acquaintances, which is unusual because I’d been with the
company for a really long time and should have at least
recognized them, even if I didn’t know their names.
One of the mechanics holds out his arms to take my
bags from me, but I wave him off.
It’s was only going to be me and the pilot on this helicopter so that it would be a quicker trip, and we could
stay under the radar.
“Hi, I’m James, your pilot for this trip.” He holds out
his hand.
I ignore it and simply dip my head in acknowledgement
of his introduction. I walk around to the other side, and as I open the door to climb in, I can see the confused looks on
the mechanic’s faces.
James hops in and starts flipping switches.
“Have you ever flown before?” he shouts above the
motor.
“A few times. Enough that you don’t have to worry
about me.” I smile at the thought of secrets known only to
mostly dead men.
I buckle up and place the backpack on the floor with
my leg through the strap so if I have to bail out, it can go
with me. The duffle I have on my lap covers the gun
pointed at James.
He makes small talk as he goes through his preflight
rituals.
I mostly make non-committal noises, waiting until
we’re in the air to see what his game plan is.
A few thumbs-up later, all the mechanics back up and
we’re lifted off the ground.
The navigation system is right there in plain sight, and
the direction that we’re heading starts out toward the west.
When we reach flight altitude, he starts to shift slightly
southwest as I watch him slyly adjust the controls little by little.
I wait for my moment, about twenty minutes into the
flight, when we’re past any cities or urban areas, in case
this goes fubar and we crash.
“So, James, where exactly are you taking me? I know
we’re not going to Salt Lake if we’re flying in this
direction.”
James’ face looks a little pale as he realizes I might not
be just a pretty suit sitting next to him.
“I was given different instructions just thirty minutes
before you arrived.” He flicks the auto pilot on and reaches
into his jacket. “They said to show you this if there were
any questions.”
He holds out his phone with a picture of my kids and
Linc, out in a pasture.
“If you cause any problems, then your kids will be in
trouble,” James warns, placing the phone back in his
pocket.
“Well, thank you for the advice, James. I think our
flight together is going to be over for now, though.” I drop
the duffle bag to the floor.
He sees the gun a minute before I shoot him in the
forehead. His open eyes stare at me as I lean over and flick
the latch holding the door closed.
I hit the button on his seat belts and give his dead
weight a gentle nudge to help it on its way out into the
fields below.
The helicopter tips slightly as I try to pull the door shut against the wind. Finally, it complies, and the only trace
left of my companion is the blood splatter on the window.
Thankfully, this helicopter is equipped for a pilot and
co-pilot so flying it from my clean seat is easily
accomplished.
“Tango, do you read? This is Top Dog Dad.” I wait,
trying to reach my own group, hoping that they haven’t
been taken over as well.
“Top Dog Dad, we read you loud and clear. Did all go
as planned?” The voice comes out loud and clear.
“Mission extra weight is gone. Am I clear to land
shortly?”
“Yes, sir. We have an escort waiting for you to arrive.”
“Roger that. Top Dog Dad out.”
Flying a chopper comes back, just like riding a bike.
My brain and reflexes might be a little rusty, but it’s good
to know that things still work the way they’re supposed to.
I land without any problems, but my location is much
different from what I’d told my wife.
The scene outside Camp David is bustling, and nothing
short of amazing as the military continues to protect the
President’s home away from home.
“Has he arrived?” I ask, referring to the President.
“No, sir. He should be here in a few hours. They were
waiting on the initial panic to die down before withdrawing
to safety.”
“Did Martin arrive?” I question the underlings running to keep up as I walk to the jeep waiting to take me to the
underground facilities.
“Yes, he’s waiting there to put the protection protocol
into place.”
“Perfect. Thank you. Is the family mission still on
track?” I ask, hoping that Linc is still on the farm with my
kids.
“Roger that, sir. We have you and the family mission
well covered. The moms have just been spotted leaving
town with a truck full of ammo. We’ll close ranks once
they arrive and make sure that nothing gets through.”
“Let’s get things ready to present ideas to the President
when he arrives.”
I can handle anything that’s thrown at me, as long as
my family is taken care of.
Linc has no idea who he’s been protecting the whole
time he’s lived on Jessica’s farm. He only knew that he had
to get the place prepped and ready should the need ever
arise.
My poor wife’s anger at the web of lies I’ve crafted for
their safety will know no bounds once she finds out what I
really do for a living. It’s a good thing that I don’t have
plans to tell her anytime in the near future.
