Troop of Shadows

by Nicki Huntsman Smith

  “Two things would make this better: a cold Sam Adams in my hand and a bodacious blond on my lap,” he said.

  She smiled but was too tired to think of a clever response. The glowing bright orb from earlier, now a not-so-bright half orb, was on the brink of committing planetary suicide in the western horizon.

  Going, going, gone.

  She breathed a deep, soul-cleansing sigh. Sam was doing remarkably well despite the pain, and he’d accepted the first dose of antibiotics without too much arguing. They’d situated him in a bedroom and made him as comfortable as possible after cleaning his wound and changing the dressing. Before she left, he’d pulled her face gently down to his and kissed her with more love and tenderness than she’d ever before experienced, then promptly passed out on a king-size field of pink tea roses.

  “I think he’s going to make it,” Fergus said, guessing the subject of her thoughts. He flipped the sizzling steaks, testing their doneness with a barbecue fork.

  “He has to.”

  She could feel the keen blue eyes studying her, but no additional comment on Sam or her love life was forthcoming.

  Instead, he said, “I’m having a difficult time picturing you in overalls, plowing fields, and milking cows. You have this sexy Milla Jovovich Resident Evil vibe going at the moment...you know, badass brunette with a brain to match her brawn? No, wait. No, I’m seeing you more as an Angelina Jolie Laura Croft type. Yes, that’s it. Would you mind braiding your hair and donning some hot pants? I could die a happy man.”

  If she’d been sitting close enough, she’d have added to his bruise collection. He had, however, hit upon something that had been bothering her for a while. Could she be content in such a bucolic setting? Before Isaiah had come along and pissed in their sandbox, her nighttime forays in Texas had been exhilarating. She’d never confessed this to Sam, but sometimes she’d left him at home with the objective of increasing the danger element and thus the excitement.

  She was a badass, thanks to her intellect and Sam’s training. The challenges of the past year had taken the pudgy, soft bookworm and transformed it into a force to be reckoned with. Despite the loss of her parents — those gentle souls who had shared their home and their love but not their DNA — she couldn’t deny that she was happier in this perilous, post-apocalyptic world than she’d ever been in her safe, indulgent restaurant-on-every-corner life.

  The thought triggered a recent memory.

  “Why do you think there were no cars back at that Love’s station?” she asked. “I mean, there were fast food joints, some houses, and other buildings, but not one vehicle parked at any of them. There have been abandoned cars everywhere we’ve gone.”

  “Yes, it was odd. Perhaps everyone tucked their automobiles neatly in their garages before kicking the oxygen habit.”

  “That seems unlikely based on past experience. Think about it. We haven’t seen any vehicles since we left that gas station. Not one. I don’t know what to make of it.”

  “I don’t know either and frankly, I don’t give a rat’s ass at the moment. I’m taking these off now. Medium rare, yes?”

  She nodded absently.

  Between mouthfuls of the most delicious steak she’d ever eaten, she said, “When people are sick and dying, they’re not worried about parking their cars in the garage. They leave them wherever they happen to be, or they die inside them if they’re trying to get somewhere else to die. I mean, I’m not pulling this out of my ass. That’s what we’ve seen for the past year.”

  Fergus sighed. “Yes, I’m sure that’s true and the reference to your sublime ass is duly noted and appreciated. I’m wondering why you’re wondering, is all. I suppose it’s the nature of the honey badger to wrangle with enigmatic mysteries such as this until they get to the bottom of them.”

  He belched loudly and set his empty plate on the picnic table where they’d been eating. The night sky was an indigo canvas awash with a giant’s fistful of silver glitter.

  “Let’s do process of elimination,” he continued, resigned now to the fact that bedtime would be delayed until Dani had solved the riddle. “Number one: you say it’s unreasonable to assume all the cars are parked in garages while their owners are busy being dead inside the house. I concede that point. Possibility number two: space aliens swooped in and confiscated every wheeled vehicle in Podunk, Oklahoma, because there is a shortage of steel, aluminum, plastic, leather, and glass on their planet.”

