by Caryl McAdoo
“You’re more man than boy now,” his father had told him before shipping out that last time. “Act like it. Take care of your sister and brother.”
Jackson stood and stretched, thinking Dad would be proud of him for stepping up. But he needed to remain focused on the there and then. Thinking four or five moves ahead might be the thing to do in a game of chess, but it was no game he played.
It was his life, and he only needed to concentrate on his next move.
Then putting the moves together, one after another, he would accomplish his goal.
Without fail, he had to get them all to his grandparents in one piece.
Easing over to where the boys sat, he waited until the nerd told his brother his latest move. “Hey, guys.” He looked to Al. “Where’s that moon chart?”
The whiz pointed to his pack. “Right on top, sir.”
Jackson retrieved it then leaned against a tree. The moon rose at eight-ten tonight. He pulled out his map. It showed the railroad, but not the high-lines. “McKenzie, get me the old man’s note. I want to take another look at it.”
“Please goes a long way, you know.” She pulled it from the back of her book. scooted over, then held it out. “Here.”
Right after the N on RR was what he figured would be another pylon number. Shame it didn’t have distances like Google Maps. He’d just have to check every high line number that cut across the railroad. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too far.
He didn’t care much for walking on the crossties, especially through the northern suburb cities of Dallas. He remembered his mom and dad talking about how there just wasn’t any country out there anymore; how the little cities had grown together all the way to McKinney. Plus, he didn’t know the area like he knew Irving.
But so far, the note had proved trustworthy.
Jackson waited until moonrise to get going, hoping to make fifteen miles that night. But if everyone was as tired as he, that might be too ambitious. The moon rose on the backside of full. So how many more nights would they be able to see well enough to travel? He had to get them out of the Metroplex.
Aria slowed until she walked beside him. “You sore?”
“Yes, how are you feeling?”
“Not too bad. Al says the wound is looking much better. I’m still not used to him being my doctor though.” She walked in silence for a while. “You have a girlfriend?”
“Not really. What about you? Did you have anyone special?”
“There was this one boy, but…” She shrugged. “Well, he acted pretty goofy over me, but I must admit, it was getting old. And his jealousy…he was just out of control. Didn’t want me looking at anyone else, much less talking to them.”
“Some guys are like that.”
She bumped her shoulder against his, but softly. “Are you one of those guys?”
“No way. If someone doesn’t want to be with me, then I’m not getting all idiot over it. Dad always says girls are like buses, there’ll be another one along in a few minutes.”
She bumped him again. “That’s terrible, comparing girls to buses.”
“Maybe, but still true. There’s a lot of starfish in the sea.”
“So now girls are starfish. Actually, that sounds a little romantic. I like how you added the star to the old cliché.”
He laughed. “No. Girls are just girls.”
“True. And boys will be boys.” She touched his arm with her whole hand, from the tips of her fingers to the heel of her palm, and it shot through him like the current that should be running on those high wires. “But you’re acting more like a man, Jackson.”
He bumped her back and smiled. That was maybe the best compliment anyone had ever given him. “Thank you for noticing.”
“You’re welcome. Will you do me a favor?”
“Sure, if I can.”
She leaned in close and whispered. “Would you take over changing my bandages? I’ve tried not to let it bother me, but Al just gives me the creeps.”
He looked at the nerd. He and Coop were walking the crossties together right behind the dog. McKenzie kept up the pace between them and him. “Has he done anything he shouldn’t?”
“No, but…” She shrugged and looked up at him.
“But what?”
“It’s just, if someone has got to touch me, I’d rather it be you.”
“Okay, but I think it’ll be more appropriate to get my sister, and let’s not make a big deal about it. I’ll say something, then Al can show her how the first time.”
“But can she? She seems to hate the sight of it.”
“We’ll see.”
The boys reached an intersection and stopped short just like Jackson had told them to do. He joined them. “Keep it real quiet for a while; on the other side of this street, the tracks run through two neighborhoods. We don’t want to wake anyone.”
