Scorched

by Theresa Shaver

  Glo’s hopping up and down, clapping her hands, so I give her a big smacking kiss on top of her head for solving what will hopefully be our last obstacle before we park the cart. We all get back on and decide to pump instead of using the engine so that we can go slowly and watch for any sign of where my grandfather used to park the cart. The track we had been on before switching had been gradually turning to the south to run parallel to the mountains. This track heads straight for them and the rocks that look like a howling coyote. We keep the speed slow as we get closer and then start to pass the rock formation.

  “The tracks are curving ahead!” Glo calls out.

  I step to the front windows to get a better look and see the rather sharp turn ahead. “Slower Beck. I can’t see where the tracks go around this bend.” As we make the turn my eyes go big and I yell, “Brake! Stop, we have to stop!”

  Thankfully, we were going slow enough that it was just a small jolt when Beck throws the brakes. He comes and joins us and we all look out dusty, dirty windows at the wall of rock five feet ahead of us.

  “Hmmm, I guess this is it then. Who’s ready for a hike?” he asks.

  Glo yells, “ME” but I just swallow down the knot that’s formed in my throat. We made it. We made the first part of the journey but I’m terrified of what we might find at the end of the next one. I take a deep breath and follow them out the door, pulling the hand drawn map from my bag. There should be some kind of pathway or trail to get us started in the right direction but I don’t see anything except rock walls on three sides. I look back down at the map and frown at what I see underneath it. The tracks go straight into a smooth rock wall. That makes no sense. Why would anyone run tracks into a wall?

  Beck and Glo are unclasping the sled from the trailer and Beck yells for me to come help him get it off, but I’m fixated on the dead-end tracks. I walk the few steps to the wall, reach out and put my hand on it and feel it give slightly. When I pull my hand back, I can see my handprint where dust has come away. I look down at my hand that’s now covered in dust and then back at the wall before reaching out and giving it a hard shove. I have to take a quick step back as the whole thing ripples, releasing decades of clinging dust that billows down around me. I move back around the cart to let the dust settle and get Beck and Glo to come see what I’ve found.

  “What is it?” Beck asks when I tell him about what happened.

  “I don’t know but it’s not solid so there’s probably something behind it!”

  He walks up to it and pushes it a few times seeing the rippling for himself and then drops down to the ground, runs his hand on the steel rail until it connects with the wall and gives a tug on it.

  “It’s a tarp of some kind! Help me pull it up from the ground.”

  The three of us start to pull the tarp away from the ground and find long, metal pegs that had been holding it down. Once the bottom is free, we work on the sides of the tarp which were secured to bolts anchored into the real rock walls with some kind of hard plastic bands. Once the whole thing is free except for the top, Beck grabs a corner and drags it to the side, letting the sun shine into the opening.

  I move into the space cautiously but I’m surprised to see that it isn’t as dark inside as it should be. Looking up, I can see that there is an opening at the top that lets in plenty of light. The space inside is at least twenty feet across and forty feet deep with the tracks stopping towards the end of the space at a small wooden barrier. There are metal shelving units all along one rock wall that hold boxes and piles of tools. I take another spin around and look up at the opening, realizing that my grandfather had created a natural building to store his cart and tools. He had used the natural rock and created doors on either end with the heavy plastic fabric that was the same color as the terrain. It was a perfect way to camouflage his supplies and transportation. I call Beck and Glo inside so they can look around and head to the opposite end of the opening.

  The opening at the far end is much smaller than the main opening, maybe around six feet across. I cut away the plastic ties holding it to the wall and kicked out the metal pegs in the ground until I can move the tarp to the side and see what’s outside. The back side of Coyote Rock is to my left but on the right is the pathway I have been looking for! I can see it leading up past the rocks and deeper into the mountains. This is the way we will go next.

  Beck calls my name from inside so I go back in and join him and Glo who are standing by four blue plastic barrels. Beck has removed the lid on one of them and is peering inside of it. He looks up at me with a grin.

  “They’re full of water! Not great tasting water, but water!”

  I smile back at him and take another look around at the pick axes, shovels and shallow pans that are piled up on the shelves.

  “It makes sense. My grandfather would have used this as his staging area to go into the mountains for his mining. I bet if we looked through these boxes we’d find some old food stores too. Probably nothing edible after over thirty years but it’s probably here somewhere.” I look around again and nod. “Come on, let’s get the cart in here and then go through this stuff. We need to decide if we are going to stay here for the rest of the day or start the hike.”

  Beck nods. “It’s got to be almost noon by now. We would be out in the hottest part of the day if we left in the next hour or so. Maybe we should wait and go early tomorrow morning, start when it’s a bit cooler. It’s going to be hard no matter when we go but being out in the sun all day, we’ll have to be very careful and make sure we cover up.”

  I grab Glo who’s scooping water from the open barrel with her hands and letting it flow back in.

