HARD ROAD: Heaven Bound

by Terry McDonald

  “You need to,” Janie replied. “Beth says I’m skinny as a rail.”

  “I figure, by stretching the dehydrated meals with the food we already have, we have about twenty days’ worth of good solid rations,” Jake said. “We can supplement those by hunting or fishing.”

  “Aren’t you afraid someone will hear a shot?” Al asked.

  “I was thinking more about your Whammo, Jake answered. Didn’t you tell me you could hit a running rabbit?”

  “Not every time, but often enough.”

  “What about breakfast,” Beth asked. “I didn’t know whether to use the stove or not?”

  “The wind’s blowing towards us from the road,” Jake said. “If you and Al will get the stove going and fill the big pot half full of water we’ll have rice mixed with chili. There’s a can of beef stew in my pack that is edible cold. Janie's welcome to that.”

  “I’ve been wanting to ask you about your little stove,” Al said. “It sure don’t use much wood and after it gets going it don’t smoke. I think the way it's made it somehow cooks gas out of the wood ‘cause of how blue it burns.”

  “Say doesn’t or does not,” Jake corrected smiling. “You're very smart to figure that out on your own. Yes, to answer your question, it’s a special design. It converts the wood to wood-gas. A friend of mine in Wisconsin made it.”

  Beth took Jake's praise of Al and ran with it. “Al's smart about lots of things. He figured out how to trap fish with floating cages in the pond not far from the farm. This spring the fish seemed like they was... were coming back and we were beginning to eat better. I bet if those men didn't come, we wouldn't have been skinny by the end of summer. For a while, we had a windmill thing he made just from looking at a picture. It pumped water to the house through plastic pipes daddy had in the barn. A tornado came up. It didn't hit us, but it blew the windmill apart and winds blew off part of our roof, but I know he could have made an even better one.”

  “I have to agree with you, those were good things to have, and I agree too that you would have been a lot better off food wise. The way plants and wildlife are coming back here in the South it's almost as if the long winter never happened.”

  Jake left it to them to prepare the meal and busied himself with the items from the pawnshop. He was reworking the wiring of a small, foldable solar panel, when Beth informed him the meal was ready. He ate and went back to work. An hour later, he was finished.

  “I’ve got this solar panel set to charge the batteries for the two way radios. It’s slow, but if we keep the panel facing the sun it should charge eight batteries in about six hours.” He stood to move to the tree and tossed Al a device attached to a modified battery holder. It had a crank handle, giving it the appearance of a small meat grinder. “This is a hand operated charger. As long as you turn the handle it will be charging.”

  “How fast do I need to turn it?” Al asked.

  “Not fast, maybe thirty, thirty five times around each minute. There are eight batteries in the holder, so you’ll need to work it for about three hours or so.”

  “We’ll take turns,” Beth said. “You want to do it too, don’t you Janie?”

  “I want to do it after Al. Can I be next Jake?”

  “I don’t see why not, but it’s sort of hard to turn. If you get tired let someone else take over so we get a good charge.”

  “I will,” she promised. “But I’m a good turner.”

  After Jake arranged the solar panel facing the sun he removed the map of the Bainbridge area from his pack, and spread it on the ground.

  Beth joined him, sitting beside him. “What you studying?”

  He positioned the map so she could see it.

  “Last night I noticed this dotted line,” he said, indicating with his finger. “See how it runs off at an angle to this road we’re on and joins to Highway 37 about twenty miles further north?”

  “What is the line?”

  “If it was zigzaggy and curvy, I would say it was a logging road, but it’s so straight it has to be an electrical line right of way.”

  “Is that good?” she asked.

  “Depends how overgrown it is. In the past, the utility companies kept them clear-cut. Because of the long winter, any new growth should be small. If it’s passable, I think we should follow it to the other road. It takes us a bit out of the direction we need, but once we get to the 37, it’s a straight shot over to Lakeland. Best of all, it’ll put us further from the path the Saints will likely take when they leave Bainbridge.”

