by Ryan Schow
The boy walked over, stuck out his hand. Leighton shook it and said, “I’m Leighton McDaniel, pleased to meet you as well.”
“He’s going to be staying with us for awhile, if that’s okay,” Rowan said.
“Of course it is,” Leighton beamed. “There’s another boy here, too. He’s a little younger than you and really nice. His name’s Buck and I think you’re going to like him. It’s Adelard, right?”
“You can call me Adi,” he said, his voice still so small.
“Sounds good, Adi,” Leighton said. She turned to her siblings and said, “Where were we now?”
“Constanza,” Rowan said.
“Oh, yeah. I bet Mom and Dad found her. I was going to leave a note for them here. We’re up at Gator’s place until this blows over.”
“How did you get so beat up?” Marley asked, pulling her sister’s hair back. There were ligature marks on her neck, a fresh bruise under her right eye.
“Gator, the Sheriff, Hudson, and I took down a drug house yesterday. It went better than we thought in some ways, worse in other ways, as you can see.”
Rowan laughed, then looked at her and stopped. “Wait, are you kidding?”
She shook her head.
Marley knew a lot of things about her younger sister, not the least of which was that she was as honest as the day was long. But taking down a drug house with Gator and the Sheriff, and whoever this Hudson character was? That didn’t sound like her at all.
“What about the other marks?” Marley asked. “They aren’t fresh.”
Leighton nodded, then looked at Adi and smiled. “A tornado? An attack? A raid?” she said. “Or D, all the above?”
“Where’s Niles?” Rowan asked.
Leighton started to speak, but then her mouth stopped moving and whatever sunny skies she’d seemed to gather on account of them being there turned dark and turbulent. Her eyes filled with tears fast as she shook her head.
“Oh, sweetie,” Marley said, pulling her close. She held her younger sister for a few minutes, but then Leighton managed to pull herself together.
“He’s dead,” she said with an incredible effort. “The HR killed him.”
Dear God, why won’t you stop this pain? Marley asked in a quiet plea. She hated all this pain, but she hated seeing so many other people hurting as well. Rowan held Leighton while Marley pulled Adi close. At least they had each other.
“I need you guys badly,” Leighton sniffed. “But it’s so much worse than that.”
When she looked up, Marley tapped her and asked, “What did you do?”
“I…I killed a lot of people.”
Rowan and Marley looked at each other, then at her. Softly, sadly, Rowan said, “So did we.”
“I think we’re going to have to kill a lot more before all this is over,” Leighton continued.
“What happened to our baby sister?” Rowan asked stepping away and holding her in front of him by her shoulders.
“Same thing that happened to you guys,” Leighton said, lowering her head. “I found out who I have to be to live in this world, and I’m upset that I’m not all that upset about it, if that makes sense.”
“We all seemed to have found that other thing,” Rowan said. “The thing that comes after the murderous deed. Guilt, remorse, sorrow, and that other thing.”
Together, the three of them said, “The McDaniel blood,” and they all started laughing and wiping their eyes at once.
Adi looked on in wonder, seemingly happy to be with them.
“Let’s leave a message for Mom and Dad out front, then get up to Gator’s,” Leighton said. “The spread is a bit thin, but Gator will be happy to see you.”
They found some paint and a brush in the garage. Marley painted the words, Gator’s Place. M, R & L. Safe. And then she painted a smiley face below it.
To Marley, there was nothing like family and a sense of community to lift you up. She wanted to ride with the boys, but she chose to ride with Leighton instead. She wanted her sister close. It was crazy how much she had missed her.
When they rode up to Gator’s place—Marley on the back of the four wheeler with Leighton driving—they stopped at the hillside and looked down at Rowan and Adi in the Buick. Rowan rolled down the window and looked up at her, the question in his eyes.
“That old pig isn’t gonna make it,” Leighton called out. “I can come back for you two.”
