The Changing Earth Series (Book 3): The Walls of Freedom

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  “You can see him now, but where are the clothes you took off. We will wash them for you,” Dlores explained.

  “Here they are,” Star chimed in with a smile that stretched ear to ear after hearing the news about Daniel.

  “Alexis, please grab their things and take them to the laundry,” Dlores commanded to a young girl who was at her heels.

  The reserved girl slipped around Dlores and took the clothes from Star, then disappeared as quietly as she had appeared.

  “This way, ladies,” Dlores instructed as she entered back into the main room with Erika and Star in tow.

  It was brighter in this area of the home. Dlores’s look changed when she noticed Erika’s bare arms, adorned with scars from her past. Her eyes looked from Erika’s shoulders to her wrists where multiple close calls with abusive men had left thick scars from ropes tearing into her skin.

  “Looks like life has dealt you some challenges. Would you like a shawl?” Dlores questioned, concerned about Erika’s self-conscious feelings.

  Erika thought about it for a moment. She had never totally got over the fact that her body bore these scars from her escape from Sacramento, but this was who she was now. Vince still loves me. Who else do I need to impress? she wondered.

  “No, I’m all right,” Erika answered.

  Star was impressed by her answer. Knowing Erika’s self-conscious feelings about her scars, she loved the fact her mom could just be herself and not worry about the thoughts of others. Besides, Star never thought they were as bad as Erika always made them out to be.

  Chapter 14

  They followed Dloresout of the home and back into the dirt hallway. Walking back to the med center from this direction, Erika noticed the door was carefully hidden. If you didn’t know it existed you would never know it was there. Their eyes rapidly tried to adjust as they entered the brightly lit med center.

  “Wait here, I’ll find Sam,” Dlores ordered.

  She was back in a moment.

  “There you are, and may I say how much better you ladies look and smell,” he added with a smile. “Daniel is one hell of a fighter. I got the tech out and the boy will make a full recovery. Come and see him.”

  Sam was giddy with his progress and his energy was contagious. They entered a room that looked very much like a hospital room from Erika’s past. She was stunned.

  Erika couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “This place is amazing, Dlores. Did you put this all together after the Great Quake?”

  “No, no, Erika. I’ve always loved women and medicine. So, I’ve always made sure my ladies have access to the best medical care available. I want quality women for my operation, not skanks off the street.”

  Erika was a little taken back by her direct answer, but she understood the implication immediately and figured “operation” was a polite word for brothel. Without skipping a beat, Dlores pulled back the curtain and revealed Daniel peacefully sleeping in a hospital bed.

  “And here he is,” she announced.

  Erika felt like she hovered over to him, never remembering any of the steps she took. She stroked his soft blond hair and noticed that his breathing was not so shallow and had returned to normal.

  “Your husband and son have already been by to visit him,” Erika barely heard Dlores say.

  “They’re here? They made it?” Star asked from the foot of Daniel’s bed.

  “Yes, they’re getting cleaned up now,” Dlores said her eyes focused on Erika.

  “Thank God,” Erika whispered, stroking her son’s hair and finally relaxing. Now that she knew her family was safe again, she wanted to pass out. Her legs began to wobble.

  “I bet you ladies could use a rest. Come on, your boy is fine, see? I’ll let you know as soon as he awakes,” Dlores urged Erika.

  “Sounds good to me. I could use a drink,” Star said, feeling the same welcome relief as she rubbed Daniel’s small feet. “Come on, Mom.”

  Erika stroked his head one last time before turning to follow Dlores.

  “Is Vlad okay as well?” Erika wondered about her traveling companion.

  “He’ll be fine. We’ve treated much worse and he got lucky. The bullet missed his femoral artery,” Dlores assured them.

  “That’s good,” Star interjected.

  Dlores led them out of the med center and back to the dark tunnel. This time they didn’t enter the house but continued down the corridor. Erika noticed another door similar to the one they had entered to get into the first house, but they passed that one as well. They finally entered a door at the end of the hallway. A large sitting room awaited them with elaborate couches and fancy coffee tables.