  She gave him a slow, annoyed blink.

  “Hey, I’m doing a process of elimination. I think we can rule out space alien vehicular abduction. Okay, number three: they were rounded up by the locals...before they got sick, or the survivors did it after everyone else was dead.”

  “Bingo. That’s what I’m thinking. So let’s ask ourselves why? Why round up all the automobiles? To scavenge parts or gasoline?”

  Fergus didn’t respond, enjoying the show as she worked through the puzzle herself.

  “Let’s assume it was for the gas. Wouldn’t it be easier to get it if they’re all close by?”

  “That sounds logical.”

  “Right, so someone, or a group of someones, transported them to a central location for the sake of convenience. That’s plausible, right?”

  He nodded, but she could tell he was holding something back and she could guess what it was.

  “But there’s a more compelling explanation, and I hope I’m wrong. They didn’t round up those vehicles for gas or spare parts, but to create a barricade on I35 that makes that last one we busted through look like a poor kid’s Matchbox Car collection.”

  The expression on his face told her he’d come to the same conclusion.

  “Fuck,” she said.

  “Yes, I think that’s most likely.”

  “I guess we need to check the GPS on Sam’s bike,” she said. “We’ll have to use secondary roads, assuming those aren’t barricaded as well.”

  “And what if they are? Perhaps we should just take a right and head to Arkansas.”

  “No. We’ll figure it out. If these Oklahoma fuckers think they can keep me caged in their shitty state, they have another think coming.”

  “Goodness, such foul language from such a delicate flower. What did Oklahomans ever do to you?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing. But we’re heading to Kansas, and if they try to stop me, it won’t go well for them.”

  “I see.” Fergus’s Mona Lisa smile went unnoticed as she mentally tackled the logistics of getting them through the next two hundred miles.

  ###

  “You’re looking remarkably chipper for a man with a bullet-shaped wormhole in his abdomen,” Fergus said to Sam the next morning as he watched Dani clean his wound. Sam’s smile turned to a wince when her ministrations became too vigorous.

  “Easy there, Honey Badger. He’s a tough one, but even our Sam has limits.”

  “It’s okay. You’re not hurting me.”

  Fergus laughed that deep, rumbling sound that made her think of giant boulders rolling downhill...so incongruous with the small man himself.

  “I have a feeling if she pressed hot coals to the bottoms of your feet, you’d say the same thing. Good grief, witnessing this tender blossoming of love between the two of you may be more than I can stomach.”

  “Nobody has a gun to your head.” Dani’s retort was intended to be harsh, but her joy at Sam’s rapid recovery undermined it. She also realized at that moment that she would be sad if their new friend parted ways with them.

  “How long do I have to stay in bed?”

  His color was good, the bruises he’d received courtesy of Isaiah were almost gone, and the best news: the bullet injury was showing no signs of infection. She could swear it was already healing, but surely that was just wishful thinking.

  “You were shot in the belly yesterday. How long do you think you should stay in bed? Two hours? Three?”

  “I think I’m fine to go right now. I feel pretty good and the pain isn’t nearly as bad.
And I slept really well last night.” His smile was dazzling as he reached for Dani’s face and pulled it toward his own.

  “Oh, geez. I think I may hurl,” Fergus groaned.

  After a kiss which left her head a spinning, she said, “Bed rest for one day minimum. No arguments. Right, Lucky Charms?”

  “Well, as I said before, I’m no doctor although I’d have gotten laid a hell of a lot more if I had been, but my dubious credentials tell me a couple of days at least. No matter how perky he may be feeling nor how freakish his ability to heal quickly, his body needs to conserve its energy to recover. A week of bed rest would be better, but I know how antsy you are to kick some Oklahoma ass on your way out of the state.”

  When he locked eyes with her, she knew he’d ferreted out her secret adrenaline addiction.

