After breakfast, they dropped. Nathan smiled and took Emma with him to check the horses. Seeing a few chipped hooves, Nathan grabbed a file and went to work. Emma just made it challenging. At noon he woke Jasmine and Natalie and told them to start wrapping the smoked meat up.
When he lay down to get some sleep Nathan wasn’t surprised when little Emma climbed up on his chest and fell asleep. He rubbed her back and soon joined her.
Day 35
Nathan felt someone tapping his shoulder. “Emma, go to sleep,” he mumbled.
“Nathan, it’s time to go,” John said.
Opening his eyes, Nathan was shocked to see it was dusk. “Man, was I out hard.” Nathan said getting up and looked for Emma. He spotted her chasing Ares. Then it dawned on him that he was always looking for her. “I wonder if I can put a GPS tracker on her,” Nathan wondered out loud.
“What?” John asked.
Letting out a yawn, Nathan shook his head. “Never mind,” he said. John left him as he started packing his stuff up. When he put on his pack Nathan wanted to start cussing, as the damn thing was trying to take him to his knees. Picking Emma’s sling off the ground he slung it over his head. Emma let out a squeal and run at him when she saw that.
Nathan picked her up and set her in it. “One day you are going to have to carry me like that,” Nathan said. Emma babbled back at him and Nathan really wanted to know what she was saying. He walked the area with the others, making sure everything was put away and all trash buried, then he climbed up on Smoke. Smoke acted like Nathan had done when he put his pack on.
Making sure the others were mounted up, Nathan guided the group along the shore till they came to a small road that only an ATV could use. It was dark when he turned them onto a logging road. They rode in silence since the soldiers Nathan had interrogated had told him the government was tracking the public broadcast bands that their radios used. Everyone had them on but would only use them in an emergency.
At midnight Nathan stopped them by a small stream. Everyone climbed off and stretched as the horses drank. Jasmine passed out some jerky and the group ate as Nathan looked at the map by starlight. “We are making good time,” he said, shoving a piece of jerky in his mouth.
“I thought we were,” John said. “It just seems that we are always going northwest, rather than going north, then turning west, then turning south, then heading west. We are just going.”
“Yeah, all the roads we are on through the forest generally head northwest,” Nathan said.
“You haven’t used a compass. How do you know which way is north?” Tom asked John.
Looking up at the night sky, John pointed. “That’s the north star,” he explained. “Use the end of the big dipper, go straight to the little dipper at the end and that’s it.”
“That’s so cool,” Tom said, amazed.
“Think we will have any problems in this national forest?” Jasmine asked.
“I hope not. I’m not in the mood to go cross-country here,” Nathan said, making sure Emma wasn’t in the way when he climbed up on his saddle. Jasmine watched him move the sling with Emma around till it was comfortable. She was willing to bet, the comfort was for Emma not for Nathan.
She was tempted to ask again but just climbed up on her horse. “When do we get out of Arkansas?” she asked.
“Tomorrow,” Amanda answered, climbing on her horse.
Jasmine fought not to snap at Amanda as Nathan trotted over on Smoke. “What is it, Jasmine?” Nathan asked.
“I added up what we have for food. Twenty days,” she said. Nathan nodded. “I went over our route and if we can keep our average at forty miles a day, we can be there in thirty days,” she informed him.
“You’re right. But we didn’t see the National Guard here rebelling and getting caught up in things,” Nathan said. “Keep you goal in mind but your focus on the here and now.” Jasmine fell in with the rest as Nathan led them on.
Off to the north they heard pops of gunfire. Coming from the end of the group, John rode up to Nathan. “What kind of gun was that?” he asked.
“Rifle, a big one. Civilian automatic, probably .30-06 about five miles away,” Nathan answered. Satisfied, John reined in his horse, waiting for the others to pass.
Jasmine fell back with him. “What was that about?” she asked.
“Just wanted to see if it was military,” he said.
“He knew?” Jasmine asked in shock.
John scoffed, “Yeah.”
Not able to take it, Jasmine trotted up to Nathan. “You mean you can tell what kind of gun is shooting from the sound?” she asked, not convinced.
