RANGER

by Samantha Leal

  Just then her green eyes caught a possible escape route off to the side and slightly behind them. She adjusted her stride as she elbowed Shane and directed his attention in that direction with a subtle nod of the head. Used to their silent mode, Shane understood immediately and they both began to sidestep in a steady, slow pace towards the semi-collapsed building and the possible shelter it promised. This was, of course, assuming that there was not another pack of blood thirsty beasts napping inside. The door was slightly ajar. She just needed to get to it.

  The lead dog seemed to know what she had in mind and made as if to spring towards them. They still had about ten feet between them, and they were out of options. Jessa cursed the not-so-little bastard and turned to run. Shane darted ahead and was almost inside even as Jessa could hear the lead dog, or dog-thing, snarling behind her at her heels. Pushing Shane ahead of her, she dove through the doorway, spinning onto her back and delivering a swift kick square into the snout of the lead dog as she fell back. As it shook of the blow, Shane put his shoulder into the door as much as he could from his hands and knees. One last kick from Jessa and the beast removed its head from the opening. Together, they slammed the door closed, even as they heard the other dog-things clawing at the door. She quickly secured the bolt.

  Shane stared wide-eyed at the wooden door as it shook with the violence of the beast’s onslaught.

  “It’s okay sweetie. They will get bored with us. Help me pull that table over here.” She quickly looked around to ensure that they were, in fact, secure. She quickly realized that this was the only access point. Well, at least it would be relatively easy to defend. But that also meant that they would probably have to fight their way out.

  Shane tried his best to move the table in front of the door alone, but in the end needed his mother’s help as, together they slid it in front of the door. It shook on its hinges and Jessa started to worry that it wouldn’t hold. These dogs seemed crazed in their attempts to get in. They had looked extremely hungry. Maybe that was why they were out in the morning in the first place. Cursing herself and their predicament, she now removed her pack and unstrapped the crossbow. She only had five bolts and even if every shot was a kill shot, she would still have to take a few out with her machete, all while somehow keeping Shane safe.

  At not quite six, it was all he could do to just be brave in the face of what would have turned any pre-bombs kid into a blubbering mess. As she looked at him she felt a swelling that was a mixture of love, pride and a little remorse that he had face any of this. He just stood there, his little hands holding the table up against the door, his eyes looking for some kind of safety.

  Jessa scanned the room once more and this time noticed a small pantry-like door in the hallway to the destroyed kitchen. She opened it and quickly removed an old mop and pail to make some room.

  “In there Shane. I need to take care of those things so we can get out of here. Ok sweetie? Understand?” Even assuming she could handle the dog beasts, which was hardly a “gimme”, she was also aware of the commotion that they had made. If there was anyone within earshot they may have other problems to contend with. The world today was one of opportunity. The helpful neighbors of past were few and far between now. They needed to deal with this and get moving as soon as possible. That was another of her rules; keep moving.

  “I don’t want you to come out for anyone but me, ok honey? A try to be quiet as a mouse. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He nodded his head, blue eyes wide. Man did this kid have guts, she thought again. She was trying to reassure him as best she could, but there was no sugar coating mutant dogs trying to break down your door. If she weren’t about to piss herself she might have laughed at the thought.

  She pushed a chair in front of the door just as she got ready to turn her attention to the job at hand. She just wanted to be ready for any eventuality, and thought it best to camouflage her son’s presence until she had secured the situation. She just needed to be able to fully focus on one thing at a time right now. She didn’t want to contemplate the very real possibility that she might not be able to get them out of this. Pushing any doubts from her mind she took a deep breath before moving the table slowly out of the way.

  It was then that she heard a series of shotgun blasts accompanied by a voice she only knew now from her dreams.

  “Milo! Left, left!” A series of a few more blasts rang out as she heard the dogs yelping in pain. Those who were able began to scatter.

  She could hear some whimpers from the dirt street outside, even as other yelps grew distant. Jessa paused, unsure of what to do. She knew exactly who it was, but she couldn’t quite believe it either. How in the world had he found her? And who was Milo? And what was it with this guy’s uncanny knack for showing up in the nick of time?

  Her mind briefly went to the comic books she got her son when she could. If she weren’t busy feeling the exhilaration, and trepidation of the moment, she would have found it a little spooky. But she reminded herself that she had just been half-wishing a few days before that she had not run out on him.

  “Jessa? Are you okay?”

  Shit, she thought. This guy was beyond persistent. And Jessa, are you ok, really? That was all he had to say? Jessa saw the door handle move and though it was locked, she knew he was not going to just go away. As much as she was relieved, she also realized that in another way she was as trapped now as she had been by the dog creatures. She also realized that maybe it was time she got over herself. She looked back at the pantry door and decided to wait another minute or two to get him out of there. She unlocked the door knob and opened the door.

  Sure enough, there was Michael in all his rugged glory, just standing there and looking more devastatingly attractive than she remembered him being. But her attention instantly went to the young man at his side. He looked to be in his mid to late teens, but it was hard to tell through the scarring that marred part of his face. Despite that though, he greeted her with a kind and open smile.

