Deserted Lands (Novel): Toils and Snares

by Robert L. Slater

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  THE DAYS PASSED IN A hazy blur for Maria. Her father seemed to be getting weaker by the day. Abi had regressed to her zombified state from before Thanksgiving. She would follow directions, but if left alone, she would sit staring at the wall or the sky or the fire. Another bout of contractions had Anna out of commission again. Maria had convinced her to remain on her side next to her sick husband.

  It meant more work for the rest of them. Grandpa and Holly and James had helped set Brad up in the Moir place, but he did not spend much time there. Instead he busied himself with helping James and Grandpa get the corner of the roof patched and more wood cut. In the short gaps between rains they started dropping the small alders in the field, step one in returning it to Grandpa’s vision of a plowable field.

  One morning Brad stormed into the house; he pulled Maria toward the door. “Let’s go,” he mouthed with a soft wheezing sound.

  “I don’t understand.”

  He started to write on his pad. Panel

  “Panel truck boys?”

  He nodded and scribbled. Missing guns & ammo.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to take Grandpa or James?” Maria asked.

  Brad frowned and shook his head. Not here. Scavenging more meds for Holly. Scare boys.

  Maria shrugged. “Okay.” At the door she grabbed Grandma’s .22 again.

  Brad took it from her hands. He picked up a sighted rifle with a clip, checked that the clip was full and handed it to her. He picked up his rifle and squeezed her shoulder gently then motioned to the door.

  What the hell? I’m not going to kill anybody. Uncle Brad wouldn’t put her in danger. Would he? She followed him to the truck. She opened the door, but he shook his head, his finger to his lips. He headed up the trail to the road.

  About five minutes walk down the road, he pulled her over to the side, pointed up the embankment and set off, ferns swishing behind him.

  The climb was steep, but he wound back and forth working his way slowly upward. When they reached the top, Brad handed a small pair of camouflage binoculars to Maria.

  The two young men and their dogs were lounging around the campfire, drinking beer and smoking something. Pot, probably from the crappy roll job on their joint.

  She scanned the camp. “Shit.” A spotter scope pointed in the direction of the house. Through the trees she could see the log jam on the lake. “Bastards are watching us.” She scanned the rest of the camp. Two rifles leaned against the truck. “Guns against the truck,” she whispered.

  Brad put his finger to his lips, then two fingers to his eyes.

  Be quiet and watch. Maria clicked the safety off and lay down on the top of the hill where she could rest the rifle.

  Brad held his rifle in his right hand and pulled a revolver out of a shoulder holster. He nodded at Maria and slipped quietly down through the trees.

  Maria’s hands were sweaty on the rifle. She’d never shot anything but cans before. Could she shoot another human being? Hell of a way to find out. She stared into the sight at Rafe, the taller one, then slid her view over to Dave at the fire. But it wasn’t Dave. Damn. Where’s Dave? She pulled the binocs to her eyes and scanned the surrounding area. Nothing. She wanted to alert Brad, but that would blow his cover and give the boys time to get to their guns. Breathe.

  Brad was in their camp coming at them from behind that truck. He set something black inside the open door. Then the dogs were up and growling at the end of their leashes. He pulled his revolver and shot the dirt in front of the nearest dog, sending it yipping backward. He re-holstered the revolver, keeping his rifle pointed in between the men—not really threatening either of them.

  Brad pointed at the road. “Go,” she heard him croak. He aimed his rifle first at one and then the other.

  “Dave?” Rafe, the bigger, quiet one hollered.

  Brad spun on the other guy. Through the binocs she saw him realize that the other guy was not who he thought it was. “Thought there was only two of you.”

  “Jerry was sick,” Rafe said with a grin.

  Jerry nodded his head. His hair and beard was really similar to Dave’s..

  Brad still had his rifle pointed at the boys. “Go.” He said again. A bit louder. And a bit crazier.

  “Son of a bitch.” How close was Dave? Or was Rafe bluffing? They didn’t know she was here. Play it cool. Maria was sweating. She couldn’t shoot someone in cold blood.

