by Hunt, Jack
“I thought I would find you here,” Jake said.
Startled, and concerned about what Jake would say, she tucked the flask beneath her jacket and turned. He came around. “You mind?” he asked gesturing to the bench.
“Go ahead.”
He sighed as he sank down. “Quite a morning, eh?”
“You could say that.”
They sat staring at the brook, watching the water flow over rocks and through the landscape. A cluster of birds broke away from a tree and Jake looked up. “You ever just wanted to be a bird and soar above it all? No pressures. No attachments. Just fly for miles and miles?”
She gave a strained smile. “Many times.”
“Did he ever take you up?”
“Once. Scared the daylights out of me.”
He rubbed his hands together. “I always wanted to fly. Never got around to it. Spent my entire life in Castine and never once ventured beyond Maine. Crazy, right?”
“Not really. I’ve only been to Florida, and Arizona. Life gets busy and it’s expensive to travel.”
He nodded. “Yeah.” He inhaled deeply and turned toward her. “Sara. What happened between you and me. Um. I understand if you…”
“I don’t regret it,” she replied, glancing at him.
“Nor do I but…” He studied her face as if trying to gauge how she was feeling. “However, things will change now, right?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything.” She tilted her head and looked up through the canopy of lush green leaves. “I just can’t believe my girl is gone.”
He reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She appreciated it yet at the same time couldn’t help but feel different about him. On one hand she wanted to tell him to leave the house but on the other hand she didn’t.
“What are you going to do?” Jake asked. “About Landon.”
“Speak with him, I guess.”
“And say what?”
She shook her head and looked down into her hands, rolling around the wedding ring that at one time meant so much to her but now had become foreign. “I don’t know.”
Jake nodded and looked away.
“I should move out. It’s not right for me to stay.”
“No. Stay.”
He shook his head. “Landon was right. It’s his home. If I came home after seven months away and walked in on my wife kissing another man, I’d be more than pissed. I’m surprised he didn’t lynch me.”
“That’s not like him.”
“No? You killed people. I’m sure he has. This whole event has changed us. I didn’t think I could take another person’s life but I have. Anyway that’s why I came to see you today. I wanted to let you know that I’m moving out.”
Her expression changed. Her mouth widened. “And if I don’t want you to go?”
Jake smiled. “Look, Sara. The time we spent together was… well.. it meant a lot. It was good. Really good. And if I had my way I would spend the rest of my days with you but that’s not reality. Reality is you are married and Landon is home now and whatever becomes of your marriage after this, that’s for you both to decide. I don’t want to get in the way. I would have never moved in on you had I known that he was still alive.” He shook his head. “I mean, I didn’t know whether he was dead or alive but… I guess I just wanted to be with you.” He paused for a second. “I’ve always wanted to be with you.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that except to nod.
“Where will you go?” She asked.
“Sam said I could take the spare room in his place.”
“He’s going back?”
“With the way things are at the moment, FEMA staying away and whatnot, he thinks it’s probably time we got back to some normality.”
“Normality? But there’s still no power.”
“No power grid, yes, but I’ve been talking with Rodney Jennings about alternative forms of power. Wind and hydropower. It might take some time but if the community works together we may be able to get the lights back on again using a few of the ideas he has. I’m not sure it would power appliances but who knows. Rodney seems quite confident and after his little ice experiment, well, I think that would be something worthwhile to give my time to.”
Sara frowned. “And what does Ray have to say about all this? Or Sam? What about the shifts that the community is involved with to protect residents?”
“It’s been over a month since the last attack. Ray has every intention of having the community and his men continue to protect the area but we will eventually need to pick up from where we left off and focus on… well… life.” He paused for a second. “And that means you and Landon having time to be a family.” He paused for a second. “Sam said something about us heading out to Ellsworth because Carl hasn’t returned. On the way out, I’ll drop my stuff off at his place. I just wanted to let you know.”
Her chin dropped.
“I’ll still drop by from time to time. You know, to check in on you and Max. Make sure things are good. I’m not going anywhere but… Landon was right. And he has every right to be angry and want time with his family. I want to respect his wishes.”
“And what about mine?” she asked turning toward him.
“You must have known he might one day return.”
“Did you?”
He shook his head.
“But…”
She screwed up her face, closed her eyes, then nodded. Jake gave her hand one more squeeze before he went to pull away. As he did, she leaned over and kissed him. Somewhere inside she knew it was wrong but in that moment she wasn’t thinking about Landon, the next day or what might happen, only what she felt for Jake. In their time together he had unearthed deep-seated feelings. Feelings she didn’t even realize were there until recently. She parted from him and took a deep breath. Jake got up and told her he would see her tomorrow, at the town hall meeting. There was meant to be a big discussion about the recent attacks, shift work and farming which had taken priority over the recent months.
