Paul nodded rapidly, his head bobbing up and down. “Yes, yes I do. Please don’t leave me - ”
Daniel put his hand up again, stopping him. He tucked the rest of his fingers into his palm and put his finger on Paul’s chest, his eyes locking with the young man’s. “Don’t let us down again.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Okay.” Daniel took a deep breath, then nodded. Reaching forward, he clasped Paul’s shoulder. “Alright, now, let’s get to work.
Together, the two of them broke the lock to the shed and accessed the tools within. Finding exactly what he needed - a small crowbar - he and Paul were able to remove a section of the wooden fence near the front of the house where it would be less noticeable. Together, they carried it over and set it in front of the Jeep, facing outwards. They used twine to secure it to a pair of large terra-cotta planters, which they positioned behind it at each end, holding it up.
Daniel checked to make sure there was no one in sight, then walked out to the middle of the street. At first glance, it appeared that the fence along the side of the house turned and extended inward to meet with the home’s front edge, effectively hiding the Jeep from view. It wouldn’t stand up to much scrutiny, but with the sun setting within the next two hours, it would be good enough.
Together, they walked into the backyard where Serafina and the girls were. Ashley and Serafina sat next to each other, talking quietly, while Serafina had removed the camping stove from the Jeep and set it up on the opposite end of the table. She and the girls had removed the cooler, the box of pots, pans and utensils, and one of the boxes of food from the Jeep, and she was using some of their remaining fresh vegetables to cook noodle soup. The girls had tied the cats’ long leashes to different items in the yard: a chair leg, the garden hose reel, and the tree, allowing each of them to wander around without getting tangled up. Situated in the middle of their combined coverage area were the food and water dishes, but none of the cats showed interest yet; they were busy familiarizing themselves with their surroundings.
Paul went into the yard and sat underneath the tree, stretching his legs out on the grass as he closed his eyes and rested his head against the trunk. Daniel knew the kid was feeling a mixture of emotions, feeling upset, embarrassed, disappointed, and probably angry. While his natural tendency was to try to help people when they were feeling down, Daniel decided to let it play out. The kid needed to feel this way. He needed to reconcile his emotions and find the determination to overcome his fear when the time came to face it again. His previous responses were unacceptable.
Daniel walked around to where the cooler was and pulled out a bottle of water. Opening it, he looked over at his wife. Even after two days on the road, the craziness of the road battle, and minimal opportunities to clean up, her beauty still took his breath away. He watched her as she worked, loving the way her face remained calm with just the smallest hint of a frown as she focused on her cooking.
Her high cheekbones, dark eyes, were perfectly framed by her heart shaped face. He could watch her for hours….
“What?” Serafina asked, noticing him staring at her.
“Nothing. Just admiring how pretty you are.”
“Dork. Sit down and relax. Dinner will be ready in a bit.”
“Fine.” He said, teasingly, walking around to sit at the opposite end of the table, where he could sit and continue to stare at her. She held up her paddle in a mock threat, then went back to her cooking.
Daniel looked over at Brenna. Her head had a streak of Neosporin over where the gun’s barrel had grazed it. The bleeding had stopped, and it looked like it would heal up without any scarring. She’d been lucky. If the gun had snapped back and hit her in the face, it could have broken her nose, or worse, taken out her eye.
“Feeling okay?”
Brenna nodded. “Yeah. Hurts a bit, but Ashley helped me stop the bleeding, and Auntie cleaned it up.” She smiled slightly as she talked, bringing her hand up to her wound without touching it.
Meeting her eyes and holding them with his own, he told her, “I’m proud of you, Brenna.”
Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she stared back at him. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Yeah, but she wouldn’t have gotten hurt if that asshole did what you asked him to,” Ashley spit out, glaring in Paul’s direction.