  “Relax and enjoy yourself. You are safe. Eat, drink and be merry. Your family will have to push on as soon as Daniel is healthy enough to do so. Having you all here is just too risky, even for me, but the tech that boy carried has paid for your stay in full,” Dlores declared.

  “Thank you, Dlores. I don’t want you to get in any trouble on our account. We’ll be gone as soon as Daniel is able,” Erika agreed.

  “Don’t worry about that now. Enjoy your time here while you have it. The world out there will not give you much time to relax. Alexis...” Dlores yelled for the girl.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the girl mumbled quietly as she came into the room.

  Erika marveled how the girl always just appeared when Dlores needed her and then shrunk back into the shadows.

  “Get these ladies anything they want: food, drinks, smoke, men, anything they want,” Dlores said as she left on some unknown mission.

  “Yes, ma’am,” she muttered again. Alexis left Erika and Star in the room as she went to gather food and drinks.

  “Did you hear that Star? You could get a man,” Erika teased.

  “I’m good, Mom. I’m still missing Ron,” Star admitted, thinking of the boyfriend she had left behind in the refugee camp. He had been a good man, hard-working and had earned himself a spot in the military force, but he would have never left his post to chase freedom with Star.

  “I’m sorry, Star. I was just joking,” Erika replied, feeling guilty for not thinking of the man Star had left behind.

  “It’s okay, Mom. I made the decision to leave him. Let’s just forget the past for now and enjoy this time here and now,” Star declared, trying to stay cheerful.

  “You got it!” Erika agreed.

  Alexis returned with assorted sliced meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts and asparagus wrapped with real bacon. She also had a six-pack of beer and water. The bottles had no labels, but it was real beer and the water was clean.

  “Oh my goodness, I must have died and gone to heaven!” Erika declared, excited to see the spread of food laid out before them.

  Alexis was shocked by Erika’s reaction and almost dropped the tray. Star immediately grabbed the tray from her.

  “Don’t be scared, it’s just been a very long time since we’ve seen a spread like the one you have there,” Star said to the girl, trying to make her feel comfortable.

  “Do you ladies need anything else?” Alexis asked quietly.

  “No, we’re all set.” Erika squealed with delight as she stuffed one of the white asparagus spears into her mouth.

  “Oh, this is heaven,” Star agreed as she flavored the rare delicacy.

  Erika and Star chatted about things that women share with one another. They drank two of the beers and were halfway through the tray when the biggest door to the room opened and a strange man poked his head in. The man swayed with drunkenness and the uniform he wore was disorderly draped around his body. He stumbled into the room and his eyes were drawn to Star’s beauty.

  “So, this is where Dlores is keeping the new tricks now-a-days,” he slurred out his words.

  Erika and Star were frozen in fear. They had no idea who this guy was or where he came from.

  “Cat got your tongues, ladies?” he questioned as he stumbled sideways across the room. He approached them, “Aren’t you a beauty,” he declared, staring at
Star. Your friend has a lot of scars but she’s not bad on the eyes either. Look at all this food and beer. You must be new, getting the grand welcome, are we?”

  To Star and Erika’s relief, Dlores entered the room suddenly. “Johnny, what are you doing down here?” Dlores questioned. “You know you’re not supposed to be down here.”

  “And you know, Miss Dlores, that Major Cole Virgis only likes the new girls, and it looks to me like you have a couple of them hiding down here,” Johnny replied confidently.

  Erika’s heart just about stopped dead in her chest. Did she hear him right? she wondered. Did he just say Major Cole Virgis? The name came like a blast from the past. She had known him as Master Sergeant Cole Virgis. His mercenary squad had been assigned as the military force for their very first salvage mission that Erika and her family had gone on while working on the rescue squad. He had questioned her relentlessly about her experiences as the lone survivor from Sacramento and he would recognize her immediately.

  “No, these ladies are spoken for,” Vince declared as he walked proudly through the door.

