SURVIVING ABE: A Climate-Fiction Novel (37 page)

After the door close
d behind Gus, Hank turned to Ela, "Once he decides on something he get's after it, that's for sure."

"I've noticed that too.  Come here I
want to show you something," Ela said, leading Hank to the safe and pulling down one of the plastic cases on the top shelf and then opening it.

"Well, I'll be . . . be darned," he corrected.

"The other cases have silver coins in them.  This is the only one with gold coins.  Plus there's a few thousand in cash," Ela said looking at Hank.

"This makes me feel strange.  I know Al and Beth didn't have children, friends came and went, but I know of no close family."

"Well, if they show up we'll give it to them, but what are the chances?  And if we leave it what happens?  With it we may need to buy our way out of something.  For now I care more about the three of us making it through this ordeal, we can straighten out what we owe any heirs after that," Ela said.

"Okay with me.  Another thing I want to talk with you about.  I knew your mother almost ten years; we talked many times about the aging process and where it leads.  Both of us agreed: no life support, and cremation instead of burial.  Have you given any thought on how to handle your mother’s remains?"

"No, I've pointedly avoided thinking about Mom, it has to be done though.  What do you suggest?"

"My suggest
ion is a joint cremation for your mother with Beth and Al, using the house when we leave," Hank said.  "Make it look like we were attacked and killed to anyone that may be hunting for us."

Ela
looked at Hank, but he added nothing more and left the table.  While looking out the side window Ela sipped the remaining coffee in her cup and tried to remember ever having a serious conversation with her mother about what to do in the event of her death.  She felt the last thing her mother would want for a final resting place would be in a crowd.  A hillside with a view, or a river to the sea, would be more like her.  She went back to Hank with a thought.

In the living room she found Hank rolling up rifles in rugs, "Hank, if possible I'd like to take Mom's body to her car and cremate her there on the property she wanted to share with you.  Al and Beth can go with their house, if you really think it's necessary to burn this place."

Hank gave Ela a hug, "That's a much better plan, Con would like that.  As for burning this place, I think it's important.  Since we know they have use of automatic weapons and a helicopter, we won't get a second chance to confuse or stop them if they decide to come after us.  If they find a burned house with four bodies in it they may not bother looking further.  I think I'll go out and run through this with Gus, and see what he thinks."

"I'll see what food we can take with us and fix something to e
at for supper while you do that." Ela smiled at Hank and added, "I'm glad you're here."

~~~

Two 2x6-inch planks were well on their way to becoming the runners for the sled.  Between the planks a piece of plywood formed the deck to carry their gear and supplies.  Gus finished driving a sheetrock screw home and then looked up as Hank walked in and asked him, "Everything okay?"

"Yes, just checking up on you to see if you need
help."

"Nah, I got this, just making a simple skid.  I gassed up both machines with what Al had stored, so we'll leave
with both tanks filled, and we'll bring the last two gas cans on the sled."

"Gus,
I talked to Ela about what to do with Con's body.  Years ago both Con and I agreed that cremation would be our choice.  I mentioned burning the house with all three of the bodies in there.  She decided to use Con's car to cremate her mother, leaving the house for Al and Beth.  I suggested burning the house because it hides our tracks better if someone is after us."

Gus thought that over
for a moment, "I can see why Ela thinks Con would want that, Con would probably like to go in her own vehicle rather than someone's house.  And it's fitting that Al and Beth would stay with their home.  I hate burning perfectly good buildings and cars, but this time I guess it makes sense."

"You know about those cases full of cash and coins in the safe?" Hank asked.

"No, I didn't, the guns and ammunition was all I looked for."

"I understand, but just so you know, there are 18 one-ounce gold coins, and lots of silver in pre-'64 coins, and some one-ounce silver pieces.  It gives us some trading material if we need it."

"Well, if the gold won't make 'em blink, I'll see if lead will," Gus said with a grim smile.  "Give me a few more minutes and I'll be done with the sled, then I'll bring it to the house, so we can load it."

"Ela
's fixing something to eat, I'll tell her you'll be there in about twenty minutes?"

"That'll work, over supper we can figure out what's left to do before we leave tomorrow," Gus said and returned to his project.

"Well, I think you should go to Paris instead of Key West on your honeymoon," Tye said as he digested both breakfast and the announcement from Andy and his daughter.

"Don't listen to him, Andy.  He's not talking about France," Reb said.

"You'd need a boat to get to either one, so what's the difference?" Tye said, delivering his punch line.

Andy laughed mo
stly from nervousness.  He had seen Paris, Texas on a map and knew Tye was probably joking around to cover for his nervousness too.  Andy appreciated Tye's injection of humor; easing the gravity of announcing his intention to marry their daughter.  He smiled at his blushing bride-to-be with pride, hoping in his heart she would carry the conversation long enough for him to do a mental restart and clear the glitch in his linguistic circuits.

Jennifer read his mind and came to his rescue.  "Daddy, you're confused, I'm going with
you
to Paris, Texas.  I need to pick up a few things before the wedding, while you make the wedding arrangements as father-of-the-bride.  You've seen the movie, right?"

"Right, I'm thinking a raft-up with you and Andy on the center raft, if it keeps raining.  All fun aside, Reb and I are happy about this and already consider you part of our family," Tye finished meeting Andy's eyes.

"Thank you both, that means a lot."

"I should have thought of this before.  For now, until things get back to normal, we can break out the 'bunkhouse' and you can hang your hat in there," Reb said to Andy.

"Jennifer mentioned a bunkhouse awhile back, but I guess I missed it.  Where is it?"

"It's an old Airstream trailer we used as an extra bedroom when Jen was growing up.  It hasn't been used in years and is down by the storage shed covered with a tarp.  We need to pull it up closer to the house and clean it out, but it's a comfortable setup once that's done," Tye said.

"Sounds good, I'm still too tender in places from my experience with a tent in Texas; a trailer will be a welcomed upgrade."

