“Ok Ben, locate us a place you think looks secluded to stay for the night,” Nate said.
Ben looked up and nodded as he could see how dark it was starting to become.
“Up ahead about ten miles I think is an area called Hidden Lake. Maybe we can hide there?” Ben said, looking up with his typical comical smile.
Nate shook his head, but the boy was right, they did often hide or tried to as best they could. Ben remembered even better than Nate the times coming back how they practically were unseen and off the beaten path.
“Sounds good to me,” Nate said as he picked up the radio to let his father know they would be stopping for the night very soon.
“Ok, getting hungry anyway. I think we all need a good night’s rest,” Henry added as he stretched his left arm up, anticipating stopping for the night.
The miles flew by with only sporadic cabins along the road. The small sign for Hidden Lake now came into view, and a long cut out on the shoulder of the road was visible.
“Right there; looks good,” Ben said as Nate was already turning off the highway and down onto the white gravel shoulder. The area to his right had several small cabins and a sign that read, Hidden Sky Cabins. They had one vehicle out front and a sign that said in big bold letters, we are open, barter only. This was the first time since before the crash that Nate had seen anything open. It was a surprise.
“Dad, this place is open. Think we should check it out? We might be able to sleep in real beds tonight,” he asked. The thought absolutely delighted Betty and Henry both. They were very tired of sleeping in the semi. It was better than the ground as Nate had done on his journey back home, but far from a bed.
“I think it’s worth a try. I just hope that’s not an old sign, but I guess we will find out,” Henry said.
Nate had Nicole sit in the driver’s seat with the truck running. She was a licensed driver Nate had discovered, and her parents had large vehicles. Betty stayed in the semi with the doors locked and the engine running while Nate and Henry both approached the main office of the cabins wearing their pistols, which were covered up.
The office looked much like a cabin, and was covered on the corners with cobwebs. The porch was covered with typical patio furnishings that one might expect; a few chairs and a small round table. On the table were several half-smoked cigarettes along with a sun faded red Bic lighter. On the wood floor were many cigarette butts. The door had a faded screen with a broken glass hanging by one sliver. Nate was cautious when he tapped on the door. As he knocked, the glass fell inside and to the wood floor. Nate peaked through the broken area and could see someone sitting in a chair.
“Hello ma’am? Are you open?” Nate said, barely being able to see her. She was sitting at an angle that made it hard to see her. He could see her hair and part of a leg exposed from behind a small desk. There was no reply.
“Dad, you have that flashlight on you still?” Henry always carried a small flashlight on his belt. Henry didn’t answer, but quickly reached to his left side and unclipped the black titanium small light. He then handed it to Nate.
Nate switched on the light and aimed it through the small hole he made. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the light. He focused and then realized why she wasn’t answering. Nate had seen enough dead bodies to know she had been gone a few months. Her hair slightly moved from the air circulation in the once small office.
Nate located a nice private area in the rear of the property. He and his father dug a grave for the old lady that passed away some months ago. Nate found her living quarters to be in the back of the office. There were pictures of her when she was much younger with a man that was thought to be her husband. Henry surmised by the material and letters left behind, and one folded American flag, that her husband died during World War II.
Nate removed a handmade looking quilt from her bed and gently wrapped her. This would make it easier to move her. Betty was told of the demise of the woman. Betty told them she wanted to say a few words when they had her buried. Henry and Nate found a few shovels in a small shack behind the main office. Within an hour, they dug a hole that would be deep enough, while placing large river rock on top. Ben and Nicole stayed in the truck watching as they saw Nate carry out the wrapped figure and take her to the rear of the property. Both Nate and Henry couldn’t be seen from their vantage point any longer.
“That poor old lady,” Nicole said. Ben looked at her and noticed how sad she looked. Ben lost his grandmother not that ago, and this sight reminded him of that loss.
“It reminds me of my grandma. She died not long ago, and that’s the day Nate found us,” Ben said soberly. Nicole reached for his hand and held it. They sat and watched as Henry was coming back to the front of the cabin. He was tired and dirty looking from the digging. Betty walked up to him and handed him a small cup of water.
“Nate is making her a tombstone. It won’t be long and we can have a ceremony shortly,” Henry said.
“What is her name?” Betty asked.
“Martha West. I found a few letters from what might be relatives from Iowa. I will hold onto a few of the letters, and when things get back to normal, mail them about what we found and did,” Henry said, removing the letters from his jacket pocket.
The graveside ceremony was conducted under several Ponderosa pines. A small creek provided the smooth sounds that set the tone Betty wanted for Martha West’s funeral. Nate stood with his arms to his side and his head down. His eyes were closed as he felt Ben grasp his hands. Nate looked over to see Ben crying. He knew this was reminding him of his own grandmother. He firmly returned the grip and closed his eyes. Nicole was also sobbing. Nate couldn’t imagine the levels of death and dying she was trying to escape from back East. She knew her parents were gone, and she had barely survived a plane crash. Nate wondered if society would ever return to normal. It was still amazing how something like money could bring down an entire civilization.
