“You are still a good shot though!” Nate replied. He walked over to the men, making sure both were no longer a threat. He checked them both and they were gone.
“I will check to make sure there is no one else around,” Nate told Henry.
The men must have come from somewhere, and judging from their comments, they must have been fairly close by after the plane had crashed. Nate walked in the direction that he thought the first man might have come from and found himself up on a small hill. At the top, he looked down into a small valley. Half a mile away, Nate saw what looked like a small camp with one fire burning. Very little smoke rose from it. Off to his right, he could see his father now at the top of the hill watching down into the camp. Henry waved him on and aimed his rifle down into the valley scanning for dangers. Nate proceeded with his retrieved AR rifle back in hand.
It didn’t take Nate long to reach the bottom of the hill where he now saw a clear small stream running. In the stream he could see fish. The men must have come from this spot, wisely chosen. The camp looked like it was put together from a used-up camp surplus store. They also had grabbed from the plane wreckage some materials to make more of a weatherproof roof over the small two-man tent that was setup. Nate’s father was staying at the top of the hill so he could see both Nate and the two trucks behind him. He kept his rifle aimed on Nate’s position.
Nate saw all kinds of food containers, and even what looked like an opened case of airline peanuts. Wrappers were scattered everywhere. The fire pit was just a hole in the ground with strips of wires, maybe springs, laid across to form a grill. Then Nate realized that the springs were from an airline seat. The two men had taken to scavenging the wreckage to add to their camp. Nate stopped in his tracks when he heard a grunting noise. The noise was coming from the small blue tent. As Nate slowly approached the tent – rifle held up – he spoke.
“I have a gun aimed at the tent, come out now,” Nate said, dropping to one knee. The grunting noises now become a different sound, a whimpering sound…more like crying. The muffled sounds that followed were one that Nate recognized. It sounded like someone was gagged. Nate moved closer, but silently, to the rear of the tent where one flap was open. He peered inside to see a young girl, maybe Ben’s age or a little older, hog-tied and with what looked like a dirty sock stuffed in her mouth. She was lying on her side wearing only a pair of shorts and a man’s t-shirt.
“Don’t be afraid, miss. I won’t hurt you. The two men are gone now.”
She rolled her head up to see Nate through the mesh little window. She was crying, but trying to speak at the same time.
“I will come get you out of here now,” Nate said as he got on the CB radio and informed his father what was going on. Henry went back to the trucks to let them know they would have company. Nate unzipped the tent and the smell of body odor was strong. Nate didn’t think it came from her, but rather from the men. He looked around and saw what looked like bloody socks piled in the corner. Nate turned his attention to the girl.
“My name is Nate, I will help you,” he said, reaching past her restraints and removing the wet sock from her mouth. She gasped for air and was still crying.
“Oh God, thank you. Thank you,” she cried out as she passed out from her high emotions.
Nate removed her leg and hand restraints, becoming angry with the two men. Her wrists were red with rope burns, and her ankles were in the same condition. He lifted her up and put her across his shoulders. He noticed a small purse near her and a mangled airline ticket. He grabbed them up, and crawled backwards out of the tent and stood up. He reached for both the CB and his rifle. With the girl unconscious lying over his left shoulder, Nate walked back up the hill. He stuffed the purse and ticket into his jacket.
Nate wanted to leave this horrible area; he feared for the girl and all that she had been through. He had no idea how long she had been there, and hoped when she regained consciousness that she might be able to shed light on the events.
Night was nearly upon them when Betty came out of the semi. She climbed down and briefly smiled. The interior light was on inside the truck. Nate, Ben, and Henry, were waiting outside.
“Well, I think she will be ok. She is awake now,” Betty said in a whisper.
Nate felt relieved for her.
“Is she resting now? What is her name?” Nate asked. He knew what the ticket said, but had not gone through her small purse.
