Beyond the New Horizon (Book 2): Desperate Times

by Conaway, Christine

  Chapter One

  Carlos’s death had not come unexpectedly to some of the family members, but that did not make it any less painful. Sam had begun CPR, not wanting to let the old man go, but John, with only a touch of his hand on Sam’s shoulder, asked him to stop. The old man had written the year of his death in his family Bible. Carlos had known the time was near and prepared for it.

  John, with the help of fourteen-year-old Lucas, dug the grave by hand, while Mary, Journey, and Lucy prepared Carlos for burial. Wrapped in a beautifully made quilt, Carlos had been laid to rest, overlooking the valley he had loved so much. Sam rolled a huge boulder to the head of the grave all that was left to commemorate the man’s 93 years of living.

  While Gina hadn’t known Carlos well, her heart ached for those who had. Of them all, it seemed to have affected Sam the most. She thought it was because of his previous lifestyle choices, which Lucas had filled her in on, Sam hadn’t spent as much time with the old man and somehow felt cheated. He knew nothing of Carlos’s health issues that had plagued him the past couple of years.

  Gina had found the Mendez family bible on her first trip to the trailer and recognized that Carlos had known he wouldn’t survive the year. In eloquent handwriting he had filled in the year of his demise, but not the month or day. Carlos had left that task up to his chosen family, knowing they would see that the proper dates were filled in. The fact that he had felt it necessary to include a letter of farewell which told them he was aware that his time was near.

  They had spent the evening sharing stories about Carlos and trying to pinpoint the exact date. In their quest for survival, they had all lost track of time.

  Sherry had finally settled it when she brought a small day planner from the trailer. She had found it in the nightstand drawer beside the bed. Along with it, was a journal, that it appeared that he had written in diligently. The corresponding dates were enough to convince the group or at least come close enough to the actual date.

  The would lay Carlos to rest on the twenty-first of November.

  Once they were satisfied they had it right, John, penned the date, filling in the blank spaces in the book and closed it.

  “What are we going to do to ensure our continued survival?” John asked as he looked at the faces lined up on each side of the long table.

  “John, do we have to do this right now?” Mary’s eyes were rimmed in red to match her nose. She had a tissue wadded up in her hand, ready for the next breakdown.

  Gina looked at Mary and realized that she wasn’t the only one who wasn’t fully prepared to think about their future. They had buried Carlos just hours before, and while Gina hadn’t known him well, in fact, not at all, other than the kindness he had shown her on her first visit, she knew the family had to be feeling the loss.

  “If not right now, then when? When do you think is an appropriate time to discuss how we are going to get through this disaster? When we have three feet of snow on the ground or when we’ve run out of food? When Mary? When do you think is the correct time?”

  Sam reached out and laid his hand on John’s arm, “John, calm down. I think what Mary is trying to say is do we need to discuss it in front of the kids.”

  Mary sank back in her seat, obviously relieved to hear Sam voice her opinion. She smiled and nodded, her face fell when Sam continued.

  Sam looked at Mary, “Other than Nathan, we no longer have kids, at least not the way you think of them being. We don’t have the time to wait until they grow up. The past few weeks should tell you that.”

  John nodded, “I will try to assign age-appropriate chores to Abby and Sherry, but Lucas, for all intents and purposes will be doing a man’s share.”

  Gina saw Lucas sit up straighter and caught the gleam in his eye, that said he was ready for anything they threw his way or at least thought he was. She hoped he was right and would feel the same way, come the first real snowfall.

  She wondered how ready any of them were for the trials that lay ahead. She wondered if she was. Watching the roadway fall apart and disappear in front of them, had been almost more than she could handle. Gina had never been more afraid in her life. Sam’s quick thinking had been all that stood between them and certain death. With the new quake the evening before, she wondered if any of the highways had survived.

  Gina felt Sam nudge her foot under the table and looked up. Everyone seemed to be looking at her as if waiting for her to say something.

