by E A Lake
“Oops,” Wayne said, grinning evilly.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Tiny shook Judy off and immediately charged at Wayne. Quickly, Wayne raised the gun and pointed it at Tiny’s face. “No,” Wayne said quietly. “Don’t.” He waved the gun at his men behind Tiny. Turning, Tiny saw they had their weapons pointed at the three of them.
“How could you?” Judy squeaked out between her tears. “Why?!” she screamed.
Wayne looked at them disappointedly. “The rules, people. You saw the rules. It’s that simple.” Wayne’s brow furrowed. “Penalty is death.” He gazed down at Wilson as he gasped for his last few bits of air. Wayne leveled the gun at Wilson’s chest.
“No!” screamed Sharon as she rushed forward. The gun sounded once, twice, and finally a third time before Wayne’s gaze came up to meet Sharon’s.
“Can’t let a man bleed to death like that. Wouldn’t be Christian of me.” Wayne spoke plainly to the group. “I told you, these things are dangerous. They’re likely to go off any time. He,” Wayne said, pointing at Wilson’s dead body, “couldn’t even figure out if the safety was set or not.”
Tiny stepped forward, glaring at the Captain. Wayne gave Tiny a quick, sad smile before turning to go back behind his desk.
“I know you want revenge for your friend, but don’t do anything stupid.” Pointing at the women, Wayne continued. “You’ll leave your friends here all alone. That wouldn’t be smart.”
“You killed him,” Judy cried out. “You killed him in cold blood.” Sharon pulled Judy close.
“He killed himself, people. You,” Wayne pointed at Judy. “You read the sign. It’s in plain English. NO guns allowed! None.” Wayne shook his head at the group.
“See what you made me do?” Wayne asked. “You made me punish him. Because you were so stupid as to believe the rules don’t apply to you, you made me do this. And look at that.” He pointed at Wilson’s body and the bright crimson blood pooling on the hardwood floor. “Now I’ve got to have someone get in here and clean this up. What a waste.” Wayne leaned back in his chair and looked at his men.
“Jerry, go get a wagon and four shovels,” Wayne barked. “And get me two women in here to get rid of all this blood.” His stare returned back to the three.
“I want you to bury him. Jerry will take you to the spot. But I want you to do the work.” Wayne leaned forward before continuing. “I don’t want to waste another second of my time with the likes of you. I’m done with the whole lot of you.” He waved them out.
Shaking, Sharon turned Tiny and Judy slowly as Jerry’s men lifted Wilson’s body from the floor and hauled it outside.
“And Jerry,” Wayne called out just before the group left his office. “Go get that little bitch of theirs. I suppose I have to give her back to them now that they made me do this. Doc thinks she’s sterile anyway. Too much time in an area that may have been radiated, he said.” Wayne’s eyes went from finder to finder. “Bury your dead and leave. Get out of here before I have Jerry kill you all.” He shot a quick glare at Jerry. “And make sure that girl does her fair share of the digging.”
Sharon stared at Wayne, wanting so badly to say something. Finally, Jerry took her arm and pulled her outside with the others. Wayne went back to reading reports as two women scurried in with buckets and rags to clean his office floor.
Miranda ran to meet the group. Someone had appeared and told her to change and grab her bag, which had been laid on a bed for her. She was leaving, with her group. When she asked what group, the bitter woman simply replied, ‘the finders’.
She wondered what had caused them to change their minds. She was just getting to know some of the other young women in her new family. None seemed overly happy, so she was skeptical of her future. Now, with the good news, she giddily hurried to join the four people waiting by the wagon.
Stopping suddenly as she drew nearer, she noticed that the fourth man was that Jerry creep, not Jim. Jerry was the first to notice her. When the others turned, she saw the sorrow in their faces.
“Where’s Jim,” she asked unable to take another step. Dread filled her soul. Through tears, Sharon looked away and shook her head.
“Judy? Tiny?” she asked further. “Where’s Jim?” Tears streaked their weather-worn faces. Slowly, she crept forward, not understand the scene before her.