“How far have we come?”
“We’ve gone almost five miles, Sis. Why?”
“Do you know how much longer we have to be on these stupid tracks?”
His eyebrows shrugged. “Not a clue. My map doesn’t show the high-lines. We’re just going to have to stay with the railroad until some pylons cross them then check the numbers against the note.”
“I like walking on the crossties.”
McKenzie gave Cooper her best you’re-being-an-idiot look. “The ties are terrible. The distance between them is too short, and skipping one is too long.”
“Sorry, walk on the rocks. Doesn’t matter either way. We’re on the tracks for now, so what good does complaining do? Now be quiet, and let’s get going.”
A few fires flickered off in the distance, none of them close. Twice, dogs barked but Boggs didn’t answer or appear to be concerned. Man, he loved that dog. Hopefully, when he came back to look for his mother, Boggs would want to come with him. But if he didn’t, it would be comforting to know the guardian watched over Coop and McKenzie in his absence.
Something inside assured him that she was still alive, same as his father. He could feel it in his bones or gut or wherever a person sensed such things.
Aria walked next to McKenzie; apparently, she’d flirted enough with him. If she’d been in one of his classes, he definitely would have been interested. But at school, would she have given him the time of day? Enough girls had called him handsome, so he figured he wasn’t so hard to look at. Still, he’d never attracted a girl as pretty or exotic as Aria.
Those chicks usually went for the older guys with fast cars and their daddy’s credit cards. Far as he was concerned, they were stuck-up snobs, and he couldn’t stand the type, all looking down their noses. Maybe Aria lived by that golden oldie song: if you can’t be with the one you love…you know, baby…go ahead and love the one you’re with.
Some of the guys used to tease him for knowing all those old sixties and seventies songs, but he liked them. Guess he knew all the old songs’ lyrics as well as his mom. She said she knew them from her parents playing them all the time. The music his grandparents had grown up on told stories and came in so many varieties.
Well, he did like some of the new stuff, but not a lot of it.
Guess it didn’t matter anymore.
Without electricity, there’d be no radios and no CD players either. Now, MP3s might work again someday, wouldn’t they? He’d have to ask Al, but without really asking. Other than what some musicians remembered, for the most part, he guessed all the old music was lost.
The wind stiffened, and the temperature fell a good ten degrees. A drop of rain stung his cheek. Oh great, a storm blowing in? Just great. He zipped up his army coat. It sure was nice of Aria’s Poppy to put so much stuff away. He must have spent a pile of dough on it. Did greenskeepers make a lot of money?
For the next bit, the rain steadily increased. He had to get them in somewhere dry. It wouldn’t do at all to get soaked in the cold night. The younger boys stopped at the next intersection. He joined them, searching the surroundings. “What’s that?”
&
nbsp; McKenzie glanced at him. “What’s what?”
He nodded toward building-shaped shadows across the street. Looked pretty big. “Over there. Let’s check it out; we need to get out of this rain.”
A school building rose right there next to the tracks. How could it be more perfect? Jackson got his troupe under a wide covered walkway then worked his way around the brick building. Couldn’t find an open door or a broken window, though. How had it gone this long without being vandalized or taken over as a fortress?
He found a courtyard between two buildings. “Al.”
“Yes, sir.”
“See if you can find a rock or something that I can use to break a window.”
“Wait.” Cooper looked behind him. “That tree there. Help me up it, and I can get on the roof.”
McKenzie grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare. You’ll fall and break something.”
Jackson took her hand off his arm. “Stop talking for mom. Coop’s the best tree climber I know, and he’s right. There may be a way in without breaking a window. That’d definitely be better.”
“Whatever.” She snuggled into her jacket’s front collar. “He better not get hurt, or I’m blaming you.”
“Come on, Coop.”
Al stepped up. “Wait.” He held out a candle and one of the lighters from Aria’s drum. “You’ll need this once you’re in.”
