EMP 1500 MILES FROM HOME (6 page)

"Is he armed?” Julie asked.

"I don't think so—at least not with a rifle." I passed Julie the binoculars. She looked for a bit and nodded her head.

We were catching up to the man, who was moving quite slowly. As we got closer we saw he was pulling a big handcart behind him. When we were about 200 yards away I shouted, "Hello."

I don't think the man even knew we were there. He was startled and dropped the handles of the cart and turned to face us. He was very obese and apparently unarmed. He held his hands in the air as we approached.

"I said, "You can put your hands down, if you wish. We don't want to shoot you."

"Since you are both have guns, I guess you could shoot me if you wanted to. It might be better for me if you did."

"Why do you say that?" I asked, suddenly realizing that this was just a boy, not yet a man.

"Are you blind? Look at me, I weigh 410 pounds and I am trying to cross a desert on foot. How likely do you think it is that I will make it out of this alive anyway?"

"I think you have a pretty good chance," I said. "I don't know anyone else of your weight, and not very many people of normal weight, who could do what you are doing."

"Would you guys like something to eat?" the boy asked. "I am about ready to stop and cook some breakfast."

"That sound's good," I said. I motioned to Julie and she stood in her stirrups and scanned the horizon in all directions with the binoculars. It was flat here and she could see for a long way.

Julie took my horse and hobbled both horses where there were a few blades of grass. She also gave each horse a drink of water.

I walked up to the boy and we shook hands. We looked each other nearly eye to eye. He was very tall, and, in spite of the weight he carried, slightly smaller-boned than I am. My hand covered his like an oven mitt. I glanced down. His feet were smaller than mine. I laughed to myself. He was lucky. He could find shoes that might even fit. Well, until he reached full size anyway. I suspected he was still growing.

After a while we were gathered around a campfire while bacon fried in a pan. It smelled good. The boy sat on a chair he took from the cart. He apologized for not having chairs for us.

"I need a chair," he said. "I have difficulty getting up from the ground."

"I understand," Julie said. "My aunt has arthritis and can't do that either."

"What is your name?" I asked. The boy hesitated. "Make one up if you like, I just want to know what to call you."

"Oh, OK," He said. "My name is Fowler Yett, but folks mostly call me Yeti."

"How old are you?"

"I am 15."

"What do you want us to call you?"

"Yeti is OK. I am used to it."

"My name is Wayne Zane."

Yeti smiled. "No shit. Then maybe you do understand a bit."

"Hi, I am Julie Hoffman."

Yeti shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you Ma'am."

"Where are you headed?" I asked Yeti.

"East, just east where there might be more water."

"Do you have family in the East?"

"I have a brother somewhere, but our parents are dead. They passed away when we were kids. My brother is a year older than me."

"Who raised you boys?" Julie asked.

Yeti hung his head. "Our Aunt took my brother, but they sent me to child services when our mother died and I ended up in a series of orphanages. No one ever wanted to adopt me."

"Your aunt couldn't take you both?" Julie asked.

Yeti hung his head even further. "She didn't want me. She said I was too big and fat."

Julie glanced at me. I nodded.

"Yeti, look at me," Julie said.

Yeti raised his head. "Yes Ma'am."

"We want you. Will you join up with us?"

"Why would you want me?"

"We need someone else to stand watch," I said. "There is strength in numbers."

"I will just slow you down," Yeti said.

"We don't travel very fast anyway, Yeti," I said.

"OK," Yeti answered, "but if I get in the way or slow you down, just leave. I'll understand."

"We don't leave anyone behind—ever. That is the first rule of our company. Now shake on it. Yeti extended his hand, and Julie and I both shook it. Yeti was crying, but tried to hide it.

We finished breakfast, cleaned up, and put away our gear. "Is there some way we can hook a horse to the cart?" I asked Julie.

Yeti fished around on the floor of the cart and came up with some long leather straps. "Is that what these things are for?" he asked.

"You bet." Julie dug about in the cart and came up with some more straps and such. Soon she had the cart hitched to one of the horses. She and Yeti put the saddle and other gear from the horse into the cart. Then we started east.

Julie rode with binoculars in hand and I walked with Yeti. He could only go about a mile before he had to rest for a few minutes, but he was game and kept trying. With all the walking coming up, I thought Yeti would lose weight and get stronger as we went. It was late September and I knew we would have to hole up somewhere for the winter anyway. There would be time enough for Yeti to get into better shape before spring.

I quietly laughed at myself. I never understood why Cap took me in hand, and I wasn't sure why we were taking Yeti on. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Somehow, I knew I would never regret it, just like I had known that Lucy would be my wife the first time I saw her.

As we walked, we talked. Well I talked and Yeti grunted. He didn't have enough wind to talk while we were walking.

"Do you know how to use a gun?" I asked.

Yeti grunted and shook his head no.

"Well, I will teach you, no problem."

We made another two miles before Yeti was worn out. Julie and I helped him into the cart. We made another four miles before we decided to set up a tarp for shade and stop for the night. It was only about 2:00 PM, but Yeti was sound asleep in the cart.

Julie

I rode ahead while Wayne walked with Yeti. Now I knew I was falling in love with Wayne. It was no longer just an attraction. I realized it the instant the look passed between us about Yeti and he nodded. I wondered what my dad would say about me falling in love with a married man? I didn't think he would approve, although I knew he would like Wayne. I also thought he would like Yeti, our adopted orphan. My dad has a big heart.

