Into the Mist, page 25
“I didn’t save y’all. We have saved ourselves. I just gave us a heads-up,” explained Stella.
“Huh. That’s good to know. Also will come in handy in the future.” Ford nodded. “What about Gemma and Imani?”
“They can make plants grow, and small cuts heal fast with them, but we’re not sure about what else they can do,” said Mercury.
“Gemma’s a healer,” said Ford. “That’s obvious. Not only is she good at it, but now that I know more, I realize it wasn’t my imagination. As long as she was touching my forehead, it didn’t hurt at all for her to stitch me up—my cut didn’t ache or anything. It’s only when she wasn’t touching me that it hurt.” He reached up and pressed his fingers to the bandage and grimaced. “Like now.”
“I believe Oxford is correct about Gemma,” said Stella.
“Do you know what’s up with Imani?” asked Mercury.
Stella moved her shoulder. “I can’t tell yet, but I promise you there’s more than just the ‘my-blood-grows-plants’ thing.”
“What about Karen? Did the green fog not touch her?”
“It did,” said Mercury. “She was with us when it covered us, but her blood hasn’t changed—or at least not in a way we can tell yet. There was another woman with us who survived the first blast but whose blood also doesn’t grow plants.”
“Did she die?” Ford asked quietly.
“No, she stayed at Timberline with a doctor and the survivors,” said Stella.
Ford turned his head quickly to look at Stella. “Timberline’s still there? I’ve skied Mt. Hood many times from that lodge.”
“It’s there—partially,” said Mercury. “Half of it’s gone, but what’s left makes a pretty good shelter. And they have plenty of supplies.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t stay there,” said Ford.
“Blame Stella. Her new spidey senses said we needed to leave,” said Mercury.
“If we hadn’t left, those kids and Ford would’ve died.” Stella pressed her lips together.
“Wait, what?” said Ford.
Mercury patted his knee. “It’s probably better if you don’t ask.”
“She’s not wrong,” Stella muttered. “Gate girl!”
“Got it!” It only took a few minutes for Mercury to cut through and discard the chain and open the gate. Then she was back inside the cab, wiping rain from her face again. She turned to look at the man beside her. “So, Oxford, you said you know the area?”
“Yep, well.”
“And also Madras?”
He nodded. “I’ve been there many times. They have—well, I suppose it’s had now—a few excellent local restaurants in the heart of the town. I like to treat myself to a nice meal before I leave on a backpack trip, and again right after.”
“We need to hide the truck,” said Stella. “Do you know where we can do that and still not be so far from town that it’ll be tough for the kids to walk it?”
“Hmm, from what Sim told me, the mayor has set up shelters in the center of town. So, yeah, I think know where we can stash the truck.”
“We’re gonna need to access it quick,” said Stella. She glanced at Ford. “I don’t think we’re going to stay in Madras long.”
“Why not?”
Stella shrugged. “Don’t know that. All I know is that I have a feeling it’s not the place for us.”
Ford smoothed his neat beard. “I know a spot that will work if the earthquakes haven’t destroyed it. So, you think you’ll leave Madras because something’s wrong with staying there, or because you’ll be scouting survivors and bringing them back to safety?”
“Could be either.” Stella sighed. “I just don’t know, which is frustrating as hell. Ford, the road ‘T’s’ again. Which way?”
“Right,” said Ford. “And we’re only about a couple miles from where this will feed into highway 97. We’ll be on the outskirts of Madras. From there I can show you how to cut along the edge of town to the place we can hide the truck.”
Stella turned right and bumped along a rough patch of the road that had gone from gravel and dirt to dirt and mud. The path curved around the base of a tall basalt-wrinkled canyon that loomed above. The rain, clouds, and encroaching dusk had already limited visibility. Stella reluctantly flipped on the headlights.
“I haven’t wanted to turn these on. Didn’t want to call needless attention to ourselves, but the shadow of the canyon has blocked what’s left of the light and—shit!” Stella jerked the wheel hard to the left to avoid the rear end of a worn, late model GMC truck that had been abandoned in the middle of the road.