  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

  Before she knew it, his arms were around her. Before he could contain himself, he had embraced her as the relief of finding her mixed with the raw emotion of being in her presence again. Despite having dreamt of this very moment as she drifted off to sleep on so many nights, initially, all Jessa could do was tense up. After a few seconds, though she let all her doubts and defenses melt away as she allowed him to support her. She allowed her body to melt into his. She wouldn’t run away again, she promised herself. She couldn’t keep running. He would just find her again, she thought to herself, allowing a little laugh to escape her. She couldn’t believe that he was actually there. Michael pulled back after a moment, his eyes first scanning her and then quickly looking around the room.

  “Where is Shane? Is he okay?”

  “Yes, yes,” she quickly interjected to put him at ease, as she went to let him out. As soon as he laid eyes on him, Shane ran to Michael and hugged him tight.

  “Michael! I knew you’d come!”

  You did? That was news to her. The declaration shocked Jessa, as they had not so much as mentioned Michael since they left him last at the cottage. But she knew Shane needed a father and had formed an instant connection with Michael back in the community.

  “Wow, I can’t believe you guys are here. You should have seen it! We fought the dog monsters and Mom was just gonna get them all. But I’m sure glad you guys are here. There were a lot of them. Hey, what’s your name?” His attention was now focused on the new member of what seemed to be their little band.

  “This is Milo. Milo, this is Jessa and her son Shane.”

  Jessa took his hand first. She could see the burns or scars or birth defects, or whatever they were, but she knew they were not contagious. The young man had been in the hot zone too long and she wondered if he would ever recover. By the looks of him he had grown up here. He didn’t look as bad as the rumors she had heard though. Still, despite his sweet smile, she doubted he was in the
best of health. He didn’t look like he was going to see his twenties, but she kept the thought to herself as she shook his hand as warmly as she could.

  “Well Milo, we are in your debt. I was just about to do my best with them, but I’ll be honest, it wasn’t looking good. I don’t know what we would have done without you guys. You sure handled the situation.” She was genuinely moved. And looking around and seeing the dead beasts that were so recently seeking to finish her off brought home how much they had indeed done for her. Jessa took a moment to appreciate this man who had followed her so far. At the same time she told herself she would not let herself get stuck in a situation like this again. She had gotten sloppy.

  Milo smiled shyly, turning a soft red glow from all of the attention. Mike was, of course, beyond relieved to have actually found her. But he was also determined not to scare her off again. He would play it cool this time. Even as these thoughts coursed through his mind, he couldn’t help but notice how readily Milo soaked up her praise. He could see that she meant it too, but he knew from experience that she was hardly the sentimental type. Or at least that was not all of her. As much as he wanted to just give himself to this woman, he knew he had to be careful and stay aware, lest he fall under her spell again. He just needed to give it time. Milo just looked down again, his toes scraping against the ground.

  “Really Miss, I just spotted you. Mike here was the one that ran out and took down the dogs. But truth is he did want me to stay behind and keep an eye on you guys. But I knew he might need help, so I followed him down. I know how to deal with the doggies.” She liked this kid, and she realized, just like Mike had, that he had his own set of skills to add to the group.

  “So are you guys going to the ocean with us?”

  Jessa sighed and looked down at her son. He was always too loose with the invites, though she had already been thinking about asking the same thing once they had rested up a bit. She decided it was just fate. He had found them twice now. She wasn’t the type of woman to “test” man like that. She had run because she honestly had thought it was the best thing to do. But if she had been testing him, he had certainly come through with flying colors.

  Still there was much that needed to be said between them, but there would be time for that once they were safe and secure. She was unsure why she kept running from him. She did feel safer with him around. She realized that she also felt a little weaker somehow. But for the first time she decided to challenge that assessment. Was she really weaker? Or was she just scared? She looked over at Michael again with a twinkle in her eye. “I should thank you as well.”

  Now it was Michaels turn to blush.

  5

  “So, are you going to tell me why you left?”

  Jessa looked up at him and resigned herself to having a conversation she didn’t necessarily want to have.

  “Look, I appreciate you helping us and all, but…”

  “What is up with you? I know you care about me. So why do you keep running away? Are you really going to just take off again?”

  Jessa gave him a dirty look. She didn’t really know what else to do. He had her totally pegged. Didn’t he get that she did not want to look at this stuff? He also knew that she needed him, so he could afford to put her on the spot. She thought it was the guys that were supposed to be cold and unfeeling. She really didn’t know exactly “what was up” with her.

  “No, I am not going to just take off, but you don’t have to look so smug. And don’t think you can just jump on me like you did back at the cottage again. I would hate for you to end up like Chase. Okay cupcake?”

  Michael just gave her an exasperated look. He knew as well as she did that she had enjoyed that roll in the grass more than she could give words to. They had just felt so right together. He would just have to be patient again. But he was glad that he had voiced what had gone unspoken last time.

