Buried Flames (10 page)

Brenna wanted to ask why, but she didn’t. She recalled that Mason’s upbringing hadn’t been the best. His father had been in jail off and on, while his mother had ended up handing Mason off to his grandmother. When she passed away, he’d been sent into the foster system. His age—eleven years old at the time—had been a detriment in finding a home. He hadn’t always made the right choices, which was how he’d ended up on Anita’s farm. She’d had a soft spot for those boys and girls who’d had it rough.

“Owen is the one you’re going to have to watch out for,” Mason said, leading them onto what appeared to be more of a main highway. Brenna’s heart rate accelerated at the amount of vehicles abandoned…everywhere up and down the sides of the roadway. They were scattered about like someone had stopped time with a swipe of their hand. Most likely the cars and trucks had just stopped working and she wondered where the people had gone, which only made her try to see farther into the distance. “He takes absolutely nothing serious unless he utterly has to. He’s always the first one to pull a prank, with Berke right behind him. And those two together are hell on wheels. We’re lucky they didn’t get sent to the brig half the time. Tank pulled their asses out of trouble more than a few times and cracked the whip on all of us.”

“And Van?” Brenna asked, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She tried to keep an eye out around them, but it wasn’t easy with the mask on. She cast a sideways glance and saw that Sam had brought his head up and out of Mason’s chest. When he didn’t growl, she thought maybe she was just letting her own fears build on an already stressful situation. “You mentioned him a couple of times today.”

“He’s more my speed—quiet but smarter than you might think.” Mason appeared to be shifting his body, all the while holding onto his reins and Sam with one arm. Was he reaching for his weapon? “He takes things too seriously. Never speaks unless he has something to say that matters. He’s loyal to those he’s close to and keeps his circle of friends small.”

“You don’t have to anymore,” Brenna offered, although it really didn’t matter now. The town of Harpersfield technically didn’t exist anymore. She couldn’t help but think of Beau and everyone else. Had they been able to stay ahead of the ash? “You chose to keep to yourself back home.”

“I like it that way. I like the quiet.”

Brenna wondered why that was and thought back to when they were in high school. Yes, Mason kept to himself, but that was part of her attraction to him. He was the bad boy every good girl wanted. She eventually broke down his barriers, but he’d created a fortress during his time away and she highly doubted she’d ever be able to gain access again. What had happened to him?

“Easy, boy,” Mason murmured, Brenna barely catching those words. He was motioning with his hand for her to get her rifle. She didn’t hesitate. Deep vibrating growls were now emanating from Sam, but she didn’t know which direction to look. “You’re all right, Sam. Good boy.”

Brenna remained alert and when three or four minutes had passed, there was still nothing to indicate something or someone was near them. What had Sam heard? They all remained quiet as they continued to ride, watching and waiting. A good half an hour passed before Mason spoke again.

“Do you see it?”

Brenna immediately tensed, this entire time having been watching Sam for any signs of danger. What had he seen or heard? He’d remained alert, but he never growled or barked. She looked around them, not catching sight of what Mason was talking about. Her knuckles hurt from holding on to her weapon so tightly and for so long.

“No,” Brenna replied, making her realize her teeth were starting to chatter. The temperature had dropped and she wondered just how cold it was going to be during the middle of the night. She wasn’t so sure they should stop the way Mason had suggested earlier. “People?”

“Look around us, Brenna.”

She did and then threw him a smile through her mask. The ash was still coming down and they all looked like they were being blanketed in a heavy snow, but visibility was a little clearer. They were now on a major highway riding at a decent clip. The stranded cars and trucks reminded Brenna of a television show she’d seen once about the apocalypse.

“Where are they?” Brenna asked cautiously, closely looking at each and every vehicle for any signs of life. “Where did they all go?”

“Nearest shelter,” Mason guessed, surveying the area as well. Sam appeared relaxed now, so Brenna tried to ease the tension in her shoulders by stretching her arms. “The engines can only run for so long and I would have thought these people would have made it farther than they did, but we experienced ourselves how that ash cloud came out of nowhere. It had to have something to do with the prevailing winds.”

“You mentioned the weight of the ash on the roofs would…”

“True.”

Brenna didn’t want to think about what would happen to those people who stayed around these parts. Thousands upon thousands of lives had already been extinguished, but to think of those who’d made it this far, only to succumb to the aftereffects was almost too much for the human mind to comprehend. A spark of hope lit within her.

“The Canadian border,” Brenna said, turning to see what Mason’s thoughts were on the subject. “Do you think all of these people are trying to cross over to the north?”

“I’m sure they are trying, but there has to be limitations…no matter which border it is. The bordering countries will allow a lot of people to cross, but then they will have to limit the numbers at some point. Their own people are their first responsibility and there won’t be enough shelter or supplies for those seeking them.” Mason brought Sergeant to a stop and Major immediately followed suit. Brenna didn’t like being boxed in between all of these abandoned vehicles. It made them targets and she really wasn’t ready to deal with something of that nature. “These cars are too close together. We’re going to have to go around.”

Brenna nodded, not even thinking that Mason didn’t have eyes on her until afterward. She was already backing Major out of the way, allowing Mason to take the lead since he was the one with the light. He chose to go left and around the vehicle that appeared to be smaller, although it was hard to tell if that was the case since it was covered in ash. She glanced behind them, but it was too dark to see anything.

“Stay as close to the car as you can,” Mason instructed, his words clipped. It just signified how unnerved he was by all of this as well. Brenna couldn’t tell if there was a guardrail on the left-hand side or some kind of median. For all she knew, it was that cliff he’d mentioned earlier. “Doing okay back there?”