  “John was just asking if you would be willing to go back up to the cabin with Ben, Lucy and me to bring the rest of our belongings down.”

  “Sorry…Yes, of course.” She looked at Lucy, “Do you think you should be riding?”

  Lucy flushed as if she didn’t like Gina pointing out her handicap. “I’m going to do my share, and it’s not like I can’t do it.”

  “I know Lucy. I was just…”

  “Looking after me. I know, but I’m fine. Don’t try to coddle me or feel like you have to watch over me every second, please.”

  Gina nodded, “Once again, I’m sorry. I’ll try and keep my opinions and thoughts to myself.”

  “Okay then. First thing tomorrow you guys can get started. Now, what else?” John again looked down the table for suggestions. When none were forthcoming from the other adults, Lucas raised his hand.

  First John and then everyone burst into laughter. Lucas slowly realized everyone, but Abby and Sherry were laughing at him, and from the way he glared around the table, he didn’t like it and didn’t see what was so funny to them.

  Finally, John managed, “Son, this isn’t school, and you don’t have to raise your hand. If you have something to say, just spit it out. Hell son, the way Sam put it, you saved those goats all by yourself.”

  His face flushed with pleasure, “I just did what I was told,” he admitted.

  “Good first step. You followed orders. Now, what were you going to say?”

  “I think we should close off the open shed and build a pen for the goats. That way, Mom doesn’t have to chase them down every day when she goes to milk the nanny.”

  “Me? I’m going to milk her?”

  “As far as I know you’re the only one who knows how to milk anything,” John said, “but I think you need to teach both girls. They can take turns.”

  Sherry wrinkled her face up and grumbled under her breath, apparently not excited about learning.

  “I’ll do it! Or, as soon as you teach me I will,” Abby exclaimed. “I’ll help Luke with the pen too.”

  “Alright Lucas, you’re in charge of getting the goats situated. If you feel you need guidance, ask Matt, and both girls will help you. Andy, you and I are going to the hayshed and see if we can’t find a way to begin moving hay this direction.”

  They sat in silence for a few seconds until Journey started to put her hand up and at a look from Gina dropped it with a laugh. “What am I going to be doing? You’ve assigned everyone something to do but Nathan and me. I understand why he didn’t get a task, but why not me?”

  “I haven’t forgotten about you. Once we get all the supplies and food here, we’re going to need to figure out what each of us needs in the way of calories and nourishment to remain healthy. We are counting on you and Mary to keep us nourished and tell us what you need.”

  Journey looked at Mary and could see by her frown that she was worried about their lack of food stuff. Journey knew that without the provisions that Gina and the men have salvaged and without the survival food that she and her friends had brought and Ben’s food, they were looking at a very lean winter.

  “That is a big responsibility because at some point, whatever
we have in the way of provisions is going to run out. Until spring, when we can get a garden in, we have no way of replacing them. Carlos has a root cellar built into the hillside back behind the shed. I’m sure he has some provisions in there; it won’t be enough, but we still need to inventory it, so that would be a good place to start.”

  “John, I think we should go up and retrieve whatever we can save from the trailer today. I would hate to lose it if those clouds start dumping on us and we can’t get up there.” Andy sat, not looking up and picking at his thumbnail as if it were the most important thing on his mind right then, waiting for an answer.

  “I agree with Andy. We’ve got enough daylight to get up there, and if those clouds are any indication, we do need to get started.”

  Lucy nodded imperceptibly at Gina and Gina understood what it meant. It’ll be faster if Lucy and I go with you guys. Four people will be faster than two.”

  Gina saw when Sam was going to protest and cut him off. “Remember the house?”

  “Okay, you got me there.” He looked at Lucy, “Are you up to this? It’s not going to be easy.”

  Lucy looked at Ben as if asking him. At his nod, “I’ll be okay. Besides, someone needs to keep you guys in line.”