~~~

Leo could barely contain his excitement at seeing Reb put the last pizza from the freezer into the oven.  He ran through the rain headed for the little silver trailer in back of the house that Aunt Jen called the bunkhouse.  She and Andy had been out there cleaning most of the day, but he'd watched them wrestling and playing with each other too.  He found them with their heads almost touching and whispering about something when he skidded to a stop at the trailer's door.

"Guess what," he said as he stepped out of the drizzle and into the trailer.

"You saw an elephant?" Jennifer asked.

"A whale?" Andy asked.

"No, pizza."

"There was only one left," Jennifer said, a look of consideration wrinkling her brow.  "Mom must be celebrating the end of worrying about having an old maid for a daughter."

"Probably, I'm dang sure celebrating getting her as a Mom."

"I'm supposed to bring you guys to the house
, so you can wash up," Leo said.

"Well then, lead the way, Buster," Jennifer said, handing out rain jackets before taking Leo's hand and Andy's arm.  Inside the house they were greeted with the sight of Sam upright and moving with a crutch Tye and Ben built for him.

"Hey, it's a party for your dad, Leo," Andy said, kneeling down beside him.  "This is a special day, so take a good look and remember what you see, okay?"

Leo nodded, and ran to help his dad.  In the kitchen Sam slowly maneuvered into a chair with a footstool to prop his wounded leg on.

"Hey Sam, good to see you mobile," Andy said.  "How's the leg?"

"I feel fine except for this darned itching going on inside the bandages, it's best not to talk or think ab
out that," Sam grimaced, as all the others chuckled.  Then he continued, "Seriously, we all ought to thank our lucky stars to be here in relative comfort, with a source of clean drinking water, a generator, a community of good people working together, and most important we're celebrating Andy and Jen's wedding announcement. We are fortunate to have all of that."

Ela
got out of Con’s car and approached Hank.  "Mom and I had a good laugh when I found this," Ela said, holding the can of Copenhagen.

"Bless your heart, Young Lady," Hank sa
id and smiled sheepishly as he reached for the can.  "What did Con have to say?"

"She mostly laughed.  To tell the truth, I think she was relieved; your bad habits offset hers."

"Con gets more interesting the more I hear about her.  She gave the impression of being exactly where she wanted to be when I first crashed your party.  Actually, my first impression of her came from how steadily she kept her aim right between my eyes.  Once she put the gun away, I thought you two were on an adventure vacation from all the jokes," Gus said.

"Mom loved to banter and had been teasing me about the wild Indians that still roam around here.  She had to go out in the blizzard before bed, when she got back in she told me she had damn near gotten lost, and had had a vision of an Ind
ian.  Then you ran into the car and, at first, I thought she'd shot you."

"In my mind it was close.  When I opened my eyes to find her pistol looking like a tunnel to oblivion, it had my undivided attention," said Gus.

"Then she ended up nicknaming you 'Chief,' " Ela said, regarding Gus with a contemplative eye.

"Sh
e did at that," Gus returned Ela's gaze and smiled.

"Con, I suspect
you're impatiently watching us, expecting Gus and I to get busy protecting Ela and ourselves, not wanting us to waste time fussing over you.  Allow us this moment to acknowledge our loss, and honor the beauty you brought to our lives.  We all benefited from the wisdom and the wit you offered us.  As long as we live, you will live—in our hearts," Hank said.

"Thank you Con, memories of you will ride on my shoulder for the rest of my days," Gus said.

"Mom, I love you.  You will always be my hero."

