“Are you or Nina hurt?” she asked.
“We fine.”
Nina disengaged herself from Nick’s arms and peered out a window. “Not a mammoth or dinosaur in sight. I recognize those types of trees from my old home and look over there, daisies. Willow trees, oak trees, wild flowers.”
“Are we on our Earth?” Em asked with excitement. The twins gathered near her. They gazed curiously, nothing more. They were young when they fell through the sinkhole, and Solace knew they didn’t remember their parents.
Bastian reloaded their weapons. Tain grabbed a large machine gun to Solace’s surprise. He gave her a cheeky grin as he handed the others weapons. Tain glanced hard at Menace before offering him a gun. Solace took it instead. The small hand gun was shoved into the back of her leather belt. She was afraid Menace would shoot himself.
“Stay close,” Joe advised as he opened the door.
Their first tentative steps embarked another journey of discovery. They roamed the lush earth with foliage familiar to Solace. She saw coniferous and deciduous trees with leaves fluttering in a breeze, acorns on oaks, the green husks of the black walnuts hanging full, and berries on bushes. At first she was delighted, as were Em and Nina. Everything was familiar except there were no homes or buildings. Solace frowned. What was missing? Squirrels, birds. There were no signs of life. All was eerily quiet. The sound of their feet on the hard ground was an intrusion. The scents were high of vegetation and raw earth smells. The taste of the air wasn’t primal it was—scarred.
“Where do you think we are?” Solace asked in general to the group. “Or when do you think we are?”
“No clue,” Lochlan said. “It’s so quiet.”
“The vegetation looks like our Earth, our time, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone,” Joe said. “The silence is almost deafening. No machines, no voices, no animals, no nothing. No planes overhead. Not a train in sight.”
“Could a hypercane have caused this?” Tain asked.
“No, even vegetation would be destroyed,” Solace said.
“Even still there’s some speculation of our Earth about a hypercane when the meteor hit,” Joe said. “We recovered, maybe only plant life did on this Earth.”
“There doesn’t seem to be anything here. Maybe we’re in an uninhabited area,” Bastian said. “Or restricted.”
“If it was restricted there would be signs of damage, wouldn’t there?” Tain said. “There would be signs period, with some kind of writing or symbol.”
“Not necessarily,” Solace said and swallowed hard. “This could be quarantined. The signs outside a designated area.”
“Spooky,” Nina said, in a hushed whisper.
“One person says zombies and I’ll shoot you,” Lochlan threatened.
“Not, um, the word you said,” Solace began. “Disease maybe. There should be signs, a fence, a wall, red tape, banners. If this is or was restricted it has been for a long time. I didn’t see anything when we flew in.”
They continued on as a group staying close. There were no bird songs or rabbits nibbling the green grass. Not a dog barked. The ground was void of snakes, toads, there were no tree frogs. No helicopters or kites. No engine revved, not one car squealed. A splash of out of the ordinary color caught Solace’s attention. She moved closer toward the brush with all trailing. With help the foliage was cut and with a gasp Solace pulled out a little plastic ride in car under debris.
“Plastic,” Solace muttered.
“What?” Bastian asked.
Solace turned to the group. “Metal will rust after time, people, everything can decay after an apocalypse, but if not touched by fire, the plastic will last. If that’s what happened, this Earth might have died at least four hundred years ago. The amount of foliage, the decay…”
“You can’t simply know that,” Tain said.
“I’m searching for a plausible scenario. Look around,” she insisted. “My dad was a huge post-apocalyptic fan. He and I watched all scenarios. If this is what I think it is we are in danger from animals who are no longer domesticated. Only the biggest and strongest survived. Human life is gone.”
“Then we’re stuck here forever.” Joe grabbed the little car and smashed it to the ground, obliterating it to a mangled mess.
“Not necessarily. We could find the remains of a gas station,” Lochlan said.
“Gas station?” Menace asked.