“Yes, I told her to just sleep and that she is safe now. Her name is Nicole Coppola; she said she is from New Jersey and was trying, like others, to make it somewhere else. Her parents were killed in New Jersey shortly after the crash of the markets. They got caught up in a riot she said. She took what money should could get and made her way to the airport. She said the ticket counter was only taking cash and that she had paid $5,000 to get onboard. The airlines were gouging people until the end she said,” Betty said with a tone in her voice that Nate knew well.
“Mom, I hate to ask this, but the men…did they…you know?” Nate was beating around the bush with Ben present.
Betty smiled. “No, she was having the time of her month and everything is fine. She said they tried and she kept them at bay with the blood socks.”
Nate recalled seeing the socks in the tent.
“She is a very strong girl, she must be to have survived that crash and the men,” Henry added.
“She said when the plane crashed, she was sick in the bathroom at the tail of the plane,” Betty replied. “She said the plane landed, but skid, and a loud thump was felt. She felt herself rise up and slam back down. When she woke up, she was already in the tent. She said she has been here since last month,” Betty said.
This little bit of information told Nate that the EMPs were detonated a month ago, not as long ago as he had originally thought. Nate wondered how many times this event played out over the U.S. How many planes dropped from the skies that day? He hopped this would be the last time he would see such horrific sites.
“Well, I’m glad she is ok. I guess I will sleep outside tonight Betty, if you want to sleep in the seat up there, just so she knows she is safe,” Henry suggested.
“I will sleep out here with you, dad. Ben, you can have the whole back seat and Samson can stay up front,” Nate said.
“It’s been a long day. It might be best to call it a night now; God knows what tomorrow will bring,” Henry said.
Betty climbed back up in the cab of the semi and checked in on Nicole who was sleeping, but tossing around a lot. Betty was certain she would be having nightmares for some time to come. Only time would heal some, but not all, of her wounds.
Chapter 12
Familiar Lands
Henry rolled over on his sleeping bag and opened his eyes. He saw Nate wide-awake, starring in the direction of the plane crash. Henry noticed that something was up with Nate. He seemed uncertain of what to do, or which way to go. He had the route planned out, but never really liked being out in the open like they were on the plains of Colorado.
“What is it, son? You seem very distracted. I know that look,” Henry asked.
Nate turned his attention to his father’s stare coming from the ground. Henry was lying in a fetal position under the sleeping bag.
“I’m not sure, dad. This trip…I hate the fact this has all happened. I wanted to be home so bad, but I left so easily,” Nate replied. He was still having issues about leaving his home behind.
“Nate, sometimes we must act before others do. We would be over ran there by hungry, sick people,” Henry said.
“I know. The issue is I wanted it to be a place for Ben to grow up,” Nate replied.
“I understand, but I think the most important thing is you are protecting him and he knows that. Wherever home is with you is all he wants, Nate,” Henry replied.
“I guess you are right,” Nate said, leaning back in his folding chair.
“Try to get some rest, Nate. The sun will be up in a few hours. We can figure it all out later,
” Henry said.
Nate didn’t say another word. He closed his eyes and thought about the day, and the fact that they now had someone else to care for. He didn’t know how this was going to go, or if she would want to come with them on their trip. She was eighteen and could just say, no drop me off at the next town. Five months earlier, Nate was fly-fishing in a clear river in Montana with friends. He never imagined life transforming into such a collapse.
The rain came on fast. It was cold with winds blowing hard from the west. Henry jumped up, rolling his sleeping bag and trying to gather up his equipment.
“Damn, this rain is cold!” Henry yelled.
Nate was tossing the chair in the back of the Tundra.
“Let’s get loaded up and talk on the radio,” Nate replied.
Henry nodded in agreement. The rain was coming down even harder now in heavy sheets blowing sideways. Nate estimated the winds to be near forty miles per hour. Nate jumped in the Tundra; Ben quickly sat up.
“Wow, it’s coming down!” Ben said.
Samson was alert and sniffing the air through the cracked window. Nate hit the button to roll that window up.
