“Thanks. I can’t see them from out here. Keep an eye out for me, my line of sight isn’t as good as yours, over,” Nathan said, coming up to the semi. He walked to the back of the trailer, squatted down, and duck-walked under.
“Little guy, I’m here to see if you’re okay,” Nathan said, looking toward the back axles. Crammed over them was a small boy, looking at Nathan with terror in his eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you. If I tried the dog here would rip my arm off. He likes kids and anyone that tries to hurt them he bites really hard,” Nathan said. The boy’s expression went from terror to total surprise.
“Ares, come say hi,” Nathan called out. Ares moved over beside him looking at the kid, panting. The kid saw the blood on Ares’s mouth and scooted back. “Those guys were trying to hurt a kid. I told them to stop but they didn’t, so Ares stopped them,” Nathan explained.
The kid looked at Ares and gave a little smile. “I’m Nathan. Who are you so I can tell Ares?” Nathan asked, but the boy didn’t look at him.
Seeing he wasn’t going to answer, “If you come with us, Ares will keep you safe,” Nathan offered. The kid looked at him with doubt on his face. “We have food.”
The kid just stared at him and never moved. It was then that Nathan noticed the kid was shivering and his lips had a bluish tint. “We can get you warm,” Nathan said and sat there waiting. He stayed crouched over for ten minutes and neither he nor the kid moved. “If I was going to hurt you I would’ve done it by now,” Nathan said, and the boy moved back from him.
John came over his ear bud. “That group is starting to get close to you, over.”
“People are coming and they know where you are hiding. We have to go,” Nathan said, but the boy didn’t move. Nathan looked at Ares. “I knew this was a bad idea,” he said moving toward the boy. Like an animal, the boy growled at him and grunted.
Nathan dove between the trailer and axles, grabbing the kid’s arm. As Nathan started pulling him out the kid bit his hand. Nathan grunted and pulled the kid out. Nathan held him tightly, carefully prying his hand out of the kid’s mouth. Taking off his glove and looking at his hand Nathan saw little teeth marks but no broken skin. Putting his glove on and trying to keep the kid from thrashing about, Nathan spun him around, putting the kid’s back to his chest.
“I didn’t bite you,” Nathan said carrying the kid out from under the trailer and standing up. Turning around he saw the group John had called out thirty yards away. The kid was growling and kicking. Several kicks had come close to the jewels. Nathan tucked the kid under his left arm as the group looked at him.
“You know, some days it doesn’t pay to get up,” Nathan said as several in the group pointed at him. Many of them brought weapons out, and, though nobody pointed one at him, they were aimed in his general direction. As one, the group moved toward him and Nathan turned his radio to voice so the others could hear what he said.
A man with a green hat and black beard stopped in front of the group. “Kid yours?” he asked.
“No, but don’t see how it’s any of your business,” Nathan said.
“Doesn’t look like he wants to go with ya, so I’m making it my business,” Green Hat challenged.
“You walked past three dead men that were trying to rape two women. If you keep going you’ll find the other three, dead like their friends. I don’t like people sticking their nose in my business,” Nathan said.
Green Hat chuckled. “You’re awful brave for one man.”
This caused Nathan to laugh, unnerving the group. “Who the hell said I was alone? You have snipers aiming at you now.” The others looked around nervously.
“Bullshit,” the man said. The kid never stopped kicking and grunting, trying to get out of Nathan’s arm. Nathan looked at the group and noticed one of the group standing apart from the others.
“Tell you what, your man there in the red rubber boots,” Nathan said, motioning with his head. “How about one of my boys kills him to prove this is our road? You act bad here and we kill you.”
Red boots froze and the others looked at him. “Hey now, wait, we was just thinkin’ you was going to hurt the kid,” Green hat said, holding up his hands. “Everyone, get your hands off your guns,” he said over his shoulder.
“Smart,” Nathan said. “Now you may continue. But if you hurt innocent people on this part of the road, you will die.”
“Hey, mister,” Green hat said, and Nathan put his right hand on his pistol.
“Sir, you ask me for food an’ I’ll shoot you. Don’t you think if I had some to spare I would give it to you? As it is right now this kid beating the shit out of me will get what little I have,” Nathan said with a cold stare.
