Survive Texas Dead

by C. A. Hoaks

  They rode over the mud-covered path for half a mile passing the back of what was left of a school. Little remained that suggested the remnants of walls were the Valentine School but the remains of a sign. All that was left was a pile of adobe-colored bricks that had been the foundation and twisted white metal from the roof. Amid the remains of the gym stood a mud-smeared basketball backboard with the shredded net in silent witness to what had been destroyed. Clothing and toys littered the grass around the yard of a nearby demolished dwelling. Within the destruction was a small body impaled on a vertical pipe. As the truck rolled past, the child’s head raised and turned toward the sound while the remaining arm reached out.

  “Oh, God.” Darlene began to cry softly as she tucked Penny close.

  Steve pointed in the distance. “When we get away from the debris field we can head back north then back east and get back on the highway.”

  Zack left the mud path and steered the truck around a stump. The wheel jerked as the pickup bounced over rocks and water-filled puddles while the vehicle and trailer creaked and groaned with the uneven terrain all the while the wheels spun on the layer of mud.

  “This is getting worse,” Zack announced.

  “Keep going,” Steve answered. “Don’t stop.”

  Zack turned the steering wheel back to the west, and the truck was more than a mile from the community, and the ground grew more challenging on the vehicle with each passing minute. The pickup took a real beating as it jolted over rocks and clumps of brush. Suddenly the truck bucked and slammed the underside of the front end into the ground, and the wheel jerked to the right while the engine roared with a sudden whine of spinning back wheels. Zack tromped on the brakes. He looked into the side mirror and saw the trailer was still sitting level while the truck tilted to the side.

  “Well, that’s a real problem,” Zack commented.

  “What happened?” Darlene asked.

  “I think the truck is just a hole.” Steve turned and looked through the back window. “Sure hoping it didn’t damage the hitch.”

  “If it did, could we fix it?” Della asked.

  Steve forced a laugh. “With what? We don’t have any tools. We’d have to leave the trailer, might have to anyway. We can’t pull the trailer through this. I was afraid pulling it was a bad idea.” He answered as he slid on his prosthetics. “You ladies stay here, we’re going to disconnect the trailer and try to get the truck moving again. Come on Zack.”

  Zack opened the driver’s door and stepped out into the afternoon heat. “Sure is hot.”

  “Let’s get this done.” Steve stepped out of the pickup and made his way to the back to the tailgate. “We’ll break up the edge of the hole and throw some rock in and get the truck outta here.”

  Steve stared at the hitch for a moment, then pulled the handle of the jack-up and started turning it. He glanced back at Zack. “Unhook the chains and the catch on the hitch, so it’ll come off the ball.”

  When he was done, Zack raised the latch then asked. “Want me to take over?”

  “No, head to the back and get the horses out. Tie them up in the shade for now.”

  Zack disappeared around the back. One by one he led the horses out of the trailer and tied them to scrub brush near a streambed to drink from the trickle of water still remaining from the recent storms.

  When all five horses were drinking, he hurried back to the truck just as Steve finished the last turn of the jack. He sniffed then commented, “I smell gas.”

  “Gas?” Steve whispered as he wiped his arm across his forehead damp with sweat. He sniffed, bent over then slammed his hand against the tailgate. “Can’t we get a break?”

  “What?” Zack asked.

  Steve pointed to the ground under the truck. “Unless I miss my guess, most of the quarter tank of gas we had left is now on the ground.”

  “Shit,” Zack sighed.

  At the sound of raised voices, Della and Darlene got out of the truck with Penny on their heels. “Are we going to go?” Della asked. “It’s really getting hot in the truck.”

  “We can’t leave the horses tied up indefinitely,” Darlene commented.

  “We have to make a decision,” Steve said as he leaned against the back bumper.

  “What do you mean?” Della asked.

  “The truck won’t go much farther. There’s a hole in the gas tank, and we can’t fix it. We might go a few miles but no more than that, and we’ll be walking.”

  “We have the horses,” Darlene protested.

  “We can’t bring them,” Steve answered. “Or…”

  “Or what?” Della asked.