  “Hey, we might need to drink that stuff! Who wants to drink dirty girl hand water?” I just shake my head at her silly grin. “Come help me bring the cart in. Beck, you hold the tarp back so we don’t rip it down.”

  Glo and I get back on the cart and I release the brakes while Beck pulls the tarp back as far as he can reach. I pump as slow as I can so that we’re barely moving. I’m worried that the tarp will catch on the top of the cart and rip down from where it’s secured on the top. I’m sure there’s a better way to move the tarp but I don’t really want to waste any more time figuring it out. I like the idea of having the cart hidden in case Boyd is still after us. Maybe if he doesn’t see it, he’ll just keep going past us and end up in Mexico.

  I sigh in relief when the cart slides into the opening without catching on the tarp and Beck lets it drop down to cover the opening again. I feel safer already. Once I set the brakes, I point Glo towards the supplies on the shelves.

  “Give me a hand unloading this stuff. I want to get the sled loaded up so we’re ready to go.”

  I laugh at her when she tries to pull two water jugs from the shelf and they both drop to the cart’s floor. I pick them up and use my chin to point at a small box.

  “Stick to the lighter things sweetie or you’re going to lose a few toes!”

  She rolls her eyes at me but does what I say so I carry the jugs off and find Beck wrestling with the sled to get it off the trailer. I drop the jugs and move over to help him. Once the sled is down the three of us work together to load it up with as much as it will hold. If the valley works out then we don’t want to have to hike back here anytime soon.

  We’ve just finished up the loading and are about start exploring the boxes my grandfather stored here when the light in the area gets brighter and a voice rings out.

  “Hello, brother!”

  The massive bang that follows those words has Glo and me screaming and ducking.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The punishing sun beams down on Boyd and even the little bit of breeze created by the buggy’s speed does nothing to help the nausea and dizziness he feels. He consumed the last of the food and water the night before and he knows if he doesn’t find his brother and the girl today, he will likely be dead by tomorrow.

  He squints his eyes behind his goggles for any sight of them in the dist
ance but doesn’t see anything except a large rock formation beside the tracks he’s following. He grits his teeth in frustration as the rocks go by and a flap of his scarf blows up into his face. He tosses his head to the side to move the scarf and it’s that movement that lets him see a bit of the cart tucked around the side of the rocks he’s passing.

  He slams on the brakes and reverses quickly so that the buggy is hidden back behind the rocks and then takes a deep breath. This is it. This is the moment when he will finally get everything he deserves. He gets out of the buggy and quietly closes the door, then checks the load in his gun. There are exactly three bullets left after the shootout at the bridge but that’s all he’ll need to take care of his coward of a brother and the two girls.

  He edges around the rocks and leans out to look over the cart he’s been chasing for three days but pulls back quickly when he catches a glimpse of all three of his prey. The two girls are climbing onto the cart but he doesn’t see what his brother’s doing so he just waits for a few minutes and then peeks around the rocks again. The cart, the girls, and his brother are nowhere in sight so he edges around into the open and stares in confusion at the space where they were a few minutes ago. He walks along the tracks up to what looks like a blank wall of rock and reaches out. Just as his hand is about to touch the rock he hears a faint voice.

  “Give me a hand unloading this stuff. I want to get the sled loaded up so we’re ready to go.”

  The girl’s voice is coming from the other side of the wall so he pushes his hand against it and grins when it gives. Clever, not rock but a tarp that looks like its rock. He edges to the side and finds the end of it so he can peek past it and see what’s on the other side. He sees some kind of dim cavern but he can make out the cart and the three of them loading up supplies on a platform that is resting on the ground. He decides to let them finish loading it before he makes his move. They must be going to wherever the gold is so he’ll need those supplies. He gives them five more minutes to get the work done and then pulls the tarp violently to the side and rushes through into the cavern with his gun up. His eyes zero in on Beck with hate and he forgets his vow not to kill his only family.

  “Hello, brother!”

  He grins with satisfaction when he sees Beck’s eyes widen in fear a split second before he pulls the trigger. The bullet hits the mark and Beck spins around with the force of it then crashes down to the ground where his head smashes against the steel track and he goes deathly still.

  He turns to see the girls have dropped to the ground and he smirks in amusement when he sees that Claudia had thrown herself on top of the little one. He can use that protectiveness to get what he wants.

  “Shut up! Stop that screaming right now!” He bellows at them when the echoes of the noise they’re making cause his head to throb.

  He strides over and grabs Claudia’s arm and hauls her away from the small girl under her.

  “Get up!” He yells at her and then snaps his fingers in front of her eyes to get her to focus on him instead of the still form of his brother. “I’m going to put a bullet in your sister’s head if you don’t do exactly what I say.”

  That does the trick as her terrified eyes lock in on his face so he nods and pushes her away and then hauls the small girl up by her scrawny arm. He wraps his arm around her from behind and pulls her against him so he can position the barrel of his gun against her temple.

  “Here’s the deal, you do what I say, you give me what I want and I will let the kid live. You give me a hard time or try anything then I start putting holes in her. You’d be surprised how long a person can live with a few holes in them so watch yourself!”

