HARD ROAD: Heaven Bound

by Terry McDonald

  Jake led her to the back of the cabin to a wooden picnic table he had noticed on the small back deck while investigating the storage building. He moved the table away from the skeleton lying scattered in and around a chair beside it and placed it at the other end of the deck. After positioning two chairs at the table facing away from the bones, he motioned for Beth to sit. The porch faced the sun that had lowered to the treetops and lit a scattering of clouds with pink and gold. They sat for a moment in peaceful silence.

  “It’s nice out here,” Beth said. “Sometimes I look at the world and wonder how it can be so beautiful, and people so nasty.”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, given your experiences, but the majority of the survivors are decent people. People are widely scattered, but here and there, I found small groups gathered together for self-protection, trying to form a sense of community. Some are beginning to farm, now that things will grow again.

  “It would be nice to meet up with people like that,” Beth said. “I reckon we were just unlucky there at the farm.”

  “It is the lawless ones out roaming, taking rather than giving, destroying rather than building. Hurting rather than caring. Beth, I need to tell you a few things. We have been traveling together for three days, and it seems like we’ve been either too busy or too tired to talk... About being married … I’ll try not to get emotional, but it is painful to speak about this.

  “A gang passed through the campus there in Wisconsin. It was towards the end of the long winter, a little over four years ago. My wife, Joan, and our boys, were outside digging for potatoes. They managed to wander out of view of the guards we had posted. I should have been with them.” He paused, visibly controlling his emotion.

  “Instead of watching out for them, I was inside helping a scientist set up equipment for research he was doing,” he continued, his voice expressing anger at himself. “I lost track of time. When I didn’t find them at home there was a search.

  They were found, my wife, raped and beaten so badly, I... my boys—” Jake gasped for air, fighting the memory. “The bastards took their legs.”

  “Why?” she asked. “Why would they take their legs?”

  “You know why,” Jake said, fighting back the tears trying to form. “They hacked my boys’ legs like they were taking hams from a pig.”

  “Oh God, no,” she gasped in understanding. “No wonder you have nightmares.”

  “I went crazy. Followed their tracks in the snow... They were cooking when I went at them. I shot them all. Seven men and women died. I’ve been killing people like them ever since.”

  Slow tears were easing down Beth’s face. “I’m sorry that happened to your family.”

  Jake wiped his own tears with his shirtsleeve. “And I’m sorry about what’s happened to you and yours. That’s why I lost it and went at the gang that night with Al. The woman, cutting meat from Willie’s leg, triggered a nightmare I thought I had suppressed. I lost control, and it was a stupid move. I should have listened to you and not gone back to investigate. I went looking for trouble.”

  “Well, from what Al told me, they’s the ones that found trouble. I’m glad you killed them. I didn’t like Willie all that much, but he didn’t deserve to be somebody’s dinner.”

  “I’m worried about the truck that left. It means there could still be members of the gang in the area,” Jake said.

  “They could be part of the bunch Willie and Allen ran into in Bainbridge.”

  “If they were, we probably killed most of them that night. There may only be the four of them left. I think the two I killed at your farm were out looking for homes to loot, and came on you all by accident.”

  “Do you still want to go to Bainbridge?”

  “Yes. The road leading east out of Bainbridge is the best route to Lakeland. You and I will go in alone tomorrow night for the things I want. We’ll use the opportunity to scout our best way east from there. I guess we should get back in—”

  “In a minute. I want to ask you about some things. That scratch on your face wasn’t a streak of blood. I saw it clear, and it was cut pretty deep.”

  “Yes it was and it healed overnight... Just before China started the nuclear exchange, researchers in France discovered the cause of the plague and … this is going to be hard to explain.”

  “Supper can wait,” she, said, “I want to know how you can heal overnight. I want to know how come you’re forty-six and look and move like you’re thirty something, and I want to know why you sometimes smell like Old Spice like my daddy used to, and don’t go telling me about something blooming.”

  “It’s all tied to the cause of the plague. Germs didn’t cause the die-off. Tiny machines called nanobots caused it. So tiny you can’t see them unless there are thousands of them grouped together.”

  “Is that possible, how can a machine be that little?”

  “Beth, the scientists shared their studies with me and the nanobots are real. Let me tell you about healing, and that will explain about what you asked. I was doing grunt labor for a group of researchers attempting to collect a sample from a huge cloud of the nanos that were doing something to the atomic core of a nuclear reactor. A tank of liquid nitrogen they were using ruptured.

  “The researchers said the blast from the tank tore my body apart and the liquid nitrogen froze me solid. They thought I was dead. They abandoned their effort to collect a sample and left me rather than risk retrieving my body from where it was.”

  “Why? Could the nanobot things hurt them? Would they give them the plague?

  “No, they no longer give people the plague, but yes, they can hurt you. If you touch a cloud of them, even a small grouping, it stings like wasps. If you try to move or disturb them with instruments or machines, they can dissolve them. The only way we could collect samples of the nanos was to freeze them close to absolute zero. That’s what the liquid nitrogen was for.

