by J. W. Vohs
Harden scratched his head for a moment as he tried to think of something to add, but the truth of the matter was that he was as shocked as everyone else to see Luke on his feet again. “All right, just like in school, raise your hand if you have a question.”
A score of hands immediately shot into the air above the crowd, and Harden pointed at the man standing closest to him. “Morsen, go ahead.”
The heavily bearded, former mill-worker got right to the point. “My boy, Ronnie, was on guard at the west-gate when that Luke-feller came in; he said the guy’s got eyes like a hunter!”
Harden saw half the room nodding in agreement, so he took the question head-on. “Yep, Luke’s eyes were changed when he came out of the fever. What about it?”
“Ain’t hardly a man or woman in this community who ain’t seen them eyes starin’ back at ‘em when a friend or loved one came back as one of them monsters,” Morsen pointed out. “You know it, and I know it, and we’ve always killed ‘em ‘fore they could bite anyone.”
Harden nodded sympathetically. “You’re right, we have. But this time the person didn’t come back as a flesh-eating, homicidal maniac; I know this boy. It ain’t his fault the Utah method worked for him, and I think it’s damn good news that the kid survived.”
Morsen shook his head in apparent disagreement as Harden pointed to another person waiting with a question. “Captain, I doubt there’s a one of us here that ain’t been burned by keeping a bite-victim inside our defenses too long. I lost my wife when we kept my brother inside our stockade back in Tennessee. I don’t care what this boy seems like right now, we can’t keep him in here among us. He may look like he’s totally recovered, but what guarantee do we have that the virus ain’t just workin’ slower in him? How do we know that he ain’t gonna wake up one mornin’ and be more eater than Luke?”
The crowd started to mumble again, and Harden held up his hand for silence. “We have guards outside the cabin, and all the folks inside are armed as well. They’re all experienced soldiers too. If Luke’s condition should change, I’m sure they could deal with it.”
Another man was called upon. “No disrespect, sir, but we’ve all heard what this boy did at the Pickwick Dam, and we’ve seen him fight here. If he flips, he ain’t goin’ down easy.”
Carlson had heard enough; Vicksburg wasn’t his settlement, but he and Jack’s soldiers had bled to save the place. The general stepped next to Harden and looked sternly over the crowd. “Since General Smith is off fighting in Indiana, I’ll take responsibility for Luke. I owe Jack that much; hell, I think we all do. If Luke turns, my soldiers will be there to put him down. Conversely, if any of you try to harm him or his friends, you’ll find ten thousand Utah soldiers on your doorstep before you know what happened.”
He scanned the quiet room and tried to commit to memory the faces of the people who looked like they might still be trouble in spite of his reassurances. There were too many to remember. Looking at his watch he saw that it was seven, and a grumble from his stomach reminded him of his dinner date. He turned back to Harden. “I have an appointment with a steak. Unless there’s anything else you’d like me to explain, I’ll leave you to answer any more questions.”
“I appreciate you taking responsibility for protectin’ both the boy and my citizens; I won’t interfere, but it isn’t necessary.” Harden raised his voice even louder as he continued, “We may not all be the sharpest tools in the shed, but we know a blessing when we see it.” He jutted out his chin and pointed toward the crowd. “Is there anybody here who wouldn’t want us to find out how to survive a bite?”
The room was silent. Harden continued, “I lost my young grandson, watched him die. Don’t think for a minute I don’t share your pain, but I also share your hope. I’ve talked to Luke, and he’s the same as he used to be.” He paused and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Anybody here who wouldn’t give just about anything to have a loved one back at the price of some weird-lookin’ eyes?” Again, a somber silence confirmed the answer.
CHAPTER 22
The Louisiana Patriarch arrived right on time for dinner. Luke answered the door while his friends and new bride kept busy in the kitchen. The tall, fierce-looking old man nodded in greeting to the group. “Mr. Carlson said to tell you that he’ll be a few minutes late.” He then turned his sole attention to the young warrior he’d grown to respect. “Decided to come back to us, eh?”
