Dark Titan Journey: Finally Home (20 page)

“Get Casey and them in here and set up camp. I have something that I promised to do,” Nathan said, walking toward the door, dropping his vest, and moving his rifle to his back. He stopped at a workbench to grab a crowbar.

As Nathan walked out the door John dropped his gear and headed to the door. “John,” Jasmine called out. “Nathan didn’t tell us we could.”

Turning to look at Jasmine, John didn’t have his customary smile. “He didn’t say we couldn’t. He said only to set up camp. He said he had a promise to keep. I watched what he did for that man and I’m going to help him keep it.”

Spinning around, John headed out the door as Jasmine looked at the others. “I’m going to help. Amanda, you’re in charge. Tom, keep an eye out, you’re primary security. Get camp set up and let’s show Nathan we can do a lot of things at one time and he doesn’t have to do it all.”

They jumped up and started moving as Jasmine walked outside. She saw Nathan and John prying the man’s arm up. Confused, Jasmine hurried over and stopped when she realized the man was nailed to the crossties. Jasmine dropped to her knees and threw up. Nathan turned to look at her as John moved over to the other arm.

“You don’t need to see this,” Nathan said as he moved over to help John.

Wiping her mouth off, Jasmine stood up and walked over. “No, we are a team and family. You can’t do all the heavy lifting.”

Nathan nodded as he and John pried up the other arm. Jasmine walked inside and came out with a curtain she had ripped down. She closed her eyes, wanting the images in the living room to go away, and walked over to Nathan and John. It didn’t take long to free the man and roll him in the curtain.

Picking the man up, Nathan rolled the body on his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Neither of you have to do this. What’s upstairs is a hundred times worse than the living room.”

“We’re wasting time, Nathan,” John said, moving to the door. Nathan gave a weak smile and followed him inside.

The sun was up when they were finished and stepped outside. John fell to his knees and dry heaved again. They had all thrown up and dry heaved too many times to count. Using the pictures on the wall, they found the man’s family: two sons, three daughters, and wife. As John and Nathan grabbed bodies, Jasmine tried to clean them up, then they dressed them all, placing them side-by-side in the parents’ bed. They had found three more bodies and didn’t know if they were family or friends, so they placed them side-by-side in another room.

Walking off the porch, Nathan went to a water faucet and turned the handle. He was pleasantly surprised to see water come out the hose. Grabbing it, Nathan held the water hose over his head soaking himself and his clothes. Jasmine and John walked over when he was finished and did the same thing.

After John handed the hose to Jasmine, he turned to Nathan. “I know you said never attack unless sure of victory, but if I see that group, leave me. I’m going to kill as many as I can.”

As Jasmine turned the water off, Nathan turned to John. “You’ll have to get in line.”

Jasmine wiped her face off, heading to the barn. “Guys, let’s check on the others.”

They followed Jasmine to the barn and when they stepped inside they were very surprised. Everyone’s packs and sleeping rolls had been laid out neatly. The horses were brushed, eating hay and feed in stalls with a full water trough. The saddles and blankets were hanging on the railing for the stalls and a table in the middle of the area had food waiting on them. Casey was sitting with Emma and Chip, playing. Amanda was listening to the radio as she washed clothes, and Tom was up in the loft, walking around from window to window.

“You guys did a great job,” Nathan said.

Amanda looked at him smiling. “The shower is set up in the back. You’re not going to believe this, but the water hose has two facets like a sink, and one of them is hot water.” The three sighed. “Get your clothes off so I can wash them. They might be dry before we leave, but I’m not promising anything.”

“John, go,” Nathan said, walking over to his pack as Emma ran at him. “No, Emma, I have stuff on me I don’t want on you.” Emma pouted at Nathan as Casey picked her up and carried her back to the play area.

Without saying anything, John grabbed his stuff and walked to the stall Amanda pointed at. Jasmine was still standing in front of the door, looking down at the floor in a daze. Nathan stripped down to boxers and emptied his pockets, handing his clothes to Amanda. Putting on his flip flops, he stepped over to a room with bags of feed and put on shorts.

Coming out, he saw Jasmine still standing in front of the door, staring at the floor. Nathan lifted her chin up to look at him. “Don’t dwell on it. You won’t ever forget, so don’t think you can. We didn’t do anything wrong, animals did. Accept that you did all you could and move on. If you keep thinking about it, the thought will eat you alive.”

