The Malefic Nation (Graham's Resolution Book 4) (22 page)

The next day, Graham woke up with Tehya squirming on his chest. He’d fallen asleep with her after his watch when he’d found Macy carrying the baby in the middle of the night, pacing back and forth in their cabin. He’d sent Macy off to bed and taken the baby into his arms. Two hours later Tehya was awake and wanting to be fed.

“Good morning,” he cooed to her. After he fed her, he handed her off to Olivia and walked to the office, accompanied by Sheriff. Sam’s eyes were bloodshot as he sipped a cup of coffee and monitored the radios.

“Good morning,” Graham said. “What time is it, anyway?”

“After ten, but it doesn’t really matter on days like this. We live around the clock,” Sam said.

Graham was trying to avoid the question, but he had to ask it. “Any news?”

Sam shook his head. “No, nothing so far. I don’t expect we’ll hear anything from either of them for a few days. If they made it, that is.”

“Yeah,” Graham agreed. “How’s Clarisse?”

“I saw her this morning with the boys at breakfast. She looks pretty torn up. She hasn’t asked about Dalton. But I doubt she slept much last night.”

“It’s too early. She knows that. If Dalton makes it back, it’ll be by foot or vehicle. Unless he can get his hands on another plane, but that’s unlikely. Truthfully, it could be months before either one of them makes it back,” Graham said.

“
If
they make it back,” Sam said. “We really need to think about that possibility.”

Graham took a deep breath. “Look, we’re more in jeopardy now than at any time before. We need to keep our eyes open. If the terrorists figure this out and have enough time to get to us, we could be in for some real trouble. It’s too early for any news of illness to come in. The only way we’re going to know if it worked, will be the lack of chatter in next few days and weeks to come.”

“Agreed. Look, I hate to bring it up, but it’s late summer now and we don’t have enough food to get us through winter; we lost too much over the past couple of months. We should probably get to a few of those bunkers and get the MREs to stash in the dam building. We might consider living in there when winter sets in. We should think about how best to maintain our group through the colder months.

“And we need to refocus these guys. Everyone’s rattled. I watched Mark this morning, peering up into the sky. They’re all doing that. They’re distracted. It’s only the four of us leading this group now, and we need to think ahead.”

Graham appreciated Sam’s practical advice. They were all wrapped up waiting for the results of the plan and hoping that their comrades made it back home. But Sam was right: the winter ahead could end up being the real killer in all of this.

“Yeah, I know we’re spread thin, but we have to continue to monitor the radios and keep a look out. Add to that hunting and getting supplies in. I say Rick and his family should just move into the office; he knows the radios best. You work on hunting and food supply with McCann and Macy; I’ll keep up security with Mark and Marcy. We can switch off every now and then, but you’re right, winter and starvation are just as dangerous as the terrorists.”

“What about Clarisse?” Sam said.

“Let’s give her some time. She’ll fill in wherever she wants and she’s our medical officer; let’s not forget that.”

Sam nodded in agreement.

Just then, Clarisse appeared in the doorway with Rick.

“Hello,” Clarisse said weakly.

They were all nervous. Clarisse’s hair was drawn back in a tight neat bun, but her face was pale and dark circles lined her eyes. Graham had never seen her looking this poorly.

“Have you eaten, Clarisse?” he asked.

She glanced at him, “Yeah, but I’m just not that hungry right now. I came to say I know they might not make it. It’s a hard reality, but it’s something we need to consider.” Her lips trembled.

“We know, Clarisse,” Graham said, reaching for her. She didn’t cry, but let him hold her. “We’re here for you. I’m sorry it had to be this way. Let us know if there is anything we can do.”

She nodded her head. “We just have to keep going on,” she said. “We don’t have the luxury to grieve, or the kids might not make it.” She smiled, but tears ran down her face. She brushed them away. “And, it’s for them that we need to push forward or we’ve all failed. Every sacrifice we’ve made will be for nothing if we don’t help them survive this.”

Two weeks later Rick woke early to a glorious pink and blue sunrise over the lake with wisps of clouds foretelling the coming autumn. Every day, the air that blew across the lake was a little cooler.

The radio produced nothing more than static; the last transmission had been detected a few days ago. They could only assume the virus was working. Even so, this genocide was something the adults would have to carry in their souls forever, not something to be celebrated.

They’d agreed to wait until after winter to venture out. For now they’d hide and continue on waiting and hoping that both James and Dalton returned.

Rick poured himself some coffee. Early on, as each of the members of the group woke, or passed the office on their way to bed, they’d stop and ask the question he’d come to hate:
Any word?
Now he thought it was perhaps more sad that when he looked out the window Mark or one of the others would walk by without even asking. They were beginning to assume the worst.

“Come on, Dalton,” Rick said under his breath. He sat down and turned up the radio, taking a sip of his coffee and watching out the window. McCann showed Kade how to cast a line out into the lake with Frank, the dog, watching his every move. The little boy had taken a liking to McCann and followed him everywhere. And everywhere Kade went, so too did Frank. It was funny how that happened. It seemed the dogs had their favorites.

Rick began to chuckle at the scene as Frank peered off the dock looking at what he guessed was a squirming fish on the line. That was when Rick heard something unusual within the static. He sat down his coffee harder than he meant to, and it splashed onto the counter as he fumbled with the radio knob. He turned up the receiver and tried to see if it came in again.
Maybe I’m hearing things
. A few seconds later, it happened again. It was faint and staticky. “Hey, is there anyone out there?”

