by Kenny Soward
Jake wasn’t looking forward to winter, though he wouldn’t mind getting cabin fever with Sara and the kids. Long weeks playing games, watching movies, and planning for the future sounded good to him. They would strengthen the cabin even as the world rebuilt itself around them. With any luck, the economy would swing upward and help bring positivity to the recovery efforts. The news certainly seemed to think so.
He hoped the people of the United States had changed. He hoped people had learned their lessons about how important it was to be self-sufficient and prepared, his family included. If it hadn’t been for Sara always pushing them to stockpile precious food and resources, they might be struggling a lot harder.
And while it had been Jake’s idea to build the cabin in the first place, it was Sara who had kept up the supply schedule, always combining it with a vacation or family activity. Jake may have played a part in saving Atlanta, but Sara had saved their family.
Jake’s eyes watered, and it wasn’t just from the wind.
He put his arm around Sara’s waist and pulled her close. Her shoulder was off limits until she recovered from Katrya’s attack. The knife had plunged deep, causing a great deal of muscle damage. The doctor said Sara may have limited use of her arm and hand in the future, depending on how seriously she took her therapy.
Jake had a feeling his wife would throw herself into the task wholeheartedly and make a full recovery.
Sara turned her head, her green eyes lifting to meet his, gifting him a wistful smile. They’d had a great and trusting relationship before, but something had changed between them. They’d forged an even deeper bond, a deeper understanding, and an appreciation for what they’d almost lost. And even though the feeling might not last forever, or be present every single day, he promised to make every day a good one for Sara, for himself, and their family.
“Do you think they’ll make it?” Tex asked. He and his niece, Rita, and her kids, stood on Jake’s left where they surrounded the smaller of the two graves.
“They said they’d be here,” Jake shrugged.
“They’ve got a few minutes,” Sara said with a glance at her watch. Then she peered up at the boulders before which the two graves had been dug. “Do you like the spot I picked?”
“I do,” Jake said. “It’s beautiful. How about you, Zo?”
Zoe nodded solemnly as she looked down at the two graves. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying as her curly hair blew around her head. The girl had been nearly inconsolable upon learning of Rex’s death, though it wasn’t the tantrum of a child. Zoe had turned the pain inside for the first time, processing death much like an adult might. Jake wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but he needed to be there to support her.
Karen blew her nose into a handkerchief where she stood before the larger of the two graves. She wore a black dress Barbara had scavenged for her, although it was a little small for her frame.
Todd and Barbara stood shoulder to shoulder on Karen’s left, holding hands quite openly. Todd was taking Rex’s death even harder than Zoe. The young man had picked the pup out of a litter six years ago, and they’d been nearly inseparable since then. Jake remembered his first dog and how heartbreaking it had been when the time came for them to say goodbye.
And to Karen’s right was Kayla, who’d survived not one but two brushes with the crawlers. The girl’s posture was stiff as steel, leaning on her cane as the wind whipped her hair around her shoulders.
Dion and Natasha closed off the far end of the procession, huddled together against the wind.
The sound of a roaring engine reached them, and Jake turned to see a military Humvee pull into their driveway. The unmistakable form of Captain Stern stepped out of the passenger side with her right arm in a sling. Jenkins got out of the driver’s seat, and Collier climbed slowly from the back seat and looked around.
“Up here!” Jake shouted and waved.
Jenkins got under Collier’s arm and helped the man up the gentle hill. He favored his left side where he’d been stabbed, though his good humor couldn’t be kept down.
“Heya, big hero.” Collier gave Jake a wide smile as they approached. Then he held out his hand to Jake.
“Collier,” Jake nodded and shook the man’s hand. “It’s good to see you’re okay.”
“I wouldn’t say okay. I’m just not going to complain in the captain’s presence.”
“Going to save that for later?”
Collier nodded briskly and knowingly. “Yep.”
Jake shook Captain Stern’s hand and then Jenkins’s.