Tears crept to the corners of her eyes as Jasmine stared at him. “I’m going to see that in my dreams, aren’t I?”

“Yes, but wake up, control your breathing, and tell yourself you did what you could. And if you ever see those cocksuckers you will send them to hell,” Nathan said.

Jasmine wiped her eyes. “I will be happy to pull the trigger.”

“Don’t be happy, just pull the trigger. If you enjoy killing, you are no better. You can be happy to be alive after killing someone, but remember, they put themselves in the position of you pulling the trigger. They committed suicide by trying to kill you or others. Just be happy the better person lived,” Nathan said as he pulled her to his chest.

Nathan shivered from her wet body as Jasmine borrowed in his chest. “Nathan, I didn’t see any bullet holes in the house and none of the people were shot. How did the gang get them?”

“I think they stormed the house. The back door was kicked open and there were two dead dogs in the back yard,” Nathan said.

“You don’t think they had someone awake on guard?” she asked, mystified.

“No,” Nathan said, and felt Jasmine look up at him. He looked down at her face. “Jasmine, they thought they lived far enough from society that they didn’t have to worry. The closest paved road is sixteen miles away and the closest store by road is fifty, and it only looks like a gas station from satellite photos. They felt safe.”

“We won’t ever make that mistake,” Jasmine said, hugging him and letting go. She turned to see John walking back in a daze. “I’m going to tell John what you told me. Go shower.” Thankful, Nathan grabbed his shower kit.

When he finished showering, Nathan felt much better. Walking back to the group, he found John with is customary smile. Grabbing her stuff, Jasmine walked by him and kissed his cheek. Nathan pulled out clean clothes, pulling them on and adjusting the knee pads till they felt right, then grabbed his tablet. When Jasmine came back he started reading to the group as the kids slept and Tom walked the loft, listening to the story and protecting the family.

After half an hour Nathan stopped his reading and looked around, seeing the girls and kids asleep. John and Jasmine were still awake. “Guys, you need to sleep,” Nathan said, getting up and putting on his boots.

“Can’t sleep,” John said, cleaning his M-4.

Jasmine watched Nathan get dressed. “What are you doing?”

“Going to let Tom sleep,” Nathan said, picking up his vest.

Glancing at her watch, Jasmine looked back at Nathan, “Tom has another hour before he wakes someone. You can sleep.”

“Can’t,” Nathan said, heading for the stairs to the loft.

Jasmine laughed, standing up. “You are so weird. You tell us to sleep when we can’t, but if you can’t it’s okay.”

“Others don’t need to pay if I can’t sleep,” Nathan said, heading upstairs. He spotted Tom standing back from a loft window, looking through his binoculars. “You can get some sleep, I’ll take over.”

Lowering his binoculars, Tom looked at Nathan with a small smile. “If you don’t mind, I’ll keep watch.”

“We can’t have you sleepy when we move,” Nathan said, looking out the window.

Tom walked past him to another window and lifted up his binoculars. “You don’t have to worry. I know what happens if you let down your guard.”

Grabbing Tom’s shoulder, Nathan squeezed it, “Tom, the rest of us here will keep watch. You don’t have to do it.”

“I know, and if we all stay alert and expect trouble, when trouble comes we can kick its ass and go on our merry way,” Tom said.

Nathan looked at the determination on Tom’s face and nodded. “When you get tired, get me or the others.”

“I will, thank you,” Tom said, walking over to another window. Nathan smiled and headed downstairs to find Jasmine coming up them.

“What are you doing?” she asked, backing down.

“Tom wants to stay on guard,” Nathan said. He walked to the back of the barn that led to the corral. Ares jumped up and ran over, following Nathan outside. Jasmine jogged over, joining them.

Nathan looked at the two horses walking around the corral. One was quite large and black. Studying the horse, Nathan could see a lot of cold-blooded characteristics, one being big as hell. The tail and mane were flowing, but he could see some warm-blooded characteristics as well. Shrugging, figuring it was an American horse, he looked at the other.

It was clearly a pinto with brown and white markings. The horse stood on the other side of the corral, looking at him. Neither seemed nervous, just studying him. Glancing at the dead horse in the middle of the corral Nathan saw it was a pinto also, with white and gray markings. Walking over, Nathan spotted several gunshots over the animal’s body.