“They okay back there?” Stella asked.
Mercury peered through the gloom into the bed of the truck. Gemma gave her a thumbs-up and then pointed at the three sleeping children and shrugged.
“Yeah, they’re okay. I think those kids could sleep through a bomb,” said Mercury.
“I think they already slept through one bomb,” said Stella. “That’s probably what saved them—being asleep in the top story of their cabin.” She gestured to the stalled truck. “Here’s hoping that thing has a full tank of gas.”
“I’ll do it this time,” said Mercury. “I’ve already been rained on.”
“Do what?” asked Ford.
“Syphon gas,” said Mercury. “While I’m out there, want me to put up the antenna, and you can let Jenny know we’re almost at Madras?”
“Sounds good,” said Stella.
“Huh?” Ford said.
As an answer Mercury popped open the glove box to expose the revolver and the CB radio. She pulled out the extendable antenna and opened the door as Ford whistled softly in appreciation.
“Damn, you ladies have all the best stuff.”
Mercury grinned over her shoulder at him. “You better believe it!”
She unfolded the antenna and stuck it to the top of the truck before she rapped on the window twice and gave Stella and Ford the okay sign. Then she jogged to the back of the truck. Imani had already opened the camper shell and had the piece of hose ready for her. “I’m assuming we’re stopping for gas.”
“Yeah, thanks. Ford says we’re only a mile or so from where we join highway 97, which will take us to Madras. He knows a place just outside town where we can hide the truck.”
Imani glanced at the sleeping children. “How far are they going to have to walk in this rain?”
“He says not far.”
Imani frowned. Her gaze kept returning to the sleeping children.
“Here,” Gemma reached around Imani and handed Mercury a puffy down jacket. “Take my coat. It’s waterproof. You can hold it over your head while you’re syphoning gas.”
“Thanks.” Mercury took the coat and returned to the side of the truck. It didn’t take long for her to open the gas caps, insert the hose, and then sputter and cuss as she spit out a mouthful of gas before she shoved the end of the hose into the truck’s gas tank.
The door to the truck opened and Ford stuck his head out as he handed her a bottle of water. “Stella said you’d want this.”
“Yeah, that gas is disgusting. Thanks.” She took the water, rinsed her mouth, and then drained the rest of it. “Which reminds me that I have to pee. Ford, would you keep an eye on the hose while I duck back behind there for a sec?” She gestured to the rear of the GMC truck.
“No problem. Be careful.”
Mercury nodded and went to the back of the trucks. They’d left the camper shell window propped open, so she paused. “I need some of that toilet paper,” she whispered into the dark bed.
Gemma’s head popped up. “Some or the whole roll?”
“Some. I don’t want the whole roll rained on.”
Gemma handed Mercury a wad of toilet paper. Then she ducked behind the truck to squat awkwardly while she held the jacket over her head. When she was done, she stood and was zipping her jeans when something a couple yards from her caught her eye. The wind lifted part of what she’d thought was just a pile of rock and dirt and made rain-darkened fur flutter.
Mercury shivered and clutched the coat tighter around herself as she walked slowly down the road to the thing. She got closer and was able to see that it was a baby goat. It looked newborn. It was curled up, almost like it was asleep, but when Mercury crouched to touch it, the little creature was cold and stiff. She looked around to see if the mother was nearby, but nothing in the bleak landscape moved.
Gently, Mercury stroked the soft fur on the baby’s head. It was so sweet—so young and innocent and alone; tears mixed with rain to wet her cheeks. Mercury’s heart hurt for this little one and so, so many others.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured to the small body. “I wish you’d been born in a better time—a safer time.” Mercury stood and held her hand out over the still body. She raised the index and pinky fingers on her right hand and the rest she folded into a clenched position, making the Pagan symbol for the Horned God, or Green Man, the masculine personification of nature. “Little friend, in the name of the Earth goddess, Gaia, I encourage you to forget this broken shell. In the name of the Green Man, the Horned God, patron of things wild and free, I bid you go beyond and enjoy the Summerland.”
