Essential Beginnings (20 page)

Mav didn’t like that Truman might opt to stay here at the camp, but he hadn’t done anything to warrant being run off either. For some reason Mav didn’t think the man would remain anyway. For his calm demeanor, there was an agitation showing through and it concerned Mav that Henley couldn’t see it. Taking added precautions was essential.

“I want to stop at the hardware store and see if Mr. Jenkins has some automatic garage door openers and low voltage wiring for ground lighting systems. I can use them to improvise some perimeter alarms around the camp and on the road leading up the valley.”

Henley followed Mav out of the bunker and back to the Jeep, where she pulled herself up into the passenger seat. The sparkle in her green eyes told him her thoughts weren’t on securing the camp. She was thinking about their night together. Mav would have loved to be able to hole up in the cabin and spend the rest of the volcanic winter they had ahead of them with her, but first they needed to help those that were still in harm’s way. They’d be running on nothing but caffeine by the time everyone who’d come to the camp were situated, but he’d at least be able to hold Henley while she slept tonight.

“We’ll make it through this,” Mav said softly, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. She wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck and held him until he forced himself to pull away from her. He didn’t like leaving this place unprotected, but he wasn’t about to let Henley stay up here by herself either. She might be good with a firearm, but she’d be outmanned if more than one target came by to cause trouble. “Stay here for a minute. You should be carrying a weapon.”

“Mav, I’ve already got my Beretta .40 S&W with an extra clip,” Henley argued, pulling away with a frown. “Regardless, I’ve known these people my entire life. They’re wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

Mav could have stood here for hours telling Henley stories about people who thought the same thing. There were villages that his team would infiltrate to help where the locals swore their people wouldn’t turn on them, only to find their closest friends or relatives had joined the rebel forces. People became desperate in times of need and would sell their soul to the devil if it meant their personal survival. That didn’t even include those strangers that were bound to turn up soon, looking for an easier route into Canada and a source of supplies. He still took the time to go back into his own cabin and retrieve an extra box of .40 caliber S&W ammunition and a midway two-way radio with a clip that would fit easily onto her belt. He returned to the truck and handed the ammo and radio to her, neither saying a word as she took them from him.

Mav figured that Henley finally realized what he’d been trying to convey before as they pulled into town. Vehicles that were usually parked in front of people’s houses or their garages were now lining the streets of Lost Summit. Mav counted at least twenty cars and trucks that were packed to the hilt and could name the owner’s of at least half of them. They were trying to escape, but what they didn’t comprehend was that there was nowhere to run.

“Mav, where are they going?” Henley asked, fear and surprise lacing her voice. She stuck her travel mug into the right side cup holder of his console as he pulled up outside of the hardware store. His intention had been to drop her off at the Village Community Center, but he knew her well enough that she would want try and talk to some of the people getting ready to leave. “They need to know we contacted the base and that our instructions are to stay here.”

Henley had already opened her door by the time he threw the Jeep in park. Mav didn’t even have time to say a word before she’d closed the door and made a beeline for Curt Rogers and Theo Powell. Both men were going over a map on the hood of Curt’s car. Mav muttered a few choice words under his breath as his shoulder hit his door at the same time he pulled on the door’s handle. She’d crossed the street before he could stop her.

“Mr. Rogers?” Henley was now standing behind the two men, who’d turned when she’d called out. “What are you doing?”

“Now, Henley, we’ve all been listening to the emergency channels. Our best bet is to get up to the Canadian border and cross into British Columbia.” Curt nodded toward Theo, who’d already started to fold up the map. Mav came to stand next to Henley and he could already tell from the resolve written across both men’s faces that neither he nor Henley would be able to change their minds. “Did you hear that the ash has reached southeastern Washington? It’s not as bad as it is in the Midwest, but we can’t stay here. We’d be better off farther north. Maybe even Alaska.”

“We all know they won’t allow you to cross the border,” Henley said, throwing her hands up in frustration. “Didn’t you listen to what Ernie had to say yesterday? The safest thing we could do is stay here, or better yet up at the camp. There is plenty of space for all of us and we have provisions. It’s protected by the mountains, we have reliable sources of fuel, electricity, food, and water. We can provide safe shelter and protection from the elements for an extended period of time up there at the camp.”

“Ernie is a good man, Henley, but it’s all theory,” Theo replied, his voice deeper than most due to his years of smoking. He gestured toward his car where his wife sat in the passenger side holding Snowcap in her lap. The Maltese would bite anyone who came near Mrs. Powell and he was watching all of their movements, debating on whether he should bark. Theo looked at Mav. “No offense, but we have to do what we think is best for our families.”

“I understand, Mr. Powell, but I’ve looked over all the information as well and I believe Tank is right. I also spoke with Fairchild Base Operations and they’re advising that we hunker down until the worst of it is over and they can get supplies to us then.” Mav looked between the two men, already knowing that nothing he said would make a difference. They couldn’t fathom staying and waiting it out. That didn’t stop Mav from trying one more time. “I called Berke, Owen, Mason, and Van before the lines went down. They’re making their way here and both of you know that means something if Berke thinks this is the best place to be.”

“Mav, do you really think they’re still alive? How would they be able to travel any kind of distance in that shit?”

Mav gritted his teeth at the question and did his best not to say something he’d regret. Henley had audibly gasped at the inquiry and she laid her hand on his arm in comfort. He didn’t need any because he knew his teammates unlike any other man on the face of this earth besides Tank. Those four Marines would not only make it here, but they would come bearing arms and the willingness to protect the sanctuary that Tank had created. It made Mav want everyone up at the lodge as soon as possible so that someone could be monitoring the HF radio for any distress calls.

