Pox (5 page)

How could I have forgotten?

—No, not at all. Give me a minute. I’ll be right
back.

She followed and watched as I filled the kettle.

—Come on, I want to show you something.

Ever cautious, she let me lead her to the back of the
house where I had the generator under it’s sound-proof cover. I
showed her how to start it and to verify that the exhaust vented
properly outside. I told her about the blackout curtains, and
explained why they should be kept closed.

—If I’m not here, that’s all you’ll need to know to
get another shower. Just don’t forget to leave anything outside. I
wouldn’t want someone showing up and learning about my haven.

—You’re right, you know. It is a haven of sorts. At
least, for me it is.

Her gaze intensified. Why was this woman looking at
me like this? Was she sizing me up? If so, for what? I figured I’d
need to be careful with this one.

In the kitchen I poured hot water into two mugs.

—It should be ready in a couple. In the meantime,
there are some things we need to talk about.

I tried to include the woman as best I could. I
valued her opinions. After all, she’d been on her own long enough
to get a pretty good idea of what had been going on, too.

—Did you notice anything unusual about that truck?
Anything that stood out from previous trucks and their
contents?

—Yes. I’ve seen them before, but not like that. A
single occupant, the driver. Oh, and he was unarmed when he got
out.

—You have a keen eye for observation. It occurred to
me that he was careless because he knew that there was no one to
threaten him. I’m thinking that every last soul has been evacuated
into relief centers.

—Or worse.

I ignored Caitrin’s comment. I wasn’t comfortable
even considering it. It might be selfish, but I had more pressing
things to consider.

Having an extra person to help with some projects I
had planned would be good. Until now, I never considered having a
helper. It might just end up doing us both good. I eased into the
subject.

—Would you like to see my workshop?

I was in the process of constructing a solar- and
battery-powered pump. I’d need it to provide the gasoline for the
generator. The only way to get more would be to scrounge from the
thousands of abandoned vehicles littering the streets.

Already I had a makeshift trailer built for the bike
to cart the system. Empty twenty-gallon containers sat beside the
pump and the solar panel in the garage.

—You’ve been busy.

—When you feel more comfortable being around me, I’d
like to have your help.

She stepped back and studied me, hands on hips, brow
furrowed.

—So you need a mule, do you?

—No, I can do it all myself. But now that we’ve been
formally introduced, I think it would be good for both of us.

—How so?

—Obviously, you’ve been scouting out your own
resources. I’m not looking to steal your secrets. I could use a
little help with my own. That generator alone will gobble up a lot
of fuel when the nights start to get longer and colder.

—Thus the portable pump. I can understand that.

—I’ve got a chain saw, too. I’ll have to feed that
fireplace when the weather turns.

Caitrin gestured in the direction of the park behind
the house. It seemed she knew the area, too.

—You won’t have far to go for trees.

—I can’t start cutting down the trees in this
neighborhood. That could draw too much attention the next time a
lost truck driver climbs out and starts looking around.

Caitrin walked to the door. Before opening it, she
looked through the peep-hole.

—It’s too late for me to get home. I won’t have
enough daylight. I don’t want to be out in the dark.

—You can stay here if you want. You’ll be safe.

She picked up her belt with the k-bar and strapped it
on.

—You’re right. I will be.

She didn’t want any of the spare rooms. I left a
blanket and a pillow on the sofa.

—As far as the help you want goes, we’ll go
fifty-fifty on it. After you’re finished, you can start helping me
with a few things.

I wasn’t expecting that so soon.

—Thank you. It’s a deal.

She stuck out her hand and this time she shook mine.
I wasn’t expecting that, either. I walked down the narrow hallway
to my bedroom. She could sleep anywhere she darn well pleased.

I propped a chair against my own door.

I slept happy knowing I’d have company to look
forward to in the morning. That the company was a woman, and a
good-looking one at that, was a bonus.