  Erika’s heart burst at the sight of him. He was dressed in a very sleek suit, clean-shaven and as handsome as she could ever remember. His dancing eyes met hers and he had to regain his confident demeanor quickly. He had almost lost it at the sight of his beautiful wife, looking so gorgeous in her little black dress. Dexter looked just as handsome and very grown up as he walked through the door, tugging at the neckline of his shirt with a tie pulled up tight.

  “And who are you?” the drunken man protested.

  “These are some VIPs from Kansas. I am entertaining for the night,” Dlores declared.

  “Well, if that’s the case, maybe Major Virgis would like to entertain them as well,” the man replied cockily.

  “I think I have a couple of ladies that Major Virgis would find much more entertaining,” Dlores insisted. “Jennifer!”

  A beautiful lady, scantily clad, boldly stepped into the room, “Yes, dear,” she said lovingly to Dlores.

  “Can you please take Johnny back upstairs and tell Ginger and Missy that they will be entertaining Major Cole Virgis tonight?”

  “I guess so, why can’t Alexis?” Jennifer replied, sounding put off by the mundane request.

  “Please, Jennifer, take care of this for me. I need to see to our guests,” Dlores pleaded.

  “All right, but you owe me,” Jennifer responded in a huff as she eyeballed Star. It was a look of jealousy and Erika surmised that this must be Dlores’s partner.

  The door to the upper floors clicked shut as Jennifer left to follow Johnny up the stairs.

  “Dlores, did he say Major Cole Virgis?” Erika questioned immediately, leaning around Vince as he approached her.

  Vince spun to look at Dlores as well as he sat next to Erika on the sofa, holding her hand. Their hearts now pounded in tandem.

  “Yes, he’s a very important soldier who frequents my facility. We keep him entertained and he makes sure the doors stay open. Why, do you know him, darling?” Dlores wondered.

  “I know exactly who he is and more importantly...” Erika began.

  “He would know exactly who we are,” the family relayed in unison.

  “Oh, honey, are you serious?” Dlores’s brown hair bounced in the air as she jumped to her feet.

  “Wilber,” she called.

  The gigantic teddy bear of a man filled the room as he entered.

  “Ready tunnel four. Tell Jason to have fatigues and provisions ready immediately,” she commanded, turning her attention back to the family. “Y’all wait here,” she stammered as she left out the door to the medical center. “Sam,” she called down the hall as the door clicked shut.

  The family stared at one another, unsure what they should do.

  “Eat,” Erika told them as she started stuffing her face with the meats, cheeses, and dried fruits that had been provided for them. “We may not get to for a while...” she mumbled, with her mouth full.

  The family followed suit, destroying the plates of food. There was no time for formalities now.

  The hair on the back of Erika’s neck stood up as the door knob on the wall opposite to the medical rooms turned. Through it came Toni.

  “Oh Toni, am I glad to see you,” Erika announced, hearing an overall sigh from her loved ones.

  “I heard that you guys have to make an early departure. I’m staying with Vlad, of course, but I wanted to say good bye,” she said with tears forming in her eyes.

  “Oh, Toni,” Erika exclaimed, hugging her. “Thanks for...for...for everything. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

  “Yes!” Vince agreed, hugging the two of them. “We owe you and your husband, big time. Thanks so much.”

  “Thank you for not shooting us on the boat,” Toni chuckled a little. “It’s a hard world out there. People like yourselves are hard to find. Stay low and don’t trust anyone.” Toni hugged them tight. Then she went and held Dex and Star, wishing them safe travels as well.

  Dlores flew into the room in a puff. Sam was close on her heels, holding Daniel in his arms. He was dressed in camouflage.

  Daniel was still unconscious, but his color had returned and Erika heard his breath coming naturally.

  “He’s still going to be out for a while. His body had a hard fight but the incision to remove the device was small. I have everything you need to stop the infection in this medical kit. Plus, I put enough potassium iodide in there to ward off the radiation sickness for months—but the further north you go, the less you will need it. You guys brought us a gold mine in that chip and I set you up good,” Sam said, handing the boy to Wilber who had entered through the opposite door. “Safe journeys to you all and God bless you.”

  Toni gave the small boy a kiss. “Well, I guess this is it. Goodbye guys,” Toni said, pausing in the doorway.