  “What happened to me after they left is what I’m getting to. The reason I was in charge of the ROTC program was because I lost my left arm in the Yemen conflict back in 2014, and they retired me from the field.”

  “You lost your arm.’ Beth said, incredulously.

  “Yes and my left eye. The left side of my face was so scarred people would turn away rather than see me. An IED … a bomb... blew up the transport I was riding in. The explosion shredded and burned the entire left side of my body.”

  “What happened after the scientists left you?”

  “I lay unconscious in a cloud of nanobots and days later, when I woke I was as you see me today, complete and in perfect health.”

  “They grew you a new arm and eye?”

  “Yes, and removed every scar from my body and ever since then I heal without scarring, but the healing process was never overnight. Lately, I think they are taking a more active role in my life. I know what I’m telling you is hard to believe, but that is what happened. The nanobots are still inside me.”

  “I believe you Jake because there isn’t any reason not to.” Her expression changed to alarm. “Wait a minute. Can we catch them from you? Those nanobots are scary.”

  “More than scary, but to answer your question, I don’t know. That night in the cave was weird and there is a chance they already went into you.”

  Jake told her about her face appearing to tell him not to rush into the Loggins cabin. “I think they are why you sometimes smell your father’s cologne, and sometimes when you are close to me, I taste chocolate in my mouth. They did something to us that night”

  “That’s weird. Why would they make us smell and taste things?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they’re trying to make you like me so you don’t kill me while I’m sleeping.” Jake laughed wryly at his attempt at humor.

  “That’s silly,” Beth said, “and besides, I already told you I’m not going to hurt you. I’m sorry now I said it, since you won’t shut up about it. I was mostly joking even then. We do need to get back inside. Janie’s probably starving by n
ow.”

  “And we need to button this place up before the sun’s gone,” Jake agreed. “We can talk more soon.”

  *

  Al and Janie finished with the windows about the same time the food was ready. The sun had set and after another trip outside, they returned to report no light was showing.

  As promised, Janie had a package of spaghetti to herself. She finished her meal and requested some chili.

  “The chili is good, but my mouth is burning,” she said. “I need to brush my teeth.”

  “I’ll help her,” Beth said, pushing her chair back from the table. “It’s your turn to do the dishes, Al.”

  Jake busied himself searching the place for anything that might come in handy. The only useful items were six plastic lighters in a kitchen drawer. One of them still held fuel. He gave it to Al. It was getting harder to find lighters that had not leaked over time.

  “Al, Beth and I are going out to scout by the road. Would you mind getting Janie tucked in for the night?”

  “You don’t want me with you?”

  “Got nothing to do with want, it’s got to do with training. She’ll be going into Bainbridge with me tomorrow night.”

  “I know Beth talked to you about me. I don't want you to think I'm afraid from what happened.”

  “That never crossed my mind, Al. You handled yourself as good as any man I have known. To tell the truth, I like you the way you are. You’re thoughtful and kind. I wish this was a world where law still prevailed. When we get to where we’re going, we can give some thought to how to do something about the way things are.”

  “Beth’s probably better for you anyways. She’s tougher than me and quicker too.”

  “I think so too,” Jake said. “I’m going to snuff the lamps. You can relight one after we’re out. We’ll knock when we get back so you’ll know to put it out again.”

  The night passed without incident. The next day they sorted their belongings, eliminating unnecessary items to keep their packs and bags as light as possible, but mostly they just rested. Janie especially needed a break from the pack. Her thin shoulders were rubbed raw. Beth saw that the straps needed more padding and wrapped them with strips torn from a bed sheet to soften and help spread the load.

  Toward midafternoon, Jake advised Beth to take a nap, as they would be leaving for Bainbridge at sunset.

  He took his own advice. Beth, tapping his shoulder, awakened him.

  “The sun’s been set about a half hour.”

  “Perfect,” he replied. She was dressed in her darkest clothing and a black stocking cap. She had her AK-47 slung on her shoulder, a sheathed hunting knife and canteen belted to her hip, and her pistol holstered on the other side.

  “Damn, you’re pure dangerous,” he said, winking at her.

  He removed a few items from his backpack and went into the bathroom. When he emerged, he looked very much like a commando ready for a mission. He even had black grease paint streaked helter-skelter on his face. He strapped pistol and knife to his waist.

  “Beth, grab the nylon bag I emptied earlier and we’re out of here. Al, do the light thing again.”

  Al snuffed the lamp and they left through the side door.

  *

  Jake told Beth they would use the road to travel.

  “The main reason I like to travel at night is that most people seek shelter when it gets dark, and the ones who do travel at night like to have light.”

  They walked a few minutes in silence. The evening air was crisp, the sky full of small clouds, and the moonlight came fitfully through the breaks.

  “How far is it to Bainbridge?” Beth asked.

  “I figure it’s about five miles to the outskirts, an hour and a half, maybe two.”

  “What are we looking for?”