Hank went to the back of the car and emptied a container of kerosene on the pillows and blankets left inside.  Then the three of them laid Con's wrapped body in the back of her car.  Hank recited the Lord's Prayer, lit the glass lantern he'd brought from the house and then tossed it into the car.

From a distance they stood silently as Con joined dawn's light.

~~~

Ela put a pot of coffee on while Hank and Gus finished loading the snowmobiles and sled with the contents of the gun safe, boxes of food, and some tools from the shop.

Before departing they gathered in the kitchen to eat some of the food they couldn't find room for on the sled.  Each of them chewing and considering what they had just done and what lay before them.

"If conditions aren't any different than when I left, we're in for some rough times, I'm grateful to be with the two of you," Hank said.

"Thanks, I felt the same when you first showed up, Hank.  If you don't mind going first, I'll follow and keep an eye on the sled."

"Okay, I can follow my track in, so we should be able to make good time to the turnoff," said Hank.

"Since Hank is pulling the s
led you should ride with me, Ela.  You will be our lookout for trouble, especially coming from behind us.  Okay?" Gus asked.

"Okay."

"Plus, it should be warmer behind me.  But if you need to warm up or you see something, just let me know," said Gus.

"Okay.  How long is this going to take?"

"It's probably twenty-five miles in a straight line, but a lot longer the way we're going, so it could take all day.  We'll go as fast as we can and still be watchful.  There will be locked gates we'll have to deal with, I just don't know how many.  Snowmobiles can go almost anywhere there's snow, so hopefully we can find drifts to ride over the fences and not mess with the gates; though I did pack a large pair of bolt cutters."

"We might see people
.  Lots of isolated places that may not be friendly," Hank said.

"This part of Unaweep Canyon
hasn't proven to be very friendly from the start, so I'm ready to leave, let's go," Ela said.

Outside the front door, Hank tossed a firebrand into the h
ouse on a trail of kerosene leading into the front bedroom.  He offered a prayer for his friends at the second funeral pyre of the morning.

~~~

Tucked behind Gus on the snowmobile with an AR-15 slung across her back, Ela visualized a digital readout of her core temperature slowly winding down from 98.6.  Her future prospects were reduced to becoming an armed ice sculpture, artfully decorated with snowflakes, and frozen in place on a snowmobile seat.

Looking in all directions she held onto Gus to keep from falling off.  Each time the snowmobile tipped and swayed her grip around his waist reflexively tightened.  She put her hands into his coat pockets in an effort to find warmth for her gloved fingers.  The packed snowmobile trail on Highway 141 enabled them to tra
vel at face-freezing speeds.  Hitting a bump in the road pushed the tip of her near frozen nose onto the back of his neck, and she felt him flinch.  Relief from the stinging cold overrode her inhibitions; he flinched less each time she pressed part of her frozen face against the warmth of his neck.

They reached the turnoff and slowed to a stop with Gus pulling up beside Hank.  In the sudden silence after
the machines were shut down, Ela realized how tightly her grip on Gus had gotten.  She immediately climbed off and stood, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and hugging herself; feeling very cold and a little embarrassed.

"So, are you a fan of winter sports yet?" Hank asked her with a smile.

"Soon as feeling returns to my extremities, I'll get back to you on that.  Maybe with time a fondness might grow for some aspects of snowmobiling, most likely a hot drink afterward," Ela said looking at Hank.

When she glanced at Gus she sensed an unspoken question in his expression.

"What?" Ela challenged.

"Nothing, just wondering how you're doing.  Your face cold?"

"I'm managing the best I can with what I have to work with," Ela said.

"Got enough room back there, are you comfortable?" Gus said, smiling.

She climbed back on, "Just remember, I'm armed back here.  Let's go."  She winked at Hank.

The unimproved road they were now on had not seen any traffic since the first snowfall.  The snowmobile's ride through the undisturbed snow felt less stable than it had on the hard-packed trail, even though the speed was less.  She tried to lean exactly as Gus did, by supporting m
ost of her weight with her feet and with her butt on the seat only on the flat, straight stretches when stability allowed.

To break trail on some of the steeper parts
, Gus took the lead from Hank.  Even with two riders their snowmobile climbed better than Hank's machine did while pulling the heavy sled.  When Gus pulled out to pass he stood up to use his body's weight to throw the snowmobile onto the plane and path he wanted.  Ela also rose, holding his waist, following Gus's lead, so that their dance-like movements guided the roaring machine as it carved a trail for Hank to follow.

She suspected he enjoyed it as much as she did
, when the switchbacks they carved got more frequent. 
Right
, she chided herself, he's probably more "at one" with this snowmobile than thinking about dancing with me.  Still though, in this new world she would take her pleasures when and where they came.

