West of Joseph, Oregon, Republic of Cascadia
Nicholas woke to the smell of something cooking. He started to rise and stopped when the pain from his wound reminded him he wasn’t operating at a hundred percent. He slowly and gently swung his legs out of the bed and placed his bare feet on the cold wood floor.
The sound of sniffing at the door alerted Nicholas that he wasn’t necessarily alone.
“Is that you, Beau?” he asked.
The sniffing grew louder.
“Come, boy, come,” Nicholas said in a higher pitch.
The door cracked wider and in popped a furry muzzle.
“Come on, boy, come on in,” Nicholas said excitedly.
Beau pushed the door until it was wide enough for him to walk through. He came to Nicholas and sniffed his feet and gave him a lick.
Nicholas bent down and scratched Beau’s back.
Beau’s head popped up when Lexi began to whistle from the kitchen.
“Is that your momma? Hmm?” Nicholas asked.
Beau took a step but the intense scratching kept him from leaving.
The door to Nicholas’ room opened fully. Lexi stood and glared at Beau.
Beau quickly went to her side.
Lexi looked at Nicholas then back to Beau. “So you’re cheating on me?”
“He’s a good dog,” Nicholas said.
“Yes, he is, but not very loyal though,” Lexi said.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, hard to walk away one someone is giving you a deep scratch. I have magic hands,” Nicholas flirted.
Lexi rolled her eyes and said, “Trust me, he’s not all that loyal. I stole him from his other master just by offering him a treat, it was that easy.”
“You stole him?”
“I’ll rephrase that, I coaxed him away. He made the final choice.”
“You know us boys.”
“Yes, I do. He’s a typical male, stupid and will go wherever he can get an easy meal,” Lexi quipped.
“Right,” Nicholas said.
“You’re looking better. Speaking of food, I’ve got some corned beef hash cooking. Come and get a plate if you care to,” Lexi said.
“No room service?” Nicholas joked.
Lexi laughed and said, “Not likely, since you seem able.” She walked away, with Beau in tow, and said, “If you’re hungry, you know where to find the food.”
He didn’t know her at all, but he found Lexi attractive and not just in a physical manner. Yes, she had the prerequisites, lean body, pretty face, big beautiful eyes, but when he added in her tough-as-nails attitude, which he knew was somewhat of a façade, he found her sexy.
***
He made his way to the kitchen; the smell of perfectly cooked corned beef hash grew with each step. When he stepped into the room he found Beau lapping up an empty plate but no sign of Lexi.
On the table an empty plate sat, and on the stove top, a pan sat covered.
“Where’s your momma?” Nicholas asked Beau.
Beau looked up, licked his chops and sauntered off.
“Belly full, time to go rest, I guess,” Nicholas said. He walked to the stove and removed the lid from the pan. There he found the hash. It was canned hash, but then again, he always found the canned to be better than homemade. Maybe it was the white trash upbringing, or maybe it wasn’t, but he liked it. Now if he could have some fried bologna he’d be in heaven. He dished up a plateful and went searching for Lexi.
In the front living room he found her propped up next to the large bay window.
She gave him a quick look. “You made it.”
“Yeah, got a bit of pain, but I’ll live,” he said taking a seat in the rocker recliner chair opposite her.
“Alive is good, for you and me,” Lexi said.
“For you?”
“Yeah, means I can move on,” she replied.
He shoveled a mouthful of hash into his mouth and said, “You’re leaving?”
“I promised myself I’d make sure you were okay. Now that I’ve done my charity work, I can go with the full knowledge that I’ve done my part,” she said and stood up abruptly.
“Now?” he asked shocked.
“There’s not a better time than now.”
“Hold on, don’t leave just yet,” Nicholas begged.
“You said you’re better,” Lexi replied.
“I said I’ll live, but I’m definitely not better,” Nicholas clarified.
“That means the same to me, so if you’ll excuse me,” Lexi said and headed for the hallway.
“Please just stay for a bit. Let’s chat, have a drink or not, but can I at least have some company,” Nicholas urged.
Lexi kept walking.
“Forgive me if I want a bit of human contact after just losing my sister,” Nicholas blurted out.
The mention of sister gave Lexi pause. She asked, “Stephanie was your sister?”
“Yes.”
Lexi lowered her head and turned back. “Sorry.”
“Me too, I failed her.”
“Were you close?” Lexi asked.
“As close as a brother and sister could be. She was my world, and just like that she was snuffed out,” Nicholas said.
Lexi went back to her perch next to the window and asked, “What happened?”
“Slavers.”
“Hmm.”
“It’s a long story, but to sum it up, we ran across the wrong group of people.”
“There’s a lot of those out there,” Lexi said.
Nicholas set his plate of half-eaten food on the floor.
Beau didn’t hesitate and went for it.
“Beau, no!” Lexi snapped.
“It’s okay, I’m not hungry anymore. In fact, I could use a drink,” he said standing up. “Is there anything to drink around here?”
“I’ve got some water…”
“Harder than water,” Nicholas said.