The entire group raised their hands up. “Sorry, sir,” Green hat said.
“You better get moving, we have a motorcycle gang close,” Nathan said, pulling the still-kicking and grunting kid back to his chest. His arm was getting tired.
Green hat nodded his head. “Yes sir, we saw a few of ‘em ten miles back.”
“Well hurry along, because when they get here, they will get upset,” Nathan said, wiping water off his face. The group hurried past and Nathan held the kid out at arm’s length, “Hey I saved you. Will you stop?”
Never in his life had Nathan ever seen such a feral look on a human. Grunts and growls escaped the boy as Nathan turned to see the group walking past the three men he shot. Getting tired of the feral child, Nathan headed to the exit ramp. He was tempted to just try to cross the field since the rain had picked up. Looking at the barn his group was in, Nathan could barely make out the shape, much less see it clearly.
Leaving the interstate he was soon walking in standing water again, but it was deeper than before, coming almost to his knees. Ares moaned as he swam/walked beside Nathan. “Don’t whine at me. I wanted to leave Mowgli and see if the wolves would raise him but the others wanted him,” Nathan snapped.
The last half mile the kid quit kicking and swinging, but he still grunted at Nathan. A shiver ran up Nathan’s spine as cold seeped in. His feet were so numb he could barely feel them as he dodged a floating body turning off the road. Walking toward the barn, Nathan noticed water was all the way up to the house. The barn fared better with the water about ten yards around it making the barn look like it was on an island.
Jasmine opened the door and Nathan walked in, heading to the gas grill shivering. He handed the kid to Jasmine. “Careful, it bites hard,” he said, stripping wet clothes off.
Amanda handed him a towel. “Why’s he acting like that?” she asked, looking at the boy. His hair was golden blond and looked like rats had been sleeping in it. His wild eyes were a deep blue and his skin was tanned. The only clothes he wore were Star Wars underwear. Cuts and scrapes covered his thin arms and legs. His stomach was just slightly swollen, making his body look smaller.
“Scared,” Nathan said. “Dry off Ares please. He had to swim to get Mowgli,” Nathan said, drying off.
“He’s named after the kid in the Jungle Book?” Amanda asked, amazed.
“No, that’s what I called him after he beat the hell out of me,” Nathan said as she started drying off Ares. Normally Ares didn’t tolerate this as Amanda had found out, but today he was enjoying getting dry.
The others gathered around Jasmine as she held the boy tightly, talking gently to him. Seeing the other kids, he stopped growling and looked at them with narrowed eyes. Emma walked up to him holding out her sippy cup to him, “Waa-waa,” she said.
“Grrrr,” the kid growled at her, making her jump back with tears coming to her eyes.
“Hey, that’s enough!” Nathan shouted, dropping his towel and storming over. “You hurt her and I will punt you like a football, boy!” Nathan bellowed as he snatched up Emma, hugging her tightly. The boy jumped back, clutching Jasmine for protection. This totally caught her off guard. One second the kid was trying to beat her, the next he was clinging to her for protection.
Furrowing her brow at Nathan,
“Nathan, don’t scare him like that,” she snapped.
“Hey, girl!” Nathan shouted. “If he had hurt Emma, I would’ve put you through that wall!” The color drained from Jasmine’s face.
“You okay, doodle bug?” Nathan asked looking at Emma. She grinned at him and slobbered on his face.
“Woof,” Emma said, pointing at Ares and paying the boy no attention.
Nathan hugged her. “Good girl. Yes, that’s what Ares says. He’s a dog,” Nathan said.
Jasmine looked down at the boy. He was just staring at Nathan interacting with Emma. The look was one of remembrance and longing. “Nathan,” she said quietly.
Not turning around instantly, Nathan controlled his anger and slowly looked at Jasmine. When he saw the kid’s face, he felt like total shit. Nathan sat on the floor and crossed his legs, then pulled Emma in his lap. Looking at the kid Nathan let out a long sigh. “You can’t hurt them, and I won’t let them hurt you, understand?” Nathan asked slowly.