  “I don’t think so.” Dave shouted from behind a tree. His rifle pointed at Brad.

  Maria’s eye found the scope and she centered the cross hairs on Dave. Her fingers trembled. Shoot the guy with the gun. Dave was in her sight, but her finger wouldn’t move. She shoved her hand in her pocket at pulled out the laser pointer. She pressed it against the rifle and pointed it at Dave.

  “Look at your chest, Dave,” she yelled. “Drop the gun or I’ll shoot.”

  He wasn’t putting it down. “Hello, Ms. Nunovyerbizness.” Dave yelled. “I’ve got your Uncle Brad covered with a rifle.”

  If he shot Uncle Brad, she knew she could kill him. But she couldn’t shoot first. If she shot and missed... Uncle Brad was dead for sure. “And he’s got both your friends covered. And I’ve got you. Uncle Brad here lost all his family to the plague. Don’t think he really cares if he dies or not. How about you, boys?”

  “Dave?” Rafe hollered. “Let’s get out of here. This guy is crazy.”

  Maria stared through the sight at Dave. She could see his jaw tense. He glanced down, then up at her. His rifle dropped. “All right. You let us go; we’re gone. Whole planet for the taking. You’re not fucking worth dying for.”

  Maria kept the laser pointed at Dave even as he raised his rifle over his head.

  Brad stepped back behind a tree, but kept his gun pointed at them.

  “Get in the van, Jerry,” Dave growled. “Rafe, you’re driving.”

  Maria dropped the laser, but kept Dave in the cross-hairs of the sight. He turned her stomach even from this distance. She had to trust that instinct. Bad news boys.

  They piled in the van and it rolled away.

  Her hands were shaking as she knelt to pick up the laser pointer. She let her legs carry her down the hill, but stuck to cover behind the trees.

  When the van was almost around the corner, Brad stepped out from behind the tree, raised his rifle and fired. Once, twice. The two red taillights flashed out as plastic tinkled onto the road. Well, they ought to think twice now.

  Brad jogged up toward her. She hugged him.

  “Thanks, Uncle Brad. You think they’ll stay gone?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know,” his voice rasped out. He returned her hug. “Thanks.”

  The walk back to the house was silent except for their breathing. Maria bobbled from guilt to triumph and back. Had they just flouted the rule of law or supported it?

  When they returned, Maria debriefed Grandpa and James on what had happened.

  Grandpa face twisted into a grimace. “They’ll stay away if they know what’s good for them.”

  James’ dark brows pulled together. He didn’t look happy about what she and Uncle Brad had done. “Either that or they’ll be pissed off enough to do something worse.”

  “James, I don’t think they’ll do that.” Maria put her hand on his cheek. “They know we’re equipped to take them out.”

  James’ worried glare didn’t waver. “They knew that before.”

  Brad nodded as he scribbled the notebook and it handed to James .

  Maria leaned around Uncle Brad to read it.

  I’ll keep lookout. From my place I can see anyone coming.

  “Okay,” James agreed. “We take turns.”

  Brad wrote more and showing it to Grandpa and Maria. Others? Less easy to scare off? Probably shouldn’t just shoot them. He wheezed out a half-laugh.

  “Nobody’s out here to charge, try, or convict us.” Grandpa did not smile. “Except ourselves. But we could put up signs. Plague free zone
. Violators will be shot.”

  “You think that would work?” Maria asked.

  “No,” Brad hissed.

  James stare stayed dark. “I could rig up some electronic warning devices, attach ‘em to cell phones and solar power. If I could find some power.”

  Brad scratched on the pad.

  Grandpa grinned. “That I can help with. The park put in some composting toilets with solar powered warmers. July Creek tourist stop and out on the park headquarters.”

  Brad handed the note around. Make the road impassable. Vehicles on the other side.

  “Yes. We could do that.” Grandpa nodded thoughtfully. “Some dogs for us might be a good idea. I let the neighbor dogs loose, but they’ve been sniffing around, begging for food.”

  You have access to explosives? Dynamite?

  Grandpa laughed loudly.

  An angry scowl clenched Brad’s face.

