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

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  “Mom will be stoked,” Dexter beamed, happy he could bring a smile to Erika’s face. He reflected on the fact that she seemed to smile less and less since his grandma had left to go take a job at a textile plant in Texas. He longed to see his mother happy again.

  “We’ll be stoked as well, once our clothes are better suited to deter this freaking rain! Is it ever going to stop?” Star questioned.

  “Seriously,” Dexter agreed, gutting the beaver and burying the innards.

  They hustled back to camp knowing their parents would be concerned for their safety. Hugs and a very excited Trucker awaited them at the shelter. As their clothes and boots dried by the fire, they shared the story of what they had seen with their parents.

  “A tank following hundreds of people?” Erika questioned as she began to render the fat off the beavers.

  “They have to be refugees,” Vince commented as he played with Daniel.

  “That’s what we thought,” Dexter agreed, gnawing on a piece of jerky.

  “And they have to be headed somewhere,” Star added in between bites of jerky. “We probably don’t want to know where.”

  “Well, we definitely don’t want to go where they’re going,” Vince concurred. “But it would be useful to know where the camp is so we can give it a wide berth.”

  “You said they were headed east on the highway?” Erika asked.

  “Yup,” Dexter said, slurping down a cup of water.

  “Isn’t Bozeman that way?” Erika wondered, trying to remember a mental map from her past.

  “Yeah, but I think Billings was before Bozeman, could be either city,” Vince added.

  “And that means we have to stay north, right?” Star suggested.

  “It sure does, no highway travel for us,” Vince said scowling. “That’s going to slow us down.”

  “We’ll never make it before winter comes,” Erika speculated sadly.

  “Maybe if we can find the northern highway and follow it,” Star countered, trying to return hope.

  “We are sure going to try, Star, but we have to be conscious of the winter. Things can turn real bad real fast in the cold,” Vince commented, agreeing with both ladies.

  They slept peacefully for another night before leaving their cozy camp behind and setting off through the pouring rain in a northeasterly direction. Within a few days they were out of the Rocky Mountains and thankful that the impending season did not trap them there.

  Flatlands were occupied by farming efforts that had completed their summer farming and were now being winter-proofed. The family survived on the fringe, careful not to make contact but watchful of the farmers’ activities. The differentiation between landowner and refugee housing was not always apparent, but sometimes it was horrifying. Meager farms that had not produced well usually displayed the most obvious signs. Skinny people, dripping wet, emerged from makeshift shacks with small fires choking away inside.

  Drenched to the bone, they were beginning to feel frustrated with the limited progress they made each day. It was a slow process of sneaking from one safe spot to another. Dexter and Star were constantly out scouting and directing their family as to which path they should take.

  The rain continued its oppressive assault, flooding massive areas of terrain completely and making each day for Erika and her family as miserable as the one before. It was much more difficult to find suitable paths that would keep them hidden on the plains of Montana. Luckily with the rain came low-lying clouds that assisted their attempts to conceal themselves. As they trudged along across the saturated ground, they became aware of a big town to the east on the horizon. Dexter and Star suggested that they go further north to avoid the commotion there. Using the binoculars, Erika watched the soldiers controlling the gate in and out.

  “What do you see, Mom?” Dexter asked.

  “More freaking soldiers here,” Erika replied, handing him the binoculars.

  The rain dripped off them as they stared out at the city on the horizon.

  “Lets keep going north and then east,” Star recommended.

  Vince was sitting down resting. The moist environment was not helping the wound on his arm to heal despite the depleting supply of antibiotics.

  Erika came over to check on him. “How we doing, baby?” she wondered.

  “Just my usual warm, cheery self,” he replied, cradling his arm.

  Erika heard his words but she was filled with concern for him. She was growing tired of running, tired of watching her loved ones suffer, tired of living with frayed nerves.

  “How is he?” Star asked as Erika returned.