“Sorry we’re late,” Stern said, looking Jake in the eye. “Ostrosky couldn’t make it. He’s still recovering.”
“That’s okay, Captain,” Jake said. He knew Ostrosky had lost a leg that night during the brutal fight in the stairwell. “We’re just glad he’s going to live. And we appreciate you coming. You didn’t have to. We know you’re busy.”
“Nonsense.” Captain Stern looked down upon Frank’s grave before her eyes shifted to Rex’s. “I’ll always make time for those who’ve sacrificed for the greater good. My only regret is that I’ll be making these rounds for many weeks to come. A lot of good people died over the past month and a half, and more will follow before it’s all said and done.”
Jake nodded and looked down. They’d placed a picture of Rex on the ground near his grave. It was one they’d taken when he was just a puppy, and Jake could barely look at it without tearing up.
Captain Stern turned to Jenkins and nodded. The gunner pulled out two folded flags she’d been carrying under one arm. She quickly and efficiently opened one flag at a time, spreading one over Frank’s covered grave, and a smaller one over Rex’s. Then she stepped back and snapped to attention, giving a stiff salute. Collier followed suit, the two soldiers holding their posture as Captain Stern came forward to say a few words.
“Rex wasn’t a military dog.” Stern held her hands clenched at her stomach as she spoke. “But he served by bringing down known terrorists bent on the destruction of our great nation. He protected his owner, Sara Walton, with unwavering loyalty and devotion. He paid the ultimate price. If it were up to me, he’d get a statue. I know he will never be forgotten.”
Jake clenched his jaw against the tears that welled for the hundredth time that day. His eyes never left his son. The young man’s shoulders shook with grief as Barbara patted his back gently.
Captain Stern walked around to Karen and shook the woman’s hand. “Your husband made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the people of Pine Bluff Mountain in the face of armed terrorists, and we want you to know the United States military appreciates it. I’m sorry he has to be buried this way, without a casket.”
Karen smiled. “Thank you, Captain. It’s only temporary. We’ll see to something more proper later, after things have settled. The important thing is that he’s at rest.”
Tex stepped around to the opposite side of the graves and spread his hands.
“I didn’t know Frank very well,” he began, “but I sat with Karen this morning, and we talked about him. He was an avid college basketball fan. Unfortunately, his favorite team was the Kentucky Wildcats. As a Tennessee Vols fan, I’ll make an exception in Frank’s case and allow that to slide.”
Those gathered chuckled lightly.
“Frank and Karen had a daughter, Cecilia, and Karen tells me that Frank loved her dearly. But when his daughter passed away unexpectedly, things turned dark for them for a while.”
“He was kind of a jerk when I first met him,” Sara broke in, smiling down on the man’s grave. “But I didn’t know the real Frank. It was only when someone needed him that the real Frank came out. He was a good man with a big, grumpy heart.”
Natasha and Dion nodded, and Karen chuckled and wiped at her eyes.
Jake looked askance at Kayla. The girl’s head had sunk lower, if that were at all possible. He couldn’t imagine what she must be going through. Not only did she have her family’s death to deal with,
but she probably blamed herself for Frank’s death as well.
Tex went on. “Well, I guess it just makes me wish I’d had the time to get to know Frank better, although I look forward to hearing all about him in the coming days.”
Tex gave a solemn nod to Karen before turning toward Rex’s grave. “Our pets are our companions. They’re there for us when we come home after a long day’s work. They listen patiently while we complain about life’s rigors and hardships. They are soft and warm when the world seems cold and hard. They protect us, too. Brave to the very end, Rex protected his family with his life. He was as faithful a companion as God ever made, and I know he jumped and played across the rainbow bridge a moment after he’d taken his last breath. Let’s give Frank and Rex a moment of silence.”
Deep in his thoughts, Jake did not attempt to stop the tears when they made warm trails down his cold cheeks.
