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

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  They emerged into a small room that had a door to the sunlight outside. Their eyes burned as they were blasted with the daylight.

  “Follow me,” he commanded.

  As Erika’s eyes adjusted, she could see that she was in a tiny community of people. She saw them dotting the horizon in the distance, moving around in a small town. There was a gleaming lake sprawled out before them as they headed to the gates protecting this small community.

  “Let them out,” the man announced to the guard.

  The gates creaked open.

  “I understand you are heading towards Washington.” The man looked at Vince.

  “That’s right,” Vince agreed.

  “Head north around the lake. There used to be two towns, Empire and Gerlach, along that way, but they are little more than rubble now, with a small group of survivors calling Gerlach home. Keep going north and you will find my kin at the Summit Lake Reservation. We’ve taken a good deal of land back, since the white man seems to have no use for it. You’ll find safety there. Tell them: ‘The eagle flies high to capture the snake.’ Whoever you are, you have been given clearance from our highest levels, but it will only go so far. They will get you past the border and through their lands, but after that, you’re on your own.”

  “Thanks, mister,” Vince said as he shouldered Daniel and headed for the gate.

  “And watch out for the wild dogs,” the man added as the steel gates slammed closed in front of him.

  “On the road again, I just can’t wait to get on that road again,” Erika sang cheerfully, trying to get the family pumped up.

  Dex smiled but had a far-off look in his eyes.

  “What?” Erika wondered as they began trudging northward.

  “Grandma and I used to listen to that song.” He had tears in his eyes now.

  “I know, buddy, I miss her too. We’ll see her again before you know it,” Erika reassured him, but thinking of her mother brought tears to her eyes as well.

  Vince saw her mentally stumbling, “Come on, guys, turn those frowns upside down. We’re going to find my parents and then we’ll be able to go and get Nancy. It will all work out, you’ll see.” He had a pit in his stomach as he said the words. He hoped so bad it was true and everything would go as planned, but there was so much ground to cover between here and there.

  Walking through the riparian area next to the lake, Erika noticed all kinds of edible berries. There were serviceberries that they could eat raw. She wished she had enough time to pick extra and dry them for the winter that was fast approaching, but they did not have the time. Much to her relief, she also found Kinnikinnick. Its leaves were little and tough and the berries were far too tart and mealy to eat as a treat, but Erika knew the fruit would take a long time to go bad, so they picked as many as they could and hoped they would not have to eat them all winter. They found Mormon Tea plants and Erika harvested their long spindly leaves to make a rejuvenating tea out of it. She pointed out the poison sumac. They did not need to end up with rashes all over. Elderberries were the last thing Erika had to stop and harvest. She knew to only pick the blue ones because the red ones were too seedy and the seeds could make you sick. They could cook them, strain the seeds and make a yummy sauce to accompany their meat, along with the sage that grew everywhere.

  After a long day of hiking they saw the dilapidated town of Empire on the horizon and they could hear dogs barking in the distance.

  They were all thinking the same thing as they pressed forward but Star finally said it: “Should we press on to the other side of those towns or stop here for the night?”

  “Took the words right out of my mouth,” Vince declared, looking at Erika.

  “Our rations are full so I would like to pass by without any contact,” Erika said weighing the options.

  “I’ll second that,” Vince agreed. “No reason to give anyone a chance to mess with us.”

  “But if we go through at night most of them will probably be asleep and we can use the dark as cover,” Star interjected.

  “True, but those dogs will probably be on the move still,” Dexter retorted.

  “I think I’d rather worry about the dogs than the humans,” Erika responded.

  “Me too,” Dex said. “We can take them out,” he added, cocking his gun.

  “The shots may wake the humans, though.” Erika was thinking through her limited military knowledge that Sergeant Bennet had filled her brain with.

  Just then, Daniel began to stir. The family gathered around him and Erika stroked his soft blond hair.