  Beth traced her finger across the map. “If we don’t use the road we’re following and just head straight to it this way—.”

  “Northeast,” Jake supplied.

  “Northeast, we can stay off the road and go through the woods. I’ve learned to be afraid of roads, towns and people.”

  “It is a nasty world Beth, but it will get better. There are some things I haven’t had time to tell you about.”

  “Like what?” She asked. Tell me something to make me feel better. Safer.”

  “I would rather wait until I can tell all of you together, but for one thing there will be other people joining us in Haven.”

  “Good people?”

  “Yes, good people, and smart too. They’ll be working on a plan to fix something very bad happening to our world.”

  “What’s happening to the world?”

  “It concerns the nanobots. Maybe tomorrow I can take time to tell more. For now, I need to sort and divide the rest of the material we got from Bainbridge, and we’ll need to get more sleep before we set out tonight.”

  “I’ll hold you to that. I want to know what we’re getting ourselves into. I ain’t... I mean I’m not taking Janie and Al no place where they can get hurt.” She paused, “So do you think we should just head straight for the dotted line?”

  “Since we’re traveling at night it will be hard to work our way cross country. Whatever it is on the map, it crosses this road about six miles further on. If it’s a trail we can use, we’ll only be on the road about four hours at most.”

  “How many gangs do you think we’ll run into before we get to Heaven?”

  Jake dismissed her use of the name Heaven as no big deal. “Hopefully, no more. There aren’t many people left alive to form gangs. Saints’ is big because over the years they’ve been actively searching for people to assimilate. In my travels until now, about the worst I’ve run into are groups less than ten, and most gangs don’t tend to travel like the Saints. I’d like to know what they use to fuel their vehicles.”

  “Gangs scare the hell out of me.”

  “Me too,” he agreed, “but keep in mind, it only takes one person sneaking up to kill you.”

  “I’m learning,” she replied. She paused in thought before continuing.

  “I want you to know I appreciate how patient you are with us. I haven’t gotten around to is thanking you for what you did the day the men were—”

  He raised his hand to interrupt her. “Beth, I don’t need to be thanked for doing what any decent man should do. I’ll tell you what I’m thankful for. I’m glad I’m not alone anymore. Aside from my wife and boys, you are the best people I’ve ever known. We all got lucky I came along when I did.”

  “You’re a good man Jake Markett. Sometimes I feel like…,” she cut her sentence short.

  “Feel like what?” he prompted.

  “Nothing, just a thought,” she replied, avoiding an answer. She stood and went to the cooking area to tidy. Janie was working the crank of the generator and was doing a surprisingly good job turning it.

  Jake checked the solar panel output with a meter. He busied himself with other items from the pawnshop. As he worked, he strained to hear the sound of engines running or other noises to indicate people were in the area.

  After a while, to the kids’ relief, Jake decided they’d cranked the generator enough. He removed the batteries from the holder and inserted two each into four, two-way radios.

  T
he power light lit on all but one. He switched batteries from another one and it lit. By shuffling the batteries around, he found the battery that hadn’t taken a charge. After some basic instructions on radio etiquette, he let them practice with them.

  “These radios have a range of about two miles, not bad for such small units. We have two sets that are more powerful but I haven’t rigged a charger for them yet. They have their own internal batteries, a new kind they invented a few years before the plague. They’re supposed to last practically forever.”

  “I like these radios,” Al said. “It’ll sure make it easy to travel tonight.”

  A little later Jake insisted the three of them get some sleep while he stood guard. He decided to forgo Al’s tree limb, and went closer to the road to watch. As he relaxed into a comfortable position, he noticed how nice the day was.

  He loved nature, and the warm Georgia sunshine felt good on his back. The sky was a solid blue dome and birds were chirping and singing. Again, he marveled at how the plants and animals had survived the long winter.

  A long time ago, in another life, he read a book called ‘The Earth Abides’. The proof was evident all around him, and since the death of most humans, even the air was cleaner.