Daniel put his hand out towards his older daughter’s arm. “Easy, now, and watch the language. We’ve all been scared before. He just didn’t know how to deal with it.” He looked over at the young man, who was now leaning forward, staring at his hands, which were folded and resting in his lap. “I’ll work with him. Heck, I’ll work with all of you.” Daniel’s eyes shifted back to Brenna. “No more uncontrolled guns. No more kickbacks.”
Ashley stared at the table. “I just don’t know if bringing him was a good idea. He’s no help, and we only have so much food.”
“We’ll be fine. I couldn’t just leave him behind. Not at the store, and not at our house. It was the right thing to do.” Daniel finished his statement with the tone of finality, indicating the topic wasn’t open for discussion.
Ashley looked away, her eyes and face still showing anger and frustration.
Brenna spoke up. “I think he’ll be okay. He just needs to learn how to shoot. Dad will teach all of us how to do that.” She smiled and pointed. “Besides, Ursula likes him, and she’s a bitch.” Chuckling, the three of them looked over and saw the grey and white cat sitting on Paul’s lap, her eyes closed as he scratched her head.
Smiling, Daniel downed his water, then looked at the house. He doubted the occupants were coming back soon, if they were at all. Rising from his chair, he circled back around the table, over to Serafina’s side.
“Ashley’s pretty mad, hunh?” She asked.
“Yeah, but she’ll get over it. She’s just protective of her little sister.” Still looking toward the house, he said, “Hey, what do you think about staying inside tonight?”
His wife’s eyes shifted towards him as her hands dropped noodles into each of the five different bowls. “You’re thinking of breaking in?”
His face showed indignation as he pretended to be offended, stepping back and bringing his palm up to rest on his chest. “Breaking in? No, of course not.” Shrugging his shoulders, he added, “I prefer to call it, ‘gaining access.’”
Serafina smiled. “Dork.” Adding the broth, complete with carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, cilantro, and tofu, she went on. “How about we get some food in us first?”
“Okay.”
The family ate dinner quietly, making small talk to get their minds off of the day’s events. The food was delicious, and a welcome reprieve from the cold sandwiches, chips, protein bars, and fruits they’d subsisted on for the last few days. They still had cans of Coke from the Honda Civic in the park, which they’d managed to find room for them in the cooler, and the cold, carbonated cola was a real treat.
After they finished eating, Daniel cautiously reassessed the perimeter of the house, looking for the easiest way in. All of the windows were shut and locked, and in the end, he decided to simply break one of the small square panes of glass on the back door. Wrapping the frame of the broken window in a t-shirt so he wouldn’t cut himself, he reached in and unlocked the door.
He had the family wait outside while he cleared the house, keeping his shotgun at the ready the entire time. Once he’d verified the house was empty, he opened the door and let them in. The house had three small bedrooms, two baths, a small kitchen and breakfast nook, and a large family room. Checking the water, he found that not only was it running, but the gas water heater was still producing hot water. At the mention of showers, the ladies’ eyes all widened, and what followed were serious negotiations between the two sisters while Serafina used the master bath to clean up.
While the women were busy cleaning up, Daniel had Paul help him survey the kitchen pantry and refrigerator. On the counter near the wall phone - which, in itself was a rarity,
since most people used cell phones exclusively - was a bill holder with multiple envelopes in it. Picking one up, Daniel read the name on the front. Frank Russell. If/when things went back to normal, he’d have to send Frank and Margaret Russell a thank you card and money for the window and supplies they’d take.
Pulling open the door to the fridge, Daniel saw a six pack of Bud Light sitting between a gallon of milk and a plastic jug of orange juice. Though it wasn’t much as beers go, he figured it was better than nothing. He reached in and grabbed one, opening it and drinking from the bottle in a fluid motion. The cold liquid felt amazing as it traveled down his throat.
Standing there in front of the refrigerator with the door still open, he heard Paul’s voice behind him. “Cool!”
“What is it?” He asked as he turned around.
“Dessert.” Paul beamed with pride as he pulled a package of Pepperidge Farm milk chocolate macadamia cookies from the pantry.
Daniel smiled and nodded. “Good find. The ladies will love that.”