  “Hi, mom,” he said sleepily as his eyes began to flutter.

  “How are you feeling, baby?” Erika questioned, as the family looked on.

  “I’m hungry,” he replied with a sly smile aimed at his brother.

  “Of course you are,” Dex replied sarcastically.

  Erika quickly scanned the landscape surrounding them. It was a crevassed area with small hills, shrubs and trees dotting the landscape. There was definitely enough tinder to hold a fire through the night.

  “Okay, this is the plan.” Erika was tired of this dilemma. They needed more time to get the lay of the land and develop a strategy. “We are going to go down in that valley on the west slope and find a crevice we can hold up in for the night. We can eat and face the day in a new light.”

  “Let’s do it,” Dex agreed.

  Dex and Star set out, scouting ahead. Vince and Erika hiked across the scarce vegetation until they found a place they could build a fire without it being seen from the rubble of the old city.

  Daniel was becoming more and more animated as the family set up camp. They made him a sleeping area where he could watch the proceedings. He sat playing with his transformer, watching his parents talk.

  “I’m still not comfortable with just building a fire out here,” Vince declared as Dex and Star went to gather fuel.

  “I agree, we have no idea who is out there. This is crazy, Vince. Do you think we did the right thing? I mean, we left everyone behind and I don’t know if we’ll ever have a moment of peace,” Erika pondered, the worry lines digging deep ruts across her face.

  Vince crossed the expanse of the small camp and held her tightly, “I know we made the right choice, baby. Plus, we didn’t really have a choice, did we? Seems as if Mathew had it out for us since day one.”

  “He’s such a jerk, acting like a big-shot FEMA Camp manager. I guess even earthquakes can’t change greed. He made a boo boo, wasn’t getting his big promotion, so we had to go?” Erika stammered.

  “Thank God for Sergeant Bennet, Erika. You made one hell of a friend in that guy, and...we’re still landowners. My parents are still out there and the last ten years have just been a big mistake.” Vince’s voice got more positive as he ranted on.

  “If we ever find them. We have a long way to go,” Erika huffed as she plopped down on her sleeping blanket.

  “You know what I’m gonna do?” Vince asked cheerfully.

  “What?” Erika was curious, thinking he had some master plan.

  “Build a Dakota fire pit,” he answered.

  “What?” Erika declared confused.

  “A Dakota fire, you know, two holes with one tunnel conjoining them,” he teased.

  “I know what a Dakota fire is, you goof. I thought you had some grand plan to get home to your parents faster,” Erika laughed at him.

  “I know we’ll get there,” he said, sinking the shovel deep into the ground and pulling out heaps of the desert dirt.

  Before too long the holes were dug, Dex and Star returned with fuel, and a small fire was heating a pan filled with stew.

  “What’s going to happen now, Mom?” Daniel wondered, having overheard his parents’ conversation.

  “In the morning we are going to make it through these towns. Then we keep heading north into Oregon. When we get there we’ll head into Washington to make sure they didn’t hole up there and if they are not there they will be in Minnesota. We’ll just keep
going until we find Grandma and Grandpa,” Erika replied simply.

  “Really? Daddy’s mommy and daddy?” he questioned. “I’ve never met them before.”

  “They are really cool,” Dexter chimed in, seizing the moment to delight his brother.

  “Really?” Daniel said with wonder.

  “Oh yeah, Grandma always made the best candies and cookies at Christmastime and Grandpa always wanted to play and tease. They’re awesome,” Dexter continued.

  “Don’t worry, Daniel. I’ve never met them before, either,” Star joined in.

  “Oh yeah, because you’re adopted,” Daniel admitted innocently.

  “Yup, so I’m just as excited to meet them,” Star concluded.

  “Well, we’ll all get the chance to see them before too long,” Vince smiled as he scooped stew into bowls for his family.

  After the meal Dex and Star suited up to go scouting for a few hours. Vince would stay up on watch. Erika snuggled Daniel up into her arms and the two of them slept by the warmth of the fire.