“A substance we need to fly the plane,” Solace explained. “A tanker maybe, they have thicker bladders in case of seepage into the oceans.”
Menace went to examine the broken toy car. His features became puzzled. “Humans drive in these cars? I’d never get my leg in.”
Joe laughed. “It’s a toy for a child.”
“Oh, I miss riding in mine,” Joey piped up. “Why did you have to go and smash it, Daddy?” He and the twins leveled accusing gazes onto Joe.
“Sorry bud, there’s no time to play right now,” Joe said.
“Look.” Blue inched closer into the bushes. He grabbed the remains of a child’s white and red plastic rotary phone and handed it to Menace. Solace chuckled when he stared at it baffled. She leaned in close to whisper to him.
“Put it to your ear and say hello.”
Menace gripped the base, put it upside down near his ear, and said hello. Both twins doubled over with laughter. Menace shot her a questioning look.
“Good try,” Solace said with a smile. Then to Joe: “Maybe the kids should go back to the plane.”
Her suggestion was met with immediate resistance, from the children.
“Not child,” Nick said with a glare.
“Not helpful either,” Menace retorted in the same stilted voice.
Nick leaned down and picked up a large club of wood. He took a practice swing. “Nina, Em stay close.”
They all remained close. Solace stopped and kicked at the ground under her feet. She crouched and looked at Joe.
“Pavement. Maybe a road.”
Lochlan heaved a huge sigh. “If you look close enough to those vines you can see the concrete under it. Rubble for sure. Solace appears to be right. Do those apocalyptic movies say why this might happen?”
“Many reasons. War, weather, or people may have disappeared one day,” she replied.
“The Rapture?” Tain said.
“If it was the Rapture I’d have family and friends here,” Bastian said rolling his eyes.
“The Rapture would have been followed by years of plagues and war,” Solace said. “Everyone would be dead eventually. To me it looks like maybe all life vanished, and the planet went wild.”
A low growl made them all tense. From the bushes appeared a massive German shepherd crossed with another large breed of dog or wolf. Solace swallowed hard and slowly went for her gun. The dog looked to weigh three hundred pounds or more, his shoulder was higher than her waist.
“That is one big fucking dog,” Lochlan said deadpan.
They spun in a slow circle to keep the children between them and the dogs, as three other massive mongrels, flanking them, joined the beast. Twigs snapped under insanely large paws. Solace heard the loud expelled breath of Nick as he tightened his hold on the club, the whites of his knuckles prominent. Saliva dripped from a dog’s mouth. Fangs exposed, the dogs moved forward as one.
“Nice doggies?” Em said on a quiet breath.
“Doubtful,” Nina whispered.
Tain shifted his machine gun, and let out a blast. Nick’s eyes rounded with surprise as the dog’s bodies jumped and twitched until they lay quiet. Blood pooled beneath them. Tain winked at Nick who glanced at his club, huffed in embarrassed disgust, and tossed it to the ground.
“If this is a road, we should follow it,” Joe said.
“Keep your eyes open,” Solace said though realized mentioning to be cautious was redundant.
Cole found his way into her arms. Menace picked up Blue; Joe held his son. They kept the remaining children flanked in a circle between everyone as the
y continued on.
The sun beating down grew hotter. They used the skins of water they brought sparingly. As they picked their way through the shrubbery of obstacles, Solace gathered grapes and apples. Some they ate on the way. When the remains of a battered car came into view, Solace took many of her treats to the vehicle and placed them inside, telling the others the car’s heat would dry them out for them and they could retrieve them on the way back.
“If we don’t find fuel, what will we do?” Lochlan asked.
“What about hemp?” Solace said.
“We’d need a warehouse wouldn’t we, to make enough?” Tain asked.
“We could build a work area. There’s enough around to use to make a solid structure. If we can’t find a gas tank,” Solace said. Then she mumbled, “It would take a while to get enough. Wish Clarity and her big brain were here.”