Then, she noticed the back of the open wagon and the mass hidden under the canvas sheet. “No,” she said, her hands flying to her small face. Tears flowed immediately. “No, please.” She collapsed, but Judy caught her just before she went down.
Sharon turned on Jerry. “What is wrong with you?” she spat at the heartless being. “Why are you bringing a child into this?”
Jerry shrugged casually. “Teach her a lesson. Let her know life ain’t gonna be easy. Not now,” he turned to jump into the wagon. “Not ever.”
“What happened?” Miranda asked Judy in a whisper through her pain.
“He was shot. Killed for bringing a gun into the community.” Judy hugged the child tightly, sobs convulsing her body as she spoke.
“He knew,” Jerry called back callously. “No guns. Period. Penalty is death.” He looked forward at the team of two horses. “And that’s exactly what he got. Now, load up back there so we can get this over with.”
Tiny helped the three women into the back of the wagon, careful not to get anyone too close to the body. Miranda sat on her knees, crying into her hands. Sharon tried to console the young teen but failed, still trying to come to terms with reality herself.
“But he was just alive.” Miranda spoke, barely audible to the group. “I just saw him before the sun came up. What was he doing back with that man?” She glanced from friend to friend, hoping to find an answer.
Sharon raised her hand and squeezed her forehead. Tears fell on her lap as she tried to reply.
“We went back,” she said, unable to look at Miranda. “We told Jim we had to try and get you kids out of this place. It wasn’t good here for any of you.” Finally, her red, swollen eyes met Miranda’s. “Especially you. He was just doing what we asked.” Overcome with shame and guilt, Sharon wept freely as Tiny hugged her.
The group sobbed and held one another the rest of the way to the burial ground. Finally, some three miles from the center of the community, Jerry stopped the horse and ordered everyone out of the wagon. He glared at them and pointed to the shovels.
“Grab those and start digging,” he pointed behind himself. “Behind those two trees back there. Hurry up; we don’t have a lot of time.”
Tiny took the four shovels and slung them over his broad shoulders. Jerry shook his head at the group.
“You all dig,” Jerry called out. “Captain’s orders.”
With heads hung low, the four friends took to digging. From time to time, Jerry called out for them to hurry along. He didn’t plan on being out here all day, he said. When the hole was finally deep enough for Jerry’s liking, he told Tiny to go grab the body.
Carefully, Tiny and Sharon arranged Wilson in the plot, still covered by the tarp. Standing next to the hole, Judy and Miranda hugged tightly through tears. Sharon finally looked up at Judy and nodded. With four heavy shovels and hearts, the group filled the dirt on top of their friend. Tiny had to stop twice, unable to continue in his grief. Each time, Jerry prodded him along with the butt of his rifle.
They stared at the mound of dirt in front of them.
Jerry glowered at the group and finally spoke. “Load up. I’ll take you ‘round to the east side of town and Russ will meet us there with the rest of your gear.” Sharon and Tiny turned to load the shovels in the wagon. Judy took Miranda’s hand and led her towards the grave. As they passed Jerry, he grabbed Judy’s free arm, stopping the pair.
“I said, we’re leaving,” Jerry spat at the young woman. Judy tore her arm away.
“We are going to pray for him,” she seethed at the taller man.
“Not on my time you’re not.” Jerry took Miranda
’s arm next and pulled her away. Judy spun to grab the girl and saw the muzzle of Jerry’s rifle pressed up against the side of Miranda’s head.
“Unless you plan on digging a hole for her, too,” Jerry said between clenched teeth, “I advise you get your asses in the back of that wagon. Now!”
Judy reached for Miranda’s hand and led her back to the wagon. Sobs ripped through the older woman as she and Miranda sullenly joined Tiny and Sharon. Tiny spread a fresh tarp over the remaining blood and the four somberly climbed in. Miranda sat between Judy and Sharon as Tiny looked back at the pile of dirt that encapsulated the remains of Jim Wilson.
The numb feeling that had encompassed Miranda from the second she had seen only the three remained locked inside her tiny body. Praying softly, Judy tried to make sense of what had happened. Of all the awful things she had endured since the power went out, of all the gut-wrenching things she’d seen, this hurt the most. Despair ran through her veins, replacing the blood that once flowed freely. Each moment became darker and darker. Where was God in all of this?