  Claudia’s eyes had lost some of the terror as she looked frantically between her now sobbing sister and the pool of blood that’s forming around Beck so Boyd barks at her, “Never mind him. He’s dead. He can’t help you now! If you don’t want your sister to join him then you better give me what I want!”

  She nods her head slowly and asks, “What is it? What do you want from us?”

  A grin spreads across his face. “First off, water. I want lots of water and something to eat. After that, you can hand over the gold!”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I have no idea what he’s talking about! Gold? What gold? This idiot just chased us across hundreds of miles for something I don’t have? Beck’s dead or he soon will be if I can’t get to him and Glo’s life rests on me giving this monster something I have no way of getting. My expression must show my thoughts because he scowls and pushes the gun harder against Glo’s head causing her to let out a shriek of pain and terror.

  “Don’t even think about messing with me, girl! I know your gramps use to mine these hills for gold and you were coming here to get his stash to pay your way over the wall. Well, now it’s going to be my ticket over! Call it payment for the injury and trouble you’ve caused me.”

  I open my mouth to deny it but the fanatical look in his eyes tells me he won’t believe any denial I can say so I just let out a breath and nod. The only way I can see out of this is to play along and wait for my chance to somehow either get the gun away from him or shoot him with my own. His next words take one of those options away.

  “You can hand over that gun you shot me with too. You didn’t think I’d forgotten about that, did you? I owe you some payback just for that alone!”

  I curse under my breath but slowly pull the gun out of my bag and drop it on the sandy ground of the cavern before kicking it past him closer to where Beck’s laying on the ground. Hopefully, he’s playing possum and can help us but he doesn’t even flinch when sand from where the gun lands sprays up into his face.

  Boyd scowls at me and gives Glo a hard shake to punish me. “Real cute, girl, but he’s not going to be able to help you. Now go and get me one of those jugs of water and something to eat! After that, I want to hear about the gold.”

  I hold up my hands and start backing away to hopefully calm him down a bit so he won’t terrorize Glo more than he already is. I wrack my brain for a convincing lie about the gold I don’t have. If I can’t sell him on it, I know he’ll just kill both of us. I grab a jug of water and the basket of food I had prepared that morning for our hike to the valley and bring it back to him. I set them down a few feet from him and take a few steps back when he waves me further away.

  He shoves Glo to the ground and lowers himself down beside her, keeping the gun pointed at her side across his body. His finger never leaves the trigger as he reaches out and pulls the water jug towards him, using one hand to flip the cap off before guzzling down a bit of it. I stand there waiting while he eats and drinks his fill. My eyes keep tracking between the deathly still Beck and the barrel of the gun pointed at my sister. I can’t bear to meet her eyes because I know I won’t be able to stand by and do nothing if I see just how scared she is. I need to be smart about this and play along with this psycho until the right opportunity presents itself for me to make my move. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because all I want to do right now is launch myself at this monster and bash his head in. Instead, I force myself to take a few deep breaths and tune out her heartbreaking sobs and whimpers.

  Once he’s done eating and drinking, he tosses the empty jug across the cavern where it bounces off the cart and falls to the sand, then raises his eyebrows at me so I start spinning a tale I hope he buys.

  “The gold’s not here. That’s why we were loading up the sled with supplies. We have to hike two days into the mountains to get to where my grandfather stashed it.”

  His eyes narrow in suspicion before he takes another look at the loaded sled and then slowly nods and pushes himself to his feet, pulling Glo up with him.

  “Alrighty then! Let’s get going.”

  I shake my head in protest, trying to stall. “That’s not a good idea. We can’t hike right now during the hottest part of the day.”

  He gives me a dead stare before shoving Glo forward.

  “Nice try. We
just traveled across an entire desert in the sun. A little hike won’t kill us.” A small smirk forms on his face. “Well, it won’t kill me. Not sure if both of you will make it, though!” The amusement leaves his face and he waves the gun towards the sled. “Start hauling that thing, we’re leaving right now and if you try anything...anything...the kid is dead. I don’t need her to make you do what I want. There’s plenty of ways I could persuade you without her.”

  I stare into his empty eyes and know he won’t have a problem killing a little girl and then torturing me for what he wants. All traces of humanity are gone from this monster and when he’s done with us there won’t be any negotiating for our lives. He’ll discard us like useless garbage and never give it another thought. This realization should steal all hope from me but instead, it just firms my resolve to kill him at the first possible opportunity, so I just nod my head at him.

  I need the sled remote that I had stuffed into my back pocket so I tell him what I’m reaching for. He just looks confused so I slowly reach back and pull it out. I take a look around the cavern one more time, my eyes glancing off Beck’s body and force the pain and grief of his death down deep. I silently vow to avenge him. He didn’t deserve this, none of us do. I shift my focus to Glo. If we are going to be out in the full afternoon sun then there are precautions that need to be taken so I make my case to Boyd.