When the little boy looked at him and nodded, Nathan almost fell over. It was the first time he had actually communicated, except when he bit and fought Nathan. That’s pretty much universal for “leave me the hell alone.” “What’s your name?” Nathan asked.
The kid just gave him a blank stare, then looked at Emma and gave a little smile. “John, hand me a food bar from the side of my pack,” Nathan said. John handed him some food bars and stepped back. “Want some food?” Nathan asked, holding up the bar.
Hearing food, the boy moved his gaze from Emma to Nathan’s hand. Slowly licking his lips, he nodded his head. “Sit in Jasmine’s lap the right way and you can have this,” Nathan offered. The boy turned, putting his legs across Jasmine’s, sitting on her lap. Taking the wrapper off the bar, Nathan handed it over.
Even Nathan had trouble following the boy’s hand. The food bar was suddenly gone from Nathan’s hand and the boy was trying to shove the whole thing in his mouth, actually choking himself. Jasmine pulled his hands back and the boy growled at her.
“Hey, she’s helping you,” Nathan snapped loudly. “You’re starting to look like a football, boy,” Nathan warned. “Take small bites and if you do, we will give you more,” Nathan added, never seeing the look of anger on Jasmine’s face.
In all reality, it was Jasmine who should’ve been thankful for that. She slowly placed the food bar to his mouth, keeping her fingers back as he bit off a piece. “Give him some juice,” Nathan said over his shoulder. Hearing ‘juice’ the boy stopped chewing and turned to Nathan with a shocked expression.
Amanda poured a flavor packet in a bottle of water and carried it over. Nathan stopped her and took the bottle. “He can’t hurt me?” she told Nathan as he took the bottle.
Nathan pulled her down to him, “Yes he can, maybe not bad but you guys are my kids and family. If he hurt you I wouldn’t see him as a kid so let me give it to him,” Nathan told her. Lost for words, Amanda wrapped her arms around Nathan’s neck squeezing him tight enough to make his face change colors.
“I love you so much Nathan,” Amanda said on the verge of tears.
“I love you too,” Nathan said in a raspy voice. Amanda heard it and let him go.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Please,” Nathan said and turned to the boy, who had just watched the exchange in wonder. “The lady whose lap you’re sitting in is Jasmine. She will hold this while you drink so you don’t spill it or get sick,” Nathan said, handing the bottle to Jasmine.
Staring at the bottle, the boy raised his hands to grab it then looked at Nathan, who shook his head with a hard look on his face. The boy turned to Jasmine, who was just smiling at him. Dropping his hands down to his lap, he opened his mouth. Jasmine let him drink a quarter of the bottle then pulled it back. Before the boy could grab at it she put the food bar to his lips.
“Why’s his belly so big? Did he eat too much?” Casey asked.
“No, he’s starving,” Nathan said. “It’s called Kwashiorkor, from severe protein deficiency. It’s not as bad as I’ve seen but another week or so and he would’ve died,” Nathan explained.
“Is he going to be okay?” Casey asked walking over.
Shrugging his shoulders, “I don’t know, can he? Yes, but it’s up to him.”
“He is coming with us, right?” Casey asked with a worried expression.
“Only if he acts right. If he presents a danger I will give him some food and leave him,” Nathan said, shocking everyone. Seeing their reaction, “Hey guys, I’m not hauling y’all across the country to save everyone we come across. If someone poses a threat to your safety I’ll deal with them.”
“He’s a little boy,” Jasmine said.
Nathan looked at her with a calm face. “Do I feel sorry for him? Yes, I do but I won’t risk everyone’s safety over him.”
Blowing out a long breath, Jasmine fed the last of the food bar to the boy. “I know what you said is right but it doesn’t feel right.”
“John, Tom, go take watch till I get warm. Girls, get some sleep now. Jasmine, stay up with Mowgli. Don’t feed him anything else for at least an hour or he will get sick. Only give him the food bars from the side of my pack,” Nathan said.
Tom sat beside Nathan. “Nathan, it’s still raining. Don’t we want the water to go down before we leave?” he asked.
Looking up at him with a calm face, “What has to happen before the water can go down?” Nathan asked.