“If plastic doesn’t deteriorate, does gas evaporate?” Bastian asked.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Tain said.
“Solace is right that tankers have bladders,” Joe said. “If one has been beached, we might be able to reach it. I don’t know. Can you think of anything else that would cause this earth to be this way, Solace? Nuclear explosions? I’m trying to wrap my head around the idea there is no one left. Maybe there is? What if they were stolen by aliens? Your friend was—even if it was for a short time.”
Joe sounded a bit hysterical. She knew he was worried for his son.
“Maybe people simply disappeared for a good reason, anything is possible. Clarity might know more, but that won’t help us now. Should we walk half a day then walk back to the plane to spend the night and try a different direction in the morning?” Solace asked.
A yes and a no followed. Then an argument about the pros and cons of continuing. Safety concerns came into the picture. If they weren’t traveling with children, the decision would be easier. They debated traveling together as opposed to groups, the season, hazards besides wild dogs. The hours passed as they continued to argue periodically while trudging onward. There wasn’t anyone. Tensions rose higher as their walk produced not a soul.
“Solace do you think there are any humans left?” Joe asked.
“Everything is up for speculation. They could be invisible for all we know and waving their hands in front of us. There might be some underground, maybe, perhaps. If we find them, what do we do? They’re as trapped as we are.”
“They might have fuel,” Joe said.
“They might be completely different to adapt to being underground, too,” Solace said.
“You mean strange creatures with weird hair and eyes,” Tain said and gave her a cocky glance.
“No, I don’t think genetically humans would turn into monsters, but they may have had to adapt their eyes for underground light. The sun may be too bright, and their skin could be highly sensitive. It’s feasible they may have had to modify certain things.”
“Vampires,” Bastian said snapping his teeth.
“Vampires, word is familiar,” Nick said with a furrow of brows.
“I doubt they’ve become blood suckers,” Solace said with an eye roll. “What I do mean is I’m guessing they adapted to underground and are staying there where they’ve known safety. Who knows what diseases we could be carrying and spreading as we travel to each planet?”
“That’s something I hadn’t thought of,” Bastian said. “Then again, I had no idea we were going planet to planet, not time travel or different planes of existence.”
“If we’ve been inoculated can we spread disease?” Joe asked.
“I’m guessing yes. Or our clothes. Look at how the white man gave the Natives small pox through blankets,” Solace said.
“Speculation,” Tain snapped.
Solace blinked. “Perhaps, but now isn’t the time for a war of political words.”
“Do you get the impression we’re being watched?” Lochlan said.
“Every damned planet,” Tain said.
Menace stopped, and grabbed Solace’s hand. He pointed. “There.”
“I don’t see anything,” Lochlan said with a frown.
Solace knew Menace could see things others could not. She had come to learn because of his sight he saw different shapes outlined missed by someone who saw color in a different light. The gift was a boon on his planet.
“Trust me, if he sees something, it’s there,” Solace said. “Ever see a copperhead disappear into its surroundings?”
They all peered toward the bush. A massive winged creature came flying at them with a screech. Nina screamed and shots were fired. The creature dropped near their feet. They crept closer. Solace cocked her head. The bird was an emu, with long wings capable of flight, a shorter neck and legs, and a beak filled with large sharp teeth.
“Hmm, omnivore, you think?” Bastian asked nudging it with his foot.
“I’m thinking food,” Joe said and smiled. “Anyone else hungry?”
They built a large fire and roasted pieces of the bird with long sticks. Solace settled back against Menace. She guessed any animal smelling fire would stay far away. The bird was tasty and filling, the skin crispy, the meat tender.
“We should take enough of that bird back for dinner,” Bastian said. There were nods of agreement.
“So your world has hybrid dinosaurs that are trying to kill off mankind?” Joe said gazing at Menace while he chewed.
“Yes,” Menace answered.