Luke held up his healed bite-wound. “Sort of, my eyes have turned hunter-black too. Oh, and I have an urge to eat rare steak all the time.”
“Hmph,” the old man snorted, “any hankerin’ to nibble on people?”
“Not yet, but there’s always hope.”
“I see you’ve developed a sense of humor, too.”
Luke laughed. “Ah, I doubt it, I’m just in a good mood; I should have died by now, you know.”
“I do know, but here ya are. So why did you send for me?”
“Hey, maybe I just wanted to say hello and tell you that I made it.”
“Well, all right then. Thanks for the update. Now, if ya don’t mind, I have a lot of people getting packed up and ready to head home in the mornin’.”
Luke held up a hand. “Hold on a minute, there is something I’d like to talk to you about.”
The old man smiled. “I thought so. How can I help ya?”
“Should I be worried about what’s happened to me? Do you think I could be dangerous?”
The patriarch’s smile grew wider. “How do ya feel? You’ve always been dangerous to your enemies, but I don’t think that’s what ya mean.”
Luke leaned in and lowered his voice, “I feel fine. Actually, I feel great. That’s partly why I’m worried. I almost died, I should still be recovering, but I feel healthy and strong.”
“Son, there ain’t nothin’ wrong with feelin’ strong. Let me have a good look at ya.” He peered into Luke’s black eyes for over a minute, then he gave a little “whoop” and crushed the young man in a bear hug. “I understand your concern, but I know you beat the virus. Don’t waste time doubtin’ yourself. I always knew you were special, and I can see that you haven’t lost your spirit—trust your heart and you’ll be fine.”
“If my heart is telling me that I should leave, could you smuggle me and Gracie out of town with you?”
Now the old man laughed. “Afraid they’ll shoot ya fer a coyote?”
“Something like that,” Luke answered with a sad smile.
“That Captain Harden’s a stand-up fella; he won’t shoot ya.”
“No,” Luke agreed, “but you gotta admit that a lot of people will be freaked out if they see me walking around the settlement.”
“That’s true, I suppose. Heck, from all the shoutin’ comin’ out of the meetin’ house, I think some of these folks are already freaked out.”
Luke shook his head and tried to explain himself better. “These people here would never hurt me, I just don’t want to worry them; they’ve been through enough.”
The tall old man stroked his beard in thought. “Gettin’ ya outta here shouldn’t be too tough, but where ya gonna go? Thinkin’ of comin’ to live in Louisiana with us? You’d be plenty welcome.”
“I think I need to head west. That’s what my heart is telling me to do.”
“Follow your callin’, son. We can put off leavin’ for a day or two if need be.”
Carlson knocked just as Maddy finished setting the table, and Luke let him in. “Thanks for earlier today,” Luke offered. “Was that meeting really about me?”
Carlson shrugged. “Mostly. Harden has things under control.”
The meal was eaten without incident, with most of the conversation revolving around speculation about where Jack and the Fort Wayne refugees were by now. Luke was finishing off a huge rare steak when one of the guards knocked at the door and delivered the message that a train was approaching Vicksburg. Everyone except Luke and his guards bundled up and headed over to the railhead where Ted Simmons h
ad just delivered the locomotive and its precious cargo.
As soon as the train squeaked to a stop, kids and their guardians began gingerly stepping out of the boxcars. Carter’s mom had Andi’s daughters and a number of other children with her, but nothing stopped Charlotte, TC, and Lucy from charging through the crowd and mobbing the family matriarch. Maddy and Gracie shared a warm smile as they watched Lucy fling herself into her grandmother’s arms with a joyous cry of “Meemaw!” A group of local volunteers welcomed the refugees and escorted them to various cabins where hot meals were waiting for them. After all of the death and destruction these groups of civilians had endured, from the brutal fighting during the Vicksburg campaign to the northern counter-attack, the opportunity to experience something nurturing and positive was a welcome change of pace.