Sara looked up at him, her expression both surprised and caring all at once. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Jake said with a smile.
Tex motioned to Jenkins, and the gunner picked up Frank’s flag. With Collier’s help, they folded it thirteen times into a triangle and presented it to Karen.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting the gift. “It’s beautiful.”
They did the same for Rex’s flag, handing it to Todd when they were done.
The group stood in somber silence for a moment before Jake felt an elbow at his side. He turned to see Collier standing next to him. The tall soldier leaned down, saying, “I brought a twelve pack. Need a beer?”
“A beer sounds great, actually,” Jake said as he ran his hand through his hair. Then his brow furrowed. “Are you sure you’re supposed to have one? I mean, did the doctor give you the okay?”
“It’s all part of the healing process.” Collier grinned and gestured for Jake to lead the way.
Jake laughed, took Sara’s hand, and led the procession down to the cabin.
Chapter 32
Jake, Gatlinburg, Tennessee | Two months later
Tex came in through the cabin door with Todd in tow. The young man turned and shut the door quickly, cutting off the cold wind of winter with a snap. Jake’s son was moving much better now as he recovered from his cracked ribs, and he’d taken to his chores with a passion.
“Come on over, boys,” Jake called from his favorite chair. “I just got the fire going.” In truth, the fire had reached roaring status, and it gave off some serious heat.
The two walked stiffly over, huffing and patting themselves to shake off the cold. It had turned bitter toward the end of December, with the Weather Channel stating they were in for record cold temperatures and snow all through the season. Apparently, it was some global adjustment after the killer hurricane season they’d just experienced.
“The hill has been plowed and salted,” Tex said as he fell heavily onto the couch with Todd landing next to him. “Should be an easy climb for your friends.”
“You should have let me help,” Jake said.
Tex shook his head and then pressed one eye shut, fixing Jake with the other. “Maybe next time. You see, Jake, an old man like myself has got to stay busy. That’s the key to staying healthy.”
“Well, I’m getting fatter by the day.” Jake patted his belly.
“You’ve got enough to do with the City Rebuilding Committee,” Tex argued. “And the people need you.”
“Yeah, Dad,” Todd said with a smile. “You help rebuild Sevierville. We’ll worry about Pine Bluff Road.”
“Okay, fine,” Jake said, sitting back in his chair. He picked up his cup of coffee and rested it in his lap, staring up at the television where he had the news on low. “Hey, where’s Barb?”
“She’s working with Kayla down at the school,” Todd said. “They started some kind of karate group.”
“That Barb is something else.” Tex shook his head. “She never stops. Cool as a cucumber, too.”
“She’s way out of your league, you know,” Jake joked with his son.
“I know,” Todd grinned back. “Just don’t tell her that. I’m putting up a cool front.”
“Gotcha.” Jake laughed and sat back.
Through a herculean effort, Jake and a team of city lineman had gotten power restored to some of the area, although they still had to rebuild Douglas Dam. Jake was already working on that project with the Army Corps of Engineers and the local power companies. They’d even offered to set him up on a deferred payment plan. By the time things got back to normal, Jake would have a stash of money waiting that would likely cover their retirement a couple of times over.
In truth, he wasn’t concerned about the money. The cabin was comfortable. They had plenty of food to last through the winter. And with Sara working on the hydroponic growing system in the basement, they may not be dependent on anyone for food or shelter ever again.
And while city planning wasn’t exactly Jake’s scope of expertise, he found he was good at it. The work was both challenging and rewarding, and people seemed to trust him to get the job done.
The sound of feet coming up the stairs got his attention, and he craned his neck to see Sara come up from the basement and pad across the floor in her slippers. She was dressed comfortably yet functionally in a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. Her right arm was still in a sling, though she often took it out to do things. As Jake had suspected, the injury wasn’t slowing her down one bit.
“You trying to burn the cabin down?” Sara asked with a glance at the fire.
“Not trying,” Jake’s brow creased in mock offense.
