They boarded the transport. Another soldier drove the vehicle, so Master Sergeant Bennet and Corporal Avery sat in the back. Erika was delighted that Bennet left the flap open; even though the wind whipped inside the truck, they could watch the countryside roll by.
It wasn’t exactly like Erika remembered. There used to be small towns with neighborhoods crowding the outskirts but now it was mostly farms with a cluster of pod housing. Many forests and trees remained, though, and this is what Erika loved the most. Every once and a while there was a huge warehouse with factories near them. Long lines formed outside these buildings.
“What is that?” Daniel wondered.
“Product collection points, Danny,” Bennet explained.
“That’s a long line,” Daniel commented.
“Yup, buddy. Everyone answers to the collection line, even that hoity-toity official we met earlier,” the Master Sergeant answered him.
The group exchanged worried glances. There was so much they didn’t know about this place.
Vince began to recognize the landscape as they neared the town of Brainerd. It had been rebuilt into a much larger town than it had once been. It had gobbled up the surrounding towns that had been leveled for pod clusters and farmlands.
They drove quietly through the town, anticipating their next stop. The transport turned down the road to the ten thousand acres that Vince’s family had owned for generations.
A dirt road traversed the property and the transport slowly turned onto it. There were new additions to the property. The little farmhouse must have been lost in the quake. There were pods on either side of the driveway in little clusters. Then they drove between two barns. Continuing down the dirt road through acre after acre of vegetable fields being prepared to be sowed, they saw a few adults and some teenagers working out there. They stopped and looked up as the transport rolled by.
As they came to a stop, Erika heard a woman yelling, “Kay, Earl, they’re here!”
The family leapt from the transport, eagerly anticipating the reunion. The dogs could feel the heightened energy and tugged at their leashes, eager to explore this new place.
Earl came running out the front door of the pod suspended in the yard with his wife, Kay, directly behind him.
Vince took the lead and charged towards his parents, catching them in a giant hug. Tears streamed down their faces as they caught Erika next and hugged her tightly.
“Oh my God, look at you all!” Kay was elated. “I never thought I would see you again! Come here, Dexter. Look at you. You’re so big!” She hugged him tightly, remembering the five-year-old boy she had last seen.
Earl hugged the boy next.
“And this must be Mr. Daniel and Ms. Star, our new additions. Well, come over here and get some Grandma love!” She was ecstatic to have her family back and welcomed the new additions with open arms.
“And this is my husband, Sean,” Star said, wanting to include him.
“So this is the lucky man,” Kay stammered.
“Quite lucky to have snagged this beautiful young lady’s heart,” Earl commented as he approached for a hug.
Erika had almost forgotten what a beast of a man Earl was. He was tall with a long torso and shorter legs.
“Come on in. You must be starving,” Kay indicated to the family.
They entered the pod with Kay and Earl. It was their first time inside one of these unique houses. There was a huge sitting area to the left and the roof of the capsule opened up over the sitting room to allow the light and air from the beautiful day outside to enter. On the right was an elaborate kitchen with multiple sinks.
“Please come in and sit down,” Kay encouraged them.
They all sat at a large dining room table. The conversation was lively, about all the places they had been and what the kids were interested in. A strange lady approached with a tray of appetizers in her hand. She put it on the table and turned to leave.
“Don’t run away, Vanessa. I want to introduce you,” Kay stated. “This is Vanessa, Vanessa, this is my family,” Kay had tears in her eyes. “My son Vince, his wife Erika and my grandchildren, Star and her husband Sean, Dexter and Daniel.”
“Hello guys, it’s really nice to meet you, finally,” Vanessa declared. “I’ve heard so much about most of you.”
“Don’t believe any of it,” Vince laughed.
His mother scowled at him. “Vanessa helps with the house and cooking. Her husband, Evan, is our farming manager and they have two children, Megan and Gage, that help on the farm as well. Their family came to us not long after the Great Quake. They had land that was lost in Michigan.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Erika commented, taking special note of the Michigan reference. Erika’s father had been in Michigan when the Great Quake hit.
