Sea (A Stranded Novel) (20 page)

Her hands had stopped shaking hours ago but she was chilled to the bone and she knew it wasn’t just from the rain. Emily had saved them from being used and murdered but the callous way the men had talked about it had damaged her. Is this what they had to look forward to in this new world? Women having only one value and then discarded? She remembered what Mark had said back on the boat. He had said that only the strong would survive and they would take what they wanted. She looked up as David came into the room in dry clothes. The look he sent Emily was so full of love and concern that it hurt her heart a little bit that no one had ever looked at her that way. She turned away so no one would see the tears in her eyes. Was she that unlovable? Even her own parents had only ever shown her approval, never love.

She flinched when Mason came over and put his hand on her back. He quickly pulled away and his face reddened.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to see if you were okay,” he said quietly.

She nodded her head without looking at him and opened another bag from the back of the quad. It had six cans of chilli and beef stew in it. At the bottom of the bag was a small folding camp stove with a can of steno oil. She glanced over at Emily but David had sat down beside her and she had her head on his chest while he smoothed her hair. It was so obvious that David was in love with her and the only person who didn’t seem to know was Emily.

Lisa turned away and carried the bag to a workbench. She studied the stove until she figured out how to set it up and then looked at Mason.

“Do you have any matches or a lighter?”

“Uh, no, but let me check in the other room and see if I can find something.”

It was dark and gloomy with the overcast sky so he took a flashlight and went over to the sales counter and started to look around behind it. While he searched, Lisa got the pan from her pack and dumped two cans of beef stew into it. She hoped Mason found something because the cold stew wasn’t very appetizing, looking like lumpy brown
Jello in the bottom of the pot. She filled the other pot with water after she discovered a small jar of instant coffee in one of the other bags on the quad. Mason came over grinning and held up an old dried out book of matches. She waved him forward and he tried to light one of the matches. It was so old that it just crumbled, and it took four tries before one of them caught. Lisa sighed in relief and set the pan of stew on the stove.

The little stove warmed the pan quickly and the smell of the heating stew filled the garage. David and Emily stood up and came over. They found two bowls and spoon in the bags. They would have to take turns with them but they were just happy to have a hot meal. Once everyone had eaten and coffee had been made in the two travel mugs they found
, they settled down and passed the hot drink back and forth between them.

David looked around the abandoned building. “Anyone know where we are?”

Mason perked up. “Yes, actually, I do. There’s still an old map taped on the front wall in the other room. Someone circled an area in red and wrote “you are here” on it. We somehow got around Hope and we are now on the Coquihalla Highway. It looks like we are about a hundred miles to Merritt.”

Emily jerked up and turned to David with a look of surprise. He slowly smiled and nodded.

Mason looked at Lisa in confusion but she just shrugged so he asked. “What, what’s so special about Merritt?”

Emily just closed her eyes and breathed out, “Peter.”

David laughed at her dramatics and explained, “Peter is Alex’s older brother. He’s an RCMP officer and that’s where he is stationed. It would be really nice to see a familiar face right about now.”

“Wow, that’s great! Do you think he will help us?” Lisa asked hopefully.

“Oh, yeah, Peter might as well be my big brother. I’ve been driving him nuts with Alex since we were five!” Emily told her.

Emily was looking so happy but suddenly the smile melted off her face and her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, my God! What am I going to tell him? I… I just killed two men! What…how…?”

Lisa was the quickest to react. She slid over and grabbed Emily’s arm and shook it.

“Well, we better tell him about me too then! I killed Mark so he can deal with both of us!” she said fiercely.

Emily’s mouth dropped open in shock. “What? That was self defence
, Lisa. You saved us all!”

Lisa nodded and loosened her hold on Emily’s arm. “So what do you think happened today? They talked about what they were going to do to us. We both know what would have happened if you hadn’t shot them. Emily…you once told me that I had done the right thing and that I was a hero. Now I’m telling you the same thing. You saved us this time.” Lisa sat back and let the tears fall. The tension went out of Emily and she reached out and pulled Lisa to her.

As the girls wept, David and Mason looked at each other. They didn’t know what had happened on the trail today but they were both grateful that the girls had made it out alive. Mason was surprised at how he felt at the possibility of losing Lisa. He was so ashamed of the hurt he had caused her and every day on the road, she impressed him with her new determination and attitude. He had never seen her as anything other than a shallow cheerleader but she was so much more. He wished he could change things between them. He wished she would give him another chance.

They settled down for the night in the cold garage. With most of their blankets wet
, they all huddled together and tried to sleep hoping that the next day would bring them closer to home and family.

The sun was out to wake them the next morning and they were all happy to see clear skies. They decided to forego breakfast and just drank some hot coffee to start their day. Emily was anxious to get going. More than anything she wanted to find Peter, the closest thing she had to a brother. She wouldn’t let herself think of all the things that could have happened to him since the lights went out. He was a cop and he would have been in danger from the very start.