  Jessa smiled and went to the bedroom where her son was sleeping, her defenses a little back in place. She needed a little hiding. It was just a lot for her to take. After her husband had passed she thought she would never be with another man again. Being around Michael was difficult and she felt better as soon as there was some space between them. It was going to be a long trip and she was still not sure why he was going her way. She still couldn’t quite believe that he meant what he said. She had an idea of what he really wanted and even though she wanted it too, she fought against her basic urges. When sleep finally came to her though, it was still Michael she dreamed of.

  ***

  “Mom, everyone is up. It’s time to go.” Shane was giving her arm and back a not-so-gentle wake up shake.

  Jessa’s eyes opened in a flash. She had slept way passed her usual time of dawn and the sun was high in the sky when she looked out.

  “What time is it?”

  Shane shrugged and handed her some sort of tea. She smelled it suspiciously and then took a drink.

  “Thanks, who made this?”

  “Milo. We went out and got some plants this morning for it. He’s really smart.”

  Jessa stuffed down her annoyance at Shane going outside with the relative stranger. She didn’t know if she liked the idea of him going out alone with someone she didn’t know. Actually, she knew she didn’t like him going out without her period. There seemed to be a need to set some ground rules. Jessa had all intentions on telling Michael off as she got dressed, but when she smelled breakfast all cooked and ready, her initial anger quickly dissipated as her hunger won out. She took a couple of the little tortillas that he held out and sat down on the stairs of the porch.

  “Shane said you guys were ready to go?”

  “Almost. Just cooking up the rest of this batter before we go. It won’t keep and we will be grateful to have it for lunch or dinner. Do you always sleep so late?” It was not a criticism. He genuinely wanted to understand her patterns. Everyone had their ways, and they needed to be respected. Plus they did need to all get on the same page as soon as possible.

  “No. I guess I was just more exhausted than I knew.”

  The truth was that it had been the first time she had actually felt safe enough to really sleep in a long time. When it was just her and Shane, she always had to worry about everything, all the time. She could never rest. She had not realized how much she had missed the sense of safety and ease that a group afforded. Even a small group of four was enough for her to feel that weigh shifter off her shoulders. It was also just a fact that the four of them together had better odds than just a woman with a child did alone.

  “Well I’m glad you got some sleep. Hopefully it will improve your mood,” he said with a hint of a smile.

  “Don’t count on it,” she replied.

  “So Mom, where are we going?”

  “East a little longer, then south. I have heard many times that the Keyes was spared a lot of the destruction. That will be the best place to go I think. No big cities or radiation to deal with.”

  “But. You know we are going to have to deal with a few on the way though. Miami was hit hard and you pretty much have to go through it to get to the bridge. Tampa and Orlando can be bypassed, but we would have to go through Miami. It would be even worse to try and go around it I think.”

  Michael was nervous about both her planned route as well as her final destination. He had never gone as far south as Miami himself, but he spent enough time in the over-grown state to know that he did not want to go there now. All the critters that had been there before were still there, only now a huge bunch of them were supersized and meaner than ever. Yesterday’s dog-beast pack would look like a bunch of circus poodles by comparison. For whatever reason Florida had been especially reclaimed by nature post-bombs. And as conditions deteriorated people emptied out of the state, streaming north, and probably south as well, he figured, further hastening the decay as well as nature’s return to the land. As soon as he had gotten a taste of it in the past he had headed out, and wasn’t overly anxious to visit it again now, especially not with
a small child and a pretty sick teen in town.

  Seeing the anxiety on his face she said, “I have dreams of this place. That’s where we will be safe, I know it.” Then she paused for a moment as her expression changed…”Have you ever felt like you’re being guided?”

  The question took him by surprise, mostly because he knew exactly how that felt. He had felt that was how he had found her the first time he laid eyes on her, as well as the time he had found her in the cottage, as well as the way he found her again yesterday. Yeah, he knew exactly what she meant, but he couldn’t say so. He didn’t really know what to say, he was rendered speechless. He had been ready to argue with her and try to convince her to pursue some other plan – any other plan. But things had worked out pretty well so far in following this guidance he had received, so he decided to take her question as a further form of his own guidance. He would take it as a sign that they were indeed meant to head south toward the Keyes. He wasn’t going let her know that though.

  “Have you been in any of the big cities afterbombs,” he said, using the slang, “or just the smaller ones like wherever that was we just left?”

  “I have seen enough to know what I’m asking, though it was before I had Shane. Look, I just want to find a safe spot, and I know this is the way. I just feel it. I know it won’t be easy to reach, but isn’t it worth a shot? There has to be a place where we can all start again on our own terms.”

  Mike could see that he was not going to change her mind, and at this point he didn’t feel a need to. The conversation had given him his own epiphany. She was stubborn though. And he also realized that he would have her no other way – not that he really had her at all of course. But at least they were together. He had hope she would come around.