by Hunt, James
The sight brought a smile to his face, and he veered from the asphalt and made his way up toward the hill. As the ground beneath his boots shifted from concrete to grass and dirt, the stress and worry that had plagued him throughout the morning began to fade away.
The leafy branches of the apple trees cooled him from the summer sun, and he shut his eyes as he took a deep breath. Soil, tree, and the sweet scent of fruit grazed his nostrils. It cleansed him of the concrete and smog of the city.
Any place with life was where Charlie wanted to be, and the orchard was always teeming with it. He stretched out his arm and ran his fingertips along the tree bark, the rough texture familiar.
Apples dangled overhead, and Charlie grabbed the closest one. It was firm, the pink lady ripe in his hand. He took a bite, and his mouth exploded with flavor.
The taste awoke hunger, and he realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning. He devoured the apple and plucked another one on his walk through the orchards. A trail of apple cores followed him through the trees, and the walk helped clear his head.
The orchard had always done that for him. The land and the trees were as much a part of him as his beating heart. He’d spent endless summers and seasons running through these trees. He grew them, harvested them, climbed them—his history was written here.
When Charlie reached the edge of the orchard, he looked back at the long rows he’d passed through and smiled. It was good to be home.
He descended the hill and broke into a jog on his way toward Doc’s house. He found Dixon outside, puffing on a cigarette. He still hadn’t changed out of his army fatigues, and the sunlight exposed the blood and dirt on his uniform.
“Everything all right?” Dixon asked, squinting in the sun’s brightness. A shade of black stubble had appeared on his face, and his cheeks and neck were lined with red smears. His comrade’s blood.
“Fine,” Charlie answered. “What’s the next move?”
“Retaliation.” Dixon took a deep drag then exhaled, his body language relaxing as he deflated in the process.
“How far away is your base?” Charlie asked.
“An hour’s drive.” Dixon ground out the cigarette on the porch then flicked the tiny butt down the concrete path that cut through the front yard.
Charlie pointed toward Seattle and the road that they had come from. “The terrorists that gunned down your unit and shot Liz were heading this way. It might be nice to have some military support over here.”
“I don’t know if I can convince my CO to come and protect a bunch of farmers.” Dixon stood, his knees popping in the process. He grimaced as he cradled his lower back and twisted, trying to loosen his muscles. “We deployed most of our ground forces on missions into the city.”
Charlie turned to look back at the Humvee parked in the drive. Like Dan’s fatigues, blood shimmered off the armor in the sunlight, and he got a better look at the bullet holes that dented the sides and transformed the windows into crushed glass, a grave reminder of what was potentially heading their way.
“I want you to take the girls,” Charlie said, looking at Dixon. “Think you can manage that?”
Dixon nodded. “We’ll find room for them at the base.”
“Thank you.”
Charlie headed inside and found Ellen with an awake Adelyn in the kitchen, eating Cheerios, then headed down the hall and back to Liz’s room, where he found Doc checking her pulse.
“You might have some nausea from the medication, but if it gets too intense and you start vomiting, we’ll have to take you off.” Doc delicately returned Liz’s wrist to the bed. “You’re already dehydrated, and this summer heat won’t be doing you any favors. The pain will be a little worse, but it’s better to be safe than sorry at this point.”
“Thank you,” Liz said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Doc leaned close. “You’re a strong young lady.” He turned then smiled when he saw Charlie in the doorway. “Don’t stay too long. She needs her rest.”
Liz smiled when she saw Charlie. Her skin was pale and shiny with sweat. The bangs of her black hair clung to her forehead in stringy lines, and her lips had lost their color. But those green eyes were still as vibrant as they had been back at the hospital.
“Hey,” she said.
“How are you feeling?” Charlie approached with hesitant steps, as though if he pressed down too hard on the floor, it might burst the stitches running down her abdomen.
“Tired.” Liz tried to adjust herself in bed but grimaced and stopped just as quickly as she started.
The pain that flashed across Liz’s face made Charlie close the gap between himself and the bedside. He dropped to a knee and cupped her hand with his. Her skin was cold.
“It hurts to breathe,” Liz said.
“That’s what happens when you get yourself shot.”
Liz formed a thin-lipped smile then gave the lightest squeeze of his hand. “The doc said you got me here just in time.” Her grip tightened. “I guess I owe you again.”
“I’ll put it on your tab.” Charlie smiled but was unable to hold her gaze. It was something about her eyes that twisted him up inside. Staring at them for too long stoked a fire that he wasn’t sure he could control. A part of him was afraid to let it burn, because he knew that once it started, it might not stop.
But there was another part that wanted to know what would happen if he let it burn.
“I talked to the lieutenant.” Charlie lifted his eyes and met hers once more. “You and Adelyn are going with the doc to their military base.”
Liz retracted her hand.
Charlie fumbled his fingers for a moment. “I think it’s for the best.”
Liz nodded. “You’re probably right.”
He lingered for a moment then stood. He walked toward the door then turned back and found Liz already asleep. He watched the slight rise and fall of her chest, and that fire in his stomach grew angry. He was angry with himself for letting her get shot, and he was angry about the masked evil that put the bullet in her stomach in the first place.
Charlie returned to the living room, where Doc and Ellen were sitting on the couch, playing with a still-sleepy Adelyn. “You two going to be able to handle her?”
“I think so,” Ellen answered, bouncing Adelyn on her knee.
“We’re going to pack some things up and leave in the next hour,” Doc said.
Charlie shook Doc’s hand. “Good luck.”
“You too.”
“You and your parents should come, Charlie,” Ellen said. “It’s not safe here.”
While Charlie knew that Ellen had a valid point, he also knew his family. And himself. He’d spent so much effort getting home, he wasn’t about to leave it now.
Hell, he had spent all day yesterday getting turned down by every bank in Seattle at just a shot of trying to turn things around. He’d poured buckets of blood, sweat, and tears into that place, and whatever he’d put in, his father and mother had put in one hundred fold. His soul was in that land.
“I can’t,” Charlie said.
“I told her you wouldn’t go for it.” The doc tickled Adelyn’s stomach, but she only yawned at the motion.
“Take care of yourself, Charlie,” Ellen said.
“I will.”
Charlie walked outside, knowing that if he lingered in that house any longer, he might change his mind about going. Because while he’d only met her yesterday, he’d already grown used to having Liz around.
“I’ll try to bring some help,” Dixon said, dropping the rag he’d used to clean off the Humvee.
“I’d appreciate it,” Charlie said. “Keep them safe.”
“I will.”
Charlie glanced back at the house one last time then headed for the road. But he didn’t even make it past the driveway before he stopped.
The bright sunlight made it hard to see, but the shapes were unmistakable. Masked men armed with rifles emerged from between the trees.
&n
bsp; Charlie counted two, four, then ten, then lost count after a dozen. He turned around and found Dixon already by the house’s door, waving for him to follow and trying to remain silent.
But the silence broke with the sound of gunfire.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story!
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The Story Continues with Book 1- Click Here
An EMP attack on the country has rendered the nation’s power grid obsolete. Charlie Decker and his family, along with a small band of survivors, must protect themselves from the threats both domestic and abroad. But with the invading forces having them outmanned and outgunned, Charlie must push himself farther than he’s ever gone before.
The Story Continues with Book 1- Click Here
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