by Marla Monroe
“So you’ve been up all night. I was going to let you drive.” Wyatt frowned.
“No, Jessie took watch the rest of the night. I’ll drive and you two can sleep.”
“You let Jessie—”
“I am a damn good shot. I can take watch just as well as you two can, so don’t say something you’re going to regret.” Jessie slammed her hand on the side of the truck before jumping down.
“Hey, wait up, Jess.” Kent walked up next to her.
“What?”
“You need to eat more than you’re eating.” He tugged on her pants. “Your clothes are getting loose.”
“I told you, I can’t eat when we’re driving.”
“But you can eat now while we get ready. Go eat a can of peaches or something.” He watched her stomp off and turned his back to give her some privacy to pee.
Once they were on the road again, Kent noticed Wyatt studying Jessie while she slept. He sighed and turned to look out the passenger side window.
“What is it, Wyatt?”
“Nothing.”
“Not working this time, brother. What gives?”
“She’s so damn feisty. How are we going to keep her safe if she doesn’t mind us?”
“She does when it matters, Wyatt. Since we’ve been on the road, she’s done just about everything we’ve asked her to do. She pushes our limits because she’s a woman feeling confined but neglected.”
“You been reading all those relationship books again?” Wyatt asked.
“She’s made up her mind that she wants us, but we’re ignoring her for the most part. When we aren’t ignoring her, we’re telling her what she can’t do. We aren’t giving her anything positive at all.”
Wyatt rubbed his face with his good hand.
“Just think about it some, Wyatt.”
Kent let his brother stew awhile before he brought up the fact they were getting closer to their destination and needed to decide where to put down roots. The last stop on the map was a place called Barter Town. They were supposed to get garden seeds, water, a map of the area, and keep Jessie hidden. Kent wasn’t too keen on stopping there, since David said it was a stop off for female black-market traders. He didn’t want to risk Jessie at all, but they needed the seeds. They also needed to gas up.
Jessie woke up about the time he pulled into a gas station marked on the map as a trade spot. He urged her to stay down while he negotiated their gas. Wyatt placed a hand on her head and stroked her hair. Kent wondered if he even realized he was doing it.
“Hey there, son,” an older man with a bald head said, walking out of the building.
“Sir, we need to barter for some gas. What do you need?”
The man reached in his front shirt pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
“Got any of this?” he asked.
Kent read over the list and smiled. He had just the thing. He handed the list back to the old man and said he’d be right back. He walked back to the trailer and unlocked the door. Inside was a set of metric screwdrivers. The man was looking for two or three. He’d give him the entire ten-piece set for a fill-up and something to snack on.
The old man’s face lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of the set. He agreed to fill up the truck and brought out some homemade bread and a small jar of peanut butter.
“I’d give you a knife, but I only have a couple, and we need them.”
“We’ve got knives. Thanks for the bread. Haven’t had any of that in a week.” Kent watched as the old man worked the pump.
“Where you headed?”
“The Border Lands.”
“Tough place. You’ve got to be able to live off the land out there. No electricity or anything. Gas trucks stop at Barter Town, and that’s as far as they go, so don’t drive farther than you can drive back to Barter Town,” he advised.
“Thanks for the information and the gas and bread.” Kent climbed back into the truck and they pulled back out on the highway.
“What was he saying?” Jessie asked as she rubbed her eyes.
“That the last gas stop is Barter Town. That means that we have about a sixty-mile radius we can drive to find a place to live and no further, or we won’t be able to get back to Barter Town for gas,” Wyatt told her.
“How far are we from there now?”
Kent looked at the map and grunted. “I’d say about ten hours. We can make it tomorrow. I would rather stop early tonight and get a good night’s sleep and drive into Barter Town fresh.”
“I agree,” Wyatt said.
“How long am I going to have to ride in the back of the truck?”
“You’re probably going to be back there for three or four hours by the time we barter for what we need and get on the road. We’ll let you back up with us as soon as we’re far enough away no one will see you.” Wyatt winced when he bumped his arm.
“It’s time for you to take some more meds, Wyatt.” Jessie poured out two pills and handed them to him. “Let me look at your arm again, too, to make sure it’s not infected.”
He swallowed them with a couple of sips of water. Then he rolled up his sleeve so she could unwrap the bandage.
Kent winced at the reddened area on his brother’s arm.
“Is it infected?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. I think the low-grade fever and the slight redness are just the natural part of healing, according to the first aid books. Nothing is swollen and there isn’t any drainage, so I think it is fine.”
“Well, it still hurts, whether it’s fine or not,” Wyatt fussed.
“I didn’t say it didn’t,” Jessie teased him.
Kent listened to them argue for the next thirty minutes. Then Jessie began reading in one of the books again. By the time he was ready to stop for the night, she’d nodded off, and Wyatt had grabbed the book so it wouldn’t fall.
“How are you holding up with the driving?” Wyatt asked as he laid the book in his lap.
“Fine. I’ll drive tomorrow, too.”
“Tomorrow is going to be dicey. She has to stay in the back and be quiet. We can’t afford for someone to see her.”