Finishing his beer, he gave Paul instructions on how to prioritize the canned and dry food based on content and usability. Room in the Jeep was tight, but the food they’d consumed over the last day and a half had opened up some space for new items. Even so, not everything would fit, so a good portion of it would be left behind, even though the items might be usable in the long run.
He went back out to the Jeep to survey the damage done by the men they’d encountered. The rear passenger window was gone, having been shattered by gunfire, and the body of the vehicle was riddled with bullet holes. Checking the spare tire, he realized it was useless, as it’d been hit numerous times by the bullets from the motorcycle rider’s automatic weapon.
While not having the tire introduced risk, Daniel also knew that the bullets absorbed by the tire had been kept from entering the cabin of the Jeep. Even though the tire was worthless, the rim was still in good shape, so he decided to leave it in place, even though it was dead weight.
Stepping back, he considered the missing panels from the vehicle’s roof. Jeep Wranglers were popular vehicles, especially in an area like this, where there was access to plenty of off-road areas. He decided the panels were a problem he could solve immediately. He went back inside and told Serafina he was going out for a bit and agreed to take Paul with him for backup, eliciting an epic eye roll from Ashley.
He double-checked his Glock 19 out of habit, then put it back in its normal spot behind his back before leading Paul around the makeshift fence and out onto the street. They walked two blocks over before he began searching for another Jeep, intent on keeping distance between himself and his family, just in case their efforts drew unwanted attention.
Two-thirds of the way down the street, Daniel saw a Jeep four-door Rubicon parked along the street in front of a series of dark homes, and he knew luck had prevailed once more. Using a sweatshirt he’d brought with him, he pulled back his arm, ready to break the window. Just before he struck the window, he paused. Reaching forward, he checked the door. It was unlocked. Shaking his head, he opened the door, got in, and quickly removed the panels, handing one of them to Paul. Before leaving, he checked the Jeep’s rear tire out of curiosity. Although it wasn’t the same tread - this one was an All Terrain style, meant for light off-roading and regular street usage - it was the same size and could be used as a spare if needed. He made a mental note to come back for it in the morning before they left.
They carried the panels back to the house, setting them in place on top of the Jeep. He jumped in and quickly secured them with Paul’s help.
Finished, he looked out across the yard and saw that the cats were no longer tied there. Their food and water dishes had been moved inside as well.
Inside the small home, the women were gathered in the family room, dressed in clean clothes and looking refreshed. The blinds had been drawn closed, and towels and blankets had been hung to keep light from escaping. Even with all of the precautions, Serafina had limited the light usage to a single table lamp, which had been placed in the middle of the coffee table.
Serafina told the two of them to get cleaned up while she made hot cocoa, which she’d taken from Paul’s organized pile on the dining table, and after they’d showered, the family enjoyed hot cocoa and Pepperidge Farms cookies while the cats explored the house.
After their unexpected dessert, they moved furniture out of the way so that they could all sleep in the family room, as they’d done at home. No one liked the idea of them being spread out in a strange place. Though he was bone tired, he had Paul help him drag mattresses out of the bedrooms into the family room, knowing a good night’s sleep would be worth it.
Even though he knew they needed rest, Daniel decided they’d stand watches, as they’d done before. Better to be tired and alive, he reasoned. They agreed on the same watches as before, with Serafina grabbing and twisting the flesh on Daniel’s side until he agreed to actually wake her up for her watch.
In short order, Daniel, Serafina, and Paul fell asleep, while Ashley and Brenna remained awake, whispering quietly to each other in the kitchen as they shared their scheduled watches.
When Daniel was woken up for his watch by Serafina, he felt like he’d barely been asleep for fifteen minutes. Smiling down at him, she brought her hand down and cupped his face. Her love for him showed in her eyes, and it warmed his heart. He nodded, closing his eyes and rolling out of bed quietly.
When he rose, he reached out and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. Unexpectedly, their lips met as her arms came around him.