Chapter 11
Emma
The Mountain that we return to isn’t the same place
we’d left this morning.
A gate is standing over the dirt road leading to Nana
and Pop’s. There are three people guarding it that I can see,
but I guarantee that someone is up in the trees watching as
well.
Static crackles over the radio on the seat. “Dawson?
Cole? Is that you?”
I’m not sure who is on the other end of the radio, but if
they know who Dawson and Cole are, then we’re among
friendlies.
“Yeah, Jed, can you open up? We have lots of
supplies,” Cole replies and slows as activity starts to move
the gate.
“I’m going to drop Emma off and head up the mountain
to take stuff to be stored,” Cole informs the person waving
at him to proceed, now that the road is clear again.
“What about my parents?” I bend so that I can see in
the rearview mirror.
“There’s a cabin about halfway up the mountain that
was built for two people. Haley and Dawson will make sure
they’re comfortable, and you can run Pierce up there in the
morning,” Cole explains without checking with anyone to
see what they want to do.
I realize that there’s a plan in motion that I have no control over. I can only pray that the Jackson clan will be
&nbs
p; as good to my parents as they are to theirs.
Cole must notice my thinking when I don’t respond.
“Hey, don’t you worry. You’re our family now, and we’ll
take care of your parents as well.”
“They didn’t accept Haley, so what if the rest of the
clan decides that my mom is too crazy for them?”
The road that seemed to take seconds to leave this
morning is stretching out into miles while I wait for Cole’s
answer.
“There’s a lot more to the story, but they’ll still take
care of Haley no matter what. Your parents are sweet and
don’t have a history with us, so they’ll welcome them with
open arms.” Cole slows as the house comes into view.
“Thanks for keeping my mind off of Pierce this
evening.” I grin. “But I’ve got a baby who is much cuter
than you are, so later.”
I don’t even let the truck settle into park before I jump
down with my backpack slung over my shoulder and take
off, running for the house.
When the door slams shut behind me, I realize that I
might have been a little over enthusiastic about seeing my
baby.
All the adults sitting around the kitchen table simply
smile and point toward the room I’d shared with Pierce the
night before.
Slowing down so that I don’t wake any children that
might be asleep, I walk quietly down the hall.
Nana meets me at the door. “He’s been fussing for about an hour now. I think he knew you were almost home.
Feed him, then come on out while I rustle up some supper
for the four of you.” She pats my back and hands me a
warm bottle as she passes me, heading for the kitchen.
Pierce lets out a squeak when he smells me enter the
room. Actually, I think with all the work I’d done today,
it’s a wonder that the entire mountain can’t smell me.
I pick up the little swaddled bundle and sink into the
rocking chair that sits between the two beds.
“Yes, little man. Did you miss me?” I nuzzle his head.
He smells like fresh baby.
“Oh, you were too busy hanging out with Nana? I don’t
blame you. It was much safer here than picking up
Grandma and Grandpa.” I hold up the bottle as his little lips
eat greedily.
“You act like they starved you. Oh, they only fed you
constantly and held you all day.” I feel all the tension
slowly leave my body as I adjust to not having to be on
alert constantly.
“So they spoiled you, huh?” I finally quit talking and
just enjoy the fact that my baby is safe with me in this
moment.
Once he’s finished eating, I burp him and listen to him
make little baby snores when I hear the front door slam,
signaling the return of my road mates.
I take Pierce and place him gently in the crib, pulling
the door partially closed behind me. Baby monitors haven’t
really made it to Jackson Mountain yet.
“Ah, here’s the hero of the day,” Dawson exclaims loudly around a mouthful of sandwich.
“Should have seen her, Pop. She almost shot her first
deer. Then, when the zombie things came out after it, it was
three clean shots.” Dawson acts like he was the person
who’d taught me to shoot a gun.
“We wouldn’t have seen them in the dark if she hadn’t
been on lookout. She stepped up, and I think with a little
more training, she’ll be a formidable opponent against
these things,” Cole interjects, not willing to be left out.
“Honestly, you guys were changing the tire and I just
shot at the moving things. It wasn’t that big of a deal.” I try to take the attention off of me, but I’m congratulated on all
sides.
“Well, I have to admit that you’re a mite older than
most around here when they had their first kill, but sounds
like you did yourself proud.” Pop comes over and gives me
a big bear hug.
My family isn’t really the hugging type, and it’s still
hard to get used to being bombarded with hugs at any
moment.