“We will be sure to take care of your place while we are here,” Betty said in concluding the ceremony.
“Nate, the grave looks good. I like the touch of flowers,” Betty remarked.
Nate smiled.
“You can thank Ben and Nicole, they found them near the creek. I think they did a wonderful job on picking them,” Nate said.
“I will tell you what…if we could, I would just stay here. This place is beautiful,” Henry said. He always loved the Rockies. He especially loved cabins like these, but knew survival was easier when staying in groups.
“It is very nice here, but I think you will be glad to see where we are going. That brings me to my next question; do you think we can try getting out on the Ham tonight?” Nate asked. He hoped to get through to Gene or Sammie to give them an idea of still how far they had to travel.
Henry looked up and around, then back at his Pathfinder watch. He pushed a button to see their current elevation.
“I think we should be able to get out pretty good up here,” Henry replied.
Chapter 15
Found
Nate lost track of the time since they left home. He knew it was several days ago, but could not be certain. He was getting weary from the travel and wanted to rest badly. He thought about how tired his parents must have been even more than he.
“Think I will go check the cabins and see what we have for sleeping arrangements,” Nate said.
Ben stood and walked toward Nate.
“Can I come with you?” Ben asked, seeming to be bored as Nicole was helping Betty prepare dinner. Ben was a pro at freeze-dried meal prep, and Nicky said she wanted to learn.
“Of course,” Nate replied. Henry sat in his small folding chair, holding up his small cup of water, and nodded toward Nate. He would stay behind and guard over the camp.
Nate and his son walked to the nearby cabin. The door was locked, but Nate could see inside and it looked very clean. Nate walked behind the cabin and then saw two large solar panels hooked up to the cabin. One large enclosed box was attached to
the rear. The padlock was secure on the door to the small shack. Nate turned and looked at the rear of each cabin. All had the same setups. The question remained did they still function. He would need the keys to find out. They both headed to the office.
Inside, Nate opened several drawers and finally found one that was labeled Master Set. He opened the small cigar box and found a large ring of keys. Most were older looking master lock numbered keys, with a few house looking keys dispersed on the ring.
“Jackpot,” Nate said, holding them up. Ben looked up at the keys like a baby would in amazement over the sound of the rattling.
“Think they will work?” Ben asked.
“One way to find out,” Nate replied as they both quickly made their way back out and to the nearest cabin. Henry watched from a distance with a smile on his face. My two boys, he thought.
Nate slowly turned the key like he was on a game show, hoping the key was the one that turned on the car to be won. If the door was an engine, it would have started right up. The door creaked open, lacking oil on the old hinges. The smell was only a little musky, but overall, not bad. The beds were covered in plastic, and had linens on them and ready to go. Nate wondered if the old lady had done this or originally had hired help.
“Look dad,” Ben said as he flipped on the small lamp at the bedside table. Nate had his back to Ben and was a little surprised to see the power come on.
“Well, I’ll be…” Nate said, reaching for the light switch on the wall. The overhead light came on also. Then Nate heard the sound of a small generator kick on. He walked to the rear door and could hear the noise coming from the small-attached shack. He smiled and walked into the bathroom. He reached down and turned on the water. It flowed brown at first, then slowly cleared up. The generator was running a water pump from a well.
“Think maybe your grandpa and grandma might like this cabin?” Nate asked Ben.
“I think they will love it, dad,” Ben replied.
“Can I bring them to it?” Ben asked. Nate was becoming more and more aware of how good of a heart Ben actually had. He always put other people first. Ben had a personality that Nate wished he had when he was the same age.
“Sure. You can in a bit, let’s go check out the rest,” Nate replied.
The sun was quickly going down and it would be dark soon. Nate turned off the water and the lights, and they headed out to the other cabins.
*****
Northern Wyoming
Gene’s home
Sammie sat at the kitchen table with her family eating the small dinner. Tonight they managed some fresh greens from the garden, along with some other fall veggies. The main dish though was the wild hog her brother shot a few days back. It was prepared well and sitting in the middle of the table looking far better than the traditionally bought store ham. She ate slowly with obviously something on her mind.
“Sammie, what’s wrong? You haven’t touched the ham,” Gene said. His wife’s homemade rolls were piping hot from the cast iron Dutch oven she used to bake them with over the fireplace. The ham was done outside over the smoker. The home smelled like thanksgiving, and they knew they were fortunate to have some food.
“Just worried, I guess, over the Michaels headed this way. We haven’t heard from them in nearly a week. I guess I assumed, and wrongly so, that having trucks they would have been here by now,” she replied.
Her brother Randy looked up from his plate. He was soaking up some of the gravy when he spoke.