“Yes it is; buckle up Ben, we are going to be leaving now,” Nate said.
Nate picked up the CB radio. “Dad, you think you can turn it around ok? I think we can go another route. Going forward isn’t a good idea with the wreckage.”
Nate had no desire to drive through the site of the crash. First of all, the amount of bodies everywhere was something he didn’t wish to see, nor to have Ben or Nicole see again.
“Sounds good to me, Nate. Just lead the way,” Henry replied, seeing Nate already turning the Tundra around.
Henry took a big wide swing of the wheel, and slowly turned the big rig around. In moments, he made the turn pretty easily. The turn radius of the truck was actually pretty good and the concern for the long trailer was actually not a concern. Nate drove south, what would have been illegal in a different time. In the mirror, the crash was becoming a distant image, and he hoped they wouldn’t come across anything like that again. Nate had seen a lot of things in his life, but a plane crash often times was the most gruesome thing a person could ever witness; the utter devastation and horrific aftermath beyond most people’s abilities to deal with.
Nate had everyone headed west now on Highway 86 toward the towns of Kiowa, Colorado. They would be south of Colorado Springs eventually, and headed into the mountains. Nate was familiar with the mountainous regions, and felt that the path they were on was making them an easier target. He never was one for being exposed in times of danger. In the mountains at least they could take cover if needed. He was starting to realize that the fuel issue in the semi was going to be a factor. Once they got into higher elevations, the fuel would be used faster. In his head, Nate knew the Tundra would barely hold six people and a dog. The issue of Nicole being with them was still not resolved. She had remained sleeping since leaving out early. Nate figured she might be so deprived of rest that she might be sleeping for some time to come.
The trip through Kiowa was fast. They only saw a few people moving about. Nate set the speed control on his truck to sixty-five. He really had to think now about his route, and their fuel consumption. He still had a plan that he hoped would work, but it was too early to tell. The next town was Elizabeth. As they came closer, they saw a sign for Casey Jones Park, and within minutes, many RVs came into view. The RVs numbered around fifty; he guessed. No one was outside because of the still falling heavy rain. They saw one person come out of what looked like a makeshift outhouse. They man waved when he saw them going by. Nate waved the best he could as they kept their speed constant, headed west.
“That place looked fairly crowded, dad,” Nate said into the radio.
“Just thinking that myself. I hope they are all ok,” Henry added.
“Hey, is Nicole awake? If so, how is she doing?” Nate asked his dad.
“She is just waking up. I will be back in touch soon,” Henry replied.
“Ok, 10-4,” Nate said, throwing in some old CB lingo.
Henry laughed as he hung up the radio mic.
“Sweetie, how you feeling?” Betty asked after climbing into the back of the cab. Nicole was just starting to sit up as Betty sat next to her on the small jump seat. Nicole’s hair was messed up and she looked a little confused.
“I feel ok I guess, thank you,” she replied slowly. Betty waited till Nicole seemed more awake before asking her any further questions. Instead, Betty opened the small refrigerator on the truck and removed an apple and a small bottle of water. Just from looking at her, Betty could tell Nicole was dehydrated. Her lips were severely cracked, and her skin seemed wrinkled.
“Here, eat some food and drink up. You need the water, I’m sure,” she said as she handed Nicole the apple.
Nicole’s eyes seemed to open at the sight of fresh fruit and water. She eagerly took the items and began to eat the apple.
“Thank you so much. Where are we? Who is driving? The man who saved me at the tent?” she asked. Nicole leaned forward to get a look at Henry who was trying to listen.
“That’s my husband, Henry. The man driving ahead of us is our son Nate – the one who saved you,” Betty said. “My name is Betty. I guess you don’t remember too much before you passed out from exhaustion,” Betty added.
“No, I don’t. I’m sorry. I barely remember the man picking me up out of the tent. You said his name is Nate?” Nicole asked.
“Yes, we are traveling to Wyoming from Texas when we came up the crash site,” Betty explained.
