What if things weren’t as bad as they anticipated? What if there were more survivors than he and Elly had predicted? He’d never be more thrilled to be wrong. What if the virus had been stopped, somehow? Holland could have been lying, or he might have just flat out been wrong. After all, he couldn’t cover the whole country—not even with aircraft at his disposal.
As he stashed boxes and rearranged gear, his mind wandered. Maybe help just hadn’t reached them yet. If there was even a semblance of government in D.C. it was possible they would eventually reach Wisconsin with help.
Cole thought back to the last ten months. Natural disasters often took weeks or even months for everyone to get help and those were in localized areas to some extent. Even hurricanes only affected relatively small portions of the globe at a time. With everyone getting hit by the virus, it would naturally take much longer for the government to respond.
With spring’s arrival, he expected whatever help was available to start making its way to cities. That was why they had to leave. He had to know what it was like out there. If they hadn’t left as a group, he was certain he would have made his own excursion eventually when he felt his absence wouldn’t be missed.
After all, they hadn’t had any news outside of their small area since a week or so after the virus hit. News reports back then had shown the disease tearing through cities. He had no doubt that death rates were the same all over. Isolated villages deep in the Amazon, or in Africa or Asia might have been spared, but even they had contact with outsiders fairly often. He expected there were many small bands, like theirs, and possibly some lone survivors hiding out in the woods and mountains, but with all communication cut off, there was no way to know how many people there might be.
While Hunter had been in college prior to the pandemic, Cole hadn’t thought of him as an adult yet. Technically, he was, but their relationship had been very much one of parent and child, not one of two adults. Now, it was. Only the little kids, Lucas and Zoe, were treated as children, and they had chores every day. Nothing difficult, but Cole had been impressed with how helpful two little kids could be.
Elly had been concerned with their education, and so every day, the kids spent time learning math, reading, writing, science and history.
She had even broken into a school and taken books, workbooks, paper, library books and more. Those items were on the priority list of supplies that couldn’t be left behind.
He turned at the sound of a boat approaching.
“Dad! Tie me off.” Hunter eased the boat along the dock and Cole jogged over to the pier, taking the rope from his son and looping it over a cleat.
The boat rode low in the water and he saw why. Sean had cleaned out all of the tools he had and packed them up, along with parts from the windmill. Jammed in at the front of the boat were the extra stoves, now dismantled to make them fit in the boat. This was the last major load and it meant that they were leaving for good.
“Sean and Elly are coming over in the little boat to help us unload, while Jenna, Piper and the kids go through the cabins to make sure we didn’t miss anything. I’ll go back and get them when we’re done unloading this.”
Sophie emerged from the cabin of the boat, a basket in her hands. “I have lunch for everyone.” She moved to step out of the boat, and Hunter put her hands at her waist to help her, while Cole extended a hand.
“I’m not that big yet.” She shook her head, grinning over her shoulder at Hunter. “I’m barely showing.”
“Hey, I read all about how pregnant women’s balance changes.”
Cole smiled as even amidst her protests, Sophie put her hand in his and allowed him to steady her as she stepped onto the dock. Her eyes twinkled as she scowled in mock anger at Cole. “Why did you have to give him that What to Expect book? He thinks he’s my doctor now.”
Shrugging, he decided his safest response was to pretend ignorance and change the subject. He took the basket from her. “What do we have in here?” It smelled delicious and he tried to think what it could possibly be.
Their scavenging had turned up more canned food and meals were often eclectic mixes. Yesterday they’d had refried beans, pineapple chunks, and peanut butter and jelly for dinner.
“There’s a loaf of sourdough, honey, two cans of peaches, the fish leftover from dinner last night, potatoes baked in the coals, and to drink, Kool-Aid.”
“Kool-Aid?” He wondered how that had fit in the basket without spilling.
“Well, there will be once it’s mixed. Jake found a canister in a pantry at a daycare. We just need to add water.”