“She will. She’s afraid of being taken.” Kent opened the door and turned to wake Jessie.
“Shhh, let her sleep until we have the mattress ready.” Wyatt opened his door and climbed down.
Kent walked around behind the truck and unlocked the doors. He pulled the mattress to the edge and folded back the covers. He helped Wyatt climb up, then went back and got Jessie. She barely stirred when he picked her up and carried her to the back. She was exhausted. She’d stayed awake too much lately.
“I’ll take first watch. Let’s skip Jessie tonight. She needs to sleep.” Kent covered her with the blanket.
“Sounds good to me. Just don’t forget to wake me up, because I need you at your best tomorrow. I’m handicapped,” Wyatt pointed out.
“I will. I’m tired from driving, so I’ll be ready for you to spell me in a few hours.”
“Is Jessie eating any better?” Wyatt asked.
“She ate more today than yesterday. She said she can’t eat and ride. Riding makes her nauseous.”
“I never knew that.”
“I think there’s a lot about her we don’t know about.”
Chapter Six
They pulled into Barter Town at nine the next morning. Jessie was in the back of the truck behind the mattress and divider they’d set up. She had plenty of cushions, so she could sleep if she wanted to. Wyatt wasn’t worried about anyone finding her as long as she was quiet. He was much more worried that she would get too hot back there before they could get her back up front with them.
“Remember, in and out as fast as we can. Let’s get gas first and then barter for the seeds next.” Wyatt directed Kent toward one of the gas stations in the bustling town.
This was the first place they’d been that reminded him of a city before the catastrophes, as far as activity went. There were people ever
ywhere. Well, men mostly. The few women he saw were actually tied or chained to their men. He saw an advertisement for a brothel. Hell, the place was like some horror movie.
Kent shook his head and pulled up at the gas pump. A man walked out to see what they wanted.
“What do you need?” Kent asked.
“Ha, don’t need anything. Just depends on what you’ve got.”
They came up against this with every transaction they made. It took them nearly three hours of hard bartering to end up with what they’d come for. They had seeds for a full vegetable garden, six cases of bottled water, and a map of the immediate area.
As soon as they were far enough out of town that they didn’t worry about someone seeing them, Kent stopped the truck while Wyatt ran around and unlocked the back to let Jessie out. She emerged sweaty and shaking.
“Here, drink some water. Not too fast.” She followed his directions and then accepted his help up into the truck.
“I’m sorry you were back there so long,” Wyatt said.
“I’m okay, just hot.”
“Let’s look at the map and decide on a direction to go,” Wyatt said. He opened up the map, and they looked it over.
“Looks like there are more roads going northwest than anywhere. That means more people and more places to live,” Wyatt said.
“I agree to going that direction, but we need to draw a circle for how far out we can safely drive and be able to get back,” Jessie said with a yawn.
Kent grabbed a pen and measured the length in miles using the key. He drew a circular area around the area in question. Wyatt looked over the area he’d circled and nodded.
“Okay, that gives us three main roads. Which road do you want to take?”
“Jessie? You choose. You usually have good instincts.” Kent handed her the pen.
She drew in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. She studied the map and picked out a road.
Wyatt took the map and spread it out to see how they were going to get to the road she picked. It was a straight shot until they got about fifteen miles from the road, and then they would have a few turns to make. It looked as good as any, though.
He smiled at her and gave the map to Kent. “Let’s get started. Looks like we have about a five-hour drive ahead of us.”
“Jessie, you need to eat first. We aren’t going anywhere until you get something in your stomach.”
Kent handed her a hunk of the bread from the last place they’d stopped before Barter Town. Then he opened a can of pears. She ate the bread and half the pears. Wyatt managed the rest of the pears.
“Okay, let’s get going. We’ve got about six hours of sunlight left. I’d like to find a place and clear it as safe before dark.” Wyatt folded the map to where they were and the first fifteen miles.
“Maybe we will find a place that’s fairly close,” Jessie said.
“Remember, you stay down in the truck each time we stop to check a place out. We don’t want anyone to see you,” Wyatt reminded her.
“I understand.” She smiled, but Wyatt could tell she didn’t feel well. It worried him.
She’d lost weight, wasn’t eating well, and was tired. It didn’t make sense. What could be wrong with her? The idea that anything was wrong bothered him, but to not know what it was scared him. They didn’t have doctors to go to out here. How could he take care of her if he didn’t know what was wrong?
“Wyatt? Are we ready to go?” Kent looked at him funny.
“Yeah, let’s head out.”
They drove for a good four hours before they came to a road that led off the main road they were on. Kent took it, and they wound around for a good thirty minutes before they drove up into a clearing. Jessie immediately lay down on the seat as a house emerged from the trees. Wyatt patted her head and looked at the building in front of them. It was in need of repair but didn’t look like it was in bad shape. There were no boards or windows missing. The roof looked sound, from what he could see.
“What do you think?” Kent asked.
“Let’s check it out. Jessie, keep the handgun in your hand. We’re going to look around. Keep the doors locked. We have a key to get in.” Wyatt opened his door and slid out while Kent did the same on the other side.