  “A compromise then,” she said. “I think two days is reasonable. That will give me time to do some scouting and maybe pick up supplies. I’m getting sick of these MREs. I feel like I have a bowling ball in my colon.”

  “Please, Dani. Don’t go out alone. Wait until I’m better, or take Fergus with you.”

  “Yes, take Fergus with you,” the small man parroted. “Unless you think having a capable gun-wielding stud covering your delightful backside is a bad idea.”

  “Fine. He can come with me.”

  “Good. I know you like to do this stuff on your own, but with me not being a hundred percent now, this isn’t the time to go thrill-looking.”

  Her mouth formed a surprised ‘O’.

  Fergus’s guffaw was so ear-splittingly loud, she wondered if he might hemorrhage something. She hoped he would.

  Chapter 37

  Western Colorado

  “That’s Grand Junction coming up,” Julia said, navigating around a cluster of abandoned cars on I70. “And those mountains in the distance are the Rockies. Pretty cool, huh?”

  She was excited to be in the last state she’d need to get through before arriving in Kansas. Granted, they’d have to get over and through one of the highest mountain ranges in North America to do so, but it was only October. She hoped her luck would hold and an early blizzard wouldn’t make the passes too treacherous. This decision had been a point of contention with Steven. He’d felt that she should detour south to New Mexico to avoid possible snow, but that would require more time on the road...and more gas siphoning.

  “Those were the mountains you were telling me about?” Logan leaned toward the windshield as if an extra foot would take him closer to the massive peaks in the distance.

  “Yes. Impressive, aren’t they? I wish we could have taken I40 through Rocky Mountain National Park. That road goes up really high...right over the top at an elevation of 14,000 feet. But we’re going to stay on I70 and go through a section that’s not quite as high but still scenic and hopefully not full of snow. Have you ever skied?” she asked before thinking. She knew more of his life story now: single mom raising a special needs child without benefit of a decent-paying job. Of course ski trips hadn’t been an extravagance they could afford.

  “No, but I’ve seen people do it on TV. It looked fun but also cold. I don’t like being cold. I remember it snowed once when I was little, but it melted as soon as it got to the ground.”

  “You’re right, it is fun but cold. We’ll be going through Breckenridge which is a — well was — a resort town. I went there with my family a couple of times when I was growing up. The best part was being in the cabin at night with a fire going in the fireplace and drinking hot chocolate. We played Scrabble and Monopoly with our parents. Those are some wonderful memories.”

  Melancholy struck, a violent blindside of sadness and loss. Her world had vanished. She wished she had known then what she knew now so she could have cherished every happy moment, every tiny bit of joy from that life that was gone forever.

  “Why do those good memories make you sad?” Logan shifted his attention from the view to her face.

  She hated being emotional and weepy, especially in front of someone. But it was happening frequently now that she’d left the vacuum of her lab and been forced to confront the reality of the altered world firsthand...not just through a microscope.

  “Because it’s all gone. Everything is gone. No more ski trips, no more hot chocolate by the fire, no more lazy Sunday mornings reading the paper in bed, no more Domino’s pizza delivery when I don’t feel like cooking, no more internet when I need to Google something, no more double-shot lattes from Starbucks, no more anniversary dinners at fancy restaurants, no more blockbuster movies, no more pedicures, no more birthday cakes. No more of anything the way it used to be.” She ran out of steam and took a deep quivering breath.

  Logan watched her with that now-familiar dispassionate expression. “You’re blue. Well, kind of blue-green and there’s still some purple around the edges. It’s very pretty.”

  She laughed, feeling the sorrow loosen its grip. Laughter...it would be a valuable commodity here in the new world.

  “I think it’s so interesting that you see people’s colors. Maybe when we get to Kansas we can learn more about that talent of yours. Would you mind being the subject of a scientific study?”

  “Would you stick me with needles? I don’t like needles.”

  “No, of course no needles. I’m not sure how it’ll be done, but we’ll figure it out. I’m going to need something to occupy myself with other than gardening and chopping wood.”