“It’s not that hard. Once you’ve heard them it’s easy,” he said.
“Really?” she asked unconvinced.
She rode beside him in silence until off to the southwest they heard more gunfire. “What was that, Jasmine?” Nathan asked.
“Shit, I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Hear that pop-pop?” he asked. “That is an AR or M-4 platform like yours.”
Jasmine closed her eyes and heard it again. Then another gun shot in the same direction. “It’s two of them,” she said.
“Very good,” Nathan said, taking a drink of water. Smiling, she rode beside him and asked about each gunshot they heard.
The sporadic gunfire continued in the distance, day and night. That was one of the new norms in this new world.
Chapter 3
Day 36
Amanda knelt down beside Nathan. “Nathan, it’s time to get up,” she said. Just before dawn the rain had stopped them before they reached their planned campsite. They had made camp ten miles from the Missouri state line.
Not wanting to, Nathan opened his eyes reluctantly. “It’s nasty out there. Let’s bed down till it blows over.”
Amanda glanced out the tent door. “We’ve packed up already. This tent will be down when you get up,” she said walking out.
Giving up, Nathan climbed out of his sleeping bag and found Emma sound asleep, curled up in a little ball. Nathan shook his head. “Don’t know when you climbed in but I’m glad I didn’t roll over on you,” he said getting ready. Hearing how hard the rain was coming down, he pulled out his duster and threw it to the side. He had already learned a valuable lesson about waking up a two-year-old crudely, so he gently shook Emma awake.
Emma sat up smiling and Nathan helped her get dressed in her little poncho. When he opened the door she squealed and ran out in the rain, laughing. “I knew she was brain damaged,” Nathan grumbled, tying his sleeping bag to his pack. Throwing on his duster he picked up his pack and the carnal verbs started to fly.
Amanda ran back in, “What the hell are you cussing at?” she asked looking around.
Cutting his eyes at her, “Nothing,” Nathan snapped, buckling his pack on and grabbing his rifle. Walking past her, Nathan noticed everyone had on their dusters, trying to combat the rain. “We are going to get soaked,” Nathan said, walking over pulling Emma out of a mud hole.
“Here’s some coffee,” Jasmine said, handing him a cup. Not in a good mood, Nathan took the cup and watched the others take down the tent.
“Anyone see anything on guard duty?” Nathan asked as Jasmine took Emma to feed her some oatmeal. Jasmine shook her head as Nathan looked up at the sky. “I hope you guys realize this is going to last awhile,” he said. He adjusted his sling from two point to one point, letting his hang off his side.
Happy that Emma was eating without being forced, Jasmine smiled at her. “You said we would have to move when weather was bad and we just had a break.”
“I want you to remember that when everyone is soaked and freezing tonight,” Nathan said, taking off his pack and helping with the tent.
She watched him, then looked at Emma, who was smiling. “Do you mind getting wet, Emma?”
“No,” Emma said as she took a bite of oatmeal.
Watching Emma’s cheeks swell up like a chipmunk, Jasmine laughed and kissed her on the head.
“Me either,” Jasmine said.
When the tent was loaded the group did the morning workout, then Nathan pulled out the map. Sitting on his pack, he studied the map as everyone gathered around. “Guys, we are going to have to stay close together in this weather. This is our rally point,” he told them and passed around the map. “Try to stay as dry as you can. If you start to shiver let me know so we can stop and warm up. Make sure you have batteries for your night vision and radio, but don’t use the radio unless you have to.” The map was handed back. “It will be easy to get separated in this, so stay awake.”
They all climbed on their horses and Nathan waited till they were ready. He laughed at the donkeys shaking their big ears in the rain. The pack horse really looked indifferent to the rain, unlike Smoke. She kept shaking her mane, throwing water up at Nathan. “Hey, that’s enough,” Nathan snapped as he situated Emma, already feeling water soaking his legs. Draping the ends of the duster over his legs he sat up and noticed everyone was ready.