“When are your friends supposed to get here?”
“I don’t—” A loud honk interrupted him, and Jake’s expression switched to mock wonder. “You’re a wizard, honey.”
“Oh, hush,” Sara said with a laugh before she changed direction toward the cabin’s entrance.
Jake got up and followed her over, opening the door and stepping onto the porch. A medium-sized RV had pulled up to the other side of the stream and parked near the bridge. A man, woman, and two kids had gotten out. The man had a bundled child in his arms as he looked up at the snow-covered branches. The woman held the hand of another, smaller child, this one also bundled up against the cold weather.
The four walked over the bridge, and Jake felt a grin forming on his face. The woman turned and looked expectantly at the RV just as three more people came around the back of the vehicle. A woman with two other children, these closer to Zoe’s age.
Jake’s heart leapt from his chest as the whole group gathered on the bridge and then crunched down the gravel and snow-covered driveway toward them. The first woman looked up when they were halfway there, and her dark eyes smiled at Jake from behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses.
“You got your glasses fixed,” Jake noted.
“Yeah,” Marcy said. She passed the child’s hand to her husband and ran up the front porch steps, throwing her arms around Jake in a hug that would have rivaled any black bear’s. Then she stepped back and took her kids as the man came up.
“You must be Terry,” Jake said, offering his hand. Terry was a studious but rugged-looking guy with a full head of dark, curly hair and thick-rimmed glasses not unlike Marcy’s. His face held a kind and curious expression.
“That’s me,” the man said. “And you must be Jake.”
“Yep.”
“Before we go any further,” Terry waved a hand, “I just want to say how much I appreciate you helping Marcy stay alive back in Boston. She told me the whole story. It sounds like a nightmare. If it hadn’t been for you—”
“Let me cut you off right there,” Jake said. “In all seriousness, Marcy was our rock. She was a warrior and nurse, too.”
“I told a lot of jokes,” Marcy quipped.
“It wasn’t your jokes that kept us alive,” Jake smirked. “Okay, maybe it was a little.”
Marcy put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, a habit Jake had nearly forgotten about.
Sara held out her hand, regarding Marcy with a sisterly expression. Marcy took Sara’s hand and allowed herself to be pulled into Sara’s one-armed embrace.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Sara said with a sad, yet grateful, expression. “Jake told me everything that happened, too. You poor woman, having to deal with my husband for that entire time.”
Marcy burst out laughing, and Terry and Jake did, too.
“Just kidding, hon,” Sara winked at him.
Jake held up his hands in a guilty manner. “No, you’ve got a legitimate point.”
Marcy backed out of her embrace with Sara but remained within arm’s length. Shaking her head, she said, “I heard you had a little trouble here at the cabin, too. Something about terrorists and nuclear bombs and such.”
“Yeah, just a little trouble,” Sara laughed. “Nothing we couldn’t handle.”
“Oh, how could I forget!” Marcy suddenly jumped aside, gesturing to the three standing in the driveway.
Jake didn’t recognize the woman in the long, brown coat, but he remembered the kids.
“Timothy! Alice!”
The kids ran up the stairs and plowed into him like a gale-force wind. He caught them with a laugh and then knelt down in front of them.
“Wow, Timothy,” Jake said appreciatively. “Looks like you’ve grown an inch since I last saw you.”
“Hey, Jake,” Timothy replied, grinning in that quiet way of his.
“And this little ruffian.” Jake turned his attention to Alice. “Have you been staying out of trouble, girl?”
Alice wasn’t having the banter. She stared at Jake with wide, beautiful, serious eyes. Her kinky-curly hair sprouted from her head like a fountain and fell around her shoulders in bunches. “I missed you, Jake,” she said in a rough, emotional voice. Then she practically leapt into his arms and squeezed him hard around the neck.
The adults ooed and ahhed with tears and laughter until Jake finally convinced the girl to let him go so he could meet their last visitor.