Master Sergeant Bennet had joined them at the table, but Corporal Avery had stayed outside. Erika watched Vanessa take a plate of food to him when lunch was served. After lunch Kay was ready to show them their pod and let them settle in and get cleaned up.
The transport had left and it was a long walk back to the entrance of the property. Daniel was marveling at a type of transport that was a mix between a bus and a trailer that ran on electric lines throughout the farm so people and product could be transported easily.
“This is cool!” the little boy exclaimed, elated by the reality of this adventure.
“Isn’t it?” Vince agreed, sharing in the boy’s wonder.
Soon they were back by the entrance, passing between the two barns again.
“Those pods on the right are for the refugee families, and that one is for you,” Earl said to his son, pointing to a new pod on the left.
They exited the “runner,” as Vince’s parents called it, and entered their new pod. There was lots of storage on the right side behind the kitchen.
“This is your laundry room and storage room. See how all the cupboards lock and there’s a special place for each piece of glassware?” Kay questioned, showing Erika and Star the home’s features.
“Yeah,” Erika replied.
“That’s so if there’s another earthquake and the supports fail, your home can fall down and nothing will get damaged,” she explained.
“Oh, that’s good,” Erika replied, hoping there would not be another quake.
Erika explored the rest of the home with Kay. They passed the living room and entered the master bedroom. Fresh air came in through the roof that opened over the bedroom. When they left the room it was through the bathroom, which was accessible from either side. Once they were back in the living room Erika noticed a tunnel. They went down the hallway and entered another pod with more storage space, a bathroom, two more bedrooms and a work space.
“And these rooms are for Dexter and Daniel,” Kay explained.
“What about us?” Star wondered, feeling left out.
“You two are married. You don’t want to live with Mom and Dad. That pod is for you,” she declared, pointing out a window in Dexter’s room.
“Really?” Star wondered.
“Yeah. Go ahead and have a look,” Kay replied.
Erika and Kay exited the home with their arms wrapped around one another, leaving Daniel and Dexter to fight about who was going to have what room. Vince and Earl chatted in the yard, looking out at the vegetable fields. Erika and Kay decided to see how Star and Sean were getting along and found two of the most excited people in the world as they entered their suitable pod. This one was set up the same as Vince and Erika’s main pod, without the hallway and extra bedrooms.
“Is this going to be okay?” Kay wondered.
“Is this going to be okay?” Star mused. “This is awesome. Thank you so much, you didn’t have to...”
“Yes, we did. You are one of the family, and I wanted to make sure you were comfortable,” Kay assured her.
“Well, thank you,” Star said with tears in her eyes. She hugged the smaller woman tightly.
“Yes, thank you so much,” Sean a
greed. “Who would have thought.”
“You’d end up here a landowner with a wife and a home?” Erika asked, smiling at the young man. He had taken a big risk, leaving his home and security for the love of a woman, but he had protected her when it really counted and Erika loved him for that.
Before Kay left them she made sure Erika found the clothes she had bought for them, explaining that they would have to go shopping soon, something about a big party and they would all have to have more suitable clothes than the ones they had on hand. She rambled on about her and Vanessa’s attempts at finding the right sizes.
“What about communication, Kay? Can I call my mom?” Erika wondered hesitantly.
“You can do whatever you want, Erika, well mostly...but here,” Kay folded down a shelf in the kitchen that revealed a built-in keyboard and monitor. “You still remember how to use one of these, right? If not, I’m sure one of Vanessa’s kids can show you. You know me and machines,” she chuckled.
“What’s that, Mom?” Daniel exclaimed as he ran in the door.
“It’s a computer, Daniel! A real computer! Now we can call Grandma!” Erika rejoiced in the news.