  After three hours, he caught himself nodding off and returned to camp to find Al awake.

  “What’s the matter, Al, you couldn’t sleep?”

  “I woke a minute ago. I was about to come let you get some rest. Did you see anything?”

  “No,” Jake replied, “but I’m glad you’re up. I caught myself nodding off. If you get tired, come and wake Beth.”

  Jake adjusted the solar panel before lying down.

  *

  Beth awoke. Seeing Jake and Janie were sleeping, she stealthily made her way to where Al was keeping watch near the road. She gave him a good startle when she touched his shoulder.

  “Don’t do that, Beth, you scared me.”

  She sat on the ground beside him. “I shouldn’t be able to sneak up on you.”

  “Well you did,” he said. “Are they awake?”

  “No. Jake hasn’t had much sleep, and Janie wore herself out cranking the battery thing. Besides, I want to talk to you about some things Jake told me.”

  “Tell me while I keep watching. I thought I heard something a while ago.”

  “What did you hear?”

  “Sounded like voices from up the road,” he said. “It’s probably nothing. Every time I have guard I think I hear things.”

  “You scared most of the time too?” Beth asked.

  “When I’m by myself, like when it’s my turn to scout ahead. As soon as I get far away I start shaking.”

  “If you want me to, I can talk to Jake so just us can do the scouting tonight.”

  “No, I’ll take my turns. I know you said something to him about me. I’m a man now and I need to act like one. Anyways, we’ll be far away from that Saint guy pretty soon.”

  “You’re not a man yet,” Beth asserted. “I told him to use me mostly. I’m older and meaner. Learn from him, but don’t be like him. The best thing about you is how good you are. You and Janie kept me strong in the bad times.” She paused for a moment in thought.

  “Lately I been feeling better, like I’m stronger and I’m wider awake than I used to be. Even Janie’s looking better.”

  “I‘ve been feeling different too. We’ve been eating more.”

  “Probably it, but we only been with him five days … Al, do you trust Jake?”

  “I guess so. He’s been good to us. I like him.”

  “I think I do too. He don’t look at me like Uncle Willie did.”

  “Willie left you alone after you told him you’d cut off his pecker while he was sleeping if he bothered any of us.”

  Beth had to smile. “It didn’t stop him from looking though. Jake seems like he’s only got one thing on his mind, and that’s getting to the place Janie calls Heaven.”

  “I wonder what Heaven’s going to be like,” Al said. “I hope it’s a place where we can stay and not be scared.”

  “He told us it is, and he told me we won’t be by ourselves there. Some other folks are joining with him.”

  “Who?”

  “He said he’d tell us about it tomorrow. Al, sometimes I feel like we don’t know anything. Mamma and Daddy didn’t know anything either.”

  “Mamma was smart,” Al replied defensively.

  “Yes she was, they both were, but we were stuck down here in the country, and after the television and radio stations quit working, they didn’t know what was happening to the world. I listen to everything Jake says. He was involved in something at the university he comes…came from. It has something to do with what happened back then, maybe dangerous things.”

  “Do you think we shouldn’t go with him?”

  “No,” Beth replied with certainty, “I’m just thinking if we get there, and Jake and those folk he’s meeting are doing something might be dangerous to us, we may have to leave out on our own.”

  “We’ll know when we get there, won’t we?”

  “I just thought maybe we should keep our eyes open for a safe place along the way, just so we’d have a place if we decided we needed one. We’ll keep learning everything we can from him. If you learn something I don’t know, you tell me, and I’ll do the same for you.”

  “All right,” he agreed. “I think it’s about time to wake him, the sun’s getting pretty low.”

  “We will in a minute. Let me tell you about what happened to his family. You need to know about teeny tiny monster machines he's infected with. I’m thinking maybe us too. There's other weird stuff he told me. He grew a new arm … and an eye.”

  *

  Jake awoke with a start. For a moment, he could still smell the stink of burning flesh, and feel the rage coursing through his mind. His eyes popped open to see Janie jumping back from him.