“Yeah, above the fridge, I saw a few bottles,” Lexi said.
Nicholas left the room.
Lexi gripped her rifle tightly; the talk of losing sisters conjured up a deep set of emotions in her. The kind she liked to suppress.
Nicholas walked back in holding a bottle of Jim Beam by the neck. “Not my favorite, but beggars can’t be choosers,” he said, opening the bottle and taking a large swig. He wiped his beard and asked, “Want some?”
“No.”
“You take your job seriously, don’t you?” he asked.
“If my job is ensuring we don’t get killed, yes, I take my job seriously.”
Nicholas took another large swig and burped. “Shit, excuse me.”
Lexi laughed.
“Did I just hear a chuckle?”
“You just remind me of someone.”
“Was he as good looking as me too?”
“She, and some would say she was good looking.”
“Ooh, I’d love to meet her,” Nicholas said and again took a big swig.
Lexi looked at the bottle and saw he’d already drank one-third of it.
He rested his head back and allowed the bottle to settle against his leg.
“You from here?” Lexi asked.
“God no, I used to live in San Diego,” Nicholas said.
“No shit, San Diego?” Lexi asked, shocked.
“Why?”
“I’m from San Diego. Where in San Diego?”
“Solana Beach.”
“Me too, oh my God, how strange. How did you end up here?” Lexi asked, her curiosity piqued.
He took a drink and laughed. “Small fucking world, isn’t it? Ha, anyways, I had a place across from the racetrack off of Via de la Valle.”
“I lived off of Lomas Santa Fe.”
“Good God, we were practically neighbors. How come I never saw you out? It’s kind of a small town in a big town,” Nicholas said.
Lexi touched her hair and said, “This was blonde at one time, but I’m sure we never met.”
“How you so sure?” Nicho
las asked.
“Let’s say I remember faces.”
Nicholas rocked in the chair and said, “I miss the beach.”
“Me too.”
“I also miss sushi. I suppose the only sushi we’ll see anytime soon is if we catch it ourselves.”
“You ever go to Station?” Lexi asked.
“All the time, my favorite place, they serve the biggest pieces of nigiri.”
“Not so cheap, but what good sushi place is?” Lexi said. Her facial expression had softened with the reminiscent talk.
He took another drink and lamented, “It’s all gone now, poof, just like that.”
“Yep,” she agreed and put her gaze back outside.
“So how did a San Diego girl end up in Joseph, Oregon?”
“Long story.”
“Come on, do tell,” Nicholas pleaded.
“I’m done telling my story. I’ve done it enough for a lifetime, believe me.”
“You had some troubles along the way, I can assume,” Nicholas said.
“You could say that.”
“When did you leave San Diego?” he asked.
“I really don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Lexi said.
“Fine, fine,” he relented. “I only ask because I was wondering what it looked like after. I wasn’t there when all this shit happened. I was in Portland on business.”
“And from Portland you ended up here?”
“Yes, but this was just supposed to be a pit stop. Then go on to McCall, Idaho. Stephanie and I have family there.”
“Now there’s another place I’ve heard more than once,” Lexi said.
“It’s a prominent place now being that it’s the quasi capital of our new country, ha.”
“Not that, you’re just the fifth person I’ve run into that was heading there, long before the new country and such.”
“It’s nice there, or at least was, God knows what it looks like now,” Nicholas said then took a drink. He swallowed hard and asked, “Tell me, where is Lexi going?”
“Nowhere and everywhere.”
“Now that’s a fucking answer.”
“I don’t have a home anymore; the road or trail is my home now.”
“That is fucking depressing,” he said.
By his tone and the increased use of curse words, Lexi could tell he was getting drunk.
“Why not come to McCall with me?” he said.
“Not interested.”
“Why not?”
“How about I don’t know you from Jack and I don’t have anything in McCall.”
“You’ll know me there, and maybe you’ll run into those other people you met along the way,” Nicholas said.
Lexi grunted loudly. She was physically tired and had grown weary of the conversation. “I’m gonna go on patrol.”
“Patrol? What, are you some fucking soldier now?”
She stood up and slung her rifle on her shoulder.
He reclined the chair and rested his head back.
“Beau, come,” Lexi said.
Beau jumped to his feet and met her at the door.
Lexi turned and said, “Turn your head to the side. I don’t want to come back to find you’ve gagged to death on your own vomit.”
He raised his hand and said, “Yeah, yeah, go soldier on.”
She exited the house. The cool air felt good but what felt better was being out of that conversation. Now she remembered why she couldn’t spend too much time with people; she didn’t like them very much.
Banff, Alberta, Western Canada
Gordon paced the room. He and Samantha had been up for hours, debating their situation with Gordon’s actions being the catalyst for their latest predicament.
“I’m not going to apologize. I did what I did because things are fragile, and we needed a bold move,” Gordon said, defending himself.
“If you hadn’t gone to meet Cruz, you wouldn’t be here and—”
“Stop second-guessing me. He got you and could have gotten me too, for that matter, in McCall.”
Samantha sat on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed in frustration. “You’re right. We need to figure out how we’re going to get out of here.”