“We’ll be fine,” Rowan called out. “It’s not that far of a walk anyway. Plus, this time of morning, the air is crisp, clean, and invigorating.” He looked over at Adi. “You okay with that, Champ?”
He nodded, smiling after being called Champ.
The four of them met up at Gator’s place where there was a beer waiting for Rowan and a new friend waiting for Adi. Buck was happy to meet Adi, and they got along fine. But where the boys truly bonded was over Roscoe. They sat in the field with the little hound for an hour or more, playing catch with each other and the dog, and getting to know each other.
The day went by too quickly, and as the sun began to slide into the horizon, Rowan and Marley said good-bye for the night. After that, they took the four-wheeler back to the house where they got settled in for the night. She had wanted to take Adi with her, but he chose to spend the night with Buck and Roscoe, which made her happy.
When she’d pulled him aside earlier and said, “Are you sure? Because you can come with us if you want,” he nodded and said, “As long as Leighton is here, I’ll be okay. She’s like you, except that she can’t hear. You’re coming back, right?”
“Of course we’ll come back,” Rowan said with Marley nodding.
After a short trip home, Marley and Rowan retired to the man cave just before last light. Rowan moseyed inside the small structure, plopped down on the couch, and patted his belly. Marley sat down next to him and did the same. They were stuffed full of deer meat and potatoes, courtesy of Gator.
“I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to sleep through this,” Rowan said as they settled in for the night.
“I know,” Marley replied. “I feel like that for Constanza and Rose, but for Mom and Dad, too.”
“We weren’t built for this kind of worry,” Rowan mused, kicking off his shoes. “I wonder if Dad’s got any whiskey out here.”
“Man, your feet freaking stink,” Marley said.
“Yours won’t be smelling much better.”
“Want to bet?”
“Loser has to root through this place looking for Dad’s whiskey,” Rowan said. “Kick ‘em off.”
Laughing, Marley removed her shoes, then stuck her feet in Rowan’s face. He threw himself back and said, “Holy balls, Marley! You’re looking for Dad’s whiskey.”
“They’re that bad?” she asked. She pulled one of her feet to her nose, then shot back the same as Rowan. “Good God, I guess you’re right.”
After a little rooting around, Marley found the stash. “Fresh bottle,” she said, cracking the seal.
The two of them started drinking and reminiscing about their youth, and before long, they were roaring drunk and most of the bottle was gone.
“My head’s going to be split in two in the morning,” Rowan slurred, still laughing, while at the same time complaining that the mere act of being awake was draining.
Marley felt the room spinning a bit. Slurring as well, she said, “If I puke, I can hold my own hair back.”
“If you puke in the morning, Leighton can hold it back for you. In the mean time, I’ll be passed out cold.”
“Noted,” she replied.
“We deserved this,” Rowan said, reflecting on the journey. “This drink. A safe place to sleep. Our house, even though it’s kind of a blown up mess right now.”
“I’m glad we’re home, too,” she said, settling in, her eyes closing on their own. “See you in the morning, little brother.”
“Not if I see you first, big sis.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Constanza Navarro
>
Constanza accepted a ride to Lexington, even if it was in an old Chevy muscle car that would likely shake hers and Rose’s guts loose. The trip started out rough and taxing, but they made it there in one piece, which was more than she could ask for. Earl was at the wheel of the ’57 Chevy, and a good driver; she and Rose had sat in the front seat. When Earl dropped her off at Man O War Boulevard and wished her good luck, she knew he didn’t want her to go. Until then, he hadn’t said anything, which was good because all she wanted was to find Rowan.
“You sure you’re okay?” Earl asked her.
She knew how to get to Nicholasville from there, but it would take awhile. “Yeah, I’m good. Thank you for being so kind, and for the ride.”
“I really wish you were coming with us,” he finally said.
“I appreciate that,” she replied, gracing him with a smile. “You’ve really been too good to me.”
Angela got out of her car and gave her a backpack with some food, water and a knife with which to defend herself. She was the woman who first changed Rose’s diapers and offered up her tent. Before leaving, Constanza hugged the woman, thanked her profusely, and then she waved good bye, feeling so lonely without them.