He locked the doors and closed his after Kent shut his side. They each carried a rifle and eased up on the front door of the house. Wyatt knocked on the door and stood back. He repeated the knock when no one came to the door. They walked around the house and checked every window as they went. All of the doors and windows were locked. There was no car or truck in the carport or around the property.
“It’s beginning to get dark. We need to check inside. Do you want to break a window or the door?” Kent asked.
“Look around for a key first. You never know.” Wyatt began searching under stones, the doormat, and flower pots.
Kent shouted in triumph, holding up a key. “In the mailbox, at the bottom.”
They unlocked the house and walked inside. It smelled musty, but there wasn’t an odor as if anything had died in the house. That was good. It would have been hard to get rid of the smell. Wyatt searched for anything dangerous and found nothing. Kent checked all the upstairs while he checked the downstairs. He found a door that led into a cellar, but without a light, he couldn’t check it out. He would do that later with the flashlight. It smelled musty, like the house. Kent walked down the stairs and joined Wyatt in the living room.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I think it’s a good bet. It’s clean, no structural damage, and there’s plenty of cleared land around it for a garden. There are even a couple of out buildings. One of them can be a barn.” Kent shrugged.
“Think Jessie will like it?” Wyatt asked.
“Yeah, I think she will.”
“Let’s go get her and the flashlights.” Wyatt led the way out to the truck.
Jessie stuck close to them as they showed her the house. She was obviously scared. That bothered Wyatt. He didn’t want her always afraid. She seemed to like the house fine, though.
Kent asked, “What next?”
They both looked at Jessie for the answer.
* * * *
“We make a plan. I need paper and a pen and the flashlight.” Jessie walked over to the kitchen table.
Kent rummaged around and found a pen that worked and some scratch paper in a drawer. He handed it to Jessie, and they waited as she made out a list.
“First thing is we need to bring the mattress in and put it in the middle of the living room floor for tonight. We’ll sleep there and then get up in the morning and clean. The kitchen, a bathroom, and the bedroom are the three main rooms to be cleaned first.”
“Okay, Kent, we have our marching orders. Let’s clear out the middle of the living room floor.”
Jessie watched them move the living room furniture around the edge of the room and then bring the mattress in. She helped as much as she could, since she was afraid Wyatt was going to burst his stitches. Somehow, they managed to get it in the room without that happening. She added the blankets and pillows and then checked the kitchen out.
The refrigerator was completely empty. Nothing was in it, as if the people who lived there had known they would be leaving. The cabinets were full of dishes, so they wouldn’t need them. The stove was gas. When she turned the burner knob, it made a hissing noise, making her think that it still had gas going to it.
“Wyatt. Come here a minute,” she called out.
Wyatt walked in carrying a case of water. He sat it on the counter.
“Listen.” She turned the knob and the hiss began again.
“I’ll be damned,” Wyatt said. He rummaged around until he came up with a box of matches. “Move back in case it flares.”
Jessie moved back and watched as Wyatt struck a match, then turned on the gas. The burner lit without a problem. She smiled and hugged him. He actually hugged her back.
“What’s all the celebrating for?” Kent w
alked into the kitchen carrying a case of water.
“Look.” She pointed to the gas stove.
“Wow. I wonder how long it will last?”
“Let’s plan on it lasting forever and not borrow trouble,” Wyatt said.
“How bad is the fridge?” Wyatt asked, looked at it warily.
“It’s completely empty. Doesn’t even smell. It’s like the owners knew they were leaving.”
“That’s odd.” Kent opened the door and looked inside. “Well, don’t guess it really matters, since we don’t have electricity.”
“How much more do you plan to unload tonight?” Jessie asked them.
“Just the rest of the water and the seeds,” Wyatt said. “Then we’ll call it a night and get an early start in the morning.”
She watched them carry everything in and then took the flashlight to check out the pantry. It was a fairly large room with lots of canned goods. There were some dead potatoes that had grown and died for lack of water, as well as onions. She’d have to clean their carcasses out. She found that they kept their flour, sugar, and cornmeal in plastic containers. She wondered if they were any good. There didn’t appear to be any bugs in any of them. The sugar was a hard lump but could be broken down.
“What are you doing in there?” Wyatt asked her.
“I’m checking to see what all is in here. We’ve got a good variety of canned goods.”
“We’ve got a small picnic set up in the living room. Come on and eat.”
Jessie chuckled and followed Wyatt into the other room, where Kent was spreading peanut butter on the bread.
“Looks good to me.” She took the piece of bread from him and took a bite.
“Hey!” He reached to grab it back, but she scooted out of his reach.
Wyatt laughed and sliced another piece and took the peanut butter away from Kent. The other man sighed and opened a can of pineapple and began eating it. They passed around more food and made a small feast. It was the most she’d eaten since they’d left Holly Ridge. It would be their first night in their new home, too. She was celebrating. Things would be fine now. They would all be a family. Wyatt would relax and not be so uptight now that they had a home. She’d give him a few weeks before she started pushing again. They did have a lot of work to do first.