  Chapter 16

  Dex and Star packed light, enthusiastically setting off through the dark to go and explore the nearby town.

  “Do you really think that your Grandma and Grandpa will be excited to see me?” Star whispered to Dex as they carefully picked their way along the brush.

  “Honestly, Star, I don’t know, but from what I remember they were two of the kindest people in the world and if they love you just half as much as we do, then that will be enough,” Dex answered.

  “But do you think they’ll really accept me as one of the family?” Star pushed.

  Dexter stopped and looked her square in the eyes. “Star, you are one of the family and no one can take that from you. You have to just face it, you’re stuck with us,” he teased.

  “Ahhh...thanks, little brother.” She wrapped her arm around his neck and hugged him.

  They pressed on slowly, the ruins in the distance coming closer and closer. Soon they were among the dilapidated houses that sat in rows on the street. It was eerily quiet and they traversed the area using hand signals that would indicate to their partner when to move and when to stop.

  As Dex rounded the corner of a home, he heard hushed voices coming from the glow of a small fire. He signaled for Star to stop, then pointed two fingers at his eyes and pointed his fingers out in the direction of the fire. Star quickly moved forward and looked in the direction Dex had indicated. It looked as if it was only two men, but there was always someone on watch. She ran up close to her brother.

  “Let’s split up and circle around the outside to find their lookout,” Star suggested.

  “Got it,” Dex responded, his brown hair falling into his face.

  “You need to cut that,” Star said as she moved off.

  “I kind of like it,” Dex mumbled to himself.

  The two teens worked their way around the men at the fire but never found a lookout. They whistled to one another and approached cautiously.

  “No lookie Lou,” Dex commented.

  “I didn’t find one either,” Star agreed, “Weird, isn’t it?”

  “Very,” Dex confirmed. “I guess we’ll split back up and enter from either side,” he declared courageously.

  “Sounds good. I’ll wait for your cue,” Star replied.

  Star studied the men as Dex made his way back around to the other side of them. One of them was a lanky black man with an Afro cut short atop his head. He seemed to be the more animated of the two and he paced by the fire, using grand arm gestures as he talked to the other man. The other man sat by the fire. He had a ball cap on and his silhouette showed a long beard hanging down over a muscular frame.

  Star watched carefully for Dexter’s figure to emerge into the firelight. When it did, she carefully approached the men from behind. They were now standing with their arms raised in front of Dexter.

  “We didn’t do anything,” the black man was frantically pleading. “We are landowners from Gerlach. We are unarmed and perfectly within our right to be here.”

  Star was quickly assessing the situation. They must have thought Dexter was a mercenary soldier, all dressed in his camouflage. Star awaited Dex’s reply but the boy was much too naive.

  “You guys are unarmed, really?” Dexter questioned.

  “Of course we are, you dam mercs wouldn’t have it any other way,” the man with the beard replied, studying the young man carefully.

  “What makes you think I’m a merc?” Dex questioned.

  “Ahem.” Star cleared her voice loudly behind them so they would turn their attention to her before Dexter blew their chance to get information.

  “Look lady, we already told the kid we are unarmed, so you can stop pointing those guns at us,” the black man pleaded again.

  “Keep your hands in the air,” Star tried to sound very official. “Who are you?” she wondered.

  “My name is Leroy Tincada and he’s Mac Crystal,” Leroy declared, indicating his partner. “You may have heard of Mac. He helps you guys fix up your vehicles when you are patrolling out here.”

  Mac just stood there with a thoughtful look on his face.

  “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of him.” Star tried her best to convince him.

  Dexter was bewildered by what Star was saying, but he was catching on quick to Star’s game.

  “What are you two doing out here?” Star questioned.

  “We’re out looking to get some more copper wire for our power systems back at Gerlach,” Leroy answered quickly. It was obvious they were used to this type of questioning.