Simmons had found Carlson and the others in short order, explaining that he would have arrived hours earlier if they hadn’t had to bust snow-drifts through much of Missouri. Handshakes and hugs were just completed when a Utah-soldier walked up to the group and handed a note to Carlson. Everyone stood anxiously waiting for the message to be read, and seconds later the general looked up with a hollow expression.
“The relief force sent to Fort Wayne got stuck in Iowa and had to fight their way out. They were forced to turn around, and they’ll be here in less than an hour.” Carlson sighed deeply before continuing. “They lost about half of their troops, and Hiram Anderson just died from his wounds. Stanley Rickers was with him at the end . . .”
Almost everyone knew that Hiram had been Carlson’s right arm during the early days of confusion and death when the virus broke out in Utah. The expression on the officer’s face was what the Hoosiers knew they would see if Jack or Carter had just received a message that the other had fallen in battle.
Gracie turned to Maddy and Zach. “I have to let Luke know what’s going on. You two stay here and see what else you can find out.” Tears began to well up in her eyes. “Hiram Anderson helped save all of us. He was someone we could lean on, and I will miss him more than I can say.”
After Gracie finished telling Luke everything she’d just seen and heard, Luke sat down and rested his head in his hands. Gracie sat down next to him, and they were both quiet until a light knock on the door interrupted their silence.
The Louisiana patriarch poked his head in the door. “Am I interruptin’?”
“Not at all,” Luke replied, “I was just thinking about you.”
The old man nodded. “And I was thinkin’ that we needed to finish our conversation.”
Luke cleared his throat. “Gracie, I want us to leave Vicksburg. I want us to leave because I don’t want to make people uncomfortable here, and I need us to leave because I can’t stand being kept in this cabin by Carlson’s guards.”
Gracie didn’t argue. “When?”
Luke looked at the grandfatherly Louisianan. “First thing in the morning?”
“We can do that, son. If it works for your better half . . .”
“I can be ready,” Gracie stated evenly. She looked at her husband. “Where are we going?”
Luke wished he had a more specific destination, but he answered, “West.”
Gracie had another question, “What for?”
“I think Luke needs a good, old-fashioned vision-quest,” the Louisiana leader offered.
Luke smiled. “I’ve been following an inner voice since I was a kid, and it’s only intensified since the outbreak began. I’m not gonna stop now. I need to process everything that’s happened this week, and I think I have a lot to learn about what changes the virus has created in me. I know I need time to figure out who I am now.” He knew what Gracie was thinking, and he answered her unspoken concern. “We’re out of contact with Jack and everyone else until they get a long-range radio operating again. I know that Jack will want me by his side when he finds out I’ve survived, but I have a feeling I’d only be a distraction up there for the time being. I’ve been praying about it, and my heart tells me to go west.”
The old man shrugged. “I’ll stop by to pick ya’ll up a half-hour before dawn tomorrow morning. I won’t have a problem getting ya past the guards—there’s still some advantages to bein’ a celebrity.”
On Middle Bass, Carter and Deb had settled in to a small house near the waterfront. They were curled up under a pile of blankets when Carter quietly observed, “Mama and Andi’s girls should be in Vicksburg by now.”
“I wish we had a way to contact them,” Deb sighed as she burrowed up against her husband. “I’m surprised they haven’t set up long-range communications here.”
“They got a fair range, as I understand it. Vicksburg’s just mighty far from here, and the weather don’t help neither.”
“The weather doesn’t help anything,” Deb agreed. “I just wish we knew if Charlotte and your mom were together.”
“Me too, but ain’t no use in speculatin’ ‘bout that right now. We need to figure out who killed the guards and blew the inside wall back home. We got us a traitor, and we probably brought him here with us.”
Deb nodded and blurted out, “I think it’s Heder.”
“What makes ya think so?”
“I don’t have any hard proof, but my gut is telling me it’s him. Plus, the circumstantial evidence is there if we factor in what happened to Andi.” At the mention of her friend’s name, Deb grew quiet.