As they traveled the famous highway north, they saw a lot of wildlife. Deer and elk wandered freely across the road and weaved in between the stranded vehicles. The cars were spread out and there were a lot of transport trucks on this road. A huge dual-trailered Safeway truck had jackknifed into the ditch and they stopped to see if they could get into it. There were padlocks on both trailers and they were sealed up tight. David looked around until he found the mile marker and memorised it. The kids might not be able to get in to the grocery truck but the people of Merritt could come and get it open.

What they didn’t see was people. There were campgrounds and recreation areas along the highway but not a lot of residences. Anyone who had been stranded on this road would have walked out a long time ago. It had been twenty
-four days since the world changed and most people would have made it to where they were going by now.

The highway mileage signs counted down the distance to their destination and they had to keep slowing down to a safe speed as their excitement got the better of them. Even in the excitement to get to Merritt
, it was impossible not to be in awe of the amazing scenery they were passing. There were mountains, lakes, valleys and meadows filled with new spring growth all around them. The peaks still had snow on them and the clean air filled their lungs. It was one of the most beautiful places on earth and it inspired a peaceful feeling in all the teens.

The
Coquihalla Highway was beautiful in spring and summer but was dubbed the Highway through Hell in the winter. It twisted and turned with the land and avalanches happened often. There were tunnels in the highest danger areas that would protect travelers from the rushing slides of death. The road didn’t go through the town they were heading towards but circled around.

They came to the exit for the town in the early afternoon and as they made their way off the highway they could see the huge visitor center ahead of them and
, for the first time since they got the quads, people. As they got closer they could make out four men and a woman sitting in lawn chairs around a fire in the middle of the parking lot. When the people heard the engines of the quads, they got up and walked towards them. One man raised his arm and waved. The people were all armed but the rifles stayed slung on their backs or shoulders and no one seemed hostile.

As the teens came to a stop at the entrance to the parking lot, one man stepped towards them and Emily could see he was wearing an RCMP uniform. She smiled a huge smile at him and removed her hand from her pocket. She had been clutching the gun tight. There was only one bullet left but she would make it count if she had too.

He looked them over with a nod.

“Hello! Where are you kids heading?”

Emily took the lead. “We were hoping to head into town. My best friend’s brother lives here and we were hoping to find him.”

“Sure, you guys head on in. If you don’t find him, there are two refugee camps setup and anyone in town will direct you. If you kids are planning on staying
, there’s a registration desk there and they will get you set up with food and housing.” The officer smiled at their looks of disbelief.

Lisa asked him tentatively, “Is it safe?”

He gave her a sad smile. “Yes, it is. We have a small population and when the Event happened, most everyone stayed calm. We had a few bad apples that started some trouble but we put them down fast. Most people here are used to losing power so we have a lot of generators and the hunting around here is pretty good so food wasn’t much of an issue. I take it you kids have seen some trouble?”

Before they could answer the woman came over and handed out travel mugs she had filled from the pot on the campfire. The teens smile gratefully and sipped at the hot chocolate in the mugs. The woman looked them over with compassion.

“How far have you come?”

The shocked looks on their faces were comical when Emily said, “California.”

The officer sputtered. “What…how? There’s no way!”

Emily and the others nodded with serious faces and she explained where they had been and how they had come so far. The people just stared at them in awe so she kept talking.

“We live in central Alberta so after we find Peter, we plan on continuing on.”

The officer just shook his head in amazement. His eyes narrowed at a thought and he asked.

“Wait a minute. You kids were on a class trip to Disneyland and you’re all from Alberta?”

When they nodded, his face broke in to a grin. “You’re looking for Pete Andrews
, aren’t you?” he asked in disbelief.

Emily leaned forward. “Yes! How do you know that? Do you know him?” She was almost vibrating with excitement as the officer started to laugh.

“Yes, I know him, we work together. He told me a while back about his sister being in California. He assumed she didn’t make it, a city that size would have exploded with violence. You said she was your best friend. Is she with you guys?” He looked at Lisa questioningly and she shook her head.

The woman stepped forward and handed a radio to the officer. “Bill, call down to the station and get Pete up here. He can lead them to his place.”

He took the radio and stepped away to make the call. The woman waved them over to the campfire so the kids left the quads and went to stand around the fire, warming their hands.

“When was the last time you kids ate?” she asked with a frown.

David smiled at her concern. “We had a hot supper last night but nothing today, ma’am.”

She quickly opened a cooler and pulled out a plastic container of sandwiches. After thanking her
, they all devoured them. A thick slice of venison roast on freshly baked bread with spicy mustard was heaven to the kids and they all groaned in pleasure at the taste.

Emily couldn’t keep her eyes from the road to town and she paced back and forth waiting for Peter to get there. She was dreading having to tell him about Alex. While they waited, David told them about the sealed up Safeway truck and were they could find it. The four of them were happy to hear about it and the woman started making calls on the radio. When the sound of a motor finally reached her ears
, she stood frozen and watched Peter come tearing into the parking lot. He had barely come to a stop before he was out the door and running towards her. The look of joy on his face was all it took for her to launch herself at him and his big arms wrapped around her and swung her in a circle. He was laughing as he set her down and looked at her tear-covered face. He planted a huge kiss on her forehead and then looked at the other kids that were standing watching the reunion. Peter grinned at David and nodded at Mason and Lisa but his eyes were searching the parking lot for his sister. When he didn’t find her he looked down at Emily with confusion.