“What the hell did you do to deserve this?” Nathan asked, looking at the dead horse. As he walked around the dead horse, Ares trotted over to the other horses and stopped, looking at them. The big black horse edged over and sniffed Ares, and Ares did likewise. Satisfied, they moved closer and continued the inspection. Hearing a blow, Nathan snapped his head up and saw the big black horse and Ares just studying each other.

Turning, Nathan saw the pinto had its ears laid back and neck lowered, moving toward Ares. Nathan pulled out his pistol. “Fuck with my dog and you join the one here,” Nathan said, aiming at the pinto’s head.

Jasmine ran over and grabbed Nathan’s arm. “Nathan, you can’t shoot it.”

Glancing down at Jasmine, Nathan looked at the pinto, who had raised its head up. Nathan looked under the horse. “She tries to hurt my dog, we eat horse.”

“She’s just unsure,” Jasmine said, pulling his arm down till the pistol was aiming at the dirt. “That is Spots; she is a barrel racer. Judging by the ribbons she’s pretty good.”

Nathan looked at her in shock. “How the hell did you find that out?”

“The pictures in the house. She’s a registered pinto, fourteen and half hands tall,” Jasmine said.

Nathan pointed at the black horse. “Know anything about that one?”

“Adopted mustang, ten years old, sixteen hands tall. They used him for tending cows. His name is Knight,” she said watching, Ares and Knight getting to know one another. “The dead one is Oscar, a pinto also and a barrel racer.”

Putting his pistol back in his thigh holster, Nathan looked at Spots. “She tries to hurt my dog and she joins Oscar.” Walking over, Nathan held out his hand to Spots. She tried to back away and Nathan gently talked to her. She stopped backing away and her ears stood up. Nathan stopped walking toward her and kept talking gently to her. Slowly, Spots walked over to him and smelled his hand.

Nathan started rubbing her back as he talked to her. Knight looked away from Ares and saw Nathan petting Spots. Knight walked behind Nathan and lowered his head, tapping Nathan in the back. A fifteen-hundred-pound horse doesn’t tap lightly, and Nathan went to the ground face-first.

Nathan rolled over, wanting to know who drop-kicked him, to see Knight slowly walking over. Knight put his head in Nathan’s chest. Nathan rubbed his head and Knight moved his head to where it felt good. Continuing the rubbing, Nathan stood up slowly as Jasmine started to pet Spots.

“Seems Knight wanted some lovin’,” she said, giggling.

“Serves me right. I didn’t follow my dad’s first rule of horses. Never turn your back on a horse you don’t know,” Nathan said. He looked Knight over. “You don’t have to kick my ass for some love, big fellow.”

“How many horses do you have?” Jasmine asked looking spots over.

“Several: three Percherons, two Quarter horses, two Friesians, and three mustangs,” Nathan said.

“You ride a lot?” Jasmine asked. “I mean before this.”

Nathan laughed. “Yeah, at least once a month I would hit a trail with the guys. Tim and Sherry don’t own any horses so they used mine.”

“Are we taking these?” Jasmine asked hopefully.

“If they let us ride them we are. I would like backups. If they don’t, we’ll turn them loose,” Nathan said, walking back to the barn. Knight turned to follow. Nathan spun around, backing up. “I broke the rule again.”

Opening the door, Nathan quickly waked in the barn. It was easy to spot Knight’s saddle hanging on the rail of a stall. Nathan grabbed the tack and saddle. “Shit, I forgot what a real saddle weighs,” Nathan grunted, carrying the saddle to the door. Smoke’s saddle was lightweight, made of carbon fiber, and had gel pads in the seat.

Fighting to open the door and carry the saddle, Nathan finally managed it to find Knight waiting outside. Easing the saddle to the ground, Nathan grabbed the blanket and tack. Knight stood still as Nathan put the saddle on and tightened it down. Slowly climbing into the saddle, Nathan really missed the gel pads as he sat down.

Gripping the reins tightly, Nathan squeezed his knees and was relived Knight stayed still. Nathan didn’t like horses that were trained to move with a knee squeeze. That was how he held on and he didn’t want a horse taking off when he was trying to hold on. Relaxing, Nathan gave a soft kick and Knight moved forward.

For twenty minutes, Nathan worked Knight around the corral. Nathan had to admit, Knight handled better than Smoke. But Smoke, like the rest of their horses, was a hunting horse, and gunshots didn’t make her freak out. Nathan trotted over to Jasmine and climbed off. “Ride him around. I’m going to saddle Spots.”