“Listen, we have a guest up at the cabin who arrived yesterday morning. His name is Kellen Truman and he said he’s with the military back at Fort Bragg,” Henley explained, sharing a look with Mav. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and he could see the slight tremor in her hand. She was terrified for these people’s lives, but she needed to accept that there wasn’t anything that she or he could say to change their minds. “He thought that Fairchild AFB could take people, and that was true until they filled up. But like Mav said, he spoke with them this morning. It’s best we stay here. Everyone else is over at the Village Community Center. Won’t you at least come over there to see what we’ve come up with?”

Curt and Theo shared a look as they digested what Henley had shared. It was hope they were looking to grab hold of and as Henley continued to urge them to come to the Center to hear what else Tank might be able to tell them, Mav slowly disengaged himself to walk back across the street to the hardware store. Henley would be a while if she was going to notify the rest of the people that had lined the streets behind Rogers and Powell. He had to hand it to her. She had a tenacious spirit that would benefit all of them. When he reached the door to the shop it was locked.

“Dad’s probably already over at the meeting.” Mav turned to see Jeremy walking towards him from the south end of town. He had blood dripping down the side of his face and he had to be sporting a hell of a headache from where the drips were coming from. “We have a problem. Someone tried to ambush me from behind and did their best to take my rifle. I figured you might want to question him when he woke up.”

H
enley spent a
good fifteen minutes talking to those folks who were lined up with whatever belongings they could fit into their vehicles. She’d shared everything she’d heard from Mav’s conversation with Fairchild Operations along with the fact that Kellen Truman was currently with the rest of the residents inside the Village Community Center. People were panicking and she was right there with them, because her heart hadn’t stopped racing since she saw how many residents were leaving town. She couldn’t stand the thought of them stranded somewhere when the ash started to fall and from what the shortwave radio was saying…it was closer than they’d anticipated.

She’d convinced Mr. Rogers and Mr. Powell, along with Mr. Kahler to talk to Ernie once more before they chose to leave Lost Summit indefinitely. Right now she wanted to find Mav and but he was nowhere to be found when she’d returned to the front of the hardware store. She felt a twinge of anxiety at not locating him where he’d said he would be and she quickly made her way to the Community Center. Elijah had once again claimed his spot on a chair right by the door so that he could keep an eye on the sky and he patted her hand when she’d touched his shoulder.

“Have you seen Mav?” Henley looked around and could visibly see that only around three quarters of the population was still here. Sheriff Ramsey, Mayor Thomas, and Ernie were speaking with Kellen Truman toward the front of the large room. She didn’t spot Mav and a weight settled into her stomach, causing her to locate Stanley Ratliff and his two followers. She saw them near the front as well, listening intently to the others. “He was supposed to be over at the hardware store.”

“I haven’t seen Mav this morning. Jenkins is inside with Mrs. Welsh, so I don’t know how your man would have gotten inside the shop.” Elijah turned and pointed to where Mr. Jenkins and Mrs. Welsh stood with their heads together, but Henley was curious as to why Elijah would have called Mav
her man
. It had been a whirlwind forty-eight hours and with the exception that the world would experience an apocalyptic event…she didn’t regret a minute of it. She’d felt whole ever since she’d come clean with Maverick and then actually had the strength to drop the barriers she’d put into place. She’d finally let someone in—someone special—and now it was almost painful to be away from his side and not know where he’d gone. It would be so hard to put into words or explain that to someone looking in from the outside, but thinking that today could be her last had her holding on to what she’d been given with every ounce of strength she had. “I have my hearings aids in this morning. I don’t want to miss anything that’s said.”

“That’s good, Elijah,” Henley replied, regretting that she sounded distracted when Elijah needed as much reassurance as she did. Henley turned around to look down the street, seeing a few people here and there as they turned their vehicles around and drove out of town. Mabel was walking their way with a carafe in one hand and a stack of Styrofoam cups in another. She looked haphazard, tired, and downright worried, which Henley figured was due to the fact Derek hadn’t been able to contact her since the supervolcano erupted. “Let me go help Mabel.”

“I’ve got it,” Elijah said as he took his time standing, even using the edge of the doorframe to help his movements. He didn’t have his cane today. “You go on up front. I’ve been picking up pieces of the conversation and it sounds like the mayor is in agreement with that new fellow to tell everyone to head to Fairchild Air Force Base.”

What Henley wanted was to go look for Mav. His stories of not trusting people during desperate times was starting to worry her, even though she knew every single person in this town and was confident they wouldn’t hurt someone out of fear. She’d just been about to tell Elijah that she’d be back when Ernie called out her name. Thinning her lips in concern and irritation, Henley reluctantly made her way to the front of the room.

“Ernie, I need to—”

“The mayor wants to move everybody who is still in town to Fairchild.” Ernie pointed an accusing finger at Kellen, who stood there with his arms crossed in confidence. “That’s four hours’ drive south toward Spokane and that area cannot sustain that many people for the length of time needed. We’re talking ten years of a volcanic winter and who knows what follows.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Henley said, resigning to sharing what she knew so that she could go in search of Mav. “Kellen, we spoke with Base Operations at Fairchild less than an hour ago. They aren’t taking anyone else. They’re filled to capacity and his instructions were to stay here until someone from the National Guard could get to us with additional supplies.”

Henley was now the center of attention, but that wasn’t what made her uncomfortable. It was Kellen who’d become so still in studying her that it made her acutely aware of the danger Ernie and Mav had been referring to. She didn’t back down and met his stare with a raised eyebrow. She wasn’t about to let him know that he intimated her. Her white sweatshirt covered the weapon that Ernie had given her and it gave her a measure of false confidence that she could deal with anything thrown her way.