  “Or we ride off into the sunset,” Steve answered. “Without the sunset.”

  Penny grabbed her mother’s arm. “We cowboys?”

  Steve laughed. “I guess, we’ll be cowboys.”

  Chapter 25

  New Beginning

  It took three days before Liz opened her eyes and the first person she saw was her father dozing in a chair at her side. His face sagged, and bags under his closed eyes betrayed the fact he hadn’t slept in days. He had apparently nodded off while he sat in the chair next to the bed.

  Liz took a deep breath and around to see where she was. She realized she was in one of six hospital beds now arranged against two walls in the lodge’s small conference room. Each was set up to receive a patient, fresh sheets on the bed, and blankets folded at the foot. At the head of each bed were an IV pole, oxygen tank with regulators, tubing with cannulas, and a plastic bag of resuscitation equipment typical in a medical ward. She turned her head back to her father. Liz could see the next room had been transformed into a clinic exam room. She could see a gurney, a medical cart with dozens of drawers and even a defibrillator on the top. Liz wondered if the tall cabinet with the equipment on top was an ultra-sound. She noticed a shadow in the room from time to time.

  Suddenly the silhouette of a tall woman filled the doorway. “Oh, my. You’re awake.”

  Will Edmond’s eyes jerked open, and he whispered hoarsely. “Liz! Thank God.” He reached out to clutch at her hand. “

  “Dad” Liz whispered as tears filled her eyes. “Oh Dad, I…I lost them.” Her voice caught as she whispered. “I couldn’t save my girls.”

  Will leaned closer and wrapped his arms around Liz. “Shush. That’s not so.” He rocked her as he whispered words of comfort until her racking sobs began to quieten. “I know what happened. The girls are in God’s hands.”

  “But it’s my fault. I should have….” She protested.

  “Should have done what, exactly?” He asked gently. “I know what happened.”

  “I….” Liz began.

  “You did what you had to at the time, and the girls are in God’s hands. We have to have faith that the soldiers will protect them, and we’ll see them again.” Liz slumped against her father’s chest sobbing. He held her close until she grew quiet then he eased her back against the pillow. “You have another child to think of now.”

  Liz nodded. “Why am I here?”

  The woman that had been standing in the doorway stepped into the room. “Hi, Liz. I’m Cassie Matherson, for all intents and purposes, your medical professional.” She stepped closer, and Liz saw a tall woman with the body of an athlete.

  “What’s wrong with me?” Liz asked.

  “Dehydration and poor nutrition to start with then you’re covered in bruised, insect bites, infected injuries and oh yeah, you’re pregnant,” Cassie answered.

  Liz forced a smile. “Is that all?”

  Cassie sighed. “I’m not sure, but I think so.”

  “Well?” Liz watched her father turn away.

  “That’s the premise I’m going with and hoping rest and better nutrition will solve the problem.”

  Liz looked at her arm with the IV tubing taped to her skin. “But you’re a doctor, right?”

  Cassie answered. “I’m a Physician’s Assistant. I’m treating you with antibiotics for now.”

  Wil
l interrupted Cassie before she could continue, “You’re getting better, and we’ll figure out the rest.” He looked from Cassie to Liz and then back at Cassie again.

  Cassie laughed. “We’re working on it. Daniel is downloading medical textbooks, left and right. I’ve got an ultrasound and microscope, so I have some basic tools to work with.”

  Liz gave Cassie a wane smile. “I guess I’ll have to live with that.”

  Cassie looked startled at the comment then chuckled. “A sense of humor is a good start.”

  Suddenly there was a commotion outside the door. Harry, John and the two kids stumbled through a side door with an Australian Shepard trailing behind.

  “Hey, about time you woke up.” Harry chided Liz with a wide grin as he rushed toward the bed with John, Cody, and Trace close on his heels.

  “Miss Lizzy, we’ve been waiting for you to wake up. We got a house to live in. It has running water and a toilet and everything.” Trace announced.

  Liz looked at her father.

  “The kids wanted to stay with Harry and John. We put them in the cabin south of the lodge. It’s one of the cabins with two bedrooms downstairs and twin beds in the loft.” Will added.