  “Could be better,” Erika replied as cheerfully as possible. I have to stay strong for them, she told herself.

  “Quiet, guys,” Dexter instructed as he peered through the binoculars.

  “What, Dex?” Erika wondered.

  “Cole,” he replied.

  “What? Are you serious?” Erika exclaimed, shocked. “Let me see.”

  Dexter handed her the binoculars. They dripped with rain and began to fog up. Erika cleaned the lenses and looked towards the city’s gates.

  “Holy crap! You’re right. This guy is relentless,” Erika gasped.

  “You already knew that,” Vince said, joining them.

  Erika watched Cole and the guard converse. Cole pointed out at the surrounding tree line, moving his arm across in a half circle.

  “We gotta go,” Erika commented. “They’ll be searching up here before too long.”

  Chapter 21

  The family double-timed it towards the north and were well east of town by the time night fell. They made a small temporary camp and spent the night hovering over a Dakota fire, shivering in the cold. In the morning, they were intent on heading east as fast as possible but by noon the next day, Vince had taken a turn for the worse. Walking with Vince, Erika felt his pace slow and saw his body start to slump from exhaustion. She knew he needed a warm, dry place to rest. Entering a secluded valley, the family made the choice to set up a more permanent camp to regroup and give Vince a break.

  One tarp was hung over head; Erika wanted to clean their guns and dry the equipment. Dexter found a tree that had fallen over and he and Star rolled it under the tarp. Once the bark was scraped from one side, it made a fine workspace. After they got Erika set up, Dexter and Star went out on patrol. Daniel relished in the opportunity to take out his paints and work side by side with his mother at the table. Vince dozed in the shelter, trying to regain his strength. Erika popped her head up from cleaning a 9mm as she heard two clicks coming from Dexter somewhere in the woods, but it was too late. A man was standing behind her.

  “Whoa there, honey,” the man said gruffly, “Let’s not get excited.” His hand gripped the back of her neck.

  Daniel fell back on his heels, shocked by the man’s appearance and aggression towards his mother. He was suddenly in the air as a man bear-hugged him from behind.

  “Imagine my luck, just out looking for game and look what I found,” He pushed Erika’s head down on the table so her rear end stuck out.

  “A damn fine piece of ass,” the man reveled, gripping her bottom firmly.

  There was a small sound that came from the other man. Daniel and the man fell to the ground and Daniel quickly scurried away. The man who had Erika let his grip slacken as he spun around, only to meet a knife being thrust into his neck by Vince. The commotion had roused him and adrenaline empowered him. The blood spurted from the man’s neck and the small drops splattered across Vince’s face.

  There was no time for celebration, though, as four more clicks sounded in the distance. Vince thought fast, commanding, “Grab that guy with the broken neck.”

  The couple grabbed the man and sat him on a stump with his back to the trail the approaching people would be using.

  “Daniel, hide in the shelter. Erika, hide over there and get your gun,” Vince ordered, pointing to the left while he hid on the right side.

  Blood mixed with rain dripped from V
ince's chin as they waited. Soon, two individuals were seen walking side by side with two other people trailing them and covering their six.

  “Hey, John,” one of them yelled, noticing their comrade resting on the stump. “It’s not break time yet,” the person teased.

  They walked up to the dead man and gripped his shoulder. As the man slumped onto the ground and realization struck them, Erika and Vince jumped out and shot them dead. The two rear people in the team turned around when the shots were fired, only to be shot in the back by Dexter and Star who had closed the distance to protect their parents.

  The noise of the gunfire echoed through the hills. Erika hoped that the relentless rain would muffle the sound enough to keep them hidden. Vince slumped down in an exhausted heap, his body trying desperately to stay healthy and fight the infection that seemed determined to set in.

  “Vince!” Erika yelled. She ran to him in a panic. Her heart felt like it was being torn from her chest as she watched him suffer.

  “I’m okay,” Vince assured her. “We gotta go, baby. Rally your team, pack them up. The gun shots...”