Kicking Smoke, Nathan led them back to the dirt road. They were barely a mile away before the rain started to come down harder, cutting visibility to less the fifty yards. Emma grabbed his duster and closed it over her, leaning back in her sling. “Oh, you get to close the door and leave me outside,” Nathan said looking down.
“Waa-waa!” Emma hollered under his coat. With the noise the rain was making, he barely heard her. Shaking his head, Nathan tightened up his boonie hat and rode on. With the rain falling as hard as it was he had to check the map more and more. Even doing that and going slower, he almost missed the dirt road taking them into Missouri.
Lightning rippled across the sky as they turned down the small dirt road. Trees close to the edge gave them some shelter from the wind. Lowering the NV monocular, Nathan studied the map hard, trying to guess their speed. Tucking the map away he turned off the NV monocular, it didn’t help. Nathan just stayed between the shadowy outlines of the trees on the side of the road.
Just before midnight the rain slackened and Nathan turned on his NV and stopped to look around. Looking down the road and back up it he eased his horse over to the ditch with the others following. Pulling out the map Nathan tried to get his bearing as he looked down at the road. It was wider than it should’ve been and looked rather good, not like what they had been traveling on.
John moved up beside him. “This road looks really well traveled,” he observed.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking,” Nathan said looking at the map.
Amanda leaned over. “There is no way we missed the turn off.”
“Like hell,” Nathan said. “We could’ve passed a marching band and not known it.”
“Are we lost?” Amanda asked.
“No,” Nathan replied. “I just don’t know our precise location.”
Sighing, “That’s what being lost means Nathan,” Amanda enlightened him.
“No, being lost means you don’t know where in the fuck you are,” Nathan snapped. Amanda jumped back. Jasmine was taking a breath to retort when Nathan spoke. “I know roughly where we are, within a few miles.”
Seeing Nathan was irritated, Jasmine modified her tone. “Then do we go back?”
Nathan tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “Will everyone give me a minute please unless you want to lead this circus?” he cried out. Hearing that, the others backed their horses away a step.
Nathan studied the map then looked around. He couldn’t see any landmarks. “Did we pass over a bridge?” he asked.
“No,” John replied with certainty.
“How about a road to our left?” Nathan asked.
“Yes, but I’m not sure how far back,” Amanda replied in a voice just loud enough to be heard over the rain. She really didn’t want Nathan to be mad at her.
“Was it a long time ago?” Nathan asked looking up at her. Amanda nodded her head not wanting to answer. “Shit,” Nathan mumbled. “Stay here and don’t leave,” he said kicking Smoke to get her back on the road.
When Nathan was gone, John eased his horse over beside Amanda’s. “Amanda, when he’s wound up tight don’t try to piss him off,” John said.
“I was just telling him what lost means,” she mumbled.
“He knows what it means. We can’t upset him,” John said.
“I’m sorry,” Amanda mumbled.
John turned his horse away. “You didn’t upset me,” he said, watching the road the way they had come. There was very little light coming through the rain and clouds. But since the rain had let up from a torrential rainstorm to a steady downpour he could at least see with his NVGs. Granted he couldn’t see far but he could see.
They heard Nathan’s horse as he materialized on the road in front of them. They joined him in the road. “We overshot our turn by six miles. I’m sorry. We were moving faster than I thought we were.” Nathan told them pulling out his map.
“Nathan, it’s not your fault,” Amanda said. “We had to move by braille,” she told him.
“That we did, firecracker,” he said, chuckling. “I don’t want to turn around. If it starts raining hard again we could miss it again. We will continue on. The rally point stays the same. We are a mile east of Gateway, Arkansas.” He pointed out their location on the map, then put it away.
Everyone nodded and followed Nathan as he spun around and headed back down the road. He led them off the dirt road onto a blacktop county road. They followed along on the shoulder and in the ditch. It had been so long since they traveled near a real road they were nervous. They rode through the dark town, heading north. When they cleared the town, the rain stopped and the clouds parted, letting the starlight light up the countryside.
“Damn,” Nathan said, scanning around them but not seeing anything. He pulled out the thermal binoculars and turned them on. He saw some deer and hogs but not much else. Jasmine trotted up beside him.