  Liz looked at Harry and John. Both men were cleaner than she had ever seen them. Harry had trimmed his beard but still wore a do-rag on his head with gray hair neatly bound with a band at the nape of his neck. John was clean shaven and looked relaxed for the first time since she had met him.

  “I got a full belly.” Cody patted her rounded middle then asked in all seriousness, “Are you getting better?”

  “I can see that full belly,” Liz smiled at the brother and sister. “I’m glad to see it. And yes, I’m getting better. Are you two doing alright now?”

  “We’re good.” Answered Cody with a hesitant smile. “We have lights at the house. We get to eat a lot.”

  “They got horses. Did you know they have horses?” Trace asked excitedly.

  “No.” Liz smiled. “I guess that is a new addition.” She looked at Will.

  “Lots of things have changed.” Will chuckled.

  Cassie interrupted. “All right. Everyone move along. My patient needs her rest. That includes you, General.”

  When the room cleared out, Cassie started to walk away, but Liz called her name. “A minute, please.”

  Cassie turned. “Sure.” She forced a smile.

  “Now, I want to know what you’re trying not to tell me.”

  Cassie squared her shoulders. “Best case scenario is internal injuries that are now healing on their own; worse case, a tubal pregnancy.” She whispered. “Either way, I’m not a surgeon.”

  “But you have medical training.”

  “Sure, I can perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat the common cold, set bones, and monitor patients, but that’s a far cry from being a qualified surgeon,” Cassie protested.

  Liz sighed, “I guess you’re continuing education will have a steep learning curve.”

  “Try to rest. Let’s pray it’s not something that needs surgery.” Cassie closed the door to the hall then added. “Someone will always be in the next room. Just call out if you need something.” She stepped into the next room and came back with a cup. “If you keep the ice chips down, I’ll bring some clear broth in an hour or so.”

  Liz spent another day in the ward then talked Cassie into removing the IV and letting her move to her own room on the second floor. The two-room suite included a queen-sized bed and a small sitting room. The smaller second room was used by Amy and Claire when visiting. It still held Claire’s baby bed and two twin beds and a small chest of toys. When she saw Liz look longingly at the reminder of her lost children, Cassie walked to the door and closed it.

  The terrible abdominal pain gradually disappeared, and everyone including Liz crossed their fingers and prayed the problem had resolved. She spent two days staring at the walls and only judging time by meals served. She had visitors, but each had been brief with declarations of things to do. Everyone seemed to be busy but her. She woke on the third day, got up bright and early and pulled clothes from her dresser. Liz stepped into the jeans, noticed the thickening of her waist and decided she wouldn’t need a belt to keep her pants up. She pulled on a t-shirt that had belonged to Brian. They had always been an oversized, but now they billowed around her thin frame. She walked out of the bedroom and crossed the balcony to the curving stairs where she met Cassie.

  “Well, I guess this means you’re feeling better,” Cassie said.

  Chapter 26

  Rescue

  Brian crept toward the guard standing watch over the outlaw’s camp. He was grateful for the times he had used the skill while he and his father-in-law had hunted in the mountains. The sentry stood in the shadow of a truck smoking a cigarette. Brian chose to take out that guard since it required the most protracted approach and he had the skill to creep across the open expanse. At least, he hoped he did.

  When the moon slipped from behind a cloud bank, Brian hesitated to watch the man wearing a plaid shirt and sporting scruffy hair poking around the bottom of a baseball hat. When the moonlight faded again, he drew closer and caught a whiff of the man’s unwashed body. The amber glow of his cigarette provided a beacon to track his movements as he strolled back and forth, never more than twenty feet from the camp. The scruffy man yawned and rolled his head from side to side, then turned from the dark shadows of the nearby trees and back toward the light of the dying fire. Brian smiled, knowing any chance of retaining night vision disappeared each time he looked into the flame from lighting a cigarette. Brian hoped his nicotine habit was worse than most.