“Good idea.”
His brother got onto the roof, no problem, but the longer he was gone, the worse Jackson’s gut rumbled and twisted. Why hadn’t he listened to McKenzie? Then after what seemed like hours, but was only maybe ten minutes, the door flew open. Cooper, holding his candle, grinned at them. “Come on, everyone! It’s dry and a lot warmer in here.”
After exploring, Jackson figured the nurse’s suite would be the best place to bed down for the rest of the night—two separate rooms that all locked from the inside with no windows.
“Okay, people, let’s get some rest.” He nodded toward the inner room. “You ladies take that room. We’ll be out here.”
McKenzie gave him her stop-being-king look then held her hand out. “We need candles and matches.”
He let Al and Cooper have the cots, so tired he didn’t care where he lay down. Boggs curled at the edge of his little master’s bed. Once the boys finally shut up, the rhythmic rain patter mesmerized Jackson. Cold and rainy, no one would be out in that mess. Safe. No need to sleep with one eye open.
Plus, there was always the wonderful dog.
Sometime later, wetness woke him. He opened his eyes to a black darkness and for just a few seconds, didn’t know where he was. He swiped at his cheek and knocked away a cold nose. He pushed it away. “Boggs, get back! What is it?”
The dog didn’t answer.
Jackson rolled over to his hands and knees then stood. He groped his way to the door and eased it open. Daylight filled the outer office, streaming in from a row of skylights that faced the hall. He looked back, the cots were empty. Man, how long had he slept?
Boggs walked to the outer office’s door then looked back at him. “Okay, I get it. You need to go.”
He found the door to the courtyard, grabbed the teacher’s chair out of the closest classroom and propped it open. The dog hurried out. Jackson went to hunting his people. He chuckled to himself. Was that what they were? His people? McKenzie and Cooper were for sure, but what about the other two?
Short-stopping the boy’s toilet, by habit he hit the handle. To his surprise, it flushed. He found the others in the cafeteria’s kitchen; each had a spoon eating out of a really big can of stew. McKenzie held out a clean one toward him. “Here. Dig in, There’s plenty.”
Cold canned stew, it had come to that. Yuk. But he took a bite, and it wasn’t nearly as bad as he expected. Sure filled the empty hole in his stomach. After several bites, he pointed his spoon at Al. “The toilets work.”
“I identified that datum earlier this morning, or…should I say afternoon?” He grinned.
“How come?”
“I’m uncertain.”
Cooper held his hand up.
“What, you little goofus? Just because you’re in a school doesn’t mean you need permission to talk.”
“There’s a big ol’ huge tank up on the roof.”
Grabbing another bite, Al walked to the sink and turned on both faucets. Water ran just like the flash had never happened. He turned the right side off, but held his hand under the other one.
McKenzie glared at him. “What are you doing? Don’t waste it.”
“Wait a minute, please. I’m developing an assessment.” He put his wrist under the water for a minute then turned it off. “It’s getting warmer. The district must have installed a passive solar heater system on the roof.”
“Are…you saying…there’s hot water?”
“Yes, sir, it is definitely getting warmer.”
McKenzie jumped up and down with her hands clasped below her chin and a smile stretching across the entire width of her narrow face. “Warm enough to take a shower?”
“I’m quite certain.”
She ran her fingers through her greasy locks. “I hate dirty hair. Let’s find the gym showers.”
Jackson took another bite.
A hot shower and a full belly.
In such days, what more could someone ask for?
The warm water cascaded down her body. Aria hadn’t used bar soap in forever, but the suds cleaned and were way better than nothing. The fresh smell of it alone seemed like Heaven. She didn’t want to get out, but turned the luscious water off. Drying with one of the school’s rough white towels, she wrapped the itchy army blanket around her then walked into the dressing room.
McKenzie, wearing the other one, worked on wringing out their freshly washed clothes.