It turned into a tossup whether I dreamed I could
smell coffee or bacon. The hum in the same dream turned out to be
the generator at the end of the hall. It was then that I remembered
I had company. Caitrin must have fired it up for another
shower.

I threw on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and ventured
out, anxious to know what I’d find in the kitchen. I wasn’t
expecting a woman in a short, brightly-colored sun dress standing
barefoot in front of the stove. I couldn’t help wondering if she
had come prepared.

—You make everything in this place look cheap by
comparison.

Surprised, Caitrin whirled and the thin dress
hesitated before doing the same. I managed to get a good look at a
pair of long, tanned legs before the skirt settled back down to
surround them.

—I hope that’s a compliment. If it isn’t, I can still
skin you alive.

She picked up the k-bar.

—That won’t be necessary until after I’ve eaten the
breakfast you’re making. I know when to hide my true
intentions.

Caitrin put her hands on her hips and glared.

—Sit down, shut up, and eat before I change my
mind.

Humbled, I did as I was told. No doubt, Caitrin could
cook. The bacon was just the way I liked it, crisp but not too.
Even the fake eggs tasted almost as good as real. I had to ask.

—What did you do to the eggs?

She made a show of picking up her k-bar and
brandishing it in my direction.

—Is that a prelude to a complaint?

—Only if you want it to be. What did you put in the
fake eggs?

—Nothing I’m going to be telling you about. My secret
ingredients cannot be revealed.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had a
good-looking woman across the breakfast table from me. Especially
one that hadn’t spent the night in my bed. I wouldn’t be telling
her that, though.

—Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?

—Besides getting home before it gets dark? Not
especially. Why?

—I want to do some scouting. If you want to, you
could help me. If you have the time, that is.

—Will I have to change?

—Only if you want to be able to wear that dress for
me again.

Caitrin got up, grabbed her bag and walked to my room
at the end of the hall.

While I waited I stretched out on the sofa. I closed
my eyes for what I thought was only a minute. The barrel of
Caitrin’s shotgun jabbed me and I opened my eyes to the sight of
her standing over me. Startled, I jumped up. I almost knocked her
over.

She beat a retreat and sat down in front of the
fireplace. At least she hadn’t pulled the trigger in fright.

Caitrin was dressed for the hunt. The k-bar was back
in place on her belt. She had her double-barreled shotgun across
her front, breach open. The strap crossed between her breasts,
emphasizing them. I tried not to stare for too long.

—You’re ready. Give me a couple and I will be,
too.

—You were having a nightmare.

She heard me tossing and turning. I couldn’t deny it.
I was still sweaty from the dream.

—I was. Yesterday was quite a shock to my system,
what with you showing up in person this time, and our visitor at
the end of the street. Today will be a better day.

—I hope so. What’s the plan?

—We’re going hunting.

She looked surprised.

—Really? For what?

With two of us to do the work, I’d be able to cover a
lot more ground than I had been able to by myself. I explained the
collapsible dipstick, the paint can and the markings to be left on
each vehicle we’d be checking.

The extra weight of a passenger, even one as light as
Caitrin, slowed the pace of the electric bike, but not by much. At
the first car I showed her how to slide the measuring stick into
the gas tank. She marked the fuel door to indicate how much
remained, and then we’d move on to the next.

Once she had the hang of it, we split up and covered
twice the territory. We’d meet back at the intersection where we
started, and I’d mark the map with the separate routes we took and
the quantities of fuel left behind.

Before long, I was riding ahead to open a line of
tanks for her. She’d walk the line, measure and cap and then mark
the results. We did about a hundred cars and trucks and discovered
more fuel than I had storage for.

—It’s getting late in the day. I think it’s time to
get you home.

—I’m ready. I’m exhausted from getting on and off the
bike.

—Do you trust me enough to take you, or do you want
to find your way from here?

—I’ve already made my decision about that. You’re
going to take me home.

—Mine, or yours?