  “Well, okay then,” John said hearing the last of the conversation. “I guess I’ll let you guys decide when. With the mess, we left up there, you probably won’t get back tonight, so make sure you’re prepared to spend the night. And for Pete’s sake, pay attention to your surroundings. At this point, we can’t afford to lose anyone or get anyone else hurt.”

  “So, there will come the point where we can afford to lose someone?” Sam asked, but it was apparent he was teasing by the wide grin on his face.

  “Oh, don’t be an ass. You know what I meant.”

  “Yeah, I did, but you left yourself wide open for that. Any idea where Carlos would have kept his pack saddle?”

  “I know where it is,” Lucas told them. “It’s in the compartment underneath the trailer. Want me to get it? I think the one you guys had for your mule is under there too.”

  Andy got up prepared to help Lucas, he looked at Sam, “Do you want to take my gelding? I’m assuming you’re going to use the mule and Carlos’s donkey, but my gelding is used to packing. He’d probably make the trip easier than that old jenny.”

  Sam nodded, “Thanks, Andy, we’ll do that. John, we’re going to take Luca’s gelding too. He’s been packed on quite a bit, and it will make it a lot quicker to leave the mule here.”

  By the time, Sam and Ben had caught the horses and begun putting their tack on, they realized they were missing saddles. They had Gina’s and Sam’s, and unless Ben and Lucy were to ride bareback, which Lucy would have a hard time with, they would have to make some adjustments.

  Sam brought out an old Hereford saddle from under the trailer. It had carried Carlos many miles, but he had taken care of it, and it was the only saddle that Carlos had ever owned. The high cantle and seat would only fit Lucy perfectly because of her small size.

  Andy offered Ben, his old roping saddle who accepted it gratefully. He made some adjustments to the stirrups, and they were ready to go. Ben was riding the horse that had belonged to Carlos, a big buckskin by the name of Sham. Bess, Andy and Lucas’ geldings and one of the extra horses were going to pack whatever they could rescue of their belongings. At that point, none of them knew how much or how little was still salvageable, but they agreed they would rather have the extra horses just in case.

  Before their camp was out of sight, Gina turned in her saddle. She saw Mary and Journey still standing with their arms raised in farewell. Gina raised her arm in acknowledgment. At the exact moment, she turned around, Gina saw a beam of sunlight break through the low hanging clouds bathing their camp in a golden glow.

  A shiver traveled up Gina’s spine, and she shook it off, determined not to give leverage to the ominous feelings that filled her mind. Tugging on Bess’s leadline, Gina followed behind Ben and Sham.

  To Gina, she didn’t see any difference to the trail that she and Sam had cleared until they reached the last rise overlooking the creek. She was surprised it was gone. But in front of them where there used to be a hillside was another wide open trench with a trickle of water running into the old creek bed. As they got closer, she saw the trailer and the wreckage that had been packed inside it.

  Sam started up the path to the cabin, giving the trench a wide leeway. “Watch your step there. Stay away from the edge,” Sam called back. “We’ll continue to the top and get the stuff we left there and if we have the time, make a second trip for the rest of it.”

  Gina saw what he was talking about, but she also saw that if they didn’t at least salvage whatever was good from the trailer, they could lose it all under a blanket of snow, or to the running water. “Sam, wait a minute.” She edged Sailor out around Ben, and his packhorse dragging Bess with her, Gina rode up to Sam, who was in the lead.

  “Why don’t I or Lucy and I try to reclaim what we can from the trailer. It would be a shame to have it buried under a foot of snow or ruined beyond salvage from the water.”

  “She’s right. I don’t like to stick my nose in, but at least if there’s anything that survived the fall, they could save it.” Ben agreed.

  “I guess, but…”

  “No buts. We are going to need anything we can salvage. If it’s only one jar or whatever, it’s more than we have now.”