Her tears finally drying up, Sharon wracked her mind trying to come up with a decent solution to their new dilemma. Wilson wasn’t the smartest person she’d ever met. He wasn’t good with directions, he couldn’t remember anything important longer than 10 minutes, but he had one quality that was so rare to find nowadays. Jim Wilson was the most faithful man she’d ever met. His dedication to the group was beyond reproach. That quality was something they would all miss, and dearly. Without the entrapments of normal friendship, he had managed to create a bond with her and Judy that didn’t seem possible.
Randy Graves stared at the pile of dirt until it became lost over a hill. When he could see it no more, he let out a long sigh and gazed at the blood on his hands.
“He was my best friend in the world, you know.” He began softly as the other three moved towards him in the rear of the wagon. “Some people have dogs, me and Jimmy had each other.” Judy and Sharon tearfully smiled at Tiny. Miranda buried her head in Sharon’s side as her sobs renewed.
“I don’t even remember when we met,” he continued. “I’ve just always known him. And he was the best friend anyone ever had.” Tiny’s tears started again. Judy leaned in and hugged him tightly. Through his tears, he smiled and gave her a polite ‘Thank you.’
Tiny collected himself enough to go on. “When the other kids at school picked on me, it was Jimmy who sent them packing. Usually with a bloody nose.” Tiny chuckled and looked at Judy. “He always had our back out here, no matter what. He could sense things that no one else felt. He could find food and stuff in the middle of nowhere, when we all thought he was crazy.”
“I remember one time early on,” Sharon began. “Maybe six months after we’d met up. That group of those huge men wanted to take Judy for their own.” Tiny and Judy’s heads nodded. “They had us outnumbered. We really didn’t have a way of stopping them. Every last one of them were as big as you, Tiny.” Sharon smiled to herself and looked back at the others.
“And there stood Wilson, in the middle of that great big group. Going on and on about how Judy was the biggest whore in Omaha. She carried every disease known to man. She’d practically done every one of them.”
Sharon gave Judy a quick glance. “At first, they weren’t buying a thing. You were what, 15, maybe 16, and you still looked like you do now. So sweet, so perfect. And Jimmy just kept going on how even he wouldn’t touch you.” Sharon stared out the back end of the wagon, silent for a moment. “And one by one, they gave in. They believed him. Still to this day, I have no idea how he came up with that so fast.” The group stared at each other for a while. The only sound was the clopping of the horses up front and the slow grind of the wagon wheels beneath.
Chapter Twenty-eight
After a slow half-hour ride, the other wagon finally came into sight. Just a little dot on the road at first, basking in the sunshine. As they came closer, they could see their bags waiting by the side of the second wagon for them. When Jerry steered next to the other, he stopped the horses and looked back at the finders.
“Okay, grab your stuff and get out of here,” he said. “Don’t ever come back. If we see any of you here again, you’ll probably be hung. So get a clue and disappear.” He turned his attention to the other man.
“Planting going okay?” Jerry asked. Russ simply nodded his reply.
Tiny jumped out first and then helped the others one by one. Their long faces displayed the terrible events of their morning. They all looked unsure of where to go or what to do next.
“The road over there,” Jerry said, pointing to his right, “is old highway 53. You take 53 north about 10 miles north and you’ll run into old 29. Take a right and head east on 29. About 15 miles east, you’ll run into that 27 you’re looking for.” He grinned at the other man, Russ, before continuing.
“When you get to 27, you’ll find a craphole named Cadott. There’s some places there to stay.” Jerry spit on the ground and continued. “Cadott ain’t much anymore, but it beats sleeping in a ditch.”
Tiny and Sharon slowly retrieved their bags and helped each other get the heavy loads situated on their backs. Without a word, they turned and made their way towards old 53.
“The Captain was nice enough to let you keep your food,” Russ hollered out. “I’ll be sure to tell him you all said thanks.” The two men shared a laugh and turned their wagons back to the heart of their community.