She didn’t want to help. Her poppy always did her laundry, but only having one outfit and Jackson’s sister not being a maid... She smiled. The girl might never be anything more than a sister either if she treated boys the way she treated her brother. Well, the nerd seemed to be a bit smitten with her, but who’d ever want that jerk?
“Here, let me help.”
The girl handed over her jeans. “Put them on the other side of those lockers. I’ve got a bench out in the sun.” McKenzie nodded to her right.
“Sure. Do you have any idea how long it might take? This blanket is like, not me.”
McKenzie laughed a deep chuckle. Aria liked the sound of it. Maybe there was more to Jackson’s sister than she thought. She spread the jeans out, pressing them with her hands. Didn’t do much for the wrinkles, but oh well, at least they would be clean. She turned. An arm went around her throat and jerked her backward.
“Jackson!” She struggled and screamed at the top of her lungs. But a hand covered her mouth and muffled her cry. The arm at her throat closed off her air.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The scream pulled McKenzie into the other room. A man had his hand over Aria’s mouth. He held her by the neck, his other arm under her throat. He dragged her toward the door. The poor girl clutched the blanket, her only cover. Fear filled her widened eyes.
“No! Stop!” McKenzie stepped toward them and screamed over her shoulder. “Jackson! Help!” She gathered her blanket up, hitched it tight, and ran straight for the guy. Just before she plowed into him, she put her forearm up in front of her face. She knocked them both to the ground.
Aria kicked and fought hysterically. She wiggled free, frantically pulling her blanket with her. The man swung at McKenzie with his right arm.
She blocked his swing. Grabbing hold of his wrist, she yanked his forearm to her mouth. She bit down as hard as she could.
The guy screamed a string of curse words. He whopped her head with his other arm. “Stop it, you little spit!” He flailed at her with his free hand.
She ground her teeth in deeper until she tasted hot, salty blood, and kept a tight hold.
Aria scrambled away from the struggle. “Help, Jackson! Al, help!”
The door flew open. “Stop, you, you! Release that girl!” Al charged the guy and hit him hard. McKenzie squirmed free and spit out a mouthful of the guy’s blood.
The man got the best of Al. Got him in a choke hold.
Jackson ran in with the gun pulled. He aimed right at the man’s face. “Freeze, or I’ll blow your head off.”
McKenzie gathered her blanket tight and stood.
“Whoa, kid. Put that hog leg away. We’re good here.” The guy cowered against the wall.
“Let my friend go.”
The man released Al who scurried over next to McKenzie.
“Shoot him, shoot him dead!”
She glanced at Aria—was she crazy?—then back to her brother. “No, Jackson, don’t.”
The vengeful girl stepped beside him and shook his shoulder. “He almost choked me to death. Shoot him! He’s an animal.”
“No, Aria! That’s murder!” McKenzie glared at the girl. “Jackson, you can’t. You just cannot kill him.” Her stomach knotted, and her breath caught in her throat. Jackson cocked the gun. She couldn’t let him do it. “Oh, Lord, please don’t let my brother murder this man in cold blood. Please stop him!”
He pulled the gun back a bit, but kept it pointed at the intruder. “Where’d you come from?”
“You going to shoot me?”
“Yes, he is.” Aria elbowed Jackson. “Stop talking to the filthy rat and kill him. He put his hands on me. He hurt me. If McKenzie hadn’t have been here…” She stepped toward the guy and kicked him again, this time in his kidney. “Kill him, Jackson. He doesn’t deserve to live!”
McKenzie stepped between her brother and the girl, pushing her aside. “That’s enough, now hush! He’s not shooting anyone.”
Jackson nodded at the man. “Not right this minute, anyway. Now answer me. Where did you come from?”
“The neighborhood.”
“How’d you get in?”
The guy looked up. “The sky window.”
“You by yourself?”
He nodded. “School here’s a goldmine. My secret. Ain’t told no one.”
“Al.”
“Yes, sir.”