From time to time I glanced back at Wayne and Yeti, my two giants. I smiled. Here it is the End of the World, as Wayne refers to it, and I am happy. I am happy because I am in love and I am happy because of Yeti, a child that desperately needs a mother and a father. I want to be his mother and, of course, I want Wayne to be his father, and my husband—yet I do not want to be the other woman. That is not my style and never has been. It is a problem for me, but the world has changed. There are no more laws, and Indiana is a long, long way from here. I know that I shouldn't stand between Wayne and his wife, but they say the heart wants what it wants, and my heart wants Wayne.

Wayne

The spot we chose for camp was just high enough to give us a slight vantage point. Through the binoculars, I could see some shacks and such to the north of the road about four miles east of us and another shack a little closer on the south side of the road. We would have to pass by them tomorrow. I studied the shacks through the binoculars. Twice the curtains in two different shacks moved behind the glass. There were people there.

While I studied the shacks, Julie and Yeti set up the tarp as a lean-to against the cart. Julie watered and hobbled the horses where there was some grass. She spent the next hour gathering as much of the dry grass as she could find for the horses.

Yeti drank some water and crawled under the lean-to. When I looked he was dead to the world. I was glad it was September. The nights were cool and the days weren't quite as hot as they had been in the summer. That would make it easier on Yeti, as well as the horses, Julie, and me. Soon Julie joined me.

"Well Mom, how is our boy doing?"

"Pretty good, considering, Dad." We both smiled.

Julie looked me in the eye for a full minute. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her face gave no clue.

"What did you mean by company?" She finally asked.

I explained my idea to her. She thought about it for a while and then started asking questions. She asked about a number of things I had not thought of. After I took first watch and she turned in, I had a lot to think about. The watch passed quickly and so did the night. Yeti slept soundly through the entire night.

"You didn't ask me to stand watch," Yeti said as we led the horse pulling the cart at first light.

"You aren't ready yet, Son."

"But I am willing to help."

"I know that," I said, putting my arm around his shoulders. I realized that in a couple of years, or less, this boy might be several inches, or more, taller than I was. It would be nice not to be the tallest man in the room.

"I like it when you call me son," Yeti said. "Since my mom and dad died, no one has ever done that." I just squeezed his shoulder a little harder and ignored the tears that were streaming down his face. He didn't mention them either.

As we walked, I talked to Yeti like Cap talked to me. I started the process of passing on what Cap had taught me. Yeti soaked it up like a sponge. The time passed quickly. We were close to the shacks before we knew it. Yeti had only rested twice. He seemed to be getting stronger.

I could see five people standing by the road waiting for us—three women and two men. Both men were armed with rifles, or shotguns, I couldn't tell yet, but they made no hostile moves. Julie dropped her horse back beside me. I signaled her to drop back and cover us. We still had not fully developed our hand signal system, but it was getting better.

I left the others waiting about 150 yards away and walked up to the people. The Mosin was slung over my shoulder. I didn't make any threatening moves.

"Hello Stranger," the bearded man said.

"Howdy, yourself," I replied. He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Do you know what has happened? We haven't seen or heard a single car on the highway in over a week now, and none of our cars will start."

"Yes," I said, motioning the others forward with a signal from my foot. "It was an EMP."

"What is that?" he asked.

"How about we build a fire and you folks can join us for breakfast. Then I can explain everything."

"OK," the man said. He turned to one of the women. "Becky, can you girls whip up a big breakfast for our guests."

"You bet Bill." She motioned to the other two women and they headed for one of the shacks before I could say a word.

"We have our own supplies. We don't want to use yours."

"Don't worry. We have plenty. You folks come on along and we will set up some chairs and the big table under the shade tree."

We followed. Once there, Julie and Yeti unhooked the horse from the cart and hobbled the horses so they could graze. Bill and the other man set up a large weathered dining room table and eight chairs under the shade of the tree. They also strung up a battered plastic tarp for additional shade. It was only about 60 degrees but the sun was warming everything quickly. Soon it would be over 80 degrees and the shade would be perfect.

Bill motioned to one of the chairs. It was made from 2x4s and looked to be exceptionally strong. "I think this one will fit you, young man." He smiled as he said it. Yeti smiled back and sat in the chair. Bill and I took chairs at the same end of the table. Bill introduced the other man as Slim.

I noticed Julie went to help the women when she was finished with the horses. Apparently she didn't feel like these people were a danger either.

"I said, "I am Wayne and this is Yeti." We all shook hands. We made small talk until the women brought breakfast to the table. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, jam, butter, and jelly.

"You have electricity?" I asked.

"We have a few solar panels on top of our houses. We don't have a lot of electricity, but it is enough," Slim said. "We run a couple of 12 volt freezers, three 12 volt refrigerators, and some other stuff."

"Computers?" I asked.

"Yeah, but we have never had Internet way out here if that is what you are asking?"

"That was where I was going," I said.

"We live completely off grid here," Slim smiled.

"We are squatters," Bill laughed. "We don't pay land taxes, or any other taxes for that matter."

"Yeah, the county keeps threatening to shut us down, but it hasn't so far," Slim said.

"I doubt they will now," and, in between mouthfuls of a great breakfast, I told them all about EMPs and what it meant. They all listened intently.

One of the women said, "Oh well, we ain't much for civilized doings. That's mostly why we are here."

"I reckon I ought to introduce you to the women folks. I have been remiss, and haven't done that yet. My old mum always said I had the manners of a billy goat. Anyway, this is Becky, my wife."