“I trust yer instincts, babe. I’ll talk to Jack, and we’ll keep our eye on the guy.” He noticed that his wife was quietly crying. “Hey, Debbie, I wish to God I could protect ya from all of this, but I also know most of our folks wouldn’t have survived without ya these past few days. I can’t tell ya enough how amazin’ ya are.”
“I don’t feel amazing, Carter. I feel like it’s my fault that Andi’s not here, that her girls don’t have their mom. I feel like it’s my fault that not everyone survived the evacuation. We weren’t well-prepared, and we should have been.”
“I got to partly disagree. Look at the facts—most everybody got outta there. That’s purty much a miracle. Deb Wilson did that. Now, we shoulda been anticipatin’ the attack from Barnes. That’s on us, Jack and me, and we gotta be smarter from now on.”
Deb scooted up on the pillows to meet Carter eye-to-eye. “That’s not your fault. Let’s agree to try to stop feeling guilty.” She gently kissed her husband. “How was Luke when you left?”
“As good as can be expected fer somebody who’s dyin’ – Gracie married him, ya know.”
“Yeah, I know. Carter, I’m worried about Jack. There’s only so much a man can take. He found out that Luke was his son just in time to lose him to a hunter-bite. Then, Fort Wayne is destroyed and Andi disappears . . .”
“I know what yer sayin’, babe. He’s in a dark place, fer sure, but he’s handlin’ things. I’ve seen him worse off durin’ the war.”
“Lori said you guys bled the wound after Luke was bit—I think she called it the ‘Utah Method’—do you think there’s a chance that Luke could survive?”
Carter sighed. “My brain tells me not likely, but if anybody could survive a bite, it’d be that boy. He’s even more stubborn than Jack.”
Zach and Maddy arrived back at the cabin to find Luke and Gracie packing up their few belongings.
“What’s going on?” Zach demanded. “Are you two planning on going somewhere?”
“We’re heading west,” Luke answered. “I don’t want to cause tension here in Vicksburg, and I can’t go along with being kept a prisoner while people figure out what should be done with me.”
“It’s not like that,” Maddy objected. “I don’t think Harden would treat you like some sort of criminal. People just need to get used to the way you look now.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Have you?”
“As a matter of fact, I have,” she answered. “You know what a shock it was at first—you almost passed out.”
Luke corrected Maddy’s version of events. “I did not almost pass out; I banged
my head in that tiny bathroom and fell over. I never claimed to be graceful.”
“But you were freaked out by your eyes,” Maddy pressed.
“Yeah, I won’t argue there—“ Luke began.
Gracie cut in, “We don’t need to argue about anything. Luke and I are leaving in the morning with the help of our friends from Louisiana.”
Zach looked at Maddy, and she gave him a slight nod. “Then we’re going with you,” Zach declared. “You two shouldn’t be out there on your own, and we belong with you guys.”
Luke held up his hand. “Hold on a minute; I can’t ask you to come along when I’m not exactly sure what the future holds.”
Zach laughed. “You didn’t ask, and just who is exactly sure what the future holds anywhere?”
Maddy looked to Gracie. “We’ve traveled with Luke before, and there’s safety in numbers—even if those numbers are pretty small. Whatever Luke needs to do, we can help.”
Luke tried to read Gracie’s thoughts, but he couldn’t tell what his new wife thought about Zach and Maddy’s proposition. He wasn’t sure how he felt either, but he had to admit that they made some good points.
Gracie ended the suspense when she tossed an empty backpack to Zach. “If you two are coming with us, you’d better get ready. We’re leaving before dawn, and I know for a fact that neither one of you is a morning person.”
As soon as the last of the Louisianans had traversed the massive bridge and passed through the western gate, the old man and his four young guests stopped and radioed the Vicksburg command center for Captain Harden and General Carlson. The two military men were already up and about, so they were on the scene in less than ten minutes. Harden seemed offended to find his friends beyond the gate, creeping out of town in the wee hours of the morning. “Why are you headin’ off into Louisiana?”
