Patriots Awakening

by R. M. Strauhs

  “Why would they be killed?” Bill asked.

  “Why not? Traitor’s done his job and turned in some poor sucker, his wife and kids. Traitor’s usefulness is then over to those in power. Pow, a bullet to the head, and he is one less person to deal with. Why do they want someone working for them that turns traitor so easily? That person can no longer be trusted. Quite simple really . . . when you think it all through.”

  Bill looked stunned and started to shake. In fact, he was turning white, and beads of sweat covered his face.

  At that exact moment, David walked up behind Bill and snapped his neck.

  ~~~

  Awakening at an early hour, Brandon’s group ate, then headed away from the farm at first light. They had been up quite late going through the house, helping themselves to all the clothing and supplies they could manage to carry. In fact, each of the four survivors led another horse packed with additional supplies. Colorado was a long distance away, and they would need all the food they could take. The additional horses belonged to the farm behind Bill’s, and they figured Bill had also turned in that family.

  Brandon hadn’t called Macaroon. He didn’t know how many would be listening to the short wave and know they were on the move. If Bill had figured the codes out, so could others. All Brandon knew about Stephan’s camp was that it was in Colorado. He’d face how to locate it once they got into the state. Right now, there were more pressing issues, like getting out of Oklahoma alive.

  They rode long and hard all day without saying a word. The events of the night before kept their minds occupied. Brandon was angry with himself for falling into the trap so easily. Bill was good. He had to give him that. Why he glanced toward the house when he did and thought he caught a glimpse of Bill walking around still bugged him. It was uncanny, but thank God he had.

  Brandon followed the streams to avoid leaving a trail, plus the horses needed frequent watering. By sundown they found themselves in a grove of trees near Pryor, north of Tahlequah, having figured anyone after them would concentrate more in the western direction. Bill kept bringing up their going west, so he might have figured their destination was in that direction and told the officials as much.

  After unpacking the horses and watering them, David wiped them down before he picked up the canteens and filled them in the stream. Brandon kept watch as Anita and Beverly made roast beef sandwiches from the previous night’s dinner. They still didn’t speak or make noise, in case other traitors were around. After eating, the girls immediately fell asleep.

  “You think anyone’s following us?” David asked in a whisper.

  “I don’t think they’d expend a lot of energy or resources to track down four people. Besides, they told Bill it would be a week before they’d come for us. They may not know we’ve left unless Bill called them daily.”

  “Sure hope you’re right. You really think we can find Stephan in Colorado? It’s a big ass state.”

  Brandon stared at the moon-spawned light filtering through the trees, thinking what a beautiful night it was for such shit to be going on in his country. “I hope we can, buddy. We’d better get some sleep. It’ll be a long, hot day tomorrow.”

  ~~~

  A grueling twenty-six days after leaving the traitor’s farm, Brandon’s group reached the outskirts of Pueblo, Colorado. They’d lost one horse packed with supplies when it reared up and bolted from a rattlesnake in south central Kansas.

  By now, all four were sunburned and their lips cracked from the searing heat crossing the plains.

  At one point, Beverly used some pretty strong language to describe how the pioneers must have felt trying to get across this barren country alive. “Those people had to have been plain out of their fuckin’ minds to leave their home and travel through all this shit. I’d kill any son-of-a-bitch that asked me to do it if it were under different circumstances.”

  They stayed off the roads and highways, traveling the rough route cross country. As they topped a hill, a highway stretched into the distance below them and they halted.

  “Okay, Brandon, we made it to Pueblo. Any idea where Mac’s camp might be?” David slid from the horse, and then stood, trying to straighten up, holding his back.

  “Not a clue and plenty of mountains in this state for him to hide in. Damn, I have no idea which end of the state he’s even in or what direction to head in the morning. But I think we can wait until tomorrow to worry about it. Right now, I want a cup of coffee and some hot food. This eating out of cans really sucks.”

  “You think it’s safe to light the camp stove?” Anita asked.