“
Em…where’s Alex?”

Emily’s face crumpled. Looking at him was like looking at Alex. They both had the same strawberry blond hair and green eyes. It made it even harder to tell him. “Oh
, Peter, I don’t know! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” she wailed. He pulled her back into his arms and held her tight.

“
It’s okay, it’s okay,” he soothed her. As Emily sobbed in Peter’s strong arms, David told him what happened and how they had split up.

“She’s with Quinn and Josh and a few others so they are probably home by now.”

Peter nodded and gave a half-hearted laugh. “Oh man, I can just imagine the trail of destruction that group will have left behind!” he joked. “Okay, let’s get you guys to my place. Susan will help you get settled. I need to get back to work but we can talk about our next steps over supper when I get home.” Emily went in the truck with Peter so they could talk while the others followed behind on the Quads.

“How is Susan? Did she have the baby yet?” Emily asked him. She didn’t know Peter’s wife very well. He had met her in
Lethbridge where he had been posted when he had first started in the RCMP. His wife had visited their hometown a few times before their wedding but they had spent most of their time with Peter and Alex’s parents. She was pregnant with their first child and was due at any moment.

Peter smiled. “No, her due date is still two weeks away. She’s been pretty tired and our doctor wants her to take it easy. I thought about going home to Prairie Springs after the Event but with her so close to delivering
, I felt it was safer to stay put. I think the hardest part of this whole thing is the not knowing. It’s driving me crazy not knowing what’s going on at home.” He glanced at her and smiled. “I’ve been so worried about Alex, but even though we don’t know if she made it home, I feel a lot better knowing that they tried to get out of that city. I can’t imagine how bad it was but if they took off right away, they had a good chance of making it.”

Emily watched the town slide by and was amazed at how calm everything was. A lot of front lawns had been dug up and were ready to be planted for gardens. There were many tree stumps with piles of cut logs in a lot of driveways. There were plenty of people out walking in the spring sun and she even saw a few mothers pushing strollers. It was almost like the town hadn’t been touched by the new world.

Peter kept talking as they drove to his house. “After the baby is born, I want to give Susan a month or so to recover and then we can all travel to Alberta together.”

Emily looked back out the window at the peaceful town and considered staying here safe and sound for the next two months. It sounded like heaven but she knew they couldn’t do it. Her parents had no idea where she was or even if she was alive and the others all had family to get home to as well.

“Thanks for offering to let us stay, Peter, but we need to get home. We will probably want to get going in a day or two.”

Peter looked at her as if she were crazy. “Are you kidding me? It’s almost eight hundred kilometers from here to home. There’s no way I can let you kids travel that far alone. It’s way too dangerous!”

Emily just tilted her head and stared at him in silence until he glanced away from the street ahead and looked at her.

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Peter, how far is it from California to here?” When he didn’t respond, only looked back at the street and frowned she went on. “It’s a lot further than eight hundred kilometers. We have been traveling alone for twenty-four days. I know exactly how dangerous it is out there. I’ve lived through it!”

The last was said with bitterness and Peter looked at her sharply. “Did something happen out there? Did someone hurt you
, Emily?”

She could only shake her head and look away. The rest of the drive was in silence and they were soon at his home.  As they were getting out of the truck, the front door opened and a very pregnant Susan came down the steps. Peter made the introductions and they all went into the house. Peter kissed his wife and told her briefly what had happened to the teens before leaving to go back to work. Susan was very gracious to them and she showed them where they could sleep. They had a generator so there was hot water for a few showers and Peter had set up a solar shower in the back yard as well. The boys offered to use the solar one and the girls raced each other to the bathroom. It felt amazing to be clean and even better to have clean clothes when Susan offered some of her pre
-pregnancy clothes.

Emily felt amazing. They were safe and clean with the closest thing to family she could find. She and Lisa helped Susan prepare for supper and the simple normal task of peeling potatoes and carrots made her smile. By the time Peter returned from work
, the house was filled with the smell of roast venison and baking bread. They were all sitting in the living room sharing stories with Susan and it was the most relaxed any of them had felt in almost a month.

When Peter joined them he sat beside his wife on the couch and leaned over to kiss her large belly. When he addressed them
, it was in a serious tone.

“Emily said that you guys want to keep going in the next day or so. I just want to ask again if you would consider staying until after Susan has the baby and we can join you.” When they all shook their heads
, he went on. “I understand you want to go home but you’ve already been through so much and it scares me to think of you leaving alone. So, I put out some feelers and got some information. There is a group of people leaving here tomorrow in a convoy. They are headed up to Kamloops and then east on the Trans Canada to Golden. Some of them are stopping in places along the way, but four trucks plan to keep going and head up to Jasper. It doesn’t get any better than that. They would drop you off at the Highway 11 junction and from there it’s a straight shot home. The junction to town is only about a hundred and fifty kilometers so on the quads it shouldn’t take you more than a day. Two of the trucks going are pulling toy hauler campers and they agreed to take you guys for some trade goods I put together.”