It Was 2052, High Haven (13 page)

She took a sip of the tea she had
brewed and reached out and covered his hand with hers, fixing his
eyes. Taylor sat very still and met her gaze, she had never touched
him in all these weeks and days. “Remember, the books, the
legends? Could these
secret
people have actually found lost
treasure in the mountains around here. Could they have found gold,
Taylor?” her voice was a low whisper.

Peaches stirred and turned over,
Taylor realized the fire was nearly out. He needed to feed it, but
was reluctant to pull his hand away. The only gold he could think of
was the embers reflected in Cissy's excited eyes.

***

Far below, in the big city to the
north, Kevin, Bubba and Lindsey, not seriously injured but a little
beat up had arrived at the Beulah House just as the sun was
disappearing. They managed to secure a room and paid for two weeks in
advance. The run down multi-story old hotel was not a very welcoming
place, after a couple of days they felt reasonably safe on the third
floor of the building. Two men and a woman sharing a room wasn't
even cause for a blink. In these times, in this city, there were no
social rules.

Lindsey couldn't be persuaded to stay
longer than those couple of days. She had already trashed her sling,
flexing the black and blue wrist, she said, “It's okay, not
even hurting much. You guys are settled, I need to get back home for
a bit.”

Bubba, a haze of infatuation still
clinging, said, “Aw-w, c'mon. You can stay a few more days.”

“
Nope---don't think so. Tell
you what, in ten days I'll meet you over at the post office. We can
catch up. Might even go over to Mo's, have a beer and a dance.”
She winked, they agreed, set a day and time. It was early morning
and with two quick kisses to her new friend's cheeks, the pack swung
up to her back, they watched her small figure move away. She left in
a different direction than the one they all had arrived but moved
toward her colorful cabin home.

“
I'll be damned if that isn't
the most interesting woman I've ever met,” said Bubba as he
watched until she could no longer be seen.

Kevin grinned, “I'd say she's
one of a kind.”

“
You know that silly little
fluff of a dog back home. She'll kiss you all over and is a real
cutie but you better not cross her, do something she doesn't like. I
still have scars from those tiny sharp teeth on the back of my leg
and I don't even remember what I did. That's what Lindsey reminds me
of.”

This time Kevin laughed out loud.
“Friend, one thing I can say about you---when you fall, you go
down hard.”

Bubba joined in the laughter, “Oh-h,
but the trip down is so good.”

After the skirmish they had with the
thieves and a couple of more days at Beulah House, Kevin was having
severe doubts about being here. He wouldn't admit it to his friend,
he really hated to see Lindsey leave, too. She knew about the city
and she knew how to take care of herself. It was definitely time for
them to get back out there and check out the town.

“
You know, we're going to have
to get back into the city and do some exploring. We'll be okay for
the next couple of weeks but we're going to need to find a way to
earn some money or do some real smart bartering. I've talked to one
or two people around here. Not really much information. So far,
no-one knows anything about any military.”

“
Fine by me. Let's hit the
streets. This time, though, not toting our stuff and I'm going to be
paying close attention to who's around,” he looked in a hazy
mirror at the nose that was still swollen and colored like Lindsey's
wrist and took his pistol from the dresser. He stuck it in a waist
holster and checked his ammo.

Five days of exploration, walking the
city streets and investigating opportunities didn't bring much
satisfaction and Kevin's doubts only grew. It wasn't that he minded
finding work and they had found some possibilities. That wasn't
really what they came here for, not to just work and stay. They---he
for certain, wanted to find the military. He had intentions to join
up and possibly fight for a cause, his country. It wasn't that he was
bound and determined to get away from home. Home was good, people he
loved there, a life. His leaving needed to have a worthy
justification.

It was evening and the two friends
stood around one of the large fire pits behind the hotel where folks
gathered, cooked and visited, in the last hours of the day. A man
close to his father's age stood by the fire. Bubba knelt down,
scooted a heavy pan with link sausages in it across the large grate
over the flames. Some chunks of potato swam around with the long
tubes of meat.

They had traded some tobacco for half
a dozen sausages, four potatoes and a loaf of home made bread earlier
that day. The links sizzled. Kevin spoke to the man, “Would
you like a sausage? We've got plenty.” The smell was pretty
tempting by now.

“
Um-m, sure. Thanks.” The
man turned up a small bottle that was definitely alcohol, swigged and
stuck it back in the pocket of a raggedy jacket. “Hadn't really
thought about supper.”

Kevin noted that the man didn't look
very healthy. In spite of his shabby appearance, he was fairly clean
and spoke well. They put their food on plates and went to one of the
weathered long wooden tables that dotted the yard area. Kevin tested
that the old bench would hold them and Bubba lit a lantern that sat
on the table.

They exchanged names, “Been here
long?” Kevin asked the man.

“
A couple of weeks. I came down
from the bigger town up north of here. God, this is good, didn't
realize how hungry I was. I appreciate you sharing.”

“
No problem.” Kevin
started asking the man about the bigger city, was there military
there? How far was it from here?

Bubba was busy with his plate. The man
took another swallow from his bottle. He had wolfed down two links,
two chunks of bread and a pile of potatoes. He seemed more alert than
earlier.
No telling when he last ate.

“
It's bout fifty miles north of
here, straight up the old interstate. Pretty friggin' rough there. I
got sick of it,” he looked around at the scattered population
of the yard, “Doubt it'll be much better here. Military, you
say? You mean like army? Nah-h, I never saw any government
soldiers. Just like the law, not ever around.” He carefully
took one last bit of bread and cleaned up the plate with it.

“
I did hear a bunch of stories
about Denver. I heard there was a young war there. Some pretty wild
stuff about bad guys trying to take over the country. It was told
that the military cleaned them out. That's what they said,
the
honest to god f—king American Army.”