  Grandpa put his hands up in mock defense. “No offense, Brad. The river washes out the road every few years where the North Shore Road meets the South Shore. I’m pretty sure those boys don’t even know they can get here the back way. And over near 101, there’s a culvert we could block easily, maybe tomorrow. Road’ll be gone with the next heavy rain. No explosions to alert anyone. Nothing to make it look like anything more than Mother Nature having her way.” He clapped James on the shoulder. “How about taking a break from cutting firewood to drop a stump into the creek?”

  James’ face stayed stony. “Sounds like fun.”

  ~

  James, Grandpa and Brad had been gone from early morning until late at night the last three days. Maria sat in her father’s room writing a letter to the unborn baby, trying to remember all the details she cared to share about how she and James had met. Her first computer-based graphic design classes. He was great with tech, or had been before he dropped out to take care of his mom. And he’d been patient with her frustration. Her hand felt crampy; she could have written it all on a keyboard, but that wasn’t personal enough. She set aside the notebook and pen. Letting her eyes fall closed.

  The door swung open and Anna stood, one hand gripping the door jamb and the other on the door knob. “Maria. Time.”

  If Anna’s estimate of her due date was right, then she only two weeks to term.

  Holly came in to check on Anna, but Anna’s response was immediate and vitriolic.

  “I want her out. Now.” For being exhausted, Anna managed to sit up quite well.

  Holly took a deep breath, shrugged at Maria and left again.

  Maria followed her as Anna lay back down.

  As Holly reached the door, Anna spoke. “Maria. Stay. Please.”

  Maria turned to Holly, rolling her eyes, but sending her own request. She mouthed: Don’t go far. Then she turned back to Anna’s pleading eyes. “I’ll stay, Anna, but Holly can help you. All I’ve done is watch You-Tube videos on pregnancy.”

  “I need somebody in here I can trust,” Anna blurted after the door closed.

  “Anna. Really. Let it go. We got shit to do.” Shit. Maria needed to watch her language around Anna. She left the room quickly afraid she’d say something worse and ruin all that they’d built.

  Holly was outside, waiting.

  “Thanks,” Maria said. “I don’t know what she’s thinking, but I need you even if she doesn’t.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Holly said. “Not as bad as some of the junkies I saw when I was in E.R.”

  Maria laughed. “Good.” She slipped passed Holly to go to hers and James’ bedroom.

  Despite not thinking she could sleep, Maria napped while James sat outside the door to their rooms, promising to alert Maria if either Anna or her father called.

  James came and got her when he started nodding off.

  The contractions kept on steady for a day, low level, then steadied into regular contractions on the second day.

  Maria didn’t look forward to facing Anna again, but she also didn’t want to wait too long before going in. Her father was down the hall behind one door, and Anna was behind this one. She pushed the door open and went through to check on Anna. Anna’s eyes were closed and her chest moved gently. Her face, even more pale than usual, was set off by the dark circles under her eyes. They’d been there for days, but had accentuated since her labor started. Maria knew from her research that labor usually got shorter for later babies. Why was Anna taking so long?

  She checked that there was still water in the cup on the night stand. God, she wished she could go back. Back to before the end of the world, back to before she was pregnant. But what would she do different? She played it forward. Would she have made James use a condom? Would she be able to change anything about how the pandemic happened? No. Would she really rather be dead than being here? No. She let her breath out in a long sigh. Now, I sound like Anna. That heavy sigh was an indictment.

  As if in response Anna stirred. “Sam?”

  “Samuel’s fine, Anna. It’s me, Maria.”

  “Oh.”

  “Rest if you can.” Tomorrow she’d probably be helping this woman deliver a baby. One way or another. Maria never wanted to be a nurse, but this brave new world didn’t offer a lot of choices. Art design for video games was about as useful now as counting grains of sand.

  She swept aside Anna’s sweat-soaked hair from her face. “You can do this.” Then she went back outside to find Holly. She found her sitting on the bridge over the creek, swinging her feet over the frigid waters.

  “How long can this go on?”

