“Sure,” said Denny. He, too, struggled as he tried to rise, but Alex could see him restraining any complaints. Likely he saw Alex’s worry and didn’t want to add to it, which Alex appreciated.
Denny reached out a hand, and Alex took Piper’s pack from her back to hand to him. Then he picked Piper up, holding her arms like a child.
“I can walk,” she said. But her face was ghost-white, and he could tell that her face was soaked with sweat as well as rainwater.
“It’s not far,” said Alex. “I’ve got you.”
They pressed on towards the river. Though Piper wrapped her arms around his neck, she was almost a dead weight in his arms, and Alex was struggling by the time they neared the water. The river had risen far above normal levels, and was all rushing whitewater besides, but there was a cluster of trees and boulders that were still well above the waterline. Alex made for them. The tree branches would still pose a threat, but he hoped that by being right underneath them, the risk would be low.
He put Piper down a little harder than he’d meant to and helped Denny settle down, back against one of the boulders. From his pack he took a tarp, which he attached to two trees and a chink in the rock with bungee cords. A palpable wave of relief went through all three of them as the rain finally stopped beating on their heads.
“Sorry, dad,” said Piper.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” said Alex. “Catch a breather. Maybe we take the rest of the day off, and start fresh tomorrow.”
“You know, there’s a town just north of here,” said Denny. “We might shoot for it instead.”
Alex frowned. “I don’t think towns are a great idea right now.”
“No, it’s a small place,” said Denny. “And they’re all good people. Place called Broadus. I’ve been there before, and most people there know me. I’ve done work for a lot of ’em, and they’re good folk. Plus, the two of you could maybe get a hotel room for cheap—or they might just give it to you. Like I said, good people.”
He tilted his head towards Piper almost imperceptibly. Alex gave her another look. Some color was coming back into her cheeks, but she was still too pale for his liking, and she was sweating profusely despite the cold. She needed rest for sure, but right now they weren’t in a very restful place. She’d do better under a roof, and with maybe one night in a bed—and with some food in her belly. Plus, the town would probably have a pharmacy or corner drug store, and they could restock on insulin. That thought sealed it.
Alex ducked out from under the tarp for a moment, looking north. But the weather was too heavy for him to see very far, and the town was nowhere in sight. Frowning, he returned to the tent.
“How far?” he asked Denny.
* * *
It ended up being farther than he might have hoped, but not as far as he had feared. The rain lightened a little as they began their walk north, and almost immediately the town came into view. Just south of it there was a small bridge with country roads on either side, which they used to cross the flooded river. Alex carried Piper across it, eyeing the water uneasily—it was less than a yard beneath the edge of the bridge.
When they finally reached the town, they found the streets completely empty. Just as Alex had guessed, there was a corner store, but all the lights were off inside. Alex peered in through the glass, but there was no sign of activity inside.
“Let’s head for the diner,” said Denny. “Maybe someone there knows the shop owner—and if not, we can rest, anyway.”
“Good idea,” said Alex.
“You can put me down, Dad,” said Piper. “I’m feeling all right.” He did, carefully, and she kept her feet easily. But she kept a hand on his arm as they walked.
The diner was at the other end of the block. They didn’t run into anyone on their way there, but Alex saw a few cars in the parking lot. It seemed the whole town wasn’t abandoned after all—a fact that was confirmed the moment they stepped in the front door. Not only were a hostess and two waiters on duty, but over half the tables in the place were full. Alex got the feeling this was an unusually large crowd, even if they’d arrived during lunch hour, which they hadn’t. Denny drew more than a few looks with his ratty clothes and dirty, sun-browned skin, but the hostess didn’t say anything about him. Alex figured that with weather the way it was, the diner wasn’t exactly going to throw anyone out.
“Hi there,” said the hostess. “Can I get you a table?”
“That’d be great,” said Alex. “But we were also hoping to shop at the corner store down the street. Do you know when it opens?”
