hands on. After Petra and I got stranded, I started doing research on preparedness. There is a ton of information available out there on the net about things people can do to be prepared for all kinds of disasters. There’s also a ton of fiction about post-apocalyptic survival. I read all the non-fiction information, but I also got hooked on the fiction, too. Some of it was really good, and some was awful, but even the awful ones made me think. One of the best ones I read was a series about a guy who gets stranded on the side of the road when an EMP hits and he has to walk home. He is a prepper and has his get home bag with him in his car. The guy’s name is Morgan Carter, and I started thinking of his bag as Morgan’s Magic Bag because of the things he had. Seems like every time he needed something, he just reached into his bag and there it was. The best thing was, though, he also explained what each item was and how he used it. I thought that was pretty cool. I knew I couldn’t even think about having as complete a bag as Morgan, so I started listing the things I thought I would absolutely need if I got stranded on my way home. As I read more and more, I got better ideas of things to add. So that’s how I decided to put my bag together. Then, I was reading another great series about a guy named Nathan who was trying to make his way home from Atlanta to Idaho. He had a police dog who had a backpack, and that inspired me to find Petra’s pack.”

  Andy shook his head. “That is really smart of you. Who would’ve thought you could learn survival skills from a fiction story!”

  Cassie grinned. “You would be amazed at the things you can learn from that kind of story! I think most of the authors of post-apocalyptic fiction are trying to help people learn to survive – in addition to telling great stories. I have to admit, the more I read, the more my eyes were opened to things that could happen.”

  “Didn’t that give you nightmares?”

  “No, not re
ally. But… it did make me think a lot. I talked to my sister about it. At first, Lilly thought I was having some kind of mental breakdown or something. I mean, talking about end-of-the-world situations is not really a normal topic of conversation. My sister is a gem, though. She listened to me and didn’t judge me too harshly – she only called me loony and a fruitcake once or twice.”

  Andy laughed. “That’s good, I guess. At least she didn’t try to send you off to see the shrink or anything.”

  “Well, don’t think it wasn’t mentioned at first. Lilly listened, though, and after we talked for a while, she asked to read some of the same books I read. The more she read, the more of a believer she became, and she was able to talk to Steve and convince him there was merit to being prepared. Now Lilly and Steve are just as much into preparedness as I am. I don’t think Steve really believed something like this could happen, but he loves Lilly and so anything she said we needed to do, he did, including helping her put together get-home bags for each of their vehicles and for the kids, too. I sure am glad we did all that we did. I hope they are okay.” Cassie drifted off in thought.

  “I can tell you are really close to your sister. I’m envious that you had a sibling to share things with. I think I would have liked having a brother or sister.”

  Cassie nodded. “I’m lucky to have Lilly. We’ve always been close, probably because I’m only two years older than her. Not to say we didn’t have our fair share of disagreements, though. Lilly is a lot more like our mother, and I am more like my dad and we’d argue over some really silly things.”

  Suddenly, Cassie stopped talking and was listening intently. “I think I hear something- sounds like an engine of some sort.”

  Andy listened too. “Sounds like a motor bike or a four-wheeler. You think we need to get off the road?”

  “No, but let’s be sure we are way off to the side of the road so we don’t get run over.” Andy quickly pushed the cart off the road behind some low bushes. Cassie stepped off the cart and both shifted their rifles to a ready position, flipping off the safeties as they did. “Not that we are going to shoot anyone, and it is probably somebody just trying to get home, but we need to be ready for anything.”

  Petra was standing still, looking down the road the way they had come. She gave off a low growl, stood for another minute, and then came and sat down next to the cart, still facing down the road.

  Cassie reached over to scratch Petra’s head. “I don’t hear it anymore, do you?”

  Andy shook his head. “No, I guess whoever it was turned off this road or something. Let’s get going again. Maybe some of your paranoia is rubbing off on me, but I think we need to hurry up and get to a place to spend the night.”

  Cassie agreed. They took up their positions again as Andy began pushing the cart. Petra walked alongside the cart, occasionally turning around to look back. Since she was not alerting, Andy kept on walking.

  After walking for another few hours, Cassie pointed out the trail leading to the place they would spend the night. Luckily, the trail was sturdy enough, and Andy was able to push the cart down the trail until they reached a spot with three huge boulders.

  “Is this it?” Andy asked.

  Cassie nodded. “I need you to do something before we get started setting things up, if you don’t mind.”

  Andy noted Cassie’s serious face. “Absolutely. What do you want me to do?”

  Cassie pulled out a tool from its pouch on her pack. She walked over to a pine tree and using the tool, cut off one of the branches. “I want you to take this branch and use it like a broom. Starting out by the road, I want you to sweep away all traces that our cart came down this trail.”

  Andy took the branch from Cassie, and said, “I can do that. You’re still worried about the engine sounds we heard, aren’t you?”

  Cassie nodded. “I know it sounds paranoid but staying alive and keeping our stuff is going to depend on a good healthy dose of paranoia. Besides, as one of my favorite authors likes to say, you’re not paranoid if they really are out to get you!”