“Yeah, I can’t see much,” Brenna called out, feeling slightly better after they’d cleared a number of vehicles. They were back in the center of the highway, but a thought struck her that diminished any hope of locating shelter for the night. “How are we going to find a place large enough to get the horses out of the ash?”

“We’ll find something, maybe a barn once we leave the main road.”

Brenna wasn’t feeling too confident about that and wondered if during the day wouldn’t have been the better option to travel in. Would the sun be able to break through the ash at all? Traveling at night guaranteed they would be riding in the dark. She kept hearing him do something to the flashlight and so far it hadn’t used up the batteries. Her mind whirled with more dire scenarios.

“Do you have enough batteries for the flashlight?”

“Don’t need ’em.”

Brenna’s question as to why was on the tip of her tongue, but the sound of a gunshot ricocheted through the residue, vibrating the very saddle she sat on. Major and Sergeant instantly tried to break into a gallop, but both she and Mason controlled the horses with their reins. Sam slipped and Brenna watched in horror as the dog lost his footing. Just as fast, Mason caught a hold of the harness she’d placed around Sam’s body.

“He’s fine,” Mason reassured her, drawing Sam close to his body as he instantly shut off the flashlight. They were now in the pitch-black darkness listening for any signs of someone closer. “It was a good mile away, but we’re going to still put distance between us and them.”

“How do you plan to do that in the dark?” Brenna asked somewhat hesitantly as another shiver jarred her body. She wasn’t sure if it was due to fear or the cold, but it didn’t matter at this point. Who was shooting a gun and why? “I can barely see you, let alone the ground without the light.”

“Sergeant and Major, that’s how.” Mason was leaning back towards her and holding something in his hand. “Take this. Don’t let go.”

Brenna took what turned out to be a rope from Mason’s fingers and she gratefully looped it around the western style horn on her saddle. She thought about offering to take Sam from him, but she wasn’t so sure she would have had the fast reflexes like Mason to catch him should Sam fall. He was better off being where he was.

The next couple of hours dragged on until Brenna’s lashes started to fall and she jerked in the saddle, preventing herself from slipping. She never would have thought she’d be able to fall asleep, but without any noise and not being able to see…it almost felt as if she were in a cocoon. Even the ash below them appeared to be cushioning the noise of Major and Sergeant’s hoofs.

“Brenna?” The way Mason said her name didn’t instill any faith that things were about to get any better. He almost announced it as a warning, but with it being late at night and surrounded by nothing but ash…she couldn’t see whatever had caught his attention. “You have your rifle handy?”

“Yes,” Brenna replied, sitting up straighter and noticing there weren’t a lot of vehicles surrounding them. They weren’t on the highway anymore, or so it seemed. So where were they?

“Good.” The rope Brenna had tied to her saddle that attached her to Mason became slack, indicating he was stopping their progress. Adrenaline rushed through and it was as if she’d never been drowsy. “You might need it.”

M
ason didn’t want
to use the bullseye flashlight he’d operated while riding on horseback. It was powered by turning the charging handle to recharge the lithium battery pack. He defaulted to his small mag-lite he kept in a pouch on his belt just in case someone was watching from the inside of the rest stop. There were undoubtedly people inside, but how many remained to be seen. He didn’t like having to stop, but Brenna had almost drifted off a couple of times if the sound of Major’s gait was anything to go by.

“I want you to stay here,” Mason instructed Brenna, taking a hold of Sam and dismounting Sergeant. He would take the dog with him, especially after the canine had proven to be such a good scout. Sam had notified him earlier of nearby threats without continuing to growl once Mason stroked him. He didn’t immediately place him on the ground due to the amount of ash underfoot. “Any sound of a struggle or a gunshot, you leave. Take both horses and go west from here a quarter mile and wait for me no more than one hour.”

“I’m not going to—”

“You’ll do as I say,” Mason ordered harshly, frustrated at Brenna’s stubbornness. Didn’t she understand he couldn’t concentrate on what was in front of him if he thought she would put herself in danger? “Owen might be a better tracker than I am, but I’ll find you if it comes to that. Be alert and be ready to leave quickly if you hear a confrontation.”

Mason didn’t give Brenna time to argue with him. He didn’t see any lights on inside the building, but he made sure his rifle was in hand while he quietly made his way closer until he almost tripped on the curb to the sidewalk. Sam was a rather big dog and cumbersome to carry, but Mason managed to wrap his left arm around the mutt’s body until they were covered by the above partition. He knelt and made sure Sam had all four feet on the ground.

“Okay, boy, let’s do this.”

Mason peered at the two doors in front of him, not seeing any lights on inside. That didn’t mean anything and neither did the small size of the rest stop. Anyone could be in there, but there was only one way to find out. He approached the double glass doors and wrapped his hand around the cold metal handle, reminding him that he’d have to pull out his gloves from his satchel.

Mason glanced behind him, unable to see Brenna clearly from this distance. Leaving her behind, even for such a short period, made him nervous. He didn’t doubt she could hold her own, but he still worried about her wellbeing. The door opened quietly and he stayed where he was, Sam by his side, straining to hear any sounds coming from inside. Nothing.

Sam started forward and Mason allowed the door to close behind them. It was unfortunate, but he didn’t have a choice but to use his flashlight. He pushed the rubber-covered button while following its beam with his weapon, holding the small metal light aloft to illuminate as wide an area as possible. He swept both items in a full circle, casing the interior of the rest stop. The entryway contained vending machines and map holders, with two doors on either side of the small building indicating they were restrooms for both sexes.

The beige and black tile floor appeared to be more like marble and the beam of Mason’s flashlight bounced off of it glaringly. Sam’s head tilted and it wasn’t long before he produced a low growl. Mason didn’t want to take off their masks for fear they would need to make a quick exit, but using it inside a building where he needed the advantage wasn’t conducive to a search.