As Jake emerged from the tree line, Sam was coming out of the house. “Ah, there you are. You ready to go?”
He nodded. “I just have to grab my bags.”
“Already loaded them on the horses.”
“Huh, you’re eager.”
Sam turned and they walked side by side around the house to the horses. “He should have been back by now. I don’t like it.”
“Perhaps they decided to stay there the night.”
Sam shook his head. “No. With everything that’s happened, it’s too risky.”
“Well then, don’t you think we should inform Ray?”
Sam never replied.
As they made their way over to the stable, Max and Eddie were coming up the driveway on their bikes. “Your mother is looking for you,” Jake said. “She’s out back.”
“Where are you going?” Max asked.
Jake dipped his head slightly and told Sam to give him a minute. Sam disappeared into the stables while Jake approached Max. “I’m moving out. Staying at Sam’s.”
“Sam’s going too?”
“Yeah. For a while. But I’ll swing by.”
Max pursed his lips. “This is because of my dad, isn’t it?”
Jake gave a strained smile. “You should take some time to be with him.”
“I don’t have anything to say.”
“Maybe you don’t need to say anything. Just listen.” He looked off toward the stables where Sam emerged with two horses. “He’s staying at your grandmother’s place.”
“Why?”
“Talk to your mother. She’ll explain.” He placed a hand on his shoulder. “Stay out of trouble. Okay?” Max didn’t reply. Eddie had the usual grin on his face. “I gotta go.” Jake turned and joined Sam. He gave one last look at Max and the Manor before giving the horse a nudge. They guided the horses down the driveway and took off at a gallop heading north toward Sam’s home.
“You really ha
ve bonded with him.”
“Max? Yeah. He’s a good kid. A little lost but his heart is in the right place.”
“You’re doing the right thing. If Sara decides to go her separate way then well, at least Landon can’t say you didn’t give them a chance.”
“Now you change your tune,” Jake replied.
“Hey, I don’t want to leave the Manor any more than you do but if it keeps the peace that’s all that matters to me. Besides, I have enough on my plate to worry about.”
“Bennington, you mean?”
Sam gave a nod as they kept a steady pace. “Yeah. He’s not the kind of man that will walk away. I know the community is eager to get back to regular living but until he’s dealt with we have a dark cloud overshadowing us. It’s just a matter of time before he shows his face and when he does I don’t want to be caught off guard.”
The town of Castine had changed a lot since the blackout. A lot of structures were in ruins from the fights between military and militia, but amid the disarray there was a spark of hope, a sense that people might be able to get back to their normal lives. And the strange part was Rodney Jennings had been instrumental in that. While he was useless when it came to shooting a gun, his mind was brilliant. It had been because of him that they had been able to keep fish fresh for longer with the ice he made using equal parts water and acetone. Of course they couldn’t toss a chunk in a glass but for packing around items it was perfect.
The next thing on the agenda was delving into alternative forms of power. They already had a few portable wind turbines but they were looking to create more, enough to power battery banks that could store the power and then provide light to homes. And with so much water in the area from the bay, streams and rivers, they were already in the planning stage of finding a way to harness it to create hydroelectricity. All that was required was large volumes of falling water and to create that, they were considering building a dam. Rodney said he had it all figured out. He’d even shown Jake this large whiteboard with diagrams that he hoped to present to the community at the next meeting. In Jake’s mind this was the way forward, and as someone who had always worked with his hands, both in a garage and towing vehicles, it felt natural to offer his help. Anything that would rebuild the community was worthwhile. And with Landon having returned, it would give him something to keep his mind off Sara.
After dropping off his bags at Sam’s they made their way up to the second checkpoint at the intersection of Shore and Castine Road and informed the ten-man crew that was stationed there of where they were heading. Sam had built up quite a rapport with the militia, more specifically Ray. They admired what Sam had accomplished in Castine prior to Harris and his goons showing up. It was one of the reasons why they’d stuck around. That and because the community were willing to help. With Belfast being six times the population of Castine and the people opposing what FEMA was trying to do, they no longer had to worry about their safety as the city had already taken actions to protect their own. In Ray’s mind that was all he wanted. Though Jake knew his interests in Castine ran deeper, they were linked to Teresa. Why he would want to jump into bed with her was a mystery.
“You think life will ever go back to the way it was?” Jake asked.
“You’re asking me? You’re the one with all the answers about this event.”
Jake smiled and patted the horse’s mane as they galloped. It would take at least four hours to reach the destination but they figured they’d get there before dark. When Jake didn’t reply, Sam continued. “I don’t think it will ever go back to normal. If government manages to find its feet, those in power will be held responsible and I don’t think anyone will admit fault so… no. I think we will see a new country, one that is formed by the people. Who knows, maybe it will look something like the way it did when Columbus found America.” He chuckled then his smile faded as quickly as it appeared.