Mercury closed her eyes, and as she made the sign of the pentagram by touching first the center of her forehead, then her right breast, left shoulder, right shoulder, left breast and forehead in turn, she imagined that a glowing door opened before them, and the spirit of the tiny goat bucked and kicked and frolicked joyfully through it to a verdant valley beyond. “Blessed be, small friend, and farewell.”
She finished the impromptu ritual and turned back toward the truck—and from the bed she caught the flash of a muted light. Mercury squinted into the still open rear of the camper shell, expecting to see that Imani had turned on the flashlight they’d brought from Timberline, but there was nothing but darkness within, from which Karen stared at her with an oddly intense expression.
Mercury tossed Gemma’s coat inside the camper. Before she closed the window, she spoke softly to the adults. “Okay, we’re out of here. Hold tight. We’ll be in Madras soon.”
“Sounds good.” Gemma whispered back to her, and Imani gave her a thumbs-up.
Karen refused to meet her eyes.
CHAPTER
29
AS FORD HAD said, the dirt road emptied into highway 97 about a mile later. Stella turned left and immediately they saw a sign that read “Madras—1 mile.” She’d turned off the headlights as soon as they’d left the shadow of the canyon, and had to slow the truck so that she could steer around the mess of wrecks and stalled cars they’d avoided by cutting cross-country.
“Okay, Ford, what’s the plan?” Stella gripped the steering wheel tightly and kept her eyes on the dark, rainy highway.
“Mercury, look to the right side of the road for a little convenience store gas station combo called 97 Mart. We need to take a left there.”
“Is that it? Looks like a burnt-out gas station.” Mercury nodded to the right of the highway.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is. Stella, go left at that intersection.”
Stella turned left and had to leave the road and drive in the ditch to get around a truck that had smashed head-on into the front of an SUV.
“When did these people have time to run into each other?” Stella shook her head. “I just don’t get it.”
“The EMP pulse stopped their engines, but that doesn’t mean the vehicles stopped,” said Mercury. “And panic does crazy things to people.”
“Careful, there’s a tree down ahead,” Ford said.
“I see it. I’ll just stay in the ditch until we get past this mess,” said Stella.
“Okay, up that little incline on your right. See that cemetery?” Ford pointed.
“Yep,” said Stella.
“You can turn right directly after it.”
Mercury looked in the side mirror. “Oxford, it looks like we’re getting farther away from the center of town.”
“Yeah, we are, but not too far for us to walk—even if I’m not very steady on my feet. There—take this right,” said Ford, “and pretty soon we should come to a small, overpass-like bridge. Here’s hoping it’s still standing.”
“I see it! It’s just after that big clump of pines,” said Mercury. “Careful, looks like several of them have splintered.”
“Yeah, I see ’em,” said Stella. “I can take the ditch to get around them.”
“The bridge is still standing! That’s a relief,” said Ford. “My idea is to have you pull off the road and park under the bridge. It goes over Willow Creek, which winds through Madras. The creek is pretty intermittent and dries out a lot, especially in the summer. It hasn’t been raining long, so I figured it wouldn’t be too swollen.”
“I think I can pull off on the right side. Doesn’t look too steep. Mercury, maybe you should get out and scout down there, though, and see if there’s anywhere for me to park under the bridge.”
“No problem.” Mercury left the truck and made her way down a gentle incline that led to a shallow creek. She felt a wave of relief as she studied the area under the bridge, and then returned quickly to the truck. “It’s perfect—just like underneath a highway overpass. There’s a cement section down there where you can park the truck. The creek has water in it, but it’s shallow—nothing like that river back on 26. And I didn’t see any sign of green fog, but if you back the truck in, you could park it so that it’d be positioned to get the hell out fast.”
“Good idea,” said Stella, who expertly guided the truck down the incline and then backed it under the bridge and parked it where it was securely out of the rain and poised to be driven away.