  As Andy headed back up the trail, Cassie got busy pulling supplies out of her bag.

  Using trees growing close to the boulders, she tied her tarp up to form a roof with two of the big boulders forming side walls to her improvised shelter. She checked the ground for rocks and after removing a couple, decided the ground was clear enough for them to be able to lay down and sleep. Next, she pulled out a small plastic drop cloth that she laid out inside the shelter and unrolled her sleeping bag onto the plastic ground cloth. She looked up the trail, but did not see Andy, so she began to dig a hole at the edge of the shelter. Every few minutes she looked around, expecting to see people coming down the trail. Petra was still curled up on her bed on the cart, so Cassie knew she was just imagining all of the small noises she thought she heard. When the first hole was about a foot and a half deep and a foot and a half wide, Cassie sat up to see which way the wind was blowing. There wasn’t much wind, but Cassie moved so that what little wind she could feel was at her back. She then began to dig a second smaller hole at an angle to cut into the bigger hole at the bottom. She was almost done when she heard movement on the trail. Petra sat up, barked once and laid back down, so Cassie knew it must be Andy. Sure enough, a minute later Andy appeared on the trail.

  “Wow! You sure got a lot done while I was gone,” he said, taking in the shelter and the holes she was digging. “Isn’t that latrine hole a bit close to the tent?” he asked.

  Cassie started laughing. “It’s not a latrine. This is a Dakota fire hole. We’re going to build our fire down inside the big hole. That way, the light from the fire won’t be as obvious to anyone looking for us. Plus, it will give us a hotter fire using less wood.”

  “What’s the second hole for?”

  “That is to allow oxygen to get to the base of the fire, helping it burn nice and hot. Why don’t you start gathering some small branches and sticks and stuff while I finish this?”

  As Andy gathered wood, Cassie finished the second hole and began to set the wood into the hole to start a fire. Ten minutes later, with a good fire going, she again went to her get home bag and pulled out a metal pot and an odd-looking wire mat.

  “What in the world is that thing?” Andy asked, pointing to the wire contraption.

  “That is a homemade cooking grate. In the story I was telling you about, Morgan had some kind of folding grill. I tried to buy one, but it was way too expensive for me, so I made my own using wire coat hangers. I’ve tested them out a few times to burn off all the paint and lacquer and stuff, and they work just fine as long as the pot is not too heavy.” She laid the mat across the top of the fire pit, filled up the pot with water, and set it on the mat.

  “What do you want for dinner? I have sweet and sour chicken, beef stroganoff or spaghetti,” she asked, pulling several freeze-dried meals from her pack.

  “How about beef stroganoff? That sounds good and filling. Where’s the tablecloth? I can set the table if you want,” Andy replied with a grin.

  “Very funny, City Boy. Out here, the ground is our table, and we don’t need no stinkin’ tablecloths!” The two started laughing, and Petra quickly made her way over to see what they were up to.

  “I think Petra is ready for her dinner. Can you take her pack off and get her dinner bowl and water bowl out? Put some water in one, and one baggie of her dried food in the other. While you do that, I’ll mix up our dinner.” Cassie quickly poured the now-hot water into the stroganoff package and closed the top to let the meal reconstitute and stay warm. By the time Andy was finished setting up Petra’s dinner, Cassie had two servings of stroganoff dished up into two plastic mugs and two bottles of water ready. They sat together on Cassie’s sleeping bag and ate quickly. When they were done, she poured some of the hot water into their mugs to soak. A few drops of dish soap in each mug, a quick wipe with a small dishcloth, and a rinse of hot water, and the mugs were again clean and ready for the next use.

&nbs
p; Andy sat, staring into the fire. Finally, he turned to Cassie and asked, “How did you learn to do all this? Did you learn something from the Army that I didn’t?”

  Cassie’s face took on a wistful expression. “No, I learned fieldcraft from my dad. I think he was disappointed to only have two daughters and no sons, and so he raised my sister and I to do all of the things he would have done with a son. We went fishing, hunting, camping, and learned to run the ranch. We had a lot of fun doing all that. I remember one time we went riding to the far side of the ranch to check on some of the cattle. We were only planning on being gone for a few hours, but while we were out there, it started snowing really bad. Dad taught us how to make shelters, and by the time we were done, we had three cozy shelters with a fire in the middle for warmth. We spent the night and were able to get home in the morning.” She chuckled. “Of course, Mom was frantic with worry. I think Dad heard about that little adventure for weeks afterward. Thank goodness, my mother had some influence over us so we learned other things like sewing and cooking and such. Lilly and I were both quite the tomboys, though, much to Mom’s dismay.” Cassie smiled and fell silent.

  When Andy yawned a few minutes later, Cassie suggested he sleep for a few hours. “You’re the one who’s been doing all the walking. You need to get some rest. Use my sleeping bag and I’ll keep watch. I’ll wake you up in a few hours and then you can keep watch while I sleep.” Cassie could see him opening his mouth to protest, and said, “No arguments. It will be hours before I unwind enough to sleep and you need your rest.” Her voice softened. “I am counting on you to be able to get us home, and you can’t do that if you don’t rest enough.”