They lived in that moment, feeling time stand still as their cares were set aside temporarily, replaced by the intensity of the love they felt for each other.
Finally, she pulled her lips away from his and stepped back, withdrawing her arms. She leaned forward and whispered, “I made you coffee.”
He looked into her eyes again, a grin on his face. “I love you.”
She smacked his arm playfully as she knelt down and climbed into bed. “I love you, too. See you in a bit.”
Daniel went to the kitchen, pulled the carafe from the coffee maker and poured himself a cup of coffee before moving to the breakfast nook. As he sat there, he thought about what they’d need to do that day as they - hopefully - finished their drive to their little cabin by the lake. They’d be smart to refill the gas in the Jeep before heading up the mountain, and still needed to grab that other tire. He’d have to find a way to cover the broken window to provide some level of wind protection, and together, they would need to refill all of their empty water bottles before leaving. Realizing they could use more ice, he went to the cabinets and found an empty plastic bag. Going to the freezer, he withdrew the ice trays and emptied them into the bag as quietly as possible. Done, he put the bag aside, filled the trays with water, then put everything in the freezer. By the time they left, the trays would be frozen again.
Recognizing the need for rest, he let the family sleep longer than he’d originally planned to, waiting until eight a.m. to wake them. When he did, he’d already begun preparing a meal of pancakes and eggs, using the supplies the house had to offer.
Making pancakes from a boxed mix was laughed upon in their house, since throwing the ingredients together required so little effort, but he figured Serafina would give him a pass in this instance. The family ate the meal heartily, relishing the second hot meal in less than twelve hours. Nearby the cats happily ate their ‘kibbles’ crunching noisily as they did.
After breakfast, Daniel and Serafina loaded everything back into the Jeep, including the refilled water bottles and a good portion of the canned and dried food they’d found in the house. While they worked, the girls and Paul walked the cats around the backyard, waiting for them to do their business.
Rummaging through the drawers in the kitchen, Daniel found a roll of duct tape, which was just what he needed for his plan to cover the window on the Jeep. He went back to the shed, where he’d seen a roll of plastic drop cloth
near the painting supplies. Using scissors he’d taken from the same drawer as the duct tape, he cut two pieces that were slightly bigger than the Jeep’s window. He used the duct tape to secure the top, bottom, and rear of the plastic, ensuring the tape at the front went over the tape at the back to prevent the edges from being pushed upwards by the wind. At the front, he applied multiple layers of tape, overlapping each piece until the leading edge was tucked inside of the door’s frame. He repeated the process on the inside of the door as well, then stashed the tape, cloth, and scissors in various places in the overstuffed Jeep.
They left shortly after nine-thirty, stopping briefly two blocks away to grab the tire from the other Jeep Rubicon before heading back to the highway and beginning their trek up the mountain.
Highway 330 is a long, winding, steep road that leads up the San Bernardino mountains. On any given day, the road is a challenge. On the day they made their way towards Big Bear Lake, the road was horrendous, requiring Daniel’s best efforts to get around, over, and through the numerous obstacles that littered the road. They used the winch on multiple occasions to move vehicles out of the way, working as a team to keep lookouts, connect and operate the winch, and siphon gas.
It took them until midday to reach Running Springs, a small town near the turnoff to Arrowhead Lake. Just past the junction was a small gas station that normally offered fuel at ridiculous prices. Daniel had been thinking about the fast station’s position for the last hour, and it filled him with unease. Its location allowed for observation of every vehicle heading towards Big Bear Lake, something he was determined to avoid. Checking their cell phones, they realized they no longer had service, possibly due to the spotty reception in the mountains, but also possibly due to the failure of the cellular networks, something that seemed likely to happen eventually. Fortunately, Serafina had downloaded the maps in advance, and she was able to map out a way around the gas station. While it added an extra fifteen minutes to their drive, they were able to bypass the area without attracting any unwanted attention.
Surviving Rage | Book 1 Page 37