  “Yeah, it seems the highway’s deserted. We’re in the middle of nowhere. Only way they could spot us is from the air. I think since it’s daylight, we’ll be okay with a fire. Shit, I’m worn down to a damned frazzle. What do you all think of taking a day off?”

  Anita rubbed her butt and said, “That’s the best idea you’ve had on this trip. I’m saddle-sore, and I need some hot food for a change.”

  Brandon couldn’t help but think how he’d like to massage her aching butt. It was cute as asses went . . . a winner.

  The women discarded their bras soon after beginning their journey, Beverly saying there was no reason to wear such uncomfortable shit anymore.

  Anita’s breasts were firm enough they stood out like beacons to a horny man, and Brandon, despite the loss of his family such a short time ago, couldn’t help but notice she didn’t mind having her shirt unbuttoned damned near to the waist to stay cool. He just couldn’t help himself, having always been what one might call oversexed, perhaps even obsessed with sex. Now as Anita and Beverly bent over to remove the coffee pot, a pan, and the camp stove from the packs, he stared at Anita’s breasts flopping out of her shirt and at Beverly’s rather nicely shaped butt as she bent over, facing away from him. He hadn’t meant to get caught gawking, but Anita glanced at him and smiled. Then she said something to Beverly in such a low voice it was indistinguishable, and Beverly chuckled.

  It wasn’t long before they sat in a circle eating the soup the ladies managed to put together. Anita deliberately stared directly at his crotch, and damned if he could keep from getting an erection. He wondered if she was only doing it to tease, or if she was as hard up as he was. Perhaps he would have to find a way to speak to her away from the others.

  ~~~

  Brandon stared at the stars as he lay on his sleeping bag trying to get his mind off the two women. He couldn’t help but think about a nice, soft bed with Anita’s legs wrapped around his waist. Mercifully, he finally drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  “Brandon, you okay?” David shook him awake to do his stint on guard duty. “Damn, I didn’t think I’d ever get you awake,” he whispered close to Brandon’s ear.

  “Sorry. Man, I must have been more exhausted than I thought. What time is it?” Brandon rubbed his eyes and shook his head.

  “About three. You awake, now? Don’t want your ass fallin’ asleep on guard.”

  “I’m okay. I’ll slap water on my face. Damn, it’s chilly tonight.”

  A few minutes later, with the sleeping bag wrapped around him for warmth, Brandon sat down next to a rock overlooking the highway. He picked up the binoculars and did a three sixty sweep. They could have been marooned on the moon for as many signs of life he saw. Absolutely nothing was moving. He wondered if this area of Colorado was as deserted this time of morning before the big asteroid scare. A slight noise behind him brought him whirling around, his weapon at the ready.

  “Christ, don’t shoot me.” Anita whispered.

  “Don’t ever sneak up on me like that.” He holstered the gun.

  “You didn’t want me to wake the others, did you? Humm?”

  “What are you doing up?” he asked. “It’s three in the morning and cold out here.”

  “Same thing that kept you awake so long.” Anita chuckled at the level of a whisper and replied, “The need for sex, for cryin’ out loud. Goddamn! I don’t think I’ve been
so hard up since I got my first piece when I was fifteen.”

  Brandon coughed as quietly as he could. “You’re full of surprises,” he whispered.

  “What’s to be surprised about? How could I miss the way you’ve looked at me a number of times. Why do you think I’ve tried to show you so much? Truth is, I’ve seen you staring at my breasts and I’ve gotten so damned sticky I was afraid everyone would smell me.” She laughed at the surprised look on his face, evidently not used to a woman talking this way. “Dammit, Brandon, I know it might not be right, but I’m so damned hard up and horny I could jump about any man willing right now.”

  Without answering, he glanced toward Beverly and David, snug in their sleeping bags and evidently sound asleep. Then, without speaking, he wrapped his arms around Anita and pulled her close, kissed her passionately and whispered, “You’re right, I’ve wanted to get you alone and naked since we left Oklahoma.” He ran his hand inside her shirt and wrapped it around a breast.

  Anita moaned and pulled back from him. “Just a minute. Let me go get my sleeping bag.” She gingerly made her way to her sleeping bag, picked it up and just as gingerly returned. After wrapping the bag around her body and zipping it, she moved around in it a bit, then unzipped it to reveal her naked body. “Hurry, it’s cold.”

  Some time later, both of them sweaty inside their zipped together bags, Brandon whispered, “Good thing you’re not a screamer,” and they both pressed their faces into the sleeping bag to muffle their laughter. Finally, she lay atop him, her face on his chest and they slept, in spite of the fact that he was supposed to be on guard duty.