“You only wanted to go back to find Menace, Solace. You’ve found each other. I wanted my boy, and have found him. We need to stop and settle down sometime. This Earth might be the opportunity we want,” Joe said. “The animals are different but not outlandish. The air is good. We aren’t in the past. We could assess the surroundings after a time.”
“I need to go home,” Menace said. “If you chose to stay on my planet you will be welcome and there are other humans. Here is lonely.”
“You can kick Edge’s ass, Daddy,” Joey said with such seriousness Solace hid a smile. She wondered if Joe had any idea how huge Edge was. Then struggled to keep a grin from view when Joe gave a quick glance to Menace who was scowling she noted.
“We do not fight each other when there is much fighting already,” Menace scolded. “Edge and his women were good to you, boy. They fed and clothed you, gave you a home and allowed you to keep Bubble-gum many nights.”
“You have gum there?” Tain asked.
“Clarity named the male dog she found Bubble-gum. There are also hybrid cave bear and dire wolf mixes. I think they’re part wolverine too. Joey is only a little boy, Menace. Adults in his world are supposed to take care of him, that’s nothing new. He wanted his father. You know what it’s like to be separated from someone you love,” Solace said.
Menace was nodding his head. Blue climbed into his lap and nestled against his chest.
“I missed you.”
“Me too,” piped up his twin.
Menace ruffled Blue’s red hair, a contrast to his brother’s light blond. Solace had missed Menace and her heart melted when he smiled. They finished their meal and began their search anew after packing meat into leather knapsacks.
Chapter Eight
Menace kept Solace close. She carried a tired Cole in her arms while he held Blue. They were returning to the plane having found nothing. Em was dragging and Menace crouched so she could ride his shoulders. Joe carried his son and the other men held their intriguing weapons. Menace itched to learn how to use one. One by one they shuffled onto the plane, a refuge of relief.
Solace took the bird meat and other vegetation they found to cook over the fire or in hot coals. They were in need of a meal. Menace cracked nuts with rocks. Solace skewered the meat. She set the men up to dig a hole, telling them she’d line it with rocks, build a fire inside, and cook the rest of the meat in a ground oven for breakfast. Solace claimed her father taught her. Menace was grateful of her knowledge; this planet didn’t look like his. The vegetation was different to the d
egree he was uncomfortable. If this was what Solace was used to, it was a wonder she wanted to return to his planet.
Before long the enticing smell of food brought the children to their feet and they shuffled from the plane to sit around the roaring fire. Solace set the food on a platter of mammoth bone they had brought and everyone took a share. She retrieved the fruits from the car on the way back and set them out to dry further. Menace knew she was planning ahead in case they either remained on this planet or needed dry food if they found gas.
“What does gas look like?” Menace asked.
“Gas is a liquid and you can tell what it is by its smell,” Tain said.
“This could be futile to try and find gas. The tanks could be dry and cracked, tree roots may have punctured through, or it may have simply evaporated. What we need is a map or an aerial view,” Joe said settling onto a log seat with his son on his lap.
“What about underground gas lines?” Bastian asked.
“The plane is equipped with dual fuel, but how do we find one?” Joe asked. “If we did how do we dig deep enough? Let’s face it; we are going to be here for a long time.”
“I will find a way back to my own planet and I’m taking Solace and the children with me,” Menace said looking at each person. “We are winning the war.”
“You seem to have forgotten the kids came of their own free will,” Tain said.
“I not.” Nick was outraged.
“There was a battle raging all around us,” Solace said. “I thought anywhere would be safer for the children. I told you guys before I thought you would take us back to our own Earth. Now aliens are involved. If Menace says our home is the best place for all of us I will follow him. Since you want free will you can ask each person what they prefer.”
Slowly the children began to group around Menace and Solace, with the exception of Joey who clung to his father. Joe ran a hand over his face.
Finding Solace (Ancient Origins Book 2) Page 10