The hostess clicked her tongue. “Midge’s dad runs it. He’s …” She stopped and scanned the room behind her. “Nope, he’s not here right now. But I’ll put you in her section, and you can ask her.”
“Thank you so much,” said Alex. The hostess smiled in reply and led them to a booth in the corner. With the crowd, it was a short while before their waitress arrived, but when she did, Alex saw Midge on her name tag.
“Hey y’all,” she said. “Sorry about the wait. Can I start you off with some coffee, or do you already know what you want?”
“I think we’ll all take burgers, and coffee would be great,” said Alex. “But we were hoping you could help us with something else. The hostess said your father runs the corner store down the street?”
“Oh, sure,” said Midge. She smiled, but it was halfhearted. “He just closed it up, what with the weather. Most places in town are closed up except this one. I’ll give him a call after I put your order in.”
Their food came quicker than the service had, and they ate quickly. Piper wolfed down her food, and Alex could almost see the strength flood back into her. It made him breathe easier, and he was able to enjoy his own food with gusto. It wasn’t like they were starving on the road, but their rations sure got old.
As they ate, Alex noted how many Native Americans were in the restaurant. They must be drawing near to the reservation Denny had mentioned. He’d been so caught up with pushing on through the rain and keeping Piper safe that it had been a long while since he’d asked Denny how much farther they had to go. The locals, Native American and not, gave Alex’s table a few curious looks, but mostly they kept their eyes on their food.
When they finished, Denny tried to pay for his own meal, but Alex waved him off and dropped a hundred on the check. Midge scooped it up a moment later.
“I’ll get you some change, honey.”
“No need,” said Alex.
She paused, taken aback, and then smiled. “Why … why thank you, sweetheart. You all have a great day, then. And my dad said he was heading over to the store, so you should find it open for you now.”
“Thanks,” said Alex. “We appreciate it.”
Midge gave them a final smile and hurried off to the next table. Alex led Piper and Denny out of the restaurant, all of them bundling up in their jackets against the rain.
The storm had grown worse, and more than once they stumbled against its fury. It almost threw Piper into the buildings they were walking by, and Alex had to take her arm a couple of times. But her blood sugar levels seemed to have stabilized. She looked miles better than she had when they reached the town. Still, Alex was leery of pushing too hard.
“We’ll stock up on your insulin, and then we’ll head for the town’s motel. Okay?”
Piper frowned. “We can keep going. I’m fine.”
“I’m sure you are, but I don’t think we’re going to find too many more towns like this one where it’s safe to stop. Might as well rest while we can.”
Her frown deepened, but she nodded, and he thought she looked a little relieved. She was putting on a brave face, but Alex doubted she wanted to press on through the storm any more than he did.
Denny was looking up at the sky. One hand absentmindedly rubbed his chest where the branch had struck him earlier, and he wore a troubled expression. Alex didn’t like it, but he thought better than to ask what was wrong. If the hobo knew something was wrong,
it was likely to freak Piper out even more. That could wait until they were safe from the storm.
They found the corner store open, and a wizened, bent old man was at the counter. As soon as they walked in the door he hailed them with a friendly wave.
“Howdy. Midge told me y’all needed some things. Name’s Fred. Sorry we were closed up.”
“Can’t blame you. I’m Alex. We need insulin, for my daughter, if you have some.”
“Sure do, lots” said Fred. “Right over here.”
He led Alex towards the back left corner. Alex asked for every vial of insulin out of the cooler, prompting Fred to raise his eyebrows. “I should be getting more in soon, and you usually need a prescription for it, but with the weather I say no need, how far are ya’ll going? Fred asked.
“Still got a long way to go,” said Alex.
“West coast?”
“Almost Seattle.”
“Well. Good luck.” Fred’s tone wasn’t as encouraging as his words.