“Now, Pop, let the poor girl eat something while these
guys tell us how things are looking out there.” Nana shoos
him back to his seat at the head of the table.
The sandwich fixings are sitting on the counter so I
make one and go to sit in the empty chair next to Haley.
Her eyes widen at the obvious association I’m making
with her. I just smile as she mouths the words “thank you.”
Haley’s not the only one that’s noticed, but no one mentions anything as they wait for Cole to start the story.
I concentrate on eating my food, knowing that once
Cole gets started, we’re all in for a play-by-play of the
day’s action, or at least until he runs out of food and has to get a second helping.
Feeling eyes on me, I look up and meet Kathryn’s stare
as she tries to figure out what kind of game I’m playing. I
might have been intimidated if she’d tried that this
morning, but I’ve been thrown into the Jackson clan, and
I’m not going to be bullied.
There are always two sides to the story, and I’m sure
that the ‘good’ women of the mountain will try to set me
straight at some point.
Dawson sees the looks his sister-in-law is giving me
and interrupts Cole’s story.
her garage. Boxes of everything that we might possibly
need in the next few months.” Dawson’s excitement
reminds me of the best discovery in the entire lot.
“I think my mom was worried about the world’s
population if the apocalypse hit because she had an entire
case of condoms.” I laugh at the thought.
There are only a few smiles, but I’m talking to people
who wouldn’t have used a condom in the first place, so I
have to make them see the ridiculousness of the situation.
“I’m pretty sure my mom didn’t need to be protected
from unsafe sex. So I guess she didn’t want a whole new
crop of children springing up all over her neighborhood because she had labeled the box ‘church donations.’”
“She was going to give the condoms to the church?”
Andi asks incredulously.
“Yep. I asked her why the church needed them and she
said it was for the new outreach ministry. Now, it’s been a
while since I’ve been to church, but I’m not sure about this
new type of outreach they’re doing and how close to the
Bible they plan to abide by.” I snicker at the picture of a
pastor handing out condoms to the homeless outside the
church building.
Nana considers it for a moment. “I guess we can hand
those out to the kids with their hot dogs.”
Everyone turns to stare at Nana. “What? We don’t
really need packages of condiments. I mean, we have cases
of ketchup and mustard so if we let the kids use them up, it
will make the bottle last longer.”
I can’t hold the laughter in any longer. I laugh so hard,
tears begin running down my cheeks.
&n
bsp; Everyone else in the room is laughing as well.
“Nana, it’s what a guy uses to keep from getting a girl
pregnant,” Andi explains patiently, while the rest of us are
trying to control the giggles that are still erupting around
the table.
“Oh.” Nana blushes. “Well, in that case, I don’t think
we should give them to the children. Now, let’s continue
with this meeting.”
-----------
It’s the next morning, and I’m not sure what the plan is for today since no one has been able to get back on track
after Nana’s misunderstanding.
I go out to the kitchen with Pierce strapped across my
body in the sling.
Some of the ladies are cooking breakfast, and I look to
see what needs to be done and start in.
The only way to feel like part of the family is to quit
acting like a guest, and this seems the moment to show
everyone I belong.
I just finish setting the table when Nana notices me.
“Emma, dear, after breakfast, I’m going to go with you
and see if your parents are settling in. Then you have to go
up the mountain to see Granny Earlene. I had Kathryn wait
for you so that you could meet her yourself.”
“Wonderful. I think it will be good for my mom to see
Pierce again. It might help with her recovery. She’s been
having flashbacks to when she lost a baby years before she
had me.” I turn to get one last fork and realize that the
whole group of women are listening intently to everything.
“Kelly, ring the dinner bell,” Nana instructs.
“Um…don’t do that,” I say, louder than I’d intended to.
“Why, dear?” Nana looks at me curiously.
“Loud noises seem to attract the zombie things, so if
you set off the bell, they could hear it and come here. Do
you have a walkie here in the house that we could use to
call the guys with?”
“Kelly, see if Pop left one on the charger, please.” Nana points toward the living room.
“Here you go, Nana.” Kelly respectfully hands her the
radio.
“No, let Emma call them in to breakfast since she
knows how to use that thing.” Nana turns to place the radio
in my hand.
“Um, okay. Who’s on duty out there?” I start to press
the button to talk, then realize that I need a specific person to help spread the word.
“Clayton’s out there running point this morning,” Kelly