When was the last time he’s had the sweet drink? Probably not since Hunter had been a little kid.
After lunch, and a brief rest, everything was loaded, vehicles were filled with gasoline, and Joe opened his house to the group to spend the night before an early departure the next morning. The only thing left to pack were the animals. The goats, now numbering seven, with two giving milk, would ride in a small horse trailer, and the chickens had coops that would go in the back of Steve’s pickup. It had a cap on the bed, but it had windows that could be opened to let air circulate.
Exhausted, Cole sank onto the pile of blankets Elly had made into a bed on the floor for them. Every room was staked out, with Joe taking one last night in his own room. Elly had claimed a small bedroom upstairs. Sean and Jenna had the third bedroom. Hunter and Sophie had the den because it had a sofa bed that had been too heavy to move, but was still in good shape. In deference to Sophie’s pregnancy, she got the bed. Although dusty, the whole house was surprisingly clean, but that was probably because all the food had long ago been transferred over to the island, so rodents had left the home alone. The occasional visits had also been enough to keep it from being too overrun with spiders and the like as well. Furniture had been moved to the island over the course of last summer, so all that was left in Joe’s house were a few large dressers and a couple of chairs, and the sofa bed. All of their beds from the island were packed in the trucks.
Elly snuggled next to him, her head nestled in the hollow of his neck, his arm beneath hers. “How’s the mother hen doing?”
“Okay, I guess.” He draped his other arm over his eyes and yawned.
“Think any of the eggs will hatch?”
“Probably a longshot, but who knows? We have nothing to lose by trying.”
After hearing a rooster crow early one morning while scavenging, Jake and Hunter had headed in the direction of the sound. They hadn’t found the rooster, but had caught a couple of feral chickens. It had been a few weeks now and one of the hens had been hiding eggs since caught and Joe said that was a sign she was brooding.
In the last few days, she had been sitting on nine eggs. With Sophie’s help—she had a knack for calming all the animals, but especially the chickens—all of the eggs, and then the hen had been carefully moved into the back of one of the new SUVs. They had accomplished the transfer two nights ago in hopes that by the time they got on the road, the hen was comfortable and secure enough not to abandon her nest. Having the hen nest inside was going to make the vehicle stink, but Cole hoped driving with the windows cracked would minimize the stench. Because it was brand new, the SUV had the smoothest ride and the box with the nest had been cushioned with old quilts and blankets beneath it, and inside, more blankets, with the actual next on top of those.
Cole had checked on the hen this morning, and so far, she seemed content. With any luck, there was still a chance the eggs would hatch. If not, well, they would still get more eggs from her later. If not, she was bound for the soup pot. His mouth watered at thought of fresh chicken soup. He shook his head at his morbid thoughts. A batch of chicks would be much better in the long run than one pot of soup. Still, as he drifted off to sleep, he imagined he could salty rich taste and his mouth watered as vivid memories of homemade chicken noodle soup flooded his mind.
He rolled over, doing his best to ignore the craving. If the eggs did, by some miracle hatch, that
would be a great start to a real flock. At some point, they would have enough chickens to add soup to their menu. It would be too much to hope that one was a rooster, but he hoped anyway. All they needed was one.
Chapter Thirteen
Sean rummaged behind the seat of the rental truck as Cole approached and called out, “Hey, Jenna, did you pack my extra boots?”
“Not Jenna.” Cole grinned as Sean turned his head, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “I just want to make sure you have your maps and stuff.” Dawn hadn’t yet broken, but the sky to the east was lightening. Everything but the animals had packed the night before except for the one hen.
“Oh, sorry.” He gestured over the seat to the dashboard. “I have the map right there. I know how to follow a map, Cole.” He resumed searching for the boots.
“Of course you do. I’m just double checking with everyone. With how hectic everything has been the last few days, it wouldn’t surprise me if things get lost. That’s all.”
