by J. R. Tate
Jake would be naive to think that they would have a direct trip with no hiccups, and the heavy weight of the gun he had gathered reminded him that trouble would loom wherever they went, especially as people became more desperate and knew of all of the supplies they were carrying. For the most part, he had to believe that the good would be brought out in people but there would always be the few who would prey on the misfortunes of others and take complete advantage of a very bad situation. Ammunition was sparse so he had to be smart when it came to weapons.
Sitting next to Colin, he noticed his copilot was awake, his brow creased as he looked up at the sky. “You really think you can drag me all the way back to Dallas?”
Jake patted Colin’s arm. It was going to be tough but leaving him behind was definitely not an option. “We can and we will.”
Colin shook his head and closed his eyes, the tension palpable. “I’m not a little guy. I’ll be dead weight.”
“What do you propose we do, Colin? Leave you here? You’ll be some wild animal’s lunch in no time. Or you’ll starve.”
Colin shifted his weight and cringed. The bandage on his leg had soaked through the gauze. The stitching job was helping but his wound was still in bad shape.
“I just don’t want to bring the group down, Jake. You gotta do what you gotta do. I’m injured. I’m a liability and am risking the survival of the rest of the group. You have that gun you found, right?”
Jake glanced down at Colin, knowing exactly where he was going with his question. Patting his pocket, he felt the cold metal against his skin. “Don’t even think that, Colin.”
“It’ll prevent me starving or being some bear’s meal, right?”
“No.” The anger built up in Jake and he chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep his voice down.
“I’m a liability, damn it! Shoot me or let me do it myself.”
“You’re a bastard for even suggesting something like that,” Jake replied, standing up. “The sun is coming up. We’re about to start moving.”
Walking away, Jake couldn’t even look back at Colin. He got where the man was coming from. If the situation were reversed and he was the one with the broken leg, he’d suggest it too. It would be tough with Colin’s lack of mobility but the thought of killing him made Jake sick to his stomach. He wasn’t a dog that needed to be euthanized. He was a human being and a friend. A broken leg wasn’t going to decide his fate.
“There’s three travoises we can use for supplies and the children,” Jake said, letting Rose know. “The bigger one is for Colin. I wanna get moving. I wanna get away from this damn plane.”
“Slow down, Jake. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. It’s time we go. It’s time to get the hell outta here and back to our families. I’ll pull Colin first. You make sure we have every bit of supplies we can carry loaded up.”
Larry helped Jake load Colin on the travois. Thankfully, Colin made no more mention of putting him out of his misery. Jake wasn’t sure how he’d handle it if he had. Positioning himself between the two branches, he gripped them tight and began walking. As expected, Colin was heavy and getting him down the mountain and to the road was going to be rough. Hurting his leg worse was a worry but still a better alternative than leaving him behind.
Glancing over his shoulder, Jake watched the others in the group follow him down the path they had come the day before after exploring the campsite. For the first time since the plane crash, he felt productive, like they were actually moving forward instead of sitting around and waiting on a rescue effort that never came.
Each step was moving them closer to getting home. Each treacherous, hard step meant one second closer to seeing Alice, Dylan, and hopefully Sophie again. He prayed to God they were all safe and sound. He prayed to God that this was the right decision. It was too late to second guess himself now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“You know, usually when a person hasn’t seen family in over five years, there’s a lot to say. You haven’t said more than five words to me since we started walking. Not even last night when we found that place to sleep.” Tom spoke the truth that Alice wasn’t willing to face - he was brutally honest but despite the shortfalls, the resentment and anger she had harbored toward him were still as strong as the first time she had felt them.
She let his words sink in before she spoke. Choosing her words wisely was a good idea. She had no idea what he was capable of.
“I guess when my brother decided to hop on the wrong side of the law and become a felon, it made me put up a ten-foot fence to keep the disappointment away.” It wasn’t the nicest thing she could have responded with, but just as Tom had spoken the truth, she felt she needed to as well.
“I guess I deserve that,” Tom replied. “Believe it or not, I’m trying.”
“How many times have we heard that line?” Alice glanced over at Randi who hadn’t said a word, not even when Tom had introduced her. She was very skinny and her hair was a mess, but now definitely wasn’t the time to judge appearances. Everyone was in need of a shower and clean clothes.
“Man, we’re really going for the cold hard truth now, aren’t we?” Tom clicked his tongue and kicked a rock down the road until it rolled into a ditch.
“It’s just hard for me to believe you when you say you’re trying. You said it the first time you made parole. Then the second. Then that third trip down you served every bit of your sentence. Apparently, the State of Texas has gotten like the rest of your family. We don’t believe you when you say you’re trying.”
Tom cringed and shrugged his shoulders. “I deserve that too. Would you believe that this has been the longest amount of time that I haven’t gone back in? I’ve got a wife now. I have… had a good job. Go figure. I actually start doing something with my life and the damn world ends.”
