Second Chances (78 page)

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Gary tried to stay awake, but honestly, the long stretch of dark road was too much for him. He lacked caffeine too, so that sucked. He yawned as his truck moved through the bush. The truck he was in was a newer one, one that lacked an auto pilot or any of the bells and whistles. He turned the fan on to try to wake him up, but the drone of sound only made him more drowsy.

He was tempted to crack the window, but with all the bugs outside he let the idea slide. He stretched again, then wiggled his butt in order to get some feeling there. He looked down to the gauges for a moment. His eyes drifted. A sound in front of him make him snap up just as a massive shape lumbered to its feet right in front of his truck. He slammed on the brakes, but it was too late.

Instinctively, he put one hand up to ward off what was coming. The massive body rolled up over the hood of the truck, smashed his windshield and then off to the left side, bawling in terror. Other shapes moved about through the now shattered Plexiglas, bounding away as his truck roared to a stop.

“What the hell just happened, Gary?” Paul demanded over the radio.

“I hit something. That's what happened,” Gary said, shaken. “Something big.”

“I'll say. Looks like a Hadrosaur. Camposaurus the computer is saying.”

“Whatever,” Gary said crossly, cursing. He looked about. “Is it safe?”

“You're in the point; you tell me?”

“I can't see a damn thing,” Gary cursed. He decided to chance it and roll the window down. He looked out into the dark night, then around. Eyes stared at him in front and on the sides. Bright headlights nearly blinded him from behind.

“I'm getting out,” he said. He climbed out and looked at the truck. He shook his head, it was covered in shit, piss, what was probably blood, and was a mess. “You need a bath Bessy,” he murmured.

He heard a lowing sound, like a cow in distress. He turned to see the purple headed Hadrosaur get to its feet. Or one foot, the left leg was up in the air. It limped on it, then turned to lick at the bones sticking out. Gary coughed and looked away. “Damn.”

He heard footsteps approach as he checked the front grill out. Lisa had rigged a cow catcher; that was what had sent the Hadrosaur up over the truck and off to the side instead of making him hit it hard and either run over it or crumple his truck.

“Frame damage?” Paul asked.

“No...” Gary replied, shaking his head. A moment later the lights and power in the truck went out. “Fuck me,” he moaned. “No, no, NO!”

“Yeah, that's luck for you,” Paul sighed. He looked around the herd. “Come on. Climb in with Drake. Try to stay awake.”

“What about Bessy? We can't just leave her!”

“We can't tow her, and I'm not sticking around, not with that damn wounded cow behind you,” Paul said, resting his shotgun on his shoulder. “No, we'll come back for it on the return. Work on her in daylight,” he said.

“Shit,” Gary said. He reached in and pulled out his bag, then closed the door. There was nothing he could do about the open window with the power out. Together the two men moved off to the second truck.

“You okay?”

“Now you ask?” Gary demanded.

“Guess so. Sucks to be you though. Lisa's going to have your ass,” Paul joked.

“Don't I just know it,” Gary muttered as he climbed the running board to Drake's truck and then popped the door latch. “Got room for one more?”

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Planning for the trading posts took a couple days, but when they were ready Mitch green lit the project. He reasoned they could always adjust or plan contingency plans on the road. A week after Paul returned to East from his trek south to Dunn's fortress his son Laurence took a convoy to Copper Town for the first time. He wasn't alone. Brian tagged along with a couple engineering people, a compact track loader, and some basic equipment. They set up a fort on the hill where Mitch, Paul, and the crew had been trapped during their commute back from Copper Town the year before. They then went through the pass.

They cross loaded in Copper Town a day later, then Laurence took his return load back. The teen was reluctant, but he had his orders and dutifully followed them. Brian took his hummer and trucks across the river east to the Mongols. They did a bit of trading, then picked up Axel and Jamal's group and went further east into the savannah.

They set up the first of the eastern posts a day later at the established site. It took a couple days to dig up a pit then pile the dirt and sod up into the semblance of a wall with a dry moat on the outside. Brian plowed the landing strip and leveled it. He even added some drainage channels for it. Jamal was eager to test the strip by flying the drone but Brian counseled him for patience. “Besides, we need to conserve fuel,” he warned. Jamal nodded. They buried tanks of fuel and water, as well as a steel locker filled with MREs and smoked meat. When they were ready they headed north to the mountain pass.

It took three days to get to the pass; they had to stop three times to allow herds to pass them. Once they had a close call with a Rex, but a flashbang drove the apex predator off. The pass was wooded with pine and spruce, not optimal lumber but it would suit them as a temporary shelter. Accordingly, Brian and Axel used the compact track loader and chain saws to cut timber to set up a palisade wall and lean-tos inside the fortress. They used the post driver attachment on the compact track loader to drive some of the logs deep into the ground as anchor points.

While they were doing that, Jamal had been finally turned loose with his drone to search north once more. He went out with the plan to establish radio contact with the northern settlement and get their exact location.

With more fuel he had more loiter time in the air. He picked up a tail wind and used the thermals to his advantage, cutting back on the engine to glide from time to time to further extend the range. When he got to where he'd picked them up he went into an orbit and wasn't disappointed. A few minutes after the aircraft's arrived it picked up a radio transmission.

“We've been expecting you,” a gruff voice said.

“Sorry, we had some issues but we're here now,” Jamal said, waving frantically for others to come and listen. A few did, most were too busy building the trading post to be distracted.

Jamal explained their mission. He got them up-to-date on the news, then went on to describe the plan to have a meeting. That got the northern group interested. “Hang on a minute kid,” the voice on the other end said. Jamal could hear a bit of jostling and then someone else picked up the radio.

“Okay, where are you?”

“We've set up a trading post in the valley south of you,” Jamal reported. I'm trying to get a fix on your location now,” he said.

“We're on a hill,” the voice replied. There is a screen of hills between us and you,” he said. “This is John by the way, John Duster,” he said then cleared his throat.

“It's nice to well, not meet you, but talk to you Mister Duster,” Jamal said.

“Call me John. Or Dusty. Now, you said you are in a valley?”

“Between the mountains about five, no,
six
, yeah, six hundred kilometers south of where the drone is orbiting,” Jamal said. “We're setting up a trading post there. Just the basics, some fuel, water, a palisade, and of course a landing strip.”

“Okay,” John said. “I think we can get to you,” sounding like he was turning to talk to someone else. “We've got working vehicles you see. I think they have the range. I'm not sure. I don't think we ever measured the miles per gallon, did we?” he asked, obviously pitching the question to someone else.

After a moment he returned. “No, and it's through the hills,” he said. Jamal's face fell. “But we can load up with a lot of juice. We've been cultivating it. You said you are trading?”

“Yeah.”

“That Mitch Chambers guy? I know a couple people here want to shake his hand. Hell, I do. The guy saved a lot of lives with his survival gear.”

“I know,” Jamal said nodding. “Now that we've got the trading posts set up I can see if we can get an aircraft out to you. I don't know when. Or what we can carry,” he said.

“No, no, you came this far, we can go the rest of the way,” John said. “You can handle the fort right Eric? Earl?” Jamal felt his body rush as he heard muffled affirmatives.

“Earl and I are the best out in the bush. I can handle a trip. If my wife doesn't mind. She's pregnant and I'm not sure...okay, yes, she said yes. I'll grab a couple people and we'll head out.”

“Now?” Jamal asked, eyes wide.

“No, tomorrow. First