  “Days. But not usually. I’m hoping and praying her body figures out how to get his baby out. I certainly am not set up for Cesarean birth.”

  “Oh, God. No. Tell me no.”

  Holly shrugged. “I hope not, but it’s always a possibility.”

  “You ever cut anybody?”

  “Sliced my own finger open. Not surgically.”

  “What about painkillers and all that?”

  “I’ve been collecting all the meds we could find as we checked out the houses.”

  “And do you have anything that can help?”

  “I didn’t have this in mind. I was thinking more of things that an old man and a slightly younger woman might need to get by.” Holly’s brow creased. “Maybe BRad will bring something back this time. Not sure what though.” She stood up, shook off the coat she’d been sitting on. Then she stared off over the lake, looking sad.

  “Are you okay?” Maria asked.

  “Okay as everybody else, I guess.” Holly started walking back toward the house.

  It reminded Maria of James’ comment. “James says okay is the new excellent.” Maria followed her.

  Holly chuckled sourly as she stepped inside. “I suppose that’s true. I was a nurse, but it made me want to allow people to die. Then I killed people in my stories. Now everybody is dead. I don’t know what’s next. Not a lot of call for either nurses or authors and I’m years overdue for a mid-life crisis. Who knows? Maybe midlife will be about your age for a while.” Holly put her jacket on the hook and then took it back down.

  “I hope not. I’d like to live a good long life with my family.”

  “Take care of yourself then.” Holly pulled on her jacket. “I’m going to go check in with Tom.”

  “Thanks for talking,” Maria said.

  Holly nodded and left.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  MARIA STARED AT THE NOTEBOOK in her lap. Her message to her baby. But words wouldn’t come. Brad had come back with some heftier painkillers and antibiotics. He promised her the panel truck boys were gone and that he hadn’t shot them. All he told her was that he got his second phone back and some more guns. Still Maria couldn’t shake the feeling that Brad might really have taken their lives without a gun.

  Anna had been muttering prayers to herself every time the contractions rose and fell. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...” Anna’s air escaped with the words.

  “Relax and breathe through it,”
Maria murmured. She took Anna’s hand with a smile and placed it on her own slim wrist. “Squeeze if it hurts, Anna.”

  Anna’s eyes clouded with pain. Her hand gripped Maria’s wrist.

  “I want to ask Holly for help.”

  “No,” Anna gasped. “Not yet.”

  “Breathe, Anna. Breathe for the baby.”

  Anna closed her eyes and panted—whooshing short, sharp exhales. Her fingers dug into Maria’s wrist.

  A cry of pain joined the panting and on some level Maria realized the cry was hers. That article she’d read about helping the mother focus. She glanced around the room for an object. “Watch the clock,” Maria said, trying to maintain a soft voice, but it still held an edge. “Look at the little hand spin.”

  Anna opened her eyes and focused like Maria told her to. As the pain contraction receded slowly, the pressure on her arm lessened. Anna’s breath came slower. She released her grip on Maria’s arm.

  Maria rubbed the white imprint on her arm and the indentations from Anna’s fingernails.

  Anna gasped, staring at the marks she’d inflicted, “I’m so sorry, Maria.”

  “No worse than the pain I suffered from the boy cousins.” The color returned. This time it isn’t me or Anna.

  “Noah?”

  “He’s been a little pill,” Maria said. “Abi’s sitting with him. She’s being real grown up, even if she’s feeling sick.”

  “Can you go get them? Bring them in? While I’m between contractions. I’ll put on my happy face.”

  Maria nodded and hustled off to get her siblings. “Abi? Noah? Mama wants to see you.” She ushered them in, glancing at the clock. It had been two minutes since the last contraction. She needed to get them out before the next one. Maria could hardly handle Anna’s pain. How could she expect the kids to? Noah shoved the door open and toddled over to his mother.

  “Hey, big boy. What’s wrong?” Anna patted his head.

  “Wanna go outside.” His pout was perfect.

  Abi walked in slowly.

  “Noah, pretty soon you can go out.” Anna glanced up at Maria. “Maybe Maria can take you outside tomorrow.”