His comment made Alice smile. Finding humor in a horrible situation broke up the tension, even if it came from her criminal kid brother who she couldn’t trust. “Okay, we can blame you for all of this. I’m good for that.” Alice nudged him. “You were the scapegoat before… might as well carry on the tradition now.” Alice looked over at Randi again. The woman kept her eyes on the ground, walking two steps behind them. Whispering, Alice said, “She always this quiet?”
“Not really. I guess she’s trying to figure you out.”
“No. I’m just listening to your sister berate you when it’s unnecessary.” Randi glared at Alice, finally looking up from the road. “He’s done his time. He’s paid his price. I think it’s best to put it all behind you since there’s so many who have died around us.”
Alice felt guilty. Randi was right. Times were different now and with her being separated from her immediate family with no idea of their well-being, sticking together was important. Tom was a criminal, there was no doubt about that. But now they lived in a world where the laws didn’t matter. Thieves were everywhere and sadly, stealing was becoming a way of life to survive. Though it killed her to think it, his downfall might become their saving grace.
“You’re right, Randi. I apologize for the bad attitude.” Alice nudged Tom again. “How’d you two meet?”
“Prison,” Tom smiled. “Before you say anything, hear me out. She used this pen pal thing they offer and we started off conversing in the mail. Then she started visiting. And here we are now.”
“Wow. That’s interesting.” Alice forced a smile. She had heard about the pen pal system but didn’t think it was real. “Well, Randi, welcome to the family. I hope married life has been treating both of you well.”
Randi gave a half smile and looked back at the road. Alice had ruined her first impression and there was no getting it back. She had enough of other things to worry about and ignored it. Dylan was number one on the checklist. Jake and Sophie were a close second.
“You and Jake still married?”
“Yep. Still married.”
“Of course you are. You two were Riverdale High School’s sweetheart couple back
in the day. It’d be an act of Congress if you two ended up getting divorced. When he left for the military I thought for sure that’d be the end of your relationship, and here you are, still married to him. He still flying?”
Alice nodded, her stomach sinking at the mention of Jake. Her memory instantly flashed to the news story of his flight number and the confirmed crash right before the electricity went out. She had to hold out hope that they got the information wrong. With everything between then and now happening, she hadn’t taken a second to think about it until Tom mentioning him.
“Yeah. He’s still a pilot.” It came out in a whisper and Alice had to stop and sit on the curb. The world around her was spinning and she closed her eyes to try and gain her composure.
“Woah, are you okay, Alice?” Tom sat beside her and grabbed her hand, which surprisingly was helpful. It helped Alice brace herself and the vertigo finally subsided.
Opening her eyes, she grabbed a bottle of water from her bag and drank the whole thing. Rationing it was important but it tasted good and her body needed it.
“I’m fine. Just a little lightheaded.” She omitted the worry of Jake’s plane crash. Talking about it would make it worse. She had to keep focused. She had to get back to their house and find Dylan. One thing at a time - if she tried to cross bridges she hadn’t gotten to yet, she’d lose her mind. “We should keep going. My neighborhood isn’t far from here and Dylan might be at the house.”
“Take a few more minutes to rest, Alice. Where are Jake and Sophie?”
“Sophie is at school in Boston. Jake was at work when this all happened.”
“On a flight?” Tom’s voice cracked and he leaned forward, offering Alice a package of crackers, which she gladly took from him. They’d help settle her nervous stomach.
“I’m not sure. I’m not sure if the flight got canceled or if he was already in the air when this all happened.” The news report confirmed he was flying but Alice still held hope that they were wrong. They had to be wrong. Something inside her felt like Jake was still alive.
“I sure hope he wasn’t flying yet. Every aircraft in the sky crashed. Every car crashed. All cell phones are dead. This was an EMP. I read about them a lot in the prison library. My cellmate was all about science and theories regarding all of this. I always thought he was a nut job but…”
Alice held her hand up to stop Tom. His constant chatter was making things worse. “I’d rather not talk about it. Let’s get moving. I need to get home to Dylan. You two can come with me or you can go where you need to but nothing else is keeping me from getting home to my son.”
Neither Tom or Randi spoke up and followed Alice as she composed herself and continued to walk. She was determined before but now there was a desperate need to get back to the house and find Dylan. The speculation of what happened didn’t matter. The fear that Jake was dead had subsided. Her family was alive - there was no other option. Reuniting with them was priority over anything else and she’d get there come hell or high water. They were already going through hell. Bring on the rain. Alice was ready for anything.
***
Jake struggled to get Colin and the travois down the side of the mountain. There was a footpath that aided in it not being such a steep incline but it wasn’t helpful for someone lugging a human-being behind them in a very unstable apparatus. He failed to consider his own injuries sustained from the plane crash, hoping that if he ignored them that they’d fade away. Lugging his co-pilot was a stiff reminder that he was hurt too, though he didn’t want to admit it out loud to anyone. Anything to make Colin feel guilty about this wasn’t an option and Jake pushed through the strong headache that was growing by the second.