  ~~~

  The following morning, Beverly made coffee and cooked a big slab of the smoked ham, which they divided four ways. Everyone was quiet as they ate. Brandon hoped Beverly and David didn’t notice the smiles passing back and forth between him and Anita. She certainly had been badly in need of sex, and they had only stopped long enough to do a sweep around the camp with the binoculars, then went back to satisfying the hunger they both had suffered too long. Perhaps it was because he was so hard up, but he was convinced that little vixen was the very best in the world at what he loved most.

  “Which way now?” Beverly broke the silence to ask.

  Brandon studied the map the evening before and again this morning. He had no idea where Stephan’s camp would be, and he tried to think as he knew Stephan would. A location close enough to a town to re-supply if necessary, but far enough from civilization not to be well known. He decided to head west from their location. Throughout each day, he would use the radio to make one call of a few seconds. If and when they received an answer, he would know they were within twenty to thirty miles of Stephan’s camp.

  “I know it’s an educated hunch, but I think we should go this way.” He traced a line on the map to indicate where he meant to travel, and they all agreed it was as good as any. “Okay, let’s break camp and get those horses moving.”

  They packed the horses, then headed out, Anita and Beverly hanging back a bit. Brandon knew damned well Anita was telling her about their little tryst of the previous night. Oh, well, maybe Bev was hard up, too. He smiled at the thought. Both of them at once? Brandon galloped ahead of the group. He had to force himself to watch for danger and forget the sexy girls . . . for now.

  Five hours later, they took a break to eat a stale piece of bread. Brandon pulled out the radio to call Macaroon. No response.

  Riding for another six hours, they broke for camp. At least with sunlight they could choose where to stop and have some protective cover. After eating peanut butter on crackers for supper, Brandon offered to take the first watch. Anita once again joined him.

  ~~~

  Brandon called Macaroon on the radio at least six times everyday without a response. He was beginning to doubt he chose the right direction on the map.

  Five days after he and Anita became regular anytime lovers, the group rode into a valley. When they spotted a burned out village in the distance, Brandon pulled out his radio and called, “Macaroon, you copy? RR. Over.”

  “Copy, Over.” Enrique answered. “Mike, run to the storeroom. Tell Stephan and Cord to get up here fast.” As far as Enrique knew, no one had contact with the Road Rabbit in over a month. They figured he was taken prisoner or killed in Oklahoma. Enrique didn’t want to say too much, not knowing if this was the true Road Rabbit.

  All four in Brandon’s group were excited and surprised by the reply from Stephan’s camp.

  “Coffee. Over.” Brandon said again.

  There was silence.

  “Macaroon, RR. Coffee. Over.”

  “Wait RR. Over.” Enrique replied. He didn’t know what else to do.

  “Copy.”

  “RR. Confirm. Over.” Stephan said breathlessly.

  “Confirm? What in the hell were they doing in the camp?” Brandon said out loud to the group.

  “I’d say being damned careful,” David answered. “Hurry and think of something stupid only he and you know about.”

  Brandon snapped his fingers. “Got it. Cathy’s ghost. Over.”

  “Hot damn, RR. Coffee. Over. Hold your position. We’ll find you. Key your radio every five minutes for about two seconds.”

  “Copy that.”

  “You’re going to have to tell us the story of Cathy’s ghost one of these days. It must be a good one,” David commented.