  Which was one of the reasons she’d brought so much of her equipment with her. If she knew her brother, he’d kept the power going at his house. And if she had electricity, she could continue her current research and even venture into other areas. She’d almost exhausted the genetic angle of Chicxulub, and what she’d found was fascinating. She knew the ‘what’ but she didn’t know the ‘how’ nor the ‘why’, and probably never would. The Lixi DNA molecule had suddenly become active in most humans causing their sudden, unpleasant demise. She didn’t know why it hadn’t flipped on in everyone, but she did know the survivors would possess either marked intelligence, savant type abilities, or both. Some of them would also suffer from mood and personality disorders. Perhaps if there were at least a handful of people still living in Liberty, she could expand her research beyond that of the electron microscope wedged into the back of the Land Rover. She could examine and interview actual human subjects. The thought of continuing scientific study, of any kind, made her happy. Whether it involved auras or deadly rogue DNA molecules.

  “I think we should stop in Breckenridge for the night,” she said. “It’s about a three-hour drive from here, which will put us there around sundown. How does that sound?”

  “Can we stay in the cabin where you played Monopoly? Maybe there are other games too. I don’t think I’d like Scrabble though.”

  “It’s doubtful I could find it again. It’s been a long time since I was there.”

  She saw the look of disappointment on his face and something else she couldn’t identify. Petulance? She hadn’t raised any teenagers but she suspected that same expression could have been found on the face of any fourteen-year-old boy who’d been told he couldn’t have a four-wheeler.

  “We’ll look, okay? Maybe if we can’t locate the same cabin, we’ll find an even better one.”

  With any luck, it won’t contain dead bodies or violent schizophrenics.

  ###

  “This will be fun!” Logan whooped, clambering out of the Land Rover.

  The front of the house was shaped like a pentagon with a narrow roofline and long sides to accommodate the two levels. A wooden railing girded the porch as well as the second story balcony. Julia was certain it wasn’t the same cabin in which she’d vacationed as a child because this one was newly constructed — probably no more than five years ago and with a price tag over a million dollars, if she knew anything about real estate. Nestled on some lovely wooded acreage and with views of the Tenmile range, the location alone would have driven up the value to seven figures.

 
On the way, they’d passed through downtown Breckenridge without any issues and no people sightings. That was good. She hoped they were as isolated as they felt; she couldn’t imagine that any survivors would have stayed in this area, which would be cut off from resources and the rest of the world when the snow began falling. Breckenridge town proper, charming and picturesque before Chicxulub, had felt despondent and defeated when they drove through. No families would meander down its sidewalks looking for dinner after a long day of activities. No couples would window shop while holding hands and stealing kisses. No iPhones would capture the shimmering gilded leaves of the aspen trees which punctuated the street, an arboreal ellipsis, from one end of town to the other. They were just now achieving their most vibrant shade; thousands of golden treasure coins strung on white-barked limbs.

  I’m doing it again, she thought to herself as she opened the hatch and extricated Brains. The look he gave her from inside his cage screamed bitch. She hadn’t let him have a potty break for hours and the sheer loathing on the feline face made her laugh out loud.

  “I think it will be fun, too,” she smiled at Logan’s exuberance. “Do you have your gun ready?”

  “Yes. I’ll be careful. I’ve done this a lot.”

  He was on the mend. The bullet wound in his shoulder was healing nicely and the antibiotics were doing their magic. Literally, according to Logan.

  “Okay. It doesn’t look like anyone has been here in a long time, but take it slow. Please,” she added, mindful of the bossy tone that sometimes crept into her directives. It was difficult not to slip into a maternal role with him.

  The sun hung low in the western sky, and she thought how delicious a nice soft bed would feel. They’d made excellent time today and she had no reason to expect tomorrow wouldn’t be the same. Ideally, they’d be through the horrific gridlock she expected to encounter near Denver and to the Kansas border by this time the next day.