“Nathan, I’m not complaining, but can we get off this road and back in the woods?” she asked.
“I would love to, but unless we backtrack we don’t have much choice. Look around. There are only fields around us.”
“I’m just saying,” she pouted, pulling her horse up to fall in behind Nathan. Nathan saw a dirt road to the left a half a mile ahead and checked the map. It was a farm road. It twisted and turned but it would get them off this road.
When he turned off the road he heard everyone sigh with relief. They passed several farms and large chicken houses that smelled a thousand times worse now that they were untended. Nathan stopped and motioned everyone close. All around them were small farms and pastures but no houses close. “Anyone want to stop and eat?” he asked.
“Fuck that! Let’s get the hell out of here,” Amanda shot back in a hushed voice.
Casey slapped her arm. “Amanda,” she admonished under her breath. Nathan just spun his horse around and rode on.
Several gunshots rang out in the distance. Nathan quickly led the group to the ditch and waited. They heard several more and Nathan waited. Everyone bunched close together. “That was close,” Jasmine informed Nathan.
Nathan closed his eyes, biting his tongue. When he was sure he wouldn’t unload he turned to her. “Yes, less than a mile. That’s why we’re in a ditch,” he replied.
Feeling a bit stupid for pointing that out to Nathan, Jasmine shrugged. “Sorry.”
“I’m glad you knew that but consider why I got off the road,” he said. He looked north with the thermal. “What kind of guns?” he asked the group.
“Several high powered rifles and shotguns,” John said.
“I heard at least one AR,” Jasmine replied.
“Very good! Both of you are correct. From the sounds of it they are near Washburn,” Nathan said. “Stay close,” he said moving back up to the road. They finally turned off the road heading north on to another one heading west. They heard several more gunshots much closer now to the north. Suddenly in the field on their right a spotlight shone, searching the field.
Na
than kicked Smoke, leading them in the ditch. When Nathan looked over the road, he saw the spotlight sweeping the field. There were several spotlights out and some were aimed away from them. He turned on the thermal. On a road almost half a mile away he saw a line of trucks, cars, and motorcycles. Then he spotted a person running through the field and heard a gunshot. The bullet hit the dark running shape. He lowered the thermal to see the spotlight shining on a body. Faint cheers reached them from over the field. Bringing the thermal back up, he noticed several more dark shapes lying out in the field. Dropping the thermals and letting them hang around his neck, he looked back at the field studying how the group was spread out.
Bringing the thermals back up, Nathan scanned the field once more with the thermal and spotted more people running in every direction. He looked ahead where they had to go. He didn’t see any heat sources for people on the road they were on but figured that would soon change. He kicked Smoke, leading him along the ditch as the others followed.
Several more gunshots rang out but Nathan didn’t check the field. The shooters seemed to hit what they aimed at. Hearing engines crank up Nathan looked out across the field and saw trucks, motorcycles, and ATVs heading out into the field, chasing some people running. “Keep up,” Nathan said, leading Smoke up to the road and into a gallop.
The others followed, hearing the gunfire behind them. They almost jumped off their horses as Nathan spoke over their ear buds. “We need to make the forest ahead. It’s just over a mile.” Amanda’s heart was trying to beat out of her chest as she galloped beside Casey when a spotlight swept over the group. It was then Amanda learned her heart could be faster.
Once the light swept over them, their NV monoculars shut down. After passing them the light swept back, lighting them up. “Stay close and ride past me! Watch the area you are heading towards!” Nathan called over the radio, slowing Smoke.
Nathan brought up his rifle, aiming at the spotlight. “Eat me,” Nathan mumbled, and flipped the weapon to auto. Squeezing the trigger, he walked the rounds to the truck, sending the spotlight weaving over the field as the holder ducked. Changing magazines he looked down the road to see several ATVs pulling out of the field onto the road. Reaching down, Nathan pulled out a hand grenade. “Wish I could’ve had practice,” he said, pulling the pin and throwing it toward the ATVs.
Dark Titan Journey: Finally Home Page 3