Gordon could see the desperation written all over her face. He came up and sat next to her. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and took her hand in his left and whispered, “Whatever we do, we must keep our plans secret. I’m sure this place is wired.”
“I’m scared,” Samantha said in a whisper.
“You have to have faith in me. I’ll get us out of here.”
“Why not give him what he wants?”
“Surrender?”
Samantha looked defeated. “I’m tired, Gordon, I’m just tired of constantly fighting. Why can’t we just leave in peace?”
“There will be no peace with Jacques in charge. He’s a butcher.”
“The same butcher you made a treaty with,” Samantha reminded him.
“It’s so easy for everyone to have an opinion on leading after the facts are known.”
“You knew he was before.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know he’d do this.”
“A man capable of doing what he’s done is capable—”
Gordon lifted his hand in a gesture of silence. He stood up and barked, “What would you do? Huh? Tell me, you’re so wise.”
“Give him what he wants.”
“And what if you’re wrong, huh? You want to be the one who will bear the responsibility or will be held accountable for selling your country out? It’s easy for everyone to have a quip or flippant comment because they don’t have any skin in the game.”
Samantha now stood in anger. “I have skin in the game. Don’t you dare say I don’t. I’ve lost my son, I’ve lost friends, we’ve lost your brother; don’t say I don’t have skin in the game.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“All I ever heard from you was how you hated politicians and how you hated politics, and when the opportunity to be a politician was put in front of you, you took it.”
“Hold on, you practically begged me to take it.”
“Give him what he wants,” Samantha said.
“No, I’d rather die.”
“You would rather die?”
“I’m a warrior; I’ve been prepared to die for a long time.”
“I hear you say that all the time, it’s almost cliché. What about me, you want me to die? What about Haley and Luke?”
Gordon marched to the window and looked out. A light snow was falling from the gray sky.
A long silence settled in.
Samantha came up and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry.”
He caressed her hands and replied, “Me too. We can’t be fighting with each other. Only together will we find a way out of this.”
“Look at me,” she said.
He turned and they locked eyes.
“I do trust you and I’ll do what you feel is right. Just remember we’re parents and we have to think of them.”
“I always do.”
A loud knock came from the door.
“Yes,” Gordon hollered.
The door opened and Megyn appeared. “The prime minister would like to see you now, both of you.”
Sandy, Utah
A nervous Luis looked at his watch. Pablo was running late, not unusual for him; what made Luis apprehensive was which Pablo would show up.
The night before Pablo had left happy or what was the closest thing for him. Once Luis had explained the run south and that they had returned with a large cache of food, water and assorted survival equipment and gear, Pablo was satisfied.
Pablo had instructed Luis to formulate a plan on moving the camp and which company would remain at the compound’s gate. He also wanted to continue his search for where Conner retired to. Annaliese might have given up, but he wasn’t done.
The rumble of the Ranger told Luis that Pablo had just arrived.
Luis sto
od and waited.
Pablo burst into the tent and hobbled quickly over to a chair. “Wine,” he ordered.
Luis didn’t have any open but hastily grabbed a bottle and pulled the cork. He poured a glass, rushing, and with a shaking hand, he gave it to Pablo.
Pablo looked at Luis’ quivering hand then at him. He took the glass and asked, “You okay?”
“Sir, yes, sir.”
“You nervous?”
Luis backed away, giving him some distance, and replied, “To be honest, sir, yes, I am.”
Pablo took a sip and set the glass down. “Why?”
Luis swallowed hard and said, “You make me, um, I, ah.”
“Enough,” Pablo said, waving his hand. He’d heard this before and didn’t need Luis to humiliate himself.
“Yes, sir.”
“The plans?” Pablo asked.
“Here, sir,” Luis said walking over to a larger table. There he pointed to a topographical map and continued, “We’ll move the battalion here minus Charlie company. We’ll keep them posted here but spread out further so they won’t be impactful on the gate. I thought we could have rotating posts go up to the gate and support your friends, but we can skip that if that’s too much.”
Pablo looked down at the map, then the glass of wine in his hand. He nodded and said, “Good.”
“Captain Domingo Luis is the company commander of Charlie,” Luis said.
“Luis?”
“Yes, sir, he’s my son. I trust him.”
“Good.”
“Sir, the other issue, I believe we need to infiltrate Cheyenne. We will get teams of men inside by having them go in as migrants. Once inside they’ll be able to—”
“Too long,” Pablo said interrupting him.
“I also propose seizing more American recon teams,” Luis said.
“Too long.”
“The only way for us to find out where President Conner went is to have someone on the inside, and there isn’t anyone in our ranks that is fluent enough in English to pull that off.”
Pablo walked away from the table and sat at the back in the chair. His legs were hurting and he needed to rest.
Luis came back too and said, “I’m at a loss, sir.”
Pablo raised his hand and said, “Move camp.”
“Yes, sir, we’ll get on that immediately.”
The Razor's Edge: A Postapocalytic Novel (The New World Book 6) Page 8