  “Who authorized this?” Star wondered who they were accustomed to answering to.

  Leroy looked confused for a moment and Star’s heart pounded. She hoped she had not blown her cover.

  “We ran the idea by the Major when he was in town a couple of weeks ago, but technically landowners from Gerlach don’t need authorization to enter Empire,” Leroy explained slowly.

  “I know that I was just curious to know who the Major is out here,” Star stammered, kicking herself for explaining. They would figure out their ruse for sure now, she thought.

  “You guys aren’t from around here, are you?” Mac questioned, motioning Leroy to stop talking.

  “No, we are from the east,” Dexter interjected, seeing Star falter. “First time out in the Badlands.”

  “How did you get here?” Mac wondered. “We didn’t see a truck pull up.”

  “We parked it aways back and walked in,” Dex defended.

  “Where’s the Major?” Mac interjected.

  “He’s back at the base. We were sent out scouting,” Star had found her voice again.

  “You know where he is but not who he is? Why were you sent out scouting before meeting with your CO?” Mac wondered.

  “Well, actually,” Star had to repair the damage quickly, “we heard there’s some wanted refugees that may be coming through here and we would get a big reward if we brought them in,” Star answered, prying to find out if they had heard about them.

  “We heard about them,” Leroy added excitedly. “The government has been blasting the radio waves with the news.”

  Mac shot Leroy a look; obviously, he wasn’t buying Star and Dexter’s story. Leroy shook it off and continued.

  “Supposed to be a family of murderous thieves, scary people,” Leroy added with a shudder.

  “Yeah, that’s why we are after them,” Dex said confidently.

  “Well, you guys aren’t going to find anything in the dark. Why don’t you join us by the fire?” Mac urged, trying to get Leroy to shut up. He wasn’t buying the story these two young soldiers had produced.

  “No, we have to get back to base. We just wanted to poke around a little and see if we could find them,” Star declined politely.

  “Okay, but it’s nice and warm,” Mac encouraged.

  “Really, we have to be getting back,” Dex agreed.

  “If I can’t convince you, at least tell me your names so I can let Ma
jor Virgis know how diligent you two young soldiers are next time he comes around,” Mac added, extending his hand for a shake.

  “Private Johnson is the name. It was great to have met you,” Dex said confidently.

  “Private Smith,” Star answered, kicking herself again for not coming up with something better.

  “Privates Johnson and Smith? Okay...well, it was nice to have met you two,” Mac said skeptically.

  “It was great to have some company,” Leroy added sarcastically.

  “Have a good night,” Star concluded as she and Dex cautiously stepped back into the darkness.

  They slowly left the ruins of the town headed back to their family’s camp. They left in the opposite direction and then slowly and cautiously doubled back so their tracks could not be followed. As they neared home base they could still hear dogs howling in the distance. They glanced back towards the ruins of the town and just about tripped over their own feet when they saw truck lights in the distance, headed towards the ruins they had just come from.

  “Oh crap, Star!” Dexter exclaimed. “If it’s Cole, they are going to tell him all about us.”

  “Oh, man.” Star was freaking out too. “We should not have made contact, Dex. We have to go tell Mom and Dad.”

  The two quickly ducked under the cliff that their parents had found to camp under. Everyone was already up and staring at them wide-eyed as they busted into the scene.

  “Where the heck have you two been?” Erika wondered, “I was getting worried. You were supposed to be off watch an hour ago.”

  “Mom, Dad, we were out scouting and went to the ruined town over there,” Star began.

  “You did what? That was stupid,” Vince interjected.

  “Just listen, Dad,” Star continued.

  Dexter went over and grabbed a bowl of stew. Then he went to sit by Daniel and eat. He was excited to see his little brother with life in his eyes again, and Star could tell the story without him being in the line of parental fire.

  “So we went to the ruins and we found two guys there, scavenging,” Star continued.