  “It’s me, Jake,” she said, beginning to tear. “You were making bad noises.”

  “It’s okay, honey,” he said, trying to calm her and escape from the remnants of his nightmare at the same time, “I was having a bad dream again.”

  “You said you’d kill me.”

  “I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the bad people in my dream.”

  “You scared me.”

  “I’m sorry, you know I’d never hurt you,” he said. Tell you what, next time I’m making bad noises you get Beth or Al to wake me.”

  “I will. I shudda’ used a long stick like Beth said.”

  “Are you hungry?” He asked to distract her.

  “I’m always hungry,’ she replied, “’cause I’m skinny as a rail.”

  To his relief, Beth and Al came into the camp area.

  “Any sign of Saint’s men?” Jake asked.

  “Al thought he heard voices,” Beth replied, “but we listened and didn’t hear anything again.”

  “I wasn’t sure I heard anything,” Al clarified.

  “When you’re keeping watch it’s easy to get false alarms.” Jake said.

  “Probably because we keep straining to hear something. I guess we’re getting to be jumpy like you,” Beth agreed, smiling to let him know she was joking. “Al and I were talking about you down by the road. Do you remember when you asked me if we were friends? Well we are. We like you Jake, and we trust you.”

  “Thank you,” he responded with a smile to match hers, “I promise I’ll never do anything to violate that trust.”

  Beth started laughing. “Can’t you say something simple like, ‘I like you too?” You’re always so serious.”

  “I suppose I am,” he replied with a chuckle, “but I do mean what I said, and to paraphrase, I like you all too.”

  “I guess we need to eat and get ready,” Al suggested. “Beth told me about the new trail we’re going to look for.”

  “Jake, how long will it take us to get to Heaven?” Janie asked.

  “It’s hard to know for sure, honey,” he replied. “T
o be safe, I’d say at least twenty days, maybe even longer. We’ll be carrying a lot of weight, and your legs are pretty short.”

  “I’ll walk fast and you can carry me sometimes. You carry me good.”

  He had to chuckle, knowing how heavy the little bit of a girl could get after you carried her long enough. “Even so, it’s going to take a while, but as long as we keep going we will definitely get there.”

  *

  They were almost to the place where the utility line cut crossed the road. Al was taking his turn scouting ahead while the others waited. They heard men gunfire and men shouting.

  “There he goes.”

  “Don’t shoot him fool, Saint wants him alive.”

  “I’ve got him. Shit! He bit me!”

  “Git him Ralph.”

  “I’ve got him. Grab his arm. Shit! He bit me again!”

  “Hold him, don’t kill him.”

  Beth was frantic. “They got Al.”

  “Calm down,” Jake said in a coarse whisper. “Take Janie into the woods and hide. Stay there till I get back.”

  He allowed his pack to drop to the ground, thumbed the safety off his rifle and raced towards the curve in the road where the altercation occurred. He slacked his pace when he got close to the bend and made his way cautiously forward. As he drew near, he could hear the men speaking and the sound of blows delivered.

  “Where’re the rest of ‘em boy?”

  Another voice spoke.

  “You better talk to him, boy. I’ll beat the shit outta you.”

  Al was pinned to the pavement by two large men holding his arms and legs. A third was sitting on Al’s belly, raining blows and slaps to his face to punctuate his questioning. A longhaired fat man was standing over them, asking more questions.

  Jake’s rage surged. His nightmare awoke and overlaid the reality of the moment. Demons from his past were present, only this time he was going to save his family. He brought his rifle to bear, targeting the fat man. The man saw him, but had no time to react before a bullet entered his chest, dropping him like a stone. Tossing the rifle for fear of hitting Al, Jake stormed forward, pistol drawn.

  He was among them before they could regain their wits, putting a round in the head of the man sitting on Al. He shot another of the assailants in the chest. He was turning to target the fourth man, but had to retarget the fat man who trying to get to his feet, clawing for the pistol holstered to his hip. Jake shot him in the face.