“Sammie, I’m sure they are ok. Tim – you know Tim, well he said that he heard some things are getting better the further you get away from the big cities. Tim would know since he has contacts within the government,” Randy was speaking about a friend he had known since junior high named Tim Peterson. Tim was a county surveyor that worked his way up into politics a few years back. He was a tall, lanky, educated man, with a small family. He turned out to be a very good politician; even running a successful campaign for state congress. He was home like everyone else, but had many ears to the ground about the nation’s current state of affairs. Randy still worked as a surveyor, and Tim kept him in the loop; especially since their land butted up against one another. They were close like brothers, and the ties that bound them meant having a good source of information when the regular news and radio were gone.
“Keep your chin up, sis. If anyone can get here, it will be Nate. Dad says his father was a sniper in Nam,” Randy said, smiling at Gene. Gene grinned back hoping that Sammie would at least smile.
“Sammie, be patient. Without trying to sound preachy…God did put him in our lives once, He will do it again.”
Sammie smiled and knew they were right. She was nervous and didn’t understand why. She really didn’t even know Nate, let alone his family. She felt like she was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush on the football team’s quarterback. What if he arrived and just lived in the rental home and they never talked? She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She chewed on the small piece of ham dangling on the end of her fork.
“Sammie, he will show,” her sister in-law, Kim, said as she placed her hand on Sammie’s lap who she sat next to.
Gene stood when he heard the sound. The voice came crackling across a large speaker he had set up. His eyes grew big as he moved toward the small room that held his Ham station. Sammie jumped up knowing what the ruckus was about. Gene was reaching for the mic after hearing the second repeat of call signs come across the air.
“Henry, we are here!” Gene said, trying to catch his breath.
Henry and Nate sat up in the big truck that was parked near the cabins they were staying in for the evening. Ben and Nicole were sharing the cabin Nate was in because it had four beds. It was the largest one on site. Henry and Betty were escorted earlier by Ben to the cabin he and his father found earlier. Henry was finishing up his talk with Gene.
“Gene, if all goes as planned, it should just be a few days until we arrive. All depends on the fuel situation,” Henry commented, waiting for Gene to reply. Nate was looking at the map and plotting the next day’s trip.
“We are just glad to hear from you. Sammie was just talking about where you could be. She is here waiting to speak to Nate,” Gene said.
Nate looked up from the map to see his dad smiling the cheesy smile only a father knows how to do.
“He is here, hang on,” Henry replied. Henry handed Nate the mic and started to climb down.
“I will leave you two and go get some sleep now,” Henry said, still exhibiting the smile.
Nate ignored him and took the mic. He cleared his throat and spoke.
“Hello,” Nate said, stopping to clear his voice again. He was having issues with a sore throat for the past few days.
“Is that all you have to say?” the female voice crackled through. He heard a giggle just as she was letting off the push to talk key.
“No, just clearing my throat, it’s been sore,” Nate replied. It was the truth. He hopped he wasn’t getting sick, but figured it was likely other factors like allergies.
“Ok, well…either way, I hope you aren’t getting sick. I am glad you guys made it through tonight. I was starting to get worried,” she replied. Nate could hear her concern in the tone she spoke.
“I think I will be ok, and sorry about the time between calls. It’s been a little hairy in some places, and we have someone else with us now.”
Nate went on to describe what they came across with Nicole and the plane crash. Sammie listened and reassured him that they would have room for her as well.
“How far do you think you have to go, Nate? Sorry, I have never been good with maps and distances,” she asked.
Nate wanted to say that tomorrow they would drive the 500 miles plus, and then pull in at night. In days past, he would have easily committed to that.
“I would love to say we will arrive tomorrow night. It’s just not that simple, Sammie. Some roads are impassable, while others are completely normal. In some areas we get shot at,
while others people wave. Then there are the towns that not one person can be seen. We avoid those because I worry about the spread of disease.”
Sammie was a nurse and knew that was going to be a fact during these times.
“Yes, be careful. I have heard that diseases are starting to take a foothold in some areas and spreading fast. People won’t have the basics to treat things, and more will die. Please be careful,” she implored.
“We have tried to avoid populated areas as much as possible. I honestly can’t imagine the issues going on in large cities right now,” Nate said. The evening was getting late, but Nate and Sammie talked a while longer.
“I am hoping we can be there in the next couple of days. No promises, but we will have that goal in mind,” Nate said.
There was an audible pause on the other end before she spoke.
“I think our fathers are becoming good friends on the radio, Nate. Seems like they think much alike. I really hope they all like the home,” Sammie replied. “Also, the sooner you get here, the better,” she added, not wanting him to think she ignored his previous statement.
“We will do our best. Better be getting off here. I need to get up early to get everyone on the road,” Nate said.
Nate felt bad for saying it, but he also was truly tired. Sammie must have known he was exhausted and agreed.
“I understand, Nate. Try to get some good rest. I’m looking at a road map and see exactly where you are. I have never been that far into Colorado. I bet it’s beautiful,” she stated.
“Maybe someday, when things are better, we can take a road trip down here and I can show you some places.”
“That sounds like a date. Are you asking me out, Mr. Michaels?”
Now the pause came from Nate’s end.
“Well, I guess I am,” he replied, laughing.
Escaping Home Page 17