  Sam sighed and looked at the area around the trailer. A small stream of water already meandered through the plastic totes and barrels. “We don’t know how stable the ground is, so go slow. If you feel even the slightest tremble get to higher ground.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. Both of us move fast when we’re afraid.” She looked at Lucy, “Right?”

  Lucy turned white at the idea, but nodded yes. Gina prayed they wouldn’t be tested. She wasn’t sure how fast Lucy could move. With the weight, Lucy had lost the prosthetic which no longer fitted her properly, and she had a hard time getting around with it.

  Sam held his hand out for the lead line on Bess and Ben took the line on the bay gelding. With a pack horse on each side of them, Ben and Sam continued up the trail.

  Gina turned Sailor up the ravine with Lucy following behind her. The horses picked their way around and between the rocks. When Sailor refused to go any further, Gina stepped off and dropped his reins.

  Lucy climbed down from Joe and looped her reins over Sailor’s saddle horn. She knew Sailor was as good as tied up with his reins on the ground.

  The new open ground was already turning to mud with the water running down the middle of the trench, winding around the bigger rocks and tree debris.

  They stood side by side and surveyed the wreck.

  The way the trailer had smashed apart on the rocks, and it was unbelievable to think anything could have survived, but she and Lucy began picking through the contents. Plastic totes had broken open, some could be salvaged, but others had been destroyed. The bags of clothing and blankets had survived and cushioned a couple of the plastic totes. Some jars had broken, but others had survived. Every jar had to be inspected before it was set aside.

  “This doesn’t make any sense. Look at this.”

  Gina turned to see what Lucy was talking about and saw her holding two jars of red cherries up in front of her.

  “All the rest of the cherries are broken except these two. It seems weird that all of the empty jars broke, but I keep finding full jars that didn’t.”

  “I’m not sure what to say about that, but be grateful there’s anything to salvage.”

  Lucy stood a small blue barrel back onto its bottom. It had been laying on what used to be the trailer roof, and was cracked; the contents spilling out of its mouth. She picked one of the beans up and inspected it, unsure if she should pick them up or leave them.

  “Gina, these beans are all over the place, but they still look good to me. Should I put them back in the barrel?”<
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  Gina looked around and saw there were beans everywhere. She thought if they were hungry enough, they would gladly eat them no matter how dirty they were. A few extra pounds of beans might just save their lives if it came down to it.

  “Yup. I’m sure we’re going to need them. Unless they’re beyond cleaning, we’ll take them. If they’re just wet, maybe we can spread them out when we get them back to camp, and they’ll dry. I don’t know, but let’s not leave anything that we may be able to use.”

  “Hey, how are you guys doing down there?”

  Gina looked up to see Sam holding on to a tree on the edge of the gulley, looking down at them.

  She looked around and realized she and Lucy had several full totes sitting off to the side. The flour barrel was split down one side, but they had still put the lid on it. Gina had scooped handfuls of flour up and returned it to the barrel. They had lost more than they had saved, but she thought that no one would mind a little dirt in their bread or pancakes. The bigger pieces of dirt, they could sift out.

  “I think we’re done down here. We’ve saved more than I expected we would, but look there!” Gina pointed to the salvaged containers and the two barrels.

  “If we had another container or bags we could get some of the rice,” Lucy said from where she kneeled in the trailer opening. “The barrel is in two pieces, but the rice looks okay. We just don’t have anything to put it in.”

  “How about these?” Ben asked and dropped what looked like pillow cases over the edge.

  When Lucy started to get up, Gina stopped her with a hand, and got them for her, and crawled into the trailer to help.

  Gina grabbed two plastic tumblers from where she had put them in the save pile and went to work. They used them to scoop the grains of rice up, careful to avoid the glass particles that clung to everything inside the trailer.

  “What about the glass. It’s everywhere. We’re going to have pieces of it no matter what we do.”

  Gina picked a large piece out of the top of her tumbler and threw it behind her. “Pick out the big pieces as best you can, the smaller ones will give us something to do when it’s too cold to be outside.”