It had been a long while since he’d ventured out of Castine. In seven months Mother Nature had taken back land that had once been covered by cement. Tall grass, weeds and wildflowers grew up through cracks in cement. In some areas, parts of the road had been swallowed by thick undergrowth.
They discussed many things on the way out to Ellsworth that day. He learned a lot about Sam, and likewise. There was so much that people kept to themselves. That was the one good thing about the blackout. The fall of technology and power had forced them back into real connections, talking face to face, having conversations that didn’t involve texting or phoning. For those who were older it was a welcome relief, and for the young a shock.
“It’s just up ahead.”
They guided the horses down a dirt road with wooden fences on either side. Beyond that were fields upon fields of crops. As they came around a bend in the road that led up to the house, Jake’s eyes widened. It wasn’t the state of the home that caught his attention but what was hanging from a tree nearby.
“Carl!” Sam snapped the reins and the horse bolted up the remainder of the driveway. Jake already had his M4 Carbine out and was scanning the terrain for threats. Sam leapt off the horse and hurried over. Carl had been strung up by his wrists and stripped. At a glance it looked as if he was dead because his body had been cut all over. There wasn’t an inch of his flesh that hadn’t seen the sharp edge of a knife. It was a bloody mess. “Carl. Carl!” Sam turned. “Jake. Help me get him down,” he said getting under his body and trying to support his weight. Jake brought the horse over and cut the rope and Carl slumped into Sam’s arms. He patted his face a few times and Jake tossed down a canister of water to him. He splashed liquid over his skin then brought it to his lips.
“Carl!”
His eyelids snapped open and then he gasped!
5
Bennington dumped the bullet riddled body of Lee Ferguson in front of Harris. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of him. It wasn’t the death of a key member of the militia, or having him dragged in front of him that bothered him but the timing. He was supposed to receive a visit from one of the heads of FEMA that evening. For the past few months he’d been in contact with Brooke Stephens over in Waterville, Maine, which was a part of Kennebec County.
When the power grid went down seven months ago, FEMA was quick to respond with the usual six-phase protocol of disaster management which was supposed to cover prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction. They were meant to coordinate response efforts in conjunction with federal, state and local agencies.
They were damn good at it too except the country had never experienced disaster at this level.
“What the hell is this?” Harris asked coming around his desk. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?”
He waved his hand toward Lee. “Proof. I said I would bring it. You can’t get much better than this. You know who this is?”
“I don’t care. Get him out of here. I have a very important meeting and the last thing I need is a dead body.”
Bennington gave a nod to a few of his men and they dragged Lee out.
“A meeting? Tell me more.”
“You are not invited.”
Bennington took out a cigarette from his top pocket and lit it, and proceeded to blow smoke in Harris’ face. “That was Lee Ferguson. The brother of Ray Ferguson, the head of Maine Militia.” He stood there all smug like as if expecting a pat on the back or some form of applause.
Harris got close. “Let me make something very clear, Bennington. The only reason you are involved is because of what you see on that board over there,” he said pointing to the towns that were no longer under control. “How you fix it is up to you. But don’t be bringing bodies back here. You will start a riot. There are already rumors circulating in this camp about what the militia have done. Folks are talking about leaving.”
“So? Let them leave. It’s one less headache,” Bennington replied.
“You have no idea, do you?”
“Man. All I give a shit about is whether or not I have your support for what
I have planned. So, do I?”
Harris stared at him with a blank expression. “You are reckless.”
“But I get the job done.”
“Get out. Don’t come back until you have something better than a dead person to show me.”
Bennington snorted and turned to walk out. “Oh, by the way. There is a cache of weapons that I managed to collect from the same place we went today. Seems law enforcement is alive and well. Well, they were until I dealt with it but…”
“Get out!” he said, glancing at his watch again.
Bennington smiled. “You still haven’t answered. Do I have the support of the military for my endeavor this evening?”
“I told you to speak with the colonel.”
“I already have. He’s waiting on you.”
“Then you have my permission. Just leave. Now!”
“All right. All right. But, oh, I forgot to mention something.” Bennington turned around and looked at him. “When Castine is back under my control, I will work with you but the agreement will be on my terms.”
Harris screwed up his face. “Your terms?”
“Hey. If you have a better way of getting these folks to dance then by all means, but from what I can see you have already tried and failed. So I figure that it’s only fair.”
“For who?”
“Both of us. You get to tell your friends in higher places that everything is going according to plan, and not suffer humiliation, and I get to run Castine on my terms with your support.”
“You think this is about negotiating?”