Walking in silence, the group made their way up the busy road. Old 53 turned out to be a heavily traveled north-south corridor in this area. A number of wagons made their way both directions, while even more people on foot traveled to and fro. Tiny and Sharon led the group, walking side by side. Behind them, Judy and Miranda followed hand in hand.
“I still don’t understand what happened back there.” Miranda finally broke the silence. “What caused Jim to get shot?”
Judy glanced at the teen as tears welled again in her eyes. “That Wayne person found Jim’s gun. He played around with it like it wasn’t a big deal for a while.” Judy frowned. “But then it became more and more dire. And then he just shot him.” She gave Miranda a soft look. “’No guns allowed,’ he said. That’s all.”
Miranda fought her own tears back. “So he wasn’t hurting anyone? Jim, that is.” Judy nodded. “And he still killed him? Why?” Tears again streamed down Miranda’s face.
Sharon and Tiny stopped to face the others. “I don’t know why, sweetheart.” Sharon replied. “But we’ve learned over the years that it’s not easy out here. Never has been. And it’s certainly not safe. This just proved it even more.”
Small nods from Tiny and Judy seconded Sharon’s wisdom, learned wisdom from too many years on the road as finders. Silently, they turned and continued their way to the next road.
They stopped several hours later in a small grove of trees for a water break. Though only May, the sun was hot on the blacktop. They were perspiring profusely. Sitting in a small circle, they each took sips of the tepid water as they watched others go past on the busy road.
“Tiny,” Sharon finally broke the silence and turned, “I’m not sure we can stay at this much longer. This finder’s life.” Tiny stared at Sharon blankly. Judy and Miranda looked down at the ground. “It just feels like this is done. I’m not sure we can keep doing this without Jim. I’m not sure I want to do this without him.”
Tiny smiled sadly. “He always said it wasn’t forever,” he began. “But whenever I asked him how we’d know when to stop, he just always answered ‘we’ll know’.”
Sharon screwed the cap back on her bottle. “Maybe we should just make our way to Ashland now. We have enough food. We can get water as we need it.” She glanced at the others. “Maybe not dig through any more houses. We don’t need anything more. Except safety, I suppose.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Judy added. “Don’t you, Randy?”
Tiny looked at his backpack. “I only ever did this because Jimm
y wanted to do it. I only left home because he left home.” Tiny shook his head slightly before continuing, fighting back more tears. “I didn’t even know what a finder was back then. He just said it was something we needed to do; rather than sit around and wait for death.” Judy reached over and squeezed Tiny’s large hand, sharing a sad smile with Wilson’s best friend.
Sitting quietly, Sharon became lost in thought. She almost spoke twice, but stopped herself mid-breath. Finally, she looked up at everyone, including Miranda.
“I know it’s impossible,” Sharon said quietly, “but I’d really like to have a way to get word back to his folks.” Judy nodded through tears to her cousin. “Somehow, I think they need to know he’s gone.” Sharon wiped away her own tears as she studied Tiny’s face. He stared at her, stoically, without a response.
“You don’t think that’s a good idea, Randy?” Sharon asked.
Tiny sighed before he spoke. “It won’t make a difference,” he said in a whisper. “His folks are both dead.”
Judy gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. Sharon stared at Tiny, unable to understand what he’d just said.
“What?” Sharon asked, shocked. “That can’t be. How would you know? It’s been 10 years since you left. And he always talked about his folks back on the farm.” Tears sprang in Sharon’s eyes. Judy and Miranda’s streaked faces gaped at Tiny for a response. Through his own tears, he smiled and looked at the group.
“They were both dead before we ever left McCook.” Tiny leaned back on his elbows and gazed at the sky through the green leaves above him. “His mom was sick when the power went out. She had some sort of cancer.” Tiny’s face contorted, recalling the past. “She was okay for a while. Still had meds for a year or so. She was in some kind of remission at first. By the second summer, she was worse. Didn’t go out much, never went to church anymore. Lay in bed or on the couch all day long.” The women moved closer to Tiny to hear every word of the unknown tale.