As Fred rang them up, Alex noticed that Denny had remained near the front of the store. His face was almost pressed against the glass, and he was still staring at the sky. It got Alex’s nerves up, and he scooped up the insulin almost before Fred had handed back his change, hurrying towards Denny with Piper in tow.
“What is it?” said Alex.
“Bad sky,” said Denny. “The storm’s bad enough here, but it’s worse close by, and—”
A sudden roar cut him off. The ground shuddered beneath their feet, and Alex tightened his grip on Piper’s arm. Looking back, he saw Fred’s knuckles white on the countertop, a look of confusion on the old man’s face. Whatever this was, it wasn’t normal for Broadus.
“What the hell was—“
“Flood,” said Denny, almost whispering. Then he turned and shouted so Fred could hear him. “Flash flood! Get out!”
Fred vanished into the back of the shop. Alex, Piper and Denny ran out the front. “Come on!” shouted Alex, as they pounded down the street towards the center of town. “The hotel! If we can reach it, we can—”
He skidded to a halt, Piper and Denny doing the same beside him.
They were too late.
Broadus’ main street stretched on ahead of them. It gave them a clear view straight through the other side of the town. There they saw a solid wall of water rushing towards them. It was almost twenty feet high, and it was rushing faster than a train. The motel was near the town’s north end, and the floodwaters were closer to it than Alex was.
“Dad,” cried Piper.
“I—we have to—” Alex shook himself. “Back inside the pharmacy. Quick, before—”
“Glass storefront,” said Denny. “It’s a deathtrap.”
Alex almost snapped at him, asking for a better idea. But just then, tires screeched nearby, and he clutched Piper to him. A beat-up old truck skidded around one of the town’s street corners. For a moment it seemed it would speed right past them, but then it screamed to a halt. One massive door flew open, and Alex barely registered the sight of a Native American couple in the cab.
“Get in!” cried the man behind the wheel.
Without hesitation, Alex practically threw Piper into the cab’s back seat and scrambled in after her. Denny followed half a second later, and the man punched the gas almost before the hobo’s feet had left asphalt. The woman in shotgun struggled to pull the door closed behind them, and the truck sped away.
Alex turned to look out the back window, just as the wall of water struck the first buildings in Broadus. The smaller houses erupted into fountains of timber and kindling. He saw at least two cars picked up in the flood and thrown through the walls of the larger buildings. He turned away, his heart sick, and whispered a prayer for the safety of Midge and the rest of the people of Broadus, as he and his friends sped away from the town’s death.
CHAPTER 19
The cabin community took to their new jobs with gusto. Despite the heavy rain, Bettie’s new helpers spent almost all day long in Cameron’s back yard, and when their work was done each day, Bettie directed the laying of new gardens in other locations. Cameron barely managed to keep the smirk from her face when she saw Hernando grubbing in the dirt and digging holes for tomato seeds, all the while trying to keep the tough guy look on his face and in his posture.
Where the gardening team turned the soil and planted their seeds, Scott would follow behind and throw up crude wire fences to keep animals away, helped in large part by Ken. The two of them were the perfect Odd Couple, with Scott grousing and grumping as he directed Ken, who was almost too eager to help. Often Ken would set to work with drill and saw before Scott had half finished giving directions, and have to undo some part of what he’d done in order to make the fence more secure. Cameron didn’t mind. Half of the point of it all was to keep everyone busy, after all, and Ken was definitely busy.
The only problem, to no one’s surprise, was Bill. It took less than a day for him and his team to check the fence surrounding the cabin community, and then everyone but Jeremy was assigned to one of the other teams. After that, Bill’s idea of “security” appeared to be nosing into everyone else’s business, and he would putter from team to team—the gardeners, the hunters, Scott and Ken—and just observe, giving the occasional snide remark. Without any direction, Jeremy soon stopped accompanying Bill on his trips, since it seemed obvious he hated them almost as much as the people Bill stood and leered over.
Cameron wondered often if she should do anything about it, but she decided against it for the time being. If Bill posed a real problem to the community, she could deal with him then. Until that time, she didn’t want to be his excuse to be even more of an asshole.