Clarisse woke and rushed to the bathroom again. The morning sickness seemed to skip days now, but she wasn’t so lucky on this particular morning. After she cleaned up, she peeked into the boy’s room and found them still asleep; the dawn’s rays just entering their room were interrupted by shadows from clouds threatening snowfall. A soft glow gleamed over their small bodies.

Kade was doing well, considering; he’d stopped asking about his father in the past few weeks, but Hunter was resentful and angry. Clarisse was doing everything she could to bring him peace, but it was hard to do when she herself felt alone and scared.

There was hope, though. Survivors were gathering together. They were calling in to the radio stations with reports. News was spreading about a mass dying off of the terrorists due to a mystery virus.

Someone reported that an airplane took out an entire convoy of terrorists about two months ago, saving fifty Americans in the Denver area. They all speculated that it might have been James, but there was no real way of knowing.

After a long discussion they’d decided to keep the knowledge of what they’d done to themselves, so other survivors thought the new virus a mystery. Some of them turned to religion’s salvation for answers; others didn’t care much focusing instead on rebuilding and locating more survivors.

They’d hung around the radio for days when the news first started pouring in. Some stations had tried posting news for survivors to locate family members, but it was quickly learned that there were few matches, and that effort waned. Rick had posted inquiries into Dalton’s and James’s whereabouts, but so far nothing had come in.

Mostly, people just wanted to talk, to tell their tales. Though everyone had a different story, no one had a monopoly on the terror. They were all in the same position; they were all survivors.

Clarisse began issuing notices about health care and Rick posted winter preparedness warnings. Soon survivors were asking them questions over the radio every day, so Rick began fielding survival questions and people made plans to meet up in the spring.

They were losing hope of ever hearing from Dalton again and had assumed the worst. Even so, Rick planned to track them come spring.

Clarisse ran her hand over her belly. She was too early to show, but several of the other camp members had already guessed. She was glad she at least had a part of Dalton within her to carry on. She never regretted her decision, even though she felt a little guilty for not telling Dalton earlier.

~ ~ ~

One day Clarisse heard a strange sound disturbing the everyday peace of the lake. When she looked out the window, McCann was rushing Kade in front of him and getting ready to draw his gun as a speed boat was headed their way. Clarisse ran outside onto the dock to retrieve Kade when the boat slowed. Out stumbled a thin, bearded man with one arm in a sling. McCann took aim as the stranger rushed him on the deck.

Clarisse screamed, “No! Don’t shoot!” He was almost unrecognizable, but she knew this ragged man was Dalton.

A shot rang out. At the last second, McCann had diverted his aim. The commotion caused everyone to run outside. Dalton collapsed onto the deck, and Clarisse ran to him. Everyone else gave them a few moments alone before they swarmed Dalton.

Against all odds he had done as he had promised; he had returned.

One year later, Graham pulled the truck to a stop. It had been a long drive. He’d come from the new settlement east of Spokane. They’d gathered there with many other survivors from around the area and lived there for the last six months after the winter was over. But Graham couldn’t take the growing population; he couldn’t get used to the crowds, and always found himself trying to find a quiet place. He’d turned down any leadership position offered him; he didn’t want to start a community, or forge a new frontier. He only wanted to raise his daughter and Bang and keep track of the other kids.

He eventually decided to go home for a while and be in peace. So after letting the older kids know his plans, he took the truck and supplies. Graham gave Bang the option of staying with McCann and Macy, but the boy chose to go with Graham instead. The others promised they would come soon too.

“We’re here,” he announced as he pulled Tehya from her car seat. She was drowsy from the long journey and rubbed at her big brown eyes.

They stood there for a while gazing at the cabin, Graham holding Tehya on his hip and Bang standing at his side.

“It looks smaller than I remember,” Bang said after he exited the truck with Scout, one of Sheriff’s pups.

“It’ll take some work to get it back into shape.” Scout ran ahead through the tall grass to the cabin steps and sniffed around; so like her father once did.

Graham imagined Tala standing on the porch, like the day he’d first kissed her with snowflakes in her ebony hair. He felt her spirit here and he wanted their daughter to feel it too.

“I miss Ennis,” Bang whispered. “I remember how we fished together—down the trail.” He pointed in the general direction, the trail now long overgrown.

“Yeah, there are a lot of memories here, now,” Graham said as he adjusted his daughter’s position on his hip and then they headed into the cabin.

Later that day, after they’d swept all the cobwebs out of the bunkroom and cleaned up the cabin, they heard a knock on the door. Graham answered it and when Dalton and Clarisse stepped inside, Tehya toddled into Dalton’s outstretched arms. “You guys all settled in? Where’s Sheriff?” Dalton asked Graham.

“Yeah, I think so, Graham said. “The kids and Sheriff are coming in tomorrow. Isn’t it funny? We could live anywhere, but this is our home now. We’re all drawn back here. You guys returned to your spot and we returned here.”

Dalton shook his head. “I saw enough of what was out there on my trek home. They nearly destroyed it all. Maybe one day it will be livable, but for now, this is where I want to be.” He hugged Clarisse to his side. “Sam and Addy, Rick and Olivia; they’re all back.”

Clarisse smiled up at him. “We knew you’d come back soon too. We’ve all become more independent and defensive. I don’t think our pervious trusting ways as a society will return for many generations.”

Graham reached for the baby she held in her arms and she handed him to her. “Man, three boys!” Graham’s eyes widened as he cuddled the little boy in his arms. Even as an infant, he was stocky and strong like his father. Graham looked at Clarisse. “You did good,” he said. She was crying, but she smiled at him.

“What is it?” Graham asked.

“I just wish Tala were here too,” Clarisse said.

Graham hugged her, “She
is
Clarisse.
This
is where she is.”