  The man dropped the cigarette butt on the ground and used the toe of his boot to grind it into the dirt. He stood in the shadows staring at the dying flames of the small fire while he opened a jacket and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. The crinkle of cellophane from opening the crumpled package covered Brian’s movement while he crept toward the smoker. Brian watched him stare at the sleeping camp while he lit another cancer stick. Suddenly close enough, Brian rose up like a wraith from the darkness and drove his military blade into the guard’s left kidney. The man gasped with the sudden pain and reached for the knife, but Brian grabbed his forehead, pulled the knife free and slit his throat. When the body slumped, Brian eased it to the ground without a sound and drove the knife into the side of the dead man’s head. He turned to his right and saw Billy completing a similar maneuver on a second guard. The kid turned to Brian and gave him a thumbs up. They both headed into the sleeping camp.

  Brian hoped Leon and Juan were taking care of the guards on the opposite side of the camp while he retrieved the guard’s rifle and the smoker’s hat from the ground, plopped the cap on his own head, and sauntered toward the array of sleeping men. Brian hoped if anyone noticed his approach they would think he was the guard coming in. Billie disappeared into the shadows of one of the truck while Brian walked forward, stopped at a second truck to look inside and saw the keys were not in the ignition. He looked at Billy and held out a hand with his thumb pointed down. All Brian could do was move forward and eliminate as many enemies as possible before the shit hit the fan. The more men he and Billy took out quietly, the fewer would be to deal with when the operation went sideways. Brian stepped around the truck and walked toward a sleeping man. As he drew closer, he heard a deep rattle with each breath. Suddenly the man rolled from his back to his side and coughed. Brian froze. The sleeper took a rattling breath and groaned, then lay still and began snoring again. Brian stepped closer and squatted over the prone figure. He tightened the grip on the handle of the blade then drove the steel into the temple of the man lying on the musty smelling sleeping bag. He gave the knife a twist then pulled it free from the skull.

  Billy appeared out of the shadows and squatted over a prone figure, made a similar move, then rose slowly. He moved toward the next sleeping outlaw ready to take another life.

  Brian raised up to see Leon appear at th
e far edge of the camp. Leon raised a hand and held up two fingers. Six down; where was Juan? Brian glanced in the direction where the last guard had been stationed. Brian didn’t see the guard, and Juan was still missing. Brian took two steps toward the next sleeper to the right. He moved closer and was hovering over the man when an angry yelp shattered the quiet. A grunt and curse followed, inciting the nearest man into action. Brian pounced and quickly jammed the blade in the man’s head then jerked it free. He leaped to the next man while the man rolled to his knees trying to get to his feet. Before Brian got to him, the man reached for a handgun. Brian kicked out, knocking the weapon from his hand. A quick grab and Brian pulled the man’s arm behind his body and Brian jabbed his knife into the man neck. The man’s free hand clutched at his throat while blood pulsed between his fingers while his knees buckled under him. Brian rode the body to the ground and made a stab at his temple. The man lay still. Brian stepped free, just as another man a few feet away raised and fired his handgun. Brian fell on the man as the camp devolved into chaos. Yells and shots, more gunshots and Brian dove for and captured the shooter’s wrist with his free hand. The momentum drove them both to the ground. Together they rolled and fought for control of the gun. Left, right, a fist slammed into Brian’s head. He fell back, taking the massive man with him. Brian pushed the guy to the side and turned the barrel of the man’s handgun toward his chest and covered the finger on the trigger with his own. He squeezed. The explosion drove spikes in Brian’s eardrums, but the man grew still.

  From the prone position, the bullet entered the man’s sternum then exited through the top of the man’s head. Brian rolled free of the body gasping for breath. Time went from slow motion to double-time in a heartbeat. Gunfire could be heard all around him. The sounds of struggles invaded Brian’s world with a quick three-sixty, and he realized they had five men still standing. He jumped to his feet, pulling the handgun from his last kill and fired twice. The first shot took off the head of a man raising a bat to swing at a limping Juan. The second bullet hit another man taking off half his face. The impact spun him around then he dropped to the ground. Juan limped across the camp to help Leon where he struggled with a big man with a beard. Brian got to his feet and ran toward the outlaw standing guard over the two women.