But a few days after the work assignments, Cameron was returning from a hunting trip when she heard shouts at the community. She’d gone out with Aubrey, and they’d managed to shoot a couple of rabbits. When they heard the raised voices ahead of them, they shared a quick glance before breaking out into a sprint to burst out of the woods.
She saw the problem at once. Russell was standing just outside the clubhouse near the front gate, out in the middle of the street and waving his arms in fury. The target of his anger was lolling on its side in the clubhouse door: a black bear, sitting in a mess of torn food packets. The bear didn’t seem particularly impressed by Russell’s attempts to ward it off.
“Shit!” said Aubrey. She raised her handgun, but Cameron grabbed her arm and pushed it down.
“No way,” she said. “You’ll just piss it off.” She unslung her rifle from her back. Her pulse was pounding in her ears as she slowly approached the clubhouse.
Russell spotted her as she drew within ten yards. He stopped screaming and waving his arms. “Careful,” he called out. “If you don’t hit it dead in the—”
“I know,” said Cameron. She hoisted the rifle to her shoulder. The bear hardly seemed to notice her, giving her only a passing glance before it ducked its head down to a bag of apples it had already torn open. She took a deep breath. If she didn’t kill it, it would get up and charge. She couldn’t guarantee a second hit if it was moving around. Her hands were steady, though she felt like they should be shaking.
“I can take the shot if you want,” said Russell.
“I got it.”
She looked down the sights. Exhaled. Pulled the trigger.
The slug went straight through the left eye. The bear jerked once, then slumped to the floor.
Cameron loosed a sharp breath, almost a grunt. Her hands fell to point the rifle at the ground, and now they started shaking as she let the adrenalin have its way with her. Russell sighed with relief and bent over, hands on his knees. Aubrey giggled, a nervous sound, not a happy one.
“How did it get in?” said Cameron.
“No idea,” said Russell. “I was coming down here to grab a snack, and I found it sitting there.”
Cameron looked to the north. The gunshot had drawn attention, and now a bunch of the community were running towards th
em. In the middle of the pack was Bill. Cameron slung her rifle over her shoulder again and made for him.
“Bill!” she said, louder than she’d really meant to. “What the hell?”
He stopped short, as did the rest of the group. All eyes turned to Bill, as he folded his arms and scowled at her.
“What the hell, what?” he said.
Cameron pointed at the bear. “What the hell that. How did a bear get in here? You’re security, remember?”
His mouth fell open, but nothing came out. His arms unfolded, and he looked left and right, like he was expecting to find the answer just over either shoulder. “I … I don’t know! I didn’t let it in!”
“Jesus Christ,” said Cameron, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Bill and Jeremy, check the damn fence. Find out how it got in. Russell, Aubrey, can you go with them?”
Both of them murmured in assent. Bill, for once, didn’t argue at being ordered around, and set off with the group in tow to find the hole. Bettie came up, with Hernando and the rest of her gardening team lurking just a few yards behind, looking uncertain. Bettie appraised the dead bear with raised eyebrows.
“Well, that’s a little meat, at least.”
“If you want to look on the bright side,” muttered Cameron.
“Always seemed to me to be the best way to go through life,” said Bettie. “But you gotta plan for the bad days, too.”
Cameron looked again at the bear. “You’re right. We’ll have a meeting once they get back from checking the fence.”
* * *
They gathered in the clubhouse an hour later, which Bettie and her helpers had cleaned up. Bill and the others came in out of the cold, shaking rainwater from their coats and rubbing their arms to warm them. Cameron sat in a chair at the front of the room near the stockpiled supplies. The bear hadn’t gotten into as much food as they’d all feared, and they still had plenty to go around. By that time Wade had arrived—he’d been sleeping earlier, and had missed all the hubbub about the bear—and he sat silently by Cameron’s left side.
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