My huge grin only encouraged Caitrin to roll her
eyes.

—All right then. Climb on for the last time.

Caitrin was all smiles when she threw a leg over for
her ride. Even the shotgun digging into my back couldn’t take away
from the day’s accomplishments.

—I really liked having you along. Maybe we can do it
again soon.

I could only hope.

—It’s nice having someone else to talk to after all
these months.

Someone else? I allowed the slip-up to pass
unnoticed.

—If you want, I can pick you up and we can roam
around looking for whatever it is you need to make your place more
livable.

—That would be good. There’s lots I need for the
winter coming up.

I knew she wouldn’t let me take her all the way home.
It didn’t surprise me when she asked me to pull over. She started
to explain, but I held up my hand.

—It’s not necessary. I understand. If it was the
other way around, I’d do the same.

—Thank you, Russel.

She kissed me on the cheek.

—It’s been a great day.

—For both of us, I’d say.

Caitrin blushed. She turned and fast-trotted in the
direction of an alley. She turned and waved. I pointed the bike in
the direction of my own home.

I had plenty to think about. It had been a shock to
come upon Caitrin waiting patiently at my door. When the truck
arrived and she disappeared, I thought she had left for good. That
she took a chance and ran indoors to avoid detection surprised
me.

It pleased me that she trusted me enough to spend the
night. I still had no idea whether we’d make a team. For now, I’d
run with it and see what might develop.

Once home, I unlocked the door and went around
checking that the curtains were closed before firing up the
generator.

I washed off the day’s accumulated grime. I put a
potato in the oven and threw some chicken into a batch of spices
before putting it on the stove to simmer. I stretched out on the
sofa and forgot all about a shower.

The explosions in my dream turned into pounding.
Something was pounding on the roof. Wait. No. Not the roof.

Confused, I rolled over and fell off the sofa. That
forced me to recognize the sound.

In the dark, late at night, I refused to turn on the
lights. Instead, I opened the door. I didn’t even have a shotgun
within easy reach. Caitrin must have heard me turn the lock. She
burst through the open door. In her haste, she almost knocked me
down.

I reacted to her panic and quickly swung the door
shut and locked it.

—You scared the bejesus out of me. What’s going
on?

She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t catch her breath.
Huffing and puffing, she must have ran all the way from her place.
I left her to calm down and return to some semblance of sanity
while I went to check on dinner. She followed, and watched while I
set another place at the table.

Caitrin still hadn’t said a word.

—It looks and sounds like you need a dose of reality.
Sit down and take your time. While I wait, perhaps you can fill
your stomach and figure out what it is that you want me to
know.

SEVEN

Russell and Caitrin

Caitrin paced back and forth and slowly began to
catch her breath. The panicked look on her face changed to one of
relief. She pushed the plate away and replaced it with her shotgun.
The breach was closed. I didn’t ask if it was loaded. I figured,
given the circumstances, that a measure of trust might be in
order.

—Go wash up and then you can eat.

She didn’t move. She continued to sit and stare at
me.

—I’ll still be here when you get back. Go.

She disappeared down the hall, moving like an
automaton. She left or maybe forgot her shotgun on the table.
Perhaps after our day spent together she had developed some trust.
When she returned, her hand covered the handle of the knife on her
belt.

—It’s your shotgun. I have no use for it,
Caitrin.

Something had definitely spooked her since I dropped
her off near her place.

—I’m sorry. When I opened my door I got quite a
shock.

—Sit down and eat. You can tell me as you fill up,
all right?

She took two bites and couldn’t stop talking. The
words came out in a rush. I listened, mouth agape, and put down my
own fork.

She had approached her place like she always did.
Cautious. On the lookout for anything and everything. All of her
watch-out signs and warnings were in place. None had been
disturbed. No one had violated her privacy. Or so it seemed, until
she unlocked her door and walked into the mess that up to now had
been her fortress.