  “You heard the man, pack it up,” Erika urged the children, helping Vince to his feet and setting him on a stump.

  Just as they were leaving the valley, two soldiers approached. Dexter was watching the rear and saw them. He quietly snuck up beside the soldiers, hidden in the dense undergrowth. The soldiers saw the family in the distance and not the young man camouflaged beside them. As the soldier went to call it in on his hand radio, Dexter fired a shot through the device and the man’s mouth. The other soldier turned, scanning the bushes as a second shot ripped through his eyeball.

  Dexter ran quickly to catch up with his family that had already headed east, “That guy won’t be radioing in that message anytime soon,” he chuckled, as he caught up to Star and gave her a high-five.

  Erika was helping to support Vince so they could continue to cover ground quickly. They made it to a riverbank and used it to cover their tracks and blaze a trail. They trudged on and on, through the rain. After a few days of never-ending travel with the soldiers breathing down their necks, they came to a lake. The rain turned to snow as they spotted a fort in the distance. It didn’t seem to be guarded by the military, but rather by raggedly dressed men. The sign on the side said, “Free Town.”

  “Maybe we should try it, Mom,” Star urged, watching her mother carrying her father’s weight.

  “We can’t, Star. There’s a reward, they’ll turn us in,” Erika countered, her legs shaking, her body screaming.

  “Maybe not, Mom,” Dexter agreed with Star. “What choice do we have?”

  Erika’s brain was fuzzy; her body was destroyed. She longed for safety and warmth.

  “Come on, Mom,” Daniel chimed in. “Let’s just give it a shot.”

  “Okay...okay. I don’t know what else to do,” Erika admitted.

  They carefully approached the gates.

  “Hello there, neighbors,” the man at the gate greeted them. “Looks like you guys have had some tough times.”

  “Hello,” Star replied, taking the lead for her mother who was busy caring for her father. “The sign says this is a free town, is that true?”

  “Yes it is, ma’am,” the guy treated her respectfully. “It was private land before and the owner turned it into a free town for refugees.”

  “Wow, I’ve heard of these but never seen one,” Star said honestly.

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there?” the man responded. “My name’s Sean, and it is very nice to meet such a lovely lady in the morning. Will you do me the honor of telling me your name, ma’am?”

  Star was blushing, feeling the respect this man was showing her. Her beauty often caught the attention of men, but not one had treated her so nicely since Ron and she’d had to leave him behind a long time ago.

  “My name is Star Moore,” she blurted out, confused by her feelings for this man.

  “Oh man,” he replied. “Who would have thought you’d be so beautiful and so polite. Hold on a second.”

  Star’s heart sank. Why did I tell him my real name, she wondered to herself. They waited in the falling snow, while Sean talked to the other man. Judging by the rapidly moving hand motions, it was obviously a distressing conversation between the two. Erika hadn’t noticed the drop in temperature while they were traveling, but now, waiting to see if they could get some help, the cold ate through to her bones. Her teeth chattering, she huddled close to Vince and Daniel.

  Finally, Sean approached Star again. “I am so sorry, but we can’t help you. The soldiers are scouring the countryside for your family. Four of them came by just this morning. We have a free town here, and we can’t give them any excuse to take it,” he relayed regretfully.

  “Can we get some antibiotics, then?” she asked, concerned for her father whose supply had run out.

  “I’m sorry, Star. I just can’t,” he replied but then he took her to the side and told her something in a hushed voice.

  “Well, thanks anyway for your help,” Star replied, acquiescing to the situation.

  “Wish I could have done more,” Sean said, waving goodbye.

  The wind had kicked up and the snow was coming down in blinding waves now.

  “What did he say?” Erika wondered as Star approached.

  “We shouldn’t stay by the lake. It’s covered with soldiers, but there’s a small cabin northeast of here, by a river. He says we should hole up there and he’ll see what he can do about those antibiotics,” Star replied.