He felt the back of the travois lift and the weight eased a bit. Glancing over his shoulder, Larry had picked up the other side, lifting Colin completely off of the ground. It was helpful and he nodded toward Larry, thanking him. The walk down was still steep and they had to take each step carefully. Jake could see the road from where they were but it still felt like miles away. As far as he could tell, the rest of the group was keeping up, even the kids, though most of them had hopped on a travois that was hauling supplies and suitcases.
Taking a deep breath, Jake pressed on. The edges of his vision grew black but he wasn’t going to give up that easy. Succumbing to his body’s injuries would mean he was giving up and they hadn’t even gotten a mile away from the plane. He survived a damn plane crash - he was going to survive the hike back home too.
“Just a little farther,” Larry grunted from behind. He was probably struggling too - from what Jake could tell about him, he wasn’t in the best shape.
His legs burned, his lungs ached, and his head was pounding but Jake felt triumphant when they finally reached the road. It was almost like a mirage and hard to believe until he actually set foot on the asphalt. Setting the travois down, he moved his arms around. They felt like noodles and he took a deep breath, enjoying the spectacular view around them. Despite the situation, they couldn’t argue that the mountain range was beautiful and the lake lent an even better nature-like feel.
“It’s a shame we can’t hang around and enjoy this,” Colin said, sitting up to see. “Looks like a place I’d love to bring my kids.”
Jake nodded and handed Colin a bottle of water. “Yeah. A nice, long weekend doing some camping and fishing. But not for a while. I think we’re all camped out for the time being.” He laughed and took the water from Colin, finishing it off. “I guess whatever empty bottles we have we can go fill up in the lake. Since we’re not sure how clean the water is we can still use it for washing our hands or clothing. Could put it to use for something.”
“We can do it,” Becky said, stepping through the group, motioning to another lady. “You and Larry have worked so hard for us.”
Jake hesitated, remembering the odd person he had ran into not far from where they were. “Are you sure? People aren’t the same now. If you come across someone they’re not gonna welcome you with open arms.”
“I’ve dealt with grouchy customers for years. You know I can handle my own, Jake.”
Jake looked down at Colin. “Oh, shit. Your bandage came open and you’re bleeding.” Kneeling beside him, Jake took out the first aid kit in the backpack next to Colin. Looking up, he saw that Becky and the other woman were already halfway to the lake before he could say anything. If they made it quick, they’d be fine.
“I guess that smooth ride did it,” Colin replied, laughing. “I felt like I was in a luxury car.”
Jake peeled the old bandage off. “Very funny, co-pilot. I’m about to put some alcohol on the wound so brace yourself.” He dabbed a cotton ball in the cleaner and smoothed it over the gash. Colin didn’t even wince and Jake hoped he was just used to it and not because he was losing feeling in his leg.
“I think you missed your calling, Jake. You should’ve been a nurse.”
“I think you’re right, seeing as I crashed an airplane and all.”
Colin’s smile faded and he went to say something, but before he could, a loud scream echoed against the mountains, making the hair on the back of Jake’s neck raise. It sounded just like Becky, yelling for help, and in the vicinity of the lake. Dropping what he was doing, he made sure he had the gun in his pocket and ran in that direction.
The same man who had confronted Jake earlier at the campground had Becky and the woman cornered. From what he could tell, the stranger was holding a knife on them but there wasn’t a gun, which gave Jake the upper hand. He slowed his pace as he got closer. The man didn’t give any indication that he knew that Jake was coming, so he hid behind a large tree and peered around it, knowing if he moved too fast, the stranger would hurt Becky and the woman. If he took too long, it could be too late and the damage would be done.
Edging closer, Jake gripped the gun, his palm moist against the handle. Becky’s hands were raised at shoulder level, fear on her face, though her body language showed confidence in handling whatever the stranger
had planned.
“Give me what’s in the bag!” The man pointed with the knife, just a few feet away from Becky.
She didn’t move, her defiance her strong point but also what would get her killed. “Why?”
“Are you kidding me, bitch? Give me the bag! I’ll kill you!”
He slashed the knife toward Becky, too close for comfort. Jake had seen enough, already knowing how unstable the man was from their previous encounter. Making himself visible, he came out from behind the trees and pointed the gun right at the stranger’s head, his adrenaline pumping so hard that any pain he felt from carrying Colin down the mountain was momentarily gone.
“Drop the knife!”
All three of them looked Jake’s way, though his focus was solely on the stranger who was inches away from stabbing Becky or the woman.
“Oh, we meet again! I thought I warned you to get out of here!”
“We’re leaving. Believe me, we’re leaving,” Jake said, his voice low, though they all could hear him.
“Looks to me like you’re still here at the lake. My lake. I told you that they’re coming.”
Jake ignored the stranger’s comments. Any more speculation about what was happening was unimportant. The only thing important was getting out of there alive and getting home. The rest would be sorted out later.
“Drop the knife and we’ll leave. We’re not giving you the bag so don’t even ask for it again.”
The stranger cocked his head to the side and smiled. His sunburned skin was red and looked hot to the touch. If he only knew what they had up on the highway he’d already be trying to kill them to get to all of the supplies they were able to pull from the plane.