  “I’d like some quality two-way radios. We’ll need rechargeable batteries and a way to recharge them.”

  “I meant to ask what kind of place.”

  “Oh. I guess my first choice would be a military surplus store. Then there’s Radio Shack, Walmart, pawnshops, any place that might still have electronics around. It’s going to be hard finding batteries that will hold a charge, but some of the exotic types that came out before the plague should.”

  “I just wanted to know what to look for. Is this a big town?”

  “According to my map, which isn’t the best, it appears to be medium sized. Before we get into town, we’ll probably pass a convenience store. We should be able to find a map of the town and a local phone book. I want to be able to go to the best places and not have to do a willy-nilly search. Remember what Al said happened when he and your uncle went there?”

  “I haven’t forgot.”

  They continued in silence, the sound of their footsteps seeming abnormally loud in the silence of the night.

  “Jake,” Beth said, again breaking the silence, “Al said they called him and Willie, “niggers,” and said they were going to kill them if they caught them. Are there many black people left?”

  Jake touched her shoulder. “Let’s sit for a moment. Back to back, you watch up the road behind us and I watch the front.”

  “This feels weird,” Beth said after they were seated with their backs touching. “Is this something you learned in the army?”

  “Yes. This is also a good way to sleep when the situation warrants it.... You asked me if there were many black people left. The answer is yes and no. The die-off from the plague was non-discriminatory and the races died in proportion to each other. The smart survivors left the heavily populated areas, but in the large cities I’ve visited during the years since the fall of civilization, I have found there are quite a few survivors still living in them. Chicago had at least a few thousand.

  “The people who stayed in the cities separated into gangs, some race based and others religious based. The gangs wage senseless turf wars that continue even now. They kill the men and children of rival gangs, but usually keep the women as slaves to use anyway they choose. In big cities like L.A., Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, I am sure you will find survivors of every racial and ethnic persuasion.

  “Out in the rural, less populated areas things are very different. The survivors, based on racial proportions, were mostly white. Many of them consider anyone not white to be interlopers, as not belonging. As a result, in many places, the racial and ethnic peoples are shot on sight, and in some instances, purposefully hunted down and killed.”

  “You’re white,” Beth stated accusingly.

  “I think of myself as human. I think of you, Al and Janie as human. There are so few of us left, it would take a fool to think any other way. Beth, hatred, while misguided, is practiced by all kinds of people. The whites aren’t the only ones committing atrocities. The sons of bitches that killed my family were black, and you were assaulted by a group of blacks.”

  “You used a bunch of words just to say I’m in more danger because I’m black?”

  “We are all in danger every day, but in the rural areas, yes you are.”

  “You gotta teach us how to fight. I mean how to kill. You learned in the Army didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I was in the Special Forces…,” he stopped mid-sentence and made a shushing sound. “I think I saw a light ahead,” he whispered.

  They cautiously stood, staring intently down the road.

  “I see it,” Beth said. “It’s moonlight bouncing off glass.”

  “I think you’re right. That close to the road, it’s most likely a business of some kind.”

  The source of the reflected light proved to be a combination gas station and convenience store. It was obvious the place was deserted. The glass entrance door was shattered and there was no sound or movement from inside. Jake went in to check before motioning for Beth to join him.

  “I saw what we need at the service counter,” he whispered, leading the way.”

  “Why are we whispering?” she whispered.

  “I don’t know,” he replied with a low ch
uckle. “Just habit.”

  “I feel it too. Being around human places at night is creepy,” she said in a low voice. “Let’s find what we need and get out of here.”

  Jake sorted through the maps displayed in a plastic stand near the counter, squinting in the dim light. Beth went around the end and rummaged the shelves behind the counter.

  “I’ve got the Bainbridge phone book,” she said, moving to rejoin him. “Any luck?”

  “Absolutely,” he said, grabbing his selections. “Let’s go outside so I can see.”

  After looking up places in the phone book and referencing them on a map, Jake declared with evident relief. “We’re lucky. Every place we want is within a half-mile of each other and we’re coming in from the best direction. We won’t have to enter the main part of town.”

  He paused, “Listen, do you hear a sound like water flowing?” He asked, pointing to the east.

  She listened attentively for a few seconds.

  “That’s the Flint River. If we can hear it, we can’t be more than a mile or so from Bainbridge.”

  “Let’s be careful like you been teaching us,” she said. “Al and Willie came this way. Those men could still be here.”

  “You know me,” he replied.

  Caution paid off. The first place of interest was the Walmart. The doors were open. Jake had Beth hide behind an abandoned minivan while he went inside the immense building.

  He was back within minutes and motioned with quick flicks of his hand for her to follow him. He kept close to the wall of the building, setting a rapid pace until they reached a corner and crossed an open parking area to a small stand of trees. Jake slowed and stopped.

  “We can rule out the Walmart. They were in there, seven men and three women. I didn’t see any children. The inside of the place is filthy. I followed a trail of trash to a camp they have back in the furniture area. I could have killed every one of them while they slept.”