  “What do you think?” Erika questioned.

  “I want to believe him,” Star said.

  “Why? Because he’s cute?” Dexter teased.

  “No, because he seems honest,” Star defended, “...and because he’s cute.”

  “I don’t see that we have much choice, let’s go check it out,” Erika commanded, hoisting Vince back up on her shoulder.

  Vince’s feet dragged heavily through the rapidly building snow cover. Dexter followed, scuffing the tracks and ensuring they would not be followed. Luckily the snow pack was building so rapidly he didn’t think it would matter anyhow.

  Within a few hours they found a deserted cabin in a dilapidated state. It was empty and stood lonely amongst the trees.

  “Star, I just can’t trust it.” Erika admitted a gut feeling she couldn’t shake.

  “What? We walked all the way out here, Mom,” Dexter said.

  “I agree with Mom, Dex,” Star added. “Even though he seemed honest enough, how can we just trust him, just like that? We have to stay safe.”

  “How about we pitch camp nearby so we can keep an eye on the cabin, like we did the shed?” Erika suggested.

  “I like it, Mom,” Dexter admitted, “sneaky...very sneaky.”

  They dug down into the thick snow that was rapidly gathering everywhere. It was already over two feet deep and made excellent sides to form a shelter. They built a temporary roof out of branches and their tarps, knowing that soon the snow would be so deep that it would cover everything and they could transform it into a cozy snow shelter. To the wandering eye it would just look like a hill of snow in the distance, not any different from any of the other rapidly accruing snowdrifts.

  They got Vince inside and resting comfortably before Dex and Star went out to start building a wood pile that would last them through the night. Erika collected snow and melted it over the small fire she had started inside the shelter. She gently wiped the sweat away from Vince’s brow with a damp cloth, praying for him to recover.

  Daniel was antsy, watching his father struggle in pain. He had to do something so decided he would help with making dinner. Erika watched his tiny hand grab his knife and start cutting up jerky to add to the water with some dried berries for an evening stew. Jack ran at his feet, while the boy scolded the dog now and again for getting in the way. The warmth began to wash over her as the fire worked its magic but she couldn’t rest, not yet. She hovered o
ver Vince, thinking of what she could do to make him better.

  Vince’s eyes had closed as the warmth from the shelter began to relax his muscles. Erika took the moment to gently unwrap his arm. Although some of the teeth holes had healed, the endless rain had kept some open. The limited supply of antibiotics had helped for a time but there had not been enough of them to finish the job and now a pussy infection was setting in.

  Erika worried constantly for him. He was her rock, her partner through thick and thin. She had survived the quake for him and made it home to return to him. They had fought side by side and survived many battles, but she knew the realities of this infection. It haunted her every waking moment. I can’t lose him, she chanted to herself over and over again.

  Tears streamed down her face as she used antiseptic to wash the festering wound and placed clean bandages over the top.

  “Hey,” Vince said softly, watching her crying for him. He touched her hand with his other hand. “I’m okay, baby. You can’t get rid of me this easily,” he teased gently.

  She laughed at him, choking back tears.

  “Oh, Vince, I love you so much,” she sobbed, burying her face in his chest.

  “It’s okay, Erika, it’s gonna be okay,” he kept telling her.

  He lay back and rested in the warmth. Star and Dex entered the shelter, having seen the interaction between their parents from the doorway. Dexter let Trucker down to play with Jack and went to hang out with Daniel. Star stood there quietly lost in thought, watching her mother desperate for her father’s health to return.

  Chapter 22

  Star and Dexter left early the next morning to go and scout the area. The snow had not stopped falling during the night and they had to dig their way out of the shelter. There was no sign of their hole in the snow now, and they ensured it stayed that way as they left.

  While out exploring, Star made it a point to swing back by the fort. There were government soldiers there talking with Sean who was at the gate again, but they left on a snowmobile in a flurry of flying snow.