  ~~~

  Stephan and Cord used the small portable radio direction finder to locate their long missing cohorts. It took three hours on foot to reach Brandon’s group, but it was a great reunion.

  After introductions and a lot of back slapping and hugging, Stephan looked at Brandon. “Is this all of your people? What about your kids?”

  Brandon’s eyes moistened, and he looked away from Stephan.

  “Aw, man, Bran, I’m sorry, man. Shit. What happened?”

  “Goddamned earthquakes collapsed our cave. Just five of us got out. No way could we save the others.” His voice choked as he spoke.

  Stephan wrapped his arms around him. “Shit, buddy, I’m really sorry. Hey, let’s head for my place. You said five got out?”

  “Yeah, we had this little pitiful nerdy guy with us. He didn’t make it.”

  “You ran into trouble then?”

  “Yes and no. Harold died from a rattlesnake bite back in Arkansas.” Brandon sort of chuckled and said, “Rattlesnake bite and a nine point seven.”

  “Huh?”

  “The pretty blonde over there, Beverly, didn’t want him to suffer. Surprised the hell outa me.”

  Stephan glanced over at Beverly sitting with David and Anita, happy to be out of the saddle. “Doesn’t look like a killer. Good lookin’ woman. Whata ya think, Cord?”

  “You want Alice to kick my ass?” Cord asked.

  Now, it was Brandon’s turn to have a questioning look on his face as he looked at Cord and grinned. Then he asked, “You have some hot chow and coffee at your place?”

  “Damned right, let’s head out.” Stephan took the lead.

  They led the horses through the woods. Stephan walked beside Brandon and asked quietly, “Where’d you pick up the short one with the body?”

  Brandon looked back at Anita and smiled. “Cute, isn’t she?”

  “Oh, oh. Sounds like she’s more than a fellow traveler.”

  Brandon continued to grin, thinking about how Anita looked without clothes and her insatiable appetite for sex before answering, “You could say that. We lost a lot of people back in Arkansas. Her husband was one of them.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  Brandon looked across at him with a feigned look of disapproval, knowing Stephan wondered why he and this gal would be having a thing so soon after her hubby died. “Well, what’s happened has happened. No changing that. She needs someone to hang onto to keep her sanity as much as I do.”

  Stephan immediately realized he’d spoken out of turn and changed the subject. “You’ll like our little hideaway. All
the conveniences of home.”

  “Where’s the General holed up?” Brandon asked.

  “Northeast Washington State. I’ve deliberately not tried to contact him until we know we’re not going to get picked off by a scanner.”

  ~ 25 ~

  The Holden Cave

  October rolled around, and the mountain snows arrived. The kids were thrilled to be outside making snow angels, snowmen, and snow forts. Of course, the inevitable snowball fights were hot and heavy among the teenage boys. The men stood guard in the area each day they let the kids out to play. The adults had decided no matter what, there would be up to two hours of fresh air a day, and satellites be damned.

  One evening during dinner, when all but two members of their little colony were present, Cord and Alice stood arm in arm at the end of the table. “Your attention please. I, uh, we . . . have an announcement to make.” Cord stammered. “We are going to get married.”

  They had been discrete, but not completely secret with their romance, and the announcement took almost no one by surprise. Alice’s three children and Stephan and Susan were well aware of what was going on, but they’d all been sworn to secrecy. Everyone cheered the news and drank a toast to them. The wedding would be on November first.

  The women immediately offered their help, from making flowers, to making the wedding dress. They were busy chatting about this idea and that idea.

  Stephan and Susan sat watching the cheerfulness at something good happening to take the dreary hum-drum out of their lives. “The women needed this. Look at them all excited.” Stephan put his long arms around his wife and hugged her tight.

  “I’m happy Cord and Alice have gotten together, and I’m sure Blake would approve.” Susan whispered to Stephan and kissed his cheek.