Stranded (Book 5): Frozen

by Shaver, Theresa

  Josh glanced at Alex and then down to the map. The tightness in his jaw and mouth were the only signs that Quinn’s words had affected him. His voice was a flat neutral when he responded.

  “Yeah, sure man. We get it.” He angled his back away from Quinn and said dismissively, “Why don’t you give David a lift back to my place?” and turned his attention to Alex.

  “I think we should hit Red Deer first. Cooper is still there with the military. Maybe he can give us some inside help. If we can get the meds there it’ll save us from having to go all the way to Calgary.”

  Alex was looking over Josh’s bent head straight into Quinn’s eyes. She saw the flash of anger in them at Josh’s words but they quickly turned blank so she just started nodding her head. “Yeah, Cooper’s exactly who we need. He’s always been there for us.”

  The sadness in her heart hardened when Quinn just gave a sharp nod before turning and barking a “Let’s go” to David as he climbed down the steps and left.

  There was tense silence in the camper until the sound of Quinn’s snowmobile faded away. Dara looked around at Alex, Emily and Lisa’s faces before addressing Josh.

  “Well, looks like you’re getting that harem you always wanted.”

  It was a testament to how upset he was that her statement didn’t bring a grin to his face but just a brief uplift of his lips.

  “Yeah, that’s me, total ladies man. Besides, let’s be honest, you four badasses could probably go get this done with your eyes closed.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on Dara’s forehead. “Are you sure you want to come on this run? What about Jake?”

  She gave a quick nod. “It’s because of Jake that I want to go.” She looked at Alex with a question and received a nod of agreement. “There’s something you guys should know. Alex and I have a small amount of the medicine that Dr. Mack says fights this virus. It’s not very much so we decided to hold it back in case some of our group got sick. That decision’s been killing us!”

  Emily and Lisa frowned but then started nodding. Emily reached out a hand and squeezed Alex’s shoulder.

  “What a crappy thing to have to decide. I’m sorry you guys had to make that decision but I think you were right.”

  Lisa threw an arm around Dara. “It’s a terrible world we live in right now. It forces us to make decisions that we would never have considered a half a year ago. Thankfully, we’re going to get a chance to try and save everybody. Focus on that.”

  Alex brushed away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. “We have six courses of medicine. I think we should hold back two and give four to the Curry’s. It’s not enough but it might save some of the kids until we can get back with enough for everyone.”

  They nodded in agreement, causing Alex to feel the huge weight on her shoulders to lessen. She blew out a breath and looked down at the map before continuing. “Ok, it’s around eighty kilometres to Red Deer or two hundred and twenty to Calgary. Let’s say we have to go into Calgary so we’ll need at least enough gas for say, four hundred and sixty kilometres round trip with a buffer. We need to do some math and figure out how much we need to take with us. There’s five of us so we’ll need to take three sleds with at least one trailer, maybe two with some trade goods. Josh, you know your vehicles, so what’s the magic number?”

  Josh started drawing numbers in the air with a finger as he walked them through the math.

  “Alright, pay attention class! Each sled can go anywhere from a hundred to a hundred and twenty kilometres on one tank with a nice steady ride. Each tank takes forty litres to fill so if we leave here with a full tank in all three sleds, we’ll need to carry another four full tanks worth of fuel with us to make it round trip.” He raised his eyebrows in thought before shaking his head. “Not doable! That’s too much gas to haul. Even bringing enough for a one-way trip is a lot, so I say we take enough with us to get to Calgary and then plan to siphon the rest as we go. The city had over a million people before lights out. There’s going to be plenty of cars to drain when we get there. It’s been nine months since the day, so the gas should be good for a while yet sealed up in tanks, but it’s going to start going bad in the not so far future without stabilizers added to it. That’s going to be a sucky day! No lights, no heat and no wheels? I’m going to have to find me a donkey to ride with a heated saddle!”

  Alex rolled her eyes and laughed for what felt like the first time all day. Lisa shook her head with a smile but then killed the mood with a question. “What do you think your parents are going to say about this trip? They’ve been keeping us all on a pretty short leash since we got back.”

  With frowns all around the table, it was Emily that shrugged her shoulders and answered.

  “Listen, they love us and want to protect us, but this is something I’m deciding for myself. Like I said, I’m not a kid anymore and I’m capable of taking care of myself. And really, I’m kinda sick and tired of being trapped on one small piece of land. I’m going. Lisa, you’re living with us but you don’t have parents to answer to so the choice is yours to make.” She turned to the other three and raised her eyebrows in question.

  Dara turned to Josh,

  “I want to go too but I can’t just leave Jake here for Alex’s parents to watch over.”

  Josh waved her concern away. “My parents love Jake. I’ll take him back to my place today and he can stay there. Besides, he’s the only kid here now, at least at my place there are other kids for him to hang out with. As for permission to go? Well, I like that old saying about asking forgiveness is sometimes easier than asking for permission! I plan on leaving a note for them and then sneaking out at dawn.”