“Grandma Nancy? All right!” Daniel yelled. “We get to talk to Grandma Nancy, the best Grandma in the whole world!” the boy sang innocently as he danced around the room.
“I’m sorry,” Erika said watching Kay’s expression.
“About what, Erika? He grew up with her and he’s excited to talk to her. He doesn’t know me yet,” Kay defended optimistically.
Erika could see that she was jealous, though, and angry that she had missed so many years with him.
“There will be plenty of time to get to know each other now, right?” Kay said cheerfully.
“That’s right,” Erika agreed, thanking God for returning them into the hands of such wonderful people.
As soon as Kay left to go find Earl, Erika was at the desk with the computer on. The operating system was going to take some getting used to but she searched the Texas textile factories in earnest to find her mother’s name. When she finally found it, she sent an email to her mother and closed the machine, awaiting a response.
Master Sergeant Bennet was being housed in another pod by the end of the driveway with Corporal Avery. Earl and Kay explained that it was mandatory to house soldiers at estates. This way the soldiers would be fed by the landowners, make certain the landowners were making the maximum tax contribution and protect the landowner’s estate from renegade refugees.
It was weird settling into a real home out in the country again. The boys laughed and played in their rooms before falling asleep in one bed. They had been together so long Daniel didn’t want to sleep alone.
Vince and Erika had finally found some peaceful alone time. They made passionate love long into the night. It had been so long for both of them that they cherished the loving feelings and delighted in a moment of passion that calmed their nerves. They rested peacefully that night ready to start life anew.
Chapter 30
In the morning, Vince and Erika made breakfast together with the boys, and Star and Sean came to eat with them. The family took pleasure in a breakfast of bacon and eggs with toast from homemade bread. Their kitchen had been stocked and Star was blown away by the choices available to them.
They met with the refugee families after breakfast. Vince was formally introduced to Evan and Trevor, who were managing the farm. Vince’s father was a veterinarian before the Great Quake and only returned to farming because his family owned land and it was their ticket to landowner status. He farmed as few acres as possible and let the rest remain woodlands.
Evan and Vanessa’s daughter, Megan, was fourteen. Her hair was long and blond, falling down around a cute face with brown eyes that were focused adoringly at Dexter. Their son, Gage, was twelve and he quickly became buddies with Daniel.
Trevor was married to a woman named Kathryn. She had brownish-blond hair and was a very muscular lady. She could be found taking care of livestock or helping in the yards. They had three sons: Shane was seventeen, Jared was fifteen and Brenden was eleven. The boys were headed off to the fields. Dexter, Daniel, Sean and Vince would accompany them to start learning the operations.
“I’m going to tag along,” Erika chimed in.
“Yeah, me too,” Star agreed.
“You can’t do that,” Vanessa added.
“Why?” Erika wondered.
“Because ladies don’t work the fields,” Vanessa corrected.
“But I saw Kathryn out there yesterday,” Erika responded.
Vanessa was dumbfounded.
“But I am a refugee,” Kathryn chimed in, amused by their naivety.
“So...” Star continued.
“So, we work in the fields when our other chores are done, but you ladies are landowner women. It wouldn’t be proper for you to be toiling in the sun,” Kathryn said with a slightly sarcastic twist on the end.
“Then what are we supposed to do?” Erika wondered.
“Same thing all the landowner ladies do, sew, bake, stare at your computer, think of things you need done, plan your outfit for the next big party,” Kathryn teased.
Vanessa gave her a bump with her elbow and a scowl.
“Are you serious?” Erika wondered.
“Don’t get us wrong, Mr. and Mrs. Moore give us a real nice place to live and lots of respect, but that’s not the norm,” Vanessa admitted.
“How we doing, cupcake,” Master Sergeant Bennet said, walking up.
“Just fine. I just found out I’m supposed to sit around here and do nothing,” Erika snapped.
“Don’t worry about it, we’ll find you plenty to do,” he said with a gleam in his eye.