“Ah, stop raining,” Tom answered.
“Even after it stops the water will rise from the runoff,” Nathan said. “Did you notice how much the water rose in the time it took me to get Mowgli?”
“Only a little bit,” Tom answered. Jasmine coughed, not liking the name Mowgli.
“We are in a large, flat basin with the water rising. I don’t want to swim out of here on the horses,” Nathan explained. Tom nodded and followed John up the ladder to the loft. “Amanda, take Emma and lie down with her,” Nathan said.
Amanda stomped her foot. “Nathan, she wallows like a cow and slobbers all over me,” she whined.
“That’s tough,” Nathan said. Amanda picked up Emma. Nathan moved over to the boy and looked him over. When Nathan reached for his arm to look at the scrapes, the boy jerked back. “I’m just looking at your owwies,” Nathan explained.
Watching Nathan closely, the boy didn’t jerk back as Nathan looked at his scrapes and cuts. Then Nathan looked at his legs and feet. “You know, why can’t kids wear good shoes?” Nathan asked no one. “I mean a good pair of shoes will save them from so much agony,” he stated, looking at the filthy little feet with cuts and scrapes.
Getting up, Nathan walked to his pack and pulled his med kit and shaving bag from his pack. Looking around till he found a pail and went outside where he filled it with water pouring off the roof. He grabbed some towels and sat down in front of Jasmine as she rocked the boy.
“I hope you didn’t get that water off the ground,” she stated in a hushed voice.
“No, I found the septic system and pulled it from there,” he snapped at her making her jerk back. “I got it off the drain from the roof,” he added, soaking a towel.
“You could’ve just said that,” she mumbled.
Gently soaking the boy’s right foot, Nathan squirted some soap on it. “After all I’ve taught you and these kids, you really thought I didn’t have the intelligence to not use water with dead bodies floating in it?” he asked. After thinking about it, Jasmine decided it was best not to answer.
After an hour, Nathan sat back. “I don’t have the time to get him cleaned up. I have to let the boys take a nap so we can leave in a few hours,” Nathan said.
“What do I do?” Jasmine asked.
“Clean him gently. If you find any red looking cuts, put some ointment on them. He has a splinter in his left foot that I’m going to have to dig out but I don’t have the time now.” Nathan said standing up. Jasmine and the boy looked at him as he walked over to the ladder climbing up to th
e loft.
Chapter 5
Day 38
It was three in the afternoon when Nathan stood in the loft watching the rain come down. It never stopped. It would turn into a drizzle, then become a soaking rain with intermittent downpours. Only the interstate was above the water level now. Nathan pulled out the map again and grabbed his tablet. The closest rise in elevation was twenty miles northwest. It was where they wanted to go but he was sure the roads would be underwater. Everything depended on how much water was covering the roads.
Through the day he had watched more and more people gather on the interstate. “We can’t risk traveling on that,” he said looking out at the interstate. Not seeing an easy answer, Nathan stood up to get the group ready. He knew some were awake hearing them down in the barn. Climbing down he found Jasmine holding a cleaner little boy.
“How’s he doing?” Nathan asked, feeling his clothes. He smiled, finding they were dry.
“He’s doing better but still hasn’t talked,” she said, then held up her hand. “That was a huge splinter.”
Nathan looked over and saw her holding up a two-inch piece of wood in her hand. “He let you take it out without chewing your arm off?” he asked, amazed.
“Not really. He tried to bite me but I held him still. When I got it out and showed it to him he hugged me,” she said proudly.
“Get up,” Nathan said walking by everyone that was asleep tapping them with his foot. “You did good,” Nathan said looking back at Jasmine. “Find a blanket and poncho to put on him, he rides with you.” Nodding her head, Jasmine smiled and fed the boy some more of a food bar.
It barely took them an hour to get ready and Nathan opened the door of the barn to find the water less than a foot away. “Remember to only go where I go. If you can’t go to the rally point, don’t return here. Worst case, get to the rally point on I-35.” Nathan walked to the pack animals and pulled out the M-4 with the grenade launcher and SAW. He grabbed a few grenades and put them in his duster pocket.
Dark Titan Journey: Finally Home Page 6