Looking down the street, she knew she had to walk to US-27; from there it was a straight shot to Nicholasville. She didn’t know how long it would take her to get to Nicholasville—two or three days maybe—but she was determined to do it.
“We’ve got each other, don’t we, Rose?” she said looking down at the infant who was bundled tight and taking in all the new sights.
Constanza watched them drive off and then she tried to keep it together. She was good and truly alone. She took a deep breath, then started walking.
The two of them made it down much of Man O War Blvd before the sun set. She slept the night with Rose wrapped tightly and in her coat. After feeding the infant twice, Constanza got up just after sunrise and resumed her trek to Nicholasville. Looking down, she saw Rose’s face. It was slightly blue, her breathing labored. Holding her close but not too tight, Constanza prayed her body heat would warm Rose and stave off the threat of hypothermia.
“It’s okay, little one. You’re okay,” she said, unable to hold back her tears. “It’s just a little bit longer. I’ll walk faster.”
She had a vision of her walking home, carrying a dead baby most of the way, and it was torture on her heart.
Just keep going, she told herself. Her life depends on it, as does yours.
She was a few miles down Man O War when she heard a Jeep. She thought about hiding, but a part of her wondered if she flagged the driver down, if they would give her a ride to Nicholasville.
She started to whimper a bit from the fear and the need to decide, but her legs didn’t take her into hiding, which was really a decision in itself. That’s when she saw the headlights flashing. What did that mean?
The Jeep then pulled up next to her and it was Colt and Faith. Seeing them, feeling so overjoyed, so happy, she couldn’t seem to find her breath. They both jumped out of the Jeep and hugged her tight. Their arms wrapped around her was seriously the best feeling she’d ever had. Their warmth, their tears, and their genuine emotion touched her so deeply she could barely breathe. As much as she never wanted to leave their embrace, Constanza was worried about Rose.
Faith looked at Rose and read Constanza’s mind. “Let me take her, Constanza. She’s too cold.”
She couldn’t say anything as Faith whisked her away, taking her into the Jeep and bundling her in an old blanket Faith had been bundled in earlier.
Constanza looked at Colt. The man was cut and bruised so badly, his once-handsome face now looking like hell. Then again, Faith looked worse for wear, too.
“What happened to you two?” she asked, wiping her eyes.
“Without going too deep into it, we were attacked by the mob. They took Faith. When I finally found her and killed the guys who took her, we went back for the El Camino. He ambushed us and locked us up in a closet. When Faith and I finally broke out, we went back for you but you were already gone.”
“I was so scared you weren’t coming back,” she said.
“We took the motorcycle back to the bridge where we left the Jeep. From there, we got here as quickly as we could, praying to God we’d find you. We were worried sick, Constanza. I mean, sick.”
“Well, Rose is okay now, I hope.”
Colt hugged her tight and said, “We were just as concerned about you as we were about her, Constanza.”
“You really mean that?” she asked, her body starting to tremble against his.
“I sure do,” he said, pulling her close again. “You’re family, marriage or not.”
“I still want to get married,” she said.
He held her back, looked at her, then said, “Let’s hope your groom is home then, otherwise you’re going to see an old man worry himself to death.”
She patted his arm and said, “You’re not old. Well, not until I start calling you Dad, then you’ll be old to me.”
He started laughing, then said, “Get in the car before one of us gets shot.”
When they got to Nicholasville, there were a bunch of people blocking the road, a few of them standing around a dead guy. He slowed the Jeep to a stop. Faith got the Barrett out of the back and handed it to Colt. She and Colt then traded places, putting her in the driver’s seat.
“Go ahead and creep forward now,” he said.
They did. No one moved.
When they got within ten yards of the group, Colt opened the window and said, “Make a path, fellas!”
“No,” the alpha said.
Colt sat up, aimed the weapon at the man. “Make a path!” he screamed.
