HARD ROAD: Heaven Bound
Page 31
“Connie, this truck weighs almost fifteen tons. That patch is going to push down. I don’t know how much. If you think you won’t make it, just stop and honk your horn.”
Jake climbed into the transport, and slowly eased the monster onto the repaired area. He felt it sink with the weight, compressing their patch. He continued forward, and as he passed over the patch, it sank even further to a point the all-wheel drive of the MaxxPro had trouble pulling it and the trailer up and over the far side. Connie immediately honked his horn.
The sun was getting low in the sky. They spent another hour rushing to find even more material to pack on top of the pushed down metal.
Finally, just after the sun actually set, the two buses, and the large trucks crunched their way across the patch with no problems. Everyone climbed aboard the vehicles, and they completed the short drive to the building.
Soon they were all standing in the dark on a wide concrete apron in front of a windowless and featureless gray building lit by the headlights of their vehicles. It was at least sixty feet tall and hundred fifty feet wide. The rear of the building continued into a low wide hill.
The building itself had several signs at eye level with radiation and hazardous material warnings. There was no obvious door or opening of any kind.
“Shit,” a man said loudly, almost shouting. “We worked our asses off to come to this shitty building. There were better places back at the freeway.”
Jake gave him a hard look, and turned his attention to Janie who was fighting to hold back tears. People were huddled together in their original groups. They were soaking wet, and covered with black mud and debris from their labors. Like Janie, more than a few of them were on the verge of crying. Everyone was staring at him.
“That might be true,” he said in a loud theatrical voice. “Yes, it might be true if this were any place but Heaven. This is one hell of an ugly building, but just as beauty can hide ugly, ugly can hide beauty. When the doors open, the true majesty of Heaven will be revealed. To get into Heaven you have to have the key. Will Janie Simpson Markett please approach the key master?”
Janie jumped up and down with excitement, and left the other children to run to him. Jake reached into his pocket and removed a cloth pouch that held a small odd shaped metal bar about eight inches long with two spring-loaded protrusions that sprang into position as he slid it out. “This is the key to Heaven,” he said holding it high for everyone to see. To his astonishment, there was a collective gasp, and several people dropped to their knees.
“It looks like a cross,” Beth whispered to him.
Jake tilted his head, and sure enough, he was holding a cross aloft. He lowered his arm with a sheepish look on his face.
“People, please, this is not a cross. Please stand and accept my apology. As I said, this is only a key, and the shape is purely incidental to its purpose.”
“You need to be a mite more careful, Markett,” Silas shouted to him, half angrily, and half-laughing. “You’re beginning to come across as weird.”
“Again, no symbolism was meant.”
Jake bent to whisper to Janie. “Don’t worry about what the man said. This is the key, and Heaven is exactly what I said it will be.” He held out the key. Her fingers trembled as she took it.
“Honey, there are five signs attached to the wall. Just below the middle sign is a hole. Push the key in as far as it will go and twist it either way. Wait until I announce you."
“From this day forward let it be remembered and passed throughout history that Janie Simpson Markett unlocked the Door to Heaven. You can proceed, Janie.”
“Does that mean go?”
“Absolutely, honey.”
Janie ran to the building. Without hesitation, she inserted the key into the hole below the center sign and gave it a twist.
“It turned, Daddy,” she cried out, “I heard something click.”
“The door to Heaven is unlocked, you may return to my side.”
As Janie ran back to join them, Jake leaned to whisper to Al, standing next to him.
“Son, when I say proceed, I want you feel along the top of the sign where Janie was, with both hands. You will find two holes you can fit a finger into. Push hard with your fingers, and the sign will hinge down. Attached to the back of the sign is a handle. Pull it, and the door will open.
Again, Jake spoke in a theatrical voice.
“From this day forward, let it be remembered and passed throughout history, that Allen Simpson Markett opened the Door to Heaven. You may proceed, Allen.
Al strode proudly to the wall, and placed his hands as Jake instructed. The sign hinged down. Holding the handle, he slowly backed up. Once he got it in motion, a large concrete rectangle section of the wall, about twenty feet tall by twelve feet wide that looked exactly like the other formed sections of the building, began to smoothly move with him. He continued backing up until the door to Heaven stopped moving, about a quarter open. He tugged a few times but it would not move further.
“It’s stuck,” he called to Jake.”
“Never mind, son,” he called back. “The door is open. Allen, you may return to my side.”
Al returned to his side. Everyone stood gazing into the partially opened door. It was like peering into a pitch-dark cave.
“I think someone should see if there’s a light switch,” Jake said. “Connie, as co-Captain of our convoy, would you like to do the honors.”
Connie glanced at Jake in surprise. Jake smiled at him and nodded to the doorway.
“I reckon I wouldn’t mind that honor sir, as long as history remembers that Connie Eugene Stevens was the one that turned on the lights in Heaven,” he answered, using the slang term. He stood tall and allowed his makeshift cane to fall to the ground. Ignoring the pain in his knee, he marched deliberately to the open door. An automatic switch activated as he passed through the entrance, light blazed from the inside.
Janie could not resist any longer. She ran to the door of Heaven, and froze in the opening. “Oh Daddy, it is bigger than it looks.” She shouted with joy. “It’s so much bigger, and I see children way far away!” The other kids ran to join her and they began jumping with excitement.
Beth took Jake’s hand in hers, and began walking towards the door. “I can’t believe the lights work,” she said.
“I guess someone must have paid the bill,” he quipped. “I wonder who’s in there... Everyone with weapons, on your guard!” He squeezed Beth’s hand and they entered the opening to join the others already inside.
They were at one end of a broad boulevard that was actually a road through the center of Heaven. There were wide openings in the concrete walls on each side, walls that formed a long dark tunnel.
Standing in another pool of light a least a quarter mile away was a small group of men, women and children, all facing their direction, most likely as astonished to see Jake and his people, as he was to see them.
A feeling of relief washed through him. Relief that Heaven existed. Relief that he and his friends had made it there alive. Relief that he no longer had to roam the earth, alone and lonely. Relief that he had kept one of the promises made to a man so long ago. He squeezed Beth’s hand, and strode down the road. He had other promises to keep, but first he needed to know who the heck those people are.
A new road is ahead of him but for now, this is THE END
While waiting for the sequel you may enjoy reading
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Fast paced action. A real page-turner. Annie will warm your heart. Annie will break your heart. Adult situations, violence, language.
It is the year 2028. The survivors of the plague and the limited nuclear exchange of 2017 are few and scattered. This is the story of a group of these survivors who embark on a cross-country journey from Spokane Washington to a civilized refuge named Haven in the state of Georgia. Their caravan is attacked, the men and boys are killed and the women and horses are taken. The task of
rescuing the women falls on the shoulders of thirteen-year-old Annie Higgins. Annie is determined to reclaim her mother from the highwaymen no matter what the odds. Annie is an amazing young girl. Her careful planning, her words of wisdom and her acts of heroism will have you cheering for her.
Adult situations, violence, language.
This novel is based in the same set of circumstances introduced in my novel, 'Hard Roads' that led to the downfall of society into anarchy. Annie is a stand-alone novel, complete within its pages.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HL4X84