“You better not even look at me like that, Sergeant. Every time you do it means my muscles get sore,” Erika responded.
“No seriously, take it easy for a couple days. You’ve earned it. I’m headed over to the Millie Lacks training grounds to check in with Major Virgis. Corporal Avery will be here with a direct line to me if you need anything,” he explained.
“I think I’ll be just fine, Sergeant. You taught me to take care of myself, remember,” she teased.
“That’s just what I’m afraid of,” he returned the jest. “You ladies keep an eye on her for me, will you?”
“Sure thing,” Vanessa replied, winking at Erika.
“I’ll be fine, just go, Sergeant,” she pressed.
Once everyone had left Erika went back into the pod. She checked the computer and there was an email from her mother. Her heart leapt with joy. Her mom explained that life was fine but she missed them so much. She wished she had never left with Brett. Erika replied with a brief response of what had happened along the way and a date and time to connect with a video call.
Once she closed the computer, Erika spun around in the chair. This was her home now, a plastic capsule suspended on crab legs. The quiet of the place was eerie and being alone was something she had not experienced for a long time. Erika strolled through the sitting room and Jack, curious about her sudden movement, followed her into the bedroom. She picked her bow up off her backpack and slowly slid her hand across it. She loved the new weapon and the man who had given it to her.
She began to unpack the contents of her backpack. She put a special soft cotton towel down on the dresser and laid out her Glock 19s and the magazines. She pulled out her knife and her tomahawk. Her .22 and its magazine were placed next to the 9mm, and she stood the automatic rifle next to the dresser.
She dug farther into the bag and she found a baby blanket of Daniel’s she had carried since he was a little boy. She remembered wrapping his tiny body in it and smelling his baby scent.
Knock, knock, knock came a sound from the door. Erika left her bag behind and closed the door to her room on the way out. She wasn’t sure what the rules about weapons were, but she sure wasn’t going to give hers up anytime soon. Master Sergeant Bennet had let her keep them, but she had the feeling she
shouldn’t be advertising them in this confusing world of new rules.
Kay was at the door. Erika invited her in and they sat down at the table and sipped coffee.
“How are we settling in?” she wondered.
“Fine...this is great, Kay,” Erika replied.
“It’s just so wonderful to have you all back. You don’t know how hard we tried to find you. There was a rumor that there was a lone survivor of Sacramento and people who made it out of California. Somehow, I hoped it was you. It was a one in a million possibility but I hoped anyway.”
“It’s been ten years, Kay. How did you finally find us?” Erika wondered.
“There was a man that came out of the Las Vegas FEMA camp trying to advance his position. He was touting his success with forming refugee salvage crews to secure more resources for the refugees without having to tax the landowners. When the board started looking into these salvage crews Elena Porter, the elected northern representative, made the name connection. We were shown your pictures and confirmed your identities,” Kay explained.
“That’s how he found out,” Erika mused.
“Mathew Tweed?” Kay asked.
“Yes,” Erika lowered her voice. “When he found out, he was going to have us killed. The connection should have been made a long time ago and he didn’t want such a big mistake to ruin his career. That’s what took us so long to get here,” Erika shared an abbreviated story with her.
“Why, that son of a...just wait until I tell Earl about this!” Kay was fuming.
“I don’t know if you should.” Erika was concerned.
“Why not?” Kay didn’t understand.
“I think there are much bigger forces at work here than you or I realize and I don’t want to put the family in jeopardy,” Erika stammered.
“Erika! You guys never should have been there! We’ve been looking for you and my son and my grandson for years. They should never have touched that boy,” Kay fumed on.
“Don’t you think I know that! We’ve been through hell! Look at me!” Erika pulled her sleeves up, revealing the scars around her wrists, and then pulled up her shirt, showing off more scarring.
The Changing Earth Series (Book 3): The Walls of Freedom Page 20