“NO!” the alpha roared. His guys looked a little nervous, but the alpha was a cool cucumber, not jumpy at all.
Colt lined up the shot and fired. The man’s head came apart and—wouldn’t you know it—the ding-dong squad made a path.
“SHIELD,” he started to say, but Faith was already handing the pistol over.
One of the guys stood over his dead friend and said, “You didn’t have to shoot him. Why the hell did you shoot him?!”
Colt had his gun leveled on the guy as he drove by. “Don’t make me shoot you.”
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, his friend’s head just a red mess all over the asphalt.
They passed them safely, Colt refusing to answer. The interaction put him in a bad mood it seemed, but Constanza saw some of his facial wounds had reopened and were bleeding again. No wonder he was so agitated.
When they finally got home, it was to a halfway-burned-down house. Faith gripped his hand, her emotions soaring.
“Unbelievable,” he growled.
When they didn’t see any of their family there, Faith started to sniffle.
Constanza held Rose tight and said, “It’s okay, Daddy’s out there somewhere. I know he is.”
Like Faith, however, her words fell flat and she started to cry. For so long, she’d held onto the belief that she and Rowan would be reunited, that they would be a family, but alas she was a silly girl with baseless dreams destined to raise this child as a single mother.
That’s when Rowan came out of the barn and saw them.
Constanza’s breath caught in her throat and then she started making little joyous sounds. “Hold Rose, please?” she managed to say to Faith who hadn’t yet seen him.
Faith took Rose, then saw her son and made a squeaking sound as well. Faith nodded her head, her eyes wet with joy. She took Rose while Constanza got out of the Jeep and ran to Rowan. Their bodies crashing together into the best hug ever. He kissed her long and hard, putting every ounce of emotion into the embrace.
When they pulled apart, he said, “Rose?”
She was nodding, her eyes wet, the biggest smile ever on her face.
Faith was suddenly there, joined by a smiling, sobbing woman who looked a lot like Marley McDaniel. Leighton then came outside the ho
use from foraging and about freaked out. She ran to the pack and everyone pretty much found their way into one giant group hug that Constanza knew she would treasure for the rest of her life.
Before they left to head up to Gator’s place, Rowan wanted to leave directions for his friends, but he couldn’t risk someone finding them and robbing them, or worse. Making a strategic decision, he left the message in code, just in case Marshall, Isaiah, or Hwa-Young should show up needing their help.
The message read as such: This world is turned upside down, everything is opposite land these days. Here’s where we are. L/3R/1M/RD/H – hands up on entry.
The left and right were opposite. L was left, but with this message, left was right, 1M was one mile, 3R was three rights which really meant the third left and so on. Whoever was looking for them would figure out that H meant hill, and the fact that he told them to come in with their hands up meant there would be guns on them upon arrival. This would hopefully dissuade folks with bad intentions.
As a family, they headed to Gator’s place. When they reached their friend’s home, the entire group had a huge, tearful, very happy celebration. Roscoe ran up to Colt, his tail wagging hard, his little pecker letting out a stream of excited pee.
“Roscoe,” Colt cried out.
The dog bayed hard, a first, a sign of true happiness in the pup’s big heart.
After a big meal and smiles all the way around, Gator laid a fire, and Buck and Adi stoked it with Gator’s fireplace poker.
“So what’s next?” Gator asked as he sat in front of the roaring fire.
Colt picked up Roscoe then said, “I’m afraid we’re going to have to prepare for long-term survival as well as war.”
Roscoe was too excited to be held.
Colt let the puppy down and he ran to Faith. She picked up the baby hound and was greeted yet again with a lapping tongue. She pulled her face away, laughing, unable to get away from his wet tongue, which caused everyone to laugh at the spectacle.
“Who will we be at war with?” Trixie asked. She was sitting next to Gator, her hand on his leg. Constanza sat near Rowan, just as in love with him as it looked like Trixie was with Gator.