The kids were awake, but sleepy-eyed. They yawned and stretched as everyone climbed out of the truck, but unlike normal six-year-olds under normal circumstances, the boys didn’t need to be told to stay close. They remained in their sister’s shadow—and their sister stuck to Imani like a refrigerator magnet. But Mercury had no doubt which twin was Cayden. Wherever she was, she felt his intense gaze following her.
“Okay, let’s get our backpacks on and head to the heart of town,” said Mercury.
Stella spoke to the three kids. “It’s going to seem like a long way, but once we get there, we’ll be able to rest. And if we don’t like it in Madras, don’t worry. We’ll leave. That’s why we’re not taking the truck with us—so that no one can take our wheels and stop us from leaving.”
The twins huddled closer to their big sister, who draped her arms protectively around their shoulders. “But what if the people there won’t let us leave? What if they try to take us away from you?”
Cayden nodded his head emphatically and stared at Mercury as his eyes filled with tears.
“You know I’m superhero strong, right?” Mercury asked all three kids, but her gaze remained on the twin she thought of as her special boy.
The three children nodded.
“Well, I give you my word: I won’t let anyone take you away from us,” said Mercury.
Georgie blinked fast as she attempted to keep frightened tears from spilling down her round cheeks. “Okay, we’ll try really hard to keep up with you and to be really good.”
“I need to speak with the adults—all of you. Over here. Gemma, would you stay with the kids?” Imani asked. Gemma nodded, and then Imani turned and marched several yards, with the adults following her.
“What is it?” Mercury asked.
“The kids need to stay here. They’re terrified—again—and this is one terror too many in a long list of what they’ve already been through to survive. Stella, you don’t think this is our permanent place?” Imani said.
Stella nodded. “I still have the feeling that we’re not staying here, but I can’t tell why.”
“Then what’s the point of dragging three exhausted, traumatized children into town? I’m one hundred percent against it,” Imani said firmly.
Mercury let out a long breath. “I can’t say I disagree with you. Would you want to stay here with the kids?” she asked Imani.
“Absolutely.”
“Stella?” Mercury turned to her friend.
“It would definitely be easier to get in and out of town without kids. Anyone who wants to stay with the truck and wait for us to come back should stay,” said Stella.
“I should go to Madras with you,” said Ford.
“Yeah, thanks. We seriously won’t know our way around without you guiding us,” said Mercury.
“No problem. I’m more than willing.” He smiled at Mercury.
“I refuse to remain here.” Karen’s thin lips disappeared as she pressed them into a colorless line.
“Karen, no one is excluding you,” said Mercury.
“Well, good.” Karen’s face looked pinched as she refused to meet Mercury’s gaze.
“Okay, so, that’s settled,” said Mercury. “Let’s tell the kids and Gemma.”
They rejoined the four young people, and Stella smiled at the children. “Change of plans. We decided it would be best for the kids to stay with the truck while just a few of us check out Madras.”
“You’re leaving us?” Georgie clutched her brothers’ narrow shoulders.
“No!” Mercury quickly explained. “Or at least not for more than—” she glanced at Stella.
“Two nights,” Stella said. “No matter what, we’ll be back to check in no later than the next morning.”
Mercury nodded. “Yeah, and if we decide to leave, we’ll leave then. Together.”
Imani put her arm around Georgie’s shoulders. “I’m going to stay here with you.”
“So will I,” said Gemma.
“When are we leaving?” Karen asked as she picked at the hem of her cardigan.
“Now.” Stella spoke firmly. “Or as soon as we put on coats and get our backpacks together.”
The group worked silently and quickly. Even the children helped, though as they struggled to pull Ford’s heavy backpack from the bed of the truck, Gemma stepped in.
“Hey, Ford can’t carry this.” The teenager fisted her hands on her hips as she faced Stella and Mercury, who were slipping on their own backpacks. “I don’t even like the fact that he’s up and walking around. Are you sure he needs to go with you?”