Hank slowed to a stop as they approached another locked gate.  Gus pulled up beside him and shut off the snowmobile.  "That is a
seriously strong gate, we'll need to find a way to cross the fence.  Want to take a break and eat something first?" Gus asked.

"Like minds.  I'm hungry and could use a break," said Hank.

Ela climbed off the machine and said, "While you two are finding the food I'm taking a walk back down our trail around the bend there."

Hank dug in his seat storage c
ompartment and came out with a Thermos and some food.  He looked at Utah's La Salle Mountains on the distant western horizon while trying to judge how much progress they had made. "We must be on top now.  How much further to your friend's place?"

Gus took a moment mentally figuring, "Not far in miles, probably five or less.  I've never come in this way before, so I don't know how long it will take.  Been thinking though, I did another job up here a few years ago, and it's not over a mile or two from here.  A weird job from the start, a rich guy from New York bought the property and put up a big steel building over a slab, with the plumbing for a house in the middle.  I've wondered about it ever since.  We might just mosey over there, I'd like to see what's what."

"Might be a good way to get shot," said Hank.

"What might be a good way to get shot?"
Ela asked returning.

"Oh, I got to thinking about a job I did near here a couple of years ago.  Rich guy from back East bought a chunk of land and put up a big steel building in the middle of it, nothing else.  We did the
slab work, with the wellhead and plumbing already in place for a house.  When I came back to fix a few things I could see the building would be totally self-contained and off the grid when completed.  Out of curiosity, now might be the time to buzz by there and see if anyone's there, that's all," Gus said.

Ela
looked at the graying sky then back at Gus, "We've been lucky, so far today, but it looks like it might start snowing again, so my priority is finding shelter soon.  Sorry guys, but I'm not dressed for an arctic expedition."

"We'll go right by the place on this road
.  We can decide then if we want to investigate further when we get there.  Let's find a way over this fence and get on our way," said Gus.

They finished their modest meal, and each had a few sips
of almost hot coffee from the Thermos before they loaded up.  Gus took the lead and followed the fence line until it disappeared beneath a snow bank.  Using the snowdrift they easily crossed the fence without damage to it or the snowmobiles.  Not long afterwards he slowed to a stop in an open area.

"The driveway was hard to see even without snow covering it, it's just a trail along the tree line over there.  Then for maximum privacy it cuts through the trees at an angle, which makes it hard to see from the road.  I don't see any tracks, which means nobody has visited recently, so let's run over there," said Gus
, looking at Hank and nudging Ela.

"Okay," said Hank.

"Let's get this over with, it's starting to snow," Ela said.

Gus took off, found a place to cross the fence, and then aimed for the opening in the tree line.  Once through the trees he stopped on the edge of a much smaller clearing with an unremarkable, but large
, steel building standing in the middle.  There was no smoke or steam from roof vents, and no tracks in the snow were visible.

"Looks deserted to me," said Gus.

"Let's go check it out," Hank said.

Gus banged on the steel personnel door to no avail
.  He turned toward Hank and Ela then shrugged. "As I remember the place is built like a vault with almost twice as many frames as a normal building.  Anyway, we better get going, the weather is getting worse," he said as he started to walk back to the snowmobile.

"Hold it right there!" came a man's voice from behind him.  "Put your hands up and slowly turn around."

Gus did as instructed, expecting to see someone at the door, but it remained closed.  Then he noticed a security camera above the door was aimed at him.

"You're the concrete guy.  What are you doing here?" came the voice from somewhere near the camera.

"We are trying to find out if it's safe to go back to our homes in Grand Junction.  We've been snowbound over by Gateway; attackers have killed three of us.  We are looking for shelter, not trouble."

"Well, you've already made trouble for me by making tracks leading into the driveway, and it will only be worse if you leave.  I don't want to risk you telling others about this place, either."

Automatic gunfire erupted, kicking up clouds of snow in front of the two snowmobiles.  Hank and Ela dove for cover behind the sled.

"Just a demonstration.  I wanted all three of you to know you are in a kill zone, and it won't serve you well to try anything nefarious.
"  The door opened.  "Come on in, and don't let the heat out."

Ela
and Hank followed Gus into the building.  They entered a small room furnished with benches along one wall. "Take off your outer layer and leave all your weapons."

After they had complied the inner door opened.  "Mr. Tulley, I presume," said a man that Gus recognized as the one he'd poured the slab for.

"Yes sir, good to see you Mr. Tomlin.  Thank you for letting us in."

"I wouldn't have if it weren't part of my plan.  But I also thought you went out of your way to address my concerns during the building process.  Your honesty and integrity are remembered.  So
, who did you bring with you?"

"This is Ela
Novena and Hank Lerner," Gus introduced everyone.