  Alex nodded. “Yeah, I’m with you on that. The responsible “adult” thing to do would be to tell them what we have planned, but I just don’t have it in me to fight with them about this. I do think that when we get home from this run we need to sit down with them and have a talk about the restrictions they’ve put on us and the reality of us being old enough and mature enough to make our own decisions.” Emily and Josh’s faces echoed her determination so she nodded and changed the subject.

  “OK, we need to get moving. Josh, you and Dara should round up Jake and then head out. We’ll tell my parents that we are going over to your place for a visit and then me and the girls will make a run out to some of our caches to load up supplies. I’ll need to get the sled trailer from your place anyway. If everything goes to plan and the temperature starts to rise, we’ll all meet at the turnoff to town at dawn.”

  Everyone stood up to leave when Josh held up his hand. “Two things. One, bring the big guns and a handgun for each of us with lots of ammo. If we have to go all the way to Calgary, there’s no telling what we might run into. Two, I’m sorry about Quinn, Alex. I don’t even know what to say any more about him.”

  Alex’s lips thinned into a hard line and she shook her head. “There’s nothing to say. He’s changed. Whatever decisions he’s making are his to make. I need to focus on doing something to help our town, not my love life.”

  As far as Alex was concerned, that future was gone.

  Chapter Seven

  The four girls spent a busy day preparing for the next dawn’s departure. They loaded the two sled trailers with jerry cans of gas and supplies from the caches they had set up back in the summer after the town had been freed. All the teens had agreed back then that the new world was too unpredictable to have all their supplies in one place. They wanted to ensure that they would have access to what they needed if something forced them from their homes again. With all the hard work they had put in that summer on the farms, they had all made time when their parents allowed them to go scavenge for more valuable goods.

  Each of the three caches had a good supply of stored fuel, first-aid kits and food. They all knew just how hard these things would be to come by in the future so they used what they had accumulated very cautiously. This trip would put a dent in it but it was for the greater good.

  The girls left the
packed trailers well camouflaged at the base of their old tree fort hideout. They would pick them up before they left in the morning. Once Lisa and Emily had left for home, Alex and Dara made the quick trip to Mrs. Moore’s place to grab the medicine and a few other items that they thought might come in handy on the trip, like the walkie talkies. Alex’s hand had hovered over the bulk-sized bottle of Advil for a moment before pulling it back, there were more important things the pain reliever could be used for than a headache. Dara nudged her aside with a shake of her head and opened the bottle, spilling ten tablets into her palm and holding them out to Alex.

  “We have a possibly dangerous trip tomorrow. You and Josh both need to bring your “A” game. That’s not going to happen if both of you are squinting through migraines. Take some for both of you!” When Alex still hesitated, Dara rolled her eyes. “Seriously, this stuff is important but it’s not helping anybody sitting here getting ready to expire. If it’ll help keep you and Josh sharp on this trip then it might BE life or death to us.” She thrust the pills at Alex with a stern look. A piercing headache and Dara’s words were enough to convince Alex, so she threw back two of the pills and pocketed the rest before they shut down the lanterns and headed for home.

  Both the girls were cold to the bone as they finally parked the sled in the barn for the day, but Alex thought that the air had less of a bite than a few hours ago.

  Alex was grateful for the hearty stew and biscuits her mom had made for supper but she struggled to get through the meal while pretending that everything was normal. She knew what kind of fallout would welcome her and Dara when they got back from the trip. She hated keeping secrets from her family but as long as they continued to treat her like a child in need of constant protection, she felt like she didn’t have a choice. She tried to explain how she felt in the note she left for her parents, but it just sounded like excuses for taking off to her.

  By the time the two girls crawled into bed for the night, Alex was exhausted. Thankfully the Advil had taken the edge off of her migraine, but it didn’t help her sleep any better. Judging by Dara’s restless movements throughout the night, they would both be tired the next day.

  It was a relief when the darkness of the bedroom started to lighten and both girls threw back the covers and got dressed. They were almost completely silent as they shouldered their backpacks and crept down the hall to the stairs. Both girls avoided the third step from the top that always creaked and made it down the stairs without alerting anyone in the house. They both froze in their tracks with their feet halfway into their boots when they heard the baby start fussing. They held their breath waiting for the full-on cry but it never came, so they quickly finished dressing in the winter gear and slipped out of the house.

  It wasn’t until they had made it across the yard and to the barn that Alex realized her exposed face wasn’t stinging from the bitter air. The temperature had risen a lot. The night before they had parked the sled at the back end of the barn so when they left this morning they would have the barn between them and the house. The two of them worked up a sweat pushing the heavy machine out of the yard and down the trail into the woods. In this new world, sound carried easily so they wanted to be as far from the house as possible before they started the machine. They were both out of breath when they finally got deep enough into the woods that they felt they could start the sled up and ride the rest of the way.

  When they got to the clearing where they had left the sled trailers, Emily and Lisa were already waiting for them. The four girls stood looking at each other with serious expressions until Emily’s face cracked into a grin.

  “I know how bad things are in town but I can’t help but feel excited about this trip. Does that make me a horrible person?”

  Alex shook her head. “Well, I guess I’m horrible too then, cuz I feel almost relief that we are about to take off.”

  Lisa let out a deep sigh, “Thank you! I thought I was reverting back to my old selfish self. I’ve been secretly thrilled to get out of here with you guys!”