“I guess I am lucky to live through that,” Nicole said, looking down.
“Well, God must have other plans, dear. Don’t dwell on it too much,” Betty said, placing her hand on Nicole’s hand.
“I am glad; believe me,” Nicole replied.
“So, where were you flying to?” Betty asked.
Nicole shrugged her shoulders.
“The flight was not planned for anywhere, but it guaranteed we would make it to either Denver or LA. With my parents gone, and no other family, I didn’t care where we were going, because Jersey became a hell hole so fast,” Nicole answered in a little jersey accent that was becoming more apparent.
Betty tried not to giggle.
“So Nicole, we are headed to Wyoming. Do you want us to let you off anywhere or do you want to come with us?” Betty asked directly. She didn’t wish Nicole to feel like she was trapped again. If she really wanted to be on her own, she was old enough by law to decide that by herself.
“I would love to stay with you guys if that ok. Ma’am, I have no place to be or go. Everyone I loved is dead,” Nicole said, starting to cry.
Betty leaned forward and held Nicole who couldn’t stop sobbing.
“Honey, you have a home now, with all of us,” Betty replied, trying not to get emotional herself.
“Castle Rock is ahead, dad; much larger population.”
Nate could see the small city as they approached on the highway. They had to keep moving, not knowing what laid waiting for them.
“Ok, keep your eyes open. Hey, Nicole says hi,” Henry replied. Nate smiled and said hi back.
Ben looked at Nate.
“Do I have a sister now?” Ben asked seriously.
Nate held back his laughter.
“We will see, Ben. She may wish to do something along the way and go her separate ways,” Nate said, not knowing the conversation Nicole had already had with his mother.
“Oh, I didn’t think of that,” Ben said.
The city of Castle Rock is known for the castle shaped butte near the center of town. Coming into town, the formation was easy to spot. Nate was getting a bad feeling about the town. Everything looked to peaceful. That was the problem.
“Going to head south instead of driving through town center. I think we can get back where we need to. Got Ben on the map, and he is doing a great job of navigating us,” Nate said into the radio.
Nate
had trained Ben long ago how to read the map and how to navigate them out of an area. Ben was Nate’s own personal GPS system. Ben had gotten so good at it that he would even try to talk like the units.
“Turn left at the next four-way stop, then proceed 2.5 miles,” Ben said seriously. His miles guess was exactly a guess, but usually close.
“Sounds like a plan to me; good job, Ben,” Henry said.
The two trucks turned at the next four-way stop only seeing a few cars on the road. No one thus far gave them a second look. Nate saw a few faces up close, and noticed many looked sad or ill. He couldn’t tell which it was, but he wanted to keep them moving. Ben found a few good roads that lead them down and away from the city, finally once again headed back toward the west. There were on Wolfensberger Road getting ready to head north on Highway 105 when Nate saw several cars coming toward them. They stayed on their side of the road, but waved their arms at Nate before they came close.
“Dad, the lead car is waving me down; slow up and I will see what’s up,” Nate said already with his pistol in his hand and ready to go.
“Ok, don’t need to tell you to be careful,” Henry said.
Henry watched as Nate stopped short of the small Chevy S10 pickup. It appeared to have only one driver, but had a small convoy of other vehicles following behind.
“What’s going on, sir?” Nate asked.
The man looked like he was nearly eighty. He was wearing a Denver Broncos’ hat.
“Sonny, the road up ahead at Sedalia is blocked. There was an enormous fight at the salon at the three-way stop. Some locals thought the place still had liquor in it, and went to war with the owner. They burned it to the ground. The entire area caught fire; grass and everything. I would stay away,” the old man relayed to Nate.
Nate felt he was being told the truth. He also could see the others behind the man, and none of them appeared to be a threat.
“We all live down the road and were going into town to see if the government food arrived yet,” Nate was surprised to hear this news, but was also glad. Did this mean some things would return to normal?
Escaping Home Page 13