The man gave a smile that showed
stained but straight teeth. Kevin saw this ghost of a person who once
had been a respectable productive man. He got a real bad feeling in
his gut.

“
Don't matter to me. Whoever
wants what's left of this country can have it. I'll just find me a
hole up in those mountains and crawl in it.”

By this time, Bubba was full and he
was beginning to look hard at their dinner companion. The man took
out his small bottle, looked at them and offered them a shot. Bubba's
hand was already reaching when Kevin said, “No thanks, we
better be getting on now.”
The man needs whatever little he
has.
Besides, he wanted to get up to the room and talk to his
friend.

The murky water trickled into the
small sink, Bubba put the plates in, swished around with the bar of
soap. Just like Taylor had warned, Kevin wouldn't drink that slime if
he was dying.

“
Did you hear what the man was
saying, Bubba? About the military. They aren't in the next big city
and maybe---could be just rumors and tales---in Denver. Denver is a
hundred more miles. I'm having some real doubts about us being here
and what we're going to do.”

“
Well, damn bud, I don't want to
go home with our tail between our legs.” He rinsed the plates,
forks and skillet the best he could, dried them on a cloth and set
them aside.

“
Me neither but we're going to
have to do some thinking. If we stay here, we're going to have to
find some work or we're going to need to head north into god knows
what. We'll meet Lindsey in a few more days, she's got a good head on
her shoulders. Maybe she can help us make a plan,” said Kevin.
“Meanwhile, we'll see what more we can find out.”

Those next days were indecisive and
non-productive as far as Kevin was concerned and it was finally the
day to meet Lindsey at the old post office. They made their way
across town and arrived at the post office, no sign of their friend,
they would wait. From the alphabetical cubby holes, Bubba's voice
echoed in the cavernous room, “Hey, Kev! Look, it's a letter
from home.”

He took the letter and looked at it,
surprised. It hadn't been all that long, though it seemed like a long
time to him.
I can't believe I got a letter from Dad and Emily.
“I'll be damned,” he said aloud, “good old
letter service.”
As he held the dirty letter in his
hand, memories of the look on the faces of the people that he and his
father had managed to deliver letters to, flashed through his head.
The smiles, the tears and the relief to have word from loved ones.
He went across the trash strewn floor, plopped down and leaned
against the wall, moving the rifle he had on his shoulder to his
side. Bubba slid down right beside him.

They both read the letter that his
father and mother had written. Catch up news on the community. Kevin
had to smile at the deliberate temptation of telling him how much
Suzanne Bailey missed him and also the hint to Bubba that the girls
from up the hill asked about him. Then, he read and backed up and
read again.

“
Darn foolish woman. What's
Cissy think she's doing---going up in those mountains!”

Bubba said, “Well, Taylor went
with her. Besides, Cissy's no helpless girl.”

Kevin stood, started to pace around.
“Taylor,
humph!
We don't even know that man. She's just
crazy, I tell you. It's those blasted treasure stories and that
stupid light.”

“
What-the-HELL are you talking
about?”

Since his friend had never told him
anything about the sister's mysterious light or lost treasure, under
threat of serious bodily harm, Bubba wasn't following the rant at
all.

Just then, the woman they had forgot
they were meeting appeared. Not waiting for an invite, Bubba grabbed
and squeezed her, crunching items in the many pockets of her loaded
vest. She didn't immediately pull away, but slowly pushed back.

“
Hey-y, Fool, I've got stuff in
here.”

“
You certainly do-o.” He
gave a short whistle and shook his head.

This time she flicked her small finger
against his cheek.

“
Ow-w.” He rubbed and
looked at Kevin, “Just like that dog.”

“
Are you calling me a
bitch
?”
She snipped as she reached to hug Kevin.

She clapped her hands, “Okay,
let's go to Mo's and catch up.”

The three sat at the table in the
corner, beers in front of them. They took turns telling her of the
last few days and the disappointing news that the military might be
ensconced a far distance away.

“
I really don't know what we'll
do. Also, I got this letter---” he told her about his sister
going off to the mountains on her journey.

Bubba took a big slurp of his beer,
“Rather be “thumped” than go back home right now,”
he mumbled.

They talked some more, had another
round. They even dragged Kevin onto the dance floor for a song that
he thought lasted an eternity. He shuffled his feet around, feeling a
lot like a bull trying to get through a cactus patch and before the
music stopped he gave up and went back to the table. Lindsey and
Bubba joined him, short of breath, those two pursued dancing with
great enthusiasm. After a minute or two of no talk, he said, “So,
I'm thinking that Bubba and I either have to head north or we have to
head back home. I just can't see a reason for being here any longer.
What do you think, Lindsey?”

She sipped some more beer, seemed to
be thinking and then, “I say, let's do it,
let's go,
”
small hands slapped the table.

“
That's perfect!” said
Bubba over the hum of the bar, “You can go home with us. You'll
love it there....” All of a sudden, his opposition to going
home forgotten.

“
No---no, no. Let's go to the
mountains, find Kevin's sister. Let's find the lost treasure,”

Once he was given them, secrets were
not Bubba's to keep. During the telling of the story he blabbed all
about why Kevin assumed his sister went on the journey.

Kevin said, “Not something that
I had considered. I sure don't like the idea of her being out there.
I think Taylor is a good man but I really don't know him. That's
dangerous country up where she was headed.”

With an uncharacteristic flash of
logic and a serious expression, Bubba looked at Lindsey and stifled a
burp, “You do know, girl. There's no treasure. The only light
I've ever seen is last light of day. Those mountains are rough and
dangerous.”