  Dara smiled. “It’s not that were being horrible or selfish. We’re a team, a family and we all bonded deeply over what happened at the beginning of summer. We got used to taking charge and getting the job done together. Now we get to do it again and it feels good!”

  Alex nodded. “Yes, exactly! So let’s go get what our people need. Come on ladies, Josh is waiting for us.”

  The girls made quick work of hooking up the trailers and then headed deeper into the woods away from Alex’s property. They traveled in a loop around all the teen’s properties in the ever-brightening light until they finally crested a small hill and could see the turnoff to town below. Alex was in the lead and she slowed her machine when she spotted two people standing beside a snowmobile with a trailer sled attached to it down below. Her heart clenched for a second when she recognized Quinn standing with Josh. She didn’t know if he was there to see them off or if he had changed his mind and was going to join them. Dara gave her waist a squeeze in encouragement as she sped back up.

  When the girls pulled up to them on the road only Dara dismounted and removed her helmet. She walked over to Josh and planted a kiss on his grinning face. He swung an arm around her shoulders and turned to Alex and the two other girls.

  “Hey, hey! I brought some more testosterone with me to help us save the world!”

  Dara hip-bumped him. “Hmmm, that’s probably a good idea. I doubt you could handle four women on your own!” She flashed a look Alex’s way before addressing Quinn. “Quinn, glad you changed your mind. So what’s with the extra trailer? I thought we were only going to bring two.”

  Quinn’s expression was blank as he stared at Alex but she had kept her visor down so he couldn’t see her face. He finally turned away with a sigh and answered Dara.

  “The best chance we have of getting the meds we need will be if we have something the army wants. I went over to Josh’s place last night and we packed the trailer with frozen beef and pork. I’m hoping it will be enough to get the trade done so we can get back here faster.”

  Emily flipped up her helmet visor and spoke up, “I was thinking the same thing. I have around ten dozen eggs packed in the insulated carrier we use for going to market. As long as the temperature stays this warm, they shouldn’t freeze. I wish I could have brought more but I was trying to keep my parents from noticing they were gone until after we left. How did you two manage to take that much meat without getting caught?”

  Josh look down at his feet and dug his boot into the snow so Quinn answered her.

  “We told them. I had to let the men on my farm know what I was doing so they could manage things without me. My Gram’s gave us her blessing.” He looked over at Josh and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Josh’s mom flipped and his dad cried about what a brave boy he had raised. Then they helped us pack the trailer.”

  Emily shook her head in frustration. “I wish I could have told them but I know for a fact my dad would have stood outside my bedroom door with a shotgun to keep me from leaving. I’m sure Alex’s dad would have done the same.” When Alex still didn’t lift her visor to respond she looked back at the boys. “Whatever, it’s done now so let get going.”

  Dara pulled off her glove and dug into her pocket before holding her hand out to Josh. When he looked down into her palm and saw the two, extra strength Advils there, his eyes got huge and he dramatically dropped to his knees in the snow with his hand over his heart.

  “My God woman, say you’ll marry me, right here, right now!”

  The grin on her face dimmed as she slid a quick glance over at Quinn who quickly looked away with a frown. It wasn’t that long ago that he’d asked Alex that same question.

  She shook her head and hauled Josh back to his feet. “Take your medicine, fool!”

  Dara gave Josh another quick kiss and started to walk back over to the sled Alex was driving. He looked to her and then Quinn in question before asking, “Hey, aren’t you going
to ride with me?”

  Dara tossed a smug look over her shoulder at him. “Nope, I’m good with Alex. Enjoy your testosterone!”

  Josh sent a glower Quinn’s way before waving him onto the back of his sled. He quickly downed the painkillers for his pounding headache and once Quinn was settled, climbed on to the sled and pulled out.

  He led the group east under a brightening sky that highlighted the distinctive chinook cloud arch. It was a smooth ride on the flat unplowed road and it seemed to fly by once they reached the main highway that would take them all the way to Red Deer.

  Halfway there, Alex couldn’t help but feel like they were the only people left in this area of the province. Even though it was still very early in the day, they hadn’t seen anyone out on the road or in the few homes that dotted the landscape. She figured that would change as they got closer to the city and the temperature continued to rise.

  Alex hoped they had success with the military in Red Deer so they could get back home quickly and deliver the lifesaving medicine that so many people in their town needed. At the same time, with every kilometer of distance that they put between themselves and home, she felt a weight lifting off of her shoulders. The guilt at feeling that way came but she pushed it aside. She couldn’t help feeling that way so there was no point in dwelling on it.

  As the group came upon the exit to a lake town twenty kilometres from Red Deer, Dara squeezed Alex’s waist to get her attention and pointed to the north where part of the town could be seen from the highway. Alex slowed the sled to get a better look at what she was pointing at.

  There were smoke trails coming from a scattering of homes closest to the lake and groups of small, distant figures could be seen out on the ice of the lake. Alex figured they were ice fishing. Dara patted her shoulder and pointed ahead to show her that the other two sleds were pulling away from them so Alex sped back up. She was happy to know that there was life surviving out here.