  “We’ll meet again,” Vince replied hopefully.

  “Goodbye, Toni,” the family concluded.

  She left and Erika wondered if they would really meet again, but there was no time for that now. Dlores was shuffling them all through the door Toni had just gone through, except she pulled a lever hidden amongst some vases on a shelf and an opening in the wall slid open.

  Back into the dark tunnels they went until they came to a room much like the one they had arrived in. Wilber placed Daniel in the center of a metal slab that headed out on a northbound track.

  “Here are some traveling clothes for y’all.” Dlores pointed to a pile of clothes on a wooden table. “Your bags are there, feel free to take any food and weapons you need.” She slid open two doors that had supplies inside.

  The family raided the shelves, taking jerky, dried fruits, evaporated milk, dehydrated meals and whatever else they could fit into their bags. They already had nice K-bar knives so they overlooked that section of the cabinet, all except Dexter. He took a set of very nice throwing knives. They all chose an additional pistol to carry so they had two pistols and opted for 9mm, because then they only needed to carry one type of ammo. Star took a 9mm and ammo too, but she also grabbed some 45 ammo for her 1911. She was really enjoying the feel of that gun. Erika added an AR-15 to her weapons and Star and Dex chose Winchester .30-30s. The .30-30s took the same ammo as Vince’s M1 Garand so they could use it interchangeably. They found extra magazines in bins and grabbed a couple for each gun. They were essential to long gun fights. Vince was grabbing a couple of Ruger 10/22s like Erika was carrying.

  “That round is too small, Dad,” Star chimed in, noticing his selection.

  “I still have my M1 but I like .22s. It’s good for small game, it’s quiet and the bullets are lighter so I can carry more,” Vince defended. “This one’s for Daniel,” he declared, holding up the lightweight rifle.

  Star just shrugged at him as she put on the fatigues. “Ahhhh, it’s good to feel normal again,” she announced, putting on her hat and tossing the dress into a heap on the floor.

  “I agree!” Erika
concurred.

  “I don’t know, I kind of liked the new look,” Vince disagreed, dreamy-eyed.

  “They can’t exactly go hiking in heels, Dad, and I can’t stand this damn tie!” Dex chimed in, ripping off the tie and unbuttoning the tight-necked shirt.

  “They could try. It sure would be fun to watch,” Vince teased.

  Erika socked him in the arm and they enjoyed a chuckle. Soon they were all suited up and ready to board the metal slab with Daniel.

  “Safe journeys to you all,” Dlores announced, giving them a hug. “It has been my pleasure.”

  “Thank you so much, Dlores...how can we ever repay you?” Vince queried, hugging the gorgeous lady.

  “You already have. Now, get going. I’ll clean things up here,” she announced and, just like that, she was gone.

  “Well, here we go again,” Dex announced as he boarded the slab.

  Erika guessed he wasn’t thrilled about riding this underground death trap either.

  Chapter 15

  They rolled North in the dark for what seemed like forever. All they saw was the nothingness and all they heard was the clack, clack, clack as the slab rolled along the tracks. The light at the end slowly illuminated Daniel’s soft face as Erika stared at him and held him closely on the cold metal.

  “Finally,” Dexter proclaimed joyously as he saw the light approaching. “I can’t wait to get off this thing.”

  “Me either,” Star concurred.

  “I thought it was kind of peaceful,” Vince declared, sleepily rousing from his dreams.

  They popped out in a dimly lit hole in the ground.

  “Howdy, heard we had some hot folks coming through today, but I had no idea just how hot,” a dark haired man said helping Star up.

  She rolled her eyes at the man’s brashness and quickly turned away from the man to grab her gear.

  The man didn’t skip a beat at her passive demeanor. “Let’s get this straight, you don’t need to know who I am and I don’t need to know who you are. It’s just easier that way,” the man declared, standing back to give them room.

  He was a Native American man with dark hair and eyes. Vince eyeballed him closely as he gathered Daniel up into his arms. When they were all ready to travel the man opened the door to another hole with a ladder.