“Yeah, I know.” Sean found his boots stashed behind the driver’s seat, and apparently satisfied, shut the door and faced Cole. “Look, Cole. I’m sorry. I get why we’re leaving. I really do, but that doesn’t mean I’m thrilled to go, you know?”
“It’s hard to leave. Despite our problems, the island was a pretty good home when we needed one. I’m going to miss it.” Cole gazed out over the bay. The island wasn’t visible from where they were, even if it had been light enough to see, and that saddened him. Would they ever get back here? He chose to believe that they would someday.
Jenna approached, arms laden with last minute items. “I guess this is it.”
Cole nodded. “See you guys at lunch.” He waved as they finished stashing items and moved down the line. Maps had been scrounged up for every vehicle, with their intended route marked in pencil. Cole didn’t know what the actual route would hold and they would adjust accordingly. Besides fuel, his other worry was communication, and he’d asked Sean about CB radios. Was that something that would still work if the power grid was down, and what were the chances of finding any? Steve had offered that he’d driven a truck while in the Army, and had done a short stint as a truck driver after leaving the service. He said that CB radios were still widely used by truckers, so chances of finding them would be good.
His speculation had proven true and now every vehicle had been outfitted with one, and each vehicle also had a hand-held radio—walkie-talkies—as Cole knew them. They had been useful over short distances while scavenging for supplies.
Cole made one last check of every vehicle. Because of the stink from the hen, he drove that vehicle alone, while Elly rode with Joe, Luke and Zoe right behind Cole in the SUV Sean had brought with him. Next in line was Hunter and Sophie in the truck they had found on the trek to the island. It already had a hitch and but they used a larger horse trailer so they could take the goats as well, and Hunter was used to driving it. Buddy the dog rode with them as well.
Next vehicle in the caravan was an SUV being driven by Jake and Piper. She loved the cats the most so it natural for them to bring them in their car. Behind their SUV they had a small trailer similar to the kind they were using for the extra gasoline and tools. Theirs held the chickens in a coop Cole had built right into the structure. It would be easiest for traveling. Joe and Mike had jerry-rigged some extra shocks on it to help absorb the bumps they would encounter on the trip. A few trials around the town had shown that the birds hadn’t been too perturbed by the set-up.
Sean and Jenna drove the rental truck filled with more than half of their supplies—the other half had been portioned out to each vehicle. Everyone had at least one rifle or shotgun, and a few handguns and appropriate ammunition.
Steve and Mike brought up the rear in a pick-up with a cap on it. They also pulled the trailer filled with extra gasoline. It made sense for them to bring up the rear so they could be flagged down by anyone who needed gas.
Cole leaned down to peer into Hunter’s window. “You guys have your water and snacks?”
“We’re all set, Dad.” Hunter glanced in the review mirror. “We have plenty of extra water for Buddy as well.”
Right now, water was plentiful, but they had to treat any to be used for drinking. Cole worried more about water once they were west of the Mississippi. The highway didn’t always pass close to sources of water.
“Good. And don’t forget to say if you have to stop to use the bathroom.” Between the little ones and Sophie, Cole had factored in frequent breaks even though Sophie had insisted that she didn’t need special treatment. That was when Cole used the excuse of the children. They would need breaks and time to stretch their legs.
“Don’t worry, Cole. I’ll pee every chance I get.” Sophie’s eyes twinkled and Cole returned her smile. She was finally becoming more relaxed around him. He backed away, giving the roof of the SUV a couple of thumps as he returned to his vehicle.
With a final glance back, he put the car in drive led the caravan west.
“It’s still hard to believe we’re leaving the island.” Hunter craned his neck to see past Elly’s SUV. She had snaked around a nasty pile-up near an entrance ramp. It was a tight squeeze for him to get around the wrecks with the horse trailer, but he went slow and came through without mishap. Those behind him did the same.
“Why is it hard to believe? I’m glad we’re leaving.” Sophie was keeping busy by cracking black walnuts collected last fall. The meats went into a jar, the shells into a bowl at her feet. Buddy, excited when they had first left, now lay curled on the back seat.
“I just mean, the island was a pretty sweet set up.” And it was safe. Maybe because not quite a year ago he had traversed the country with the island as his goal, it represented safety and security. “We had everything we needed there.”
“Pretty much, but you have to admit, having to transport everything over the water was kind of a hassle.” He glanced at her as she cracked a nut. After a brief inspection for weevils, she dropped it in the jar with a plunk. “I’m glad we’re leaving.”
Surprised, Hunter sent her a longer look. Driving was easier for the moment. This stretch of highway was fairly clear and with the only moving vehicles belonging to the caravan, he didn’t have to worry about other traffic. “You didn’t like the island?”
“Oh, I loved the island. Last fall, especially, it was beautiful. But as much as I love your family, it would be nice to meet other people. I mean if we stayed on the island forever, who would our baby marry? His or her cousins? There would only be Luke or Zoe in the same age range.”
Hunter laughed. “You’re already marrying off our child?”
She grinned. “Not quite. I’m just being practical. Besides, the prospect of electricity is so tempting. Can you imagine popping a DVD into a player and sitting down to watch a good movie? It would be almost like the pandemic never happened.”
“I’m not sure I’d want to watch a movie.”
Now it was her turn to be surprised. “Why not?”
“Because it would be…depressing.” He thought of his favorite television shows. Seeing the world as it was would be like pouring salt on a wound. It would be cruel reminder of everything that was gone and they could never get back. Not in their lifetimes, anyway. Maybe in a hundred years mankind would be back to some semblance of what they’d been, but he thought it would take even longer. For the foreseeable future, they would be getting by with scavenged goods and parts. The future of his grandchildren looked bleak, the more he thought about it. By then, everything would be picked over or degraded to the point of not being usable. “I think I want to concentrate on what we have now, and making the best of it.”
“The best of it?” Sophie was quiet for several moments. The only sound in the car was the soft snoring of Buddy in the back. “I don’t want to keep bringing it up, but for me, I would watch a movie and remember all the times I’d be sitting in my living room with my family, curled up on the sofa next to my mom, and watching a favorite movie to
gether. Saturday nights were always movie nights. We took turns choosing—” Her voice broke and Hunter reached for her hand, but she was still busy cracking walnuts. “—and we’d make a big bowl of popcorn.” She shrugged. “I miss my family and watching a movie again would make me feel…I don’t know…close to them again, I guess.”
She blinked hard as she stared into the bowl of shells at her feet. Hunter caught her hand this time, giving it a gentle squeeze as he steered around the remains of a vehicle fire. “First thing we do when we get electricity is find a stash of movies—maybe we could break into one of those boxes outside a store—and stock up on all of your favorites. We’ll find some popcorn, cuddle up, just you and me. It’ll be like a date night. And you get the first turn at picking the movie.”
“Any movie I want?”
“Absolutely.”
“My mom and I used to love to watch chick flicks.”
Hunter swallowed hard but nodded. What did he know of chick flicks? “Oh…okay. Chick flick it is.”
She laughed. “I’m kidding. My mom was a Star Wars fanatic.”
He grinned. “Yes! We can do a marathon.”
Sophie brushed bits of walnut shell off her rounded belly and reclined her chair. “I can’t wait. And on that note, I’m going to take a little nap.”
After a brief mid-morning break, they resumed their trek. Sophie had offered to drive for a bit, so Hunter leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. All of the preparations for leaving over the last few weeks had meant days ranging miles from shore to scavenge followed by countless hours of packing and loading vehicles. Last night, as exhausted as he’d been, he couldn’t sleep. Nervous excitement for the journey had him tossing and turning. On one hand, he couldn’t wait to see what was out there. He couldn’t help hoping things had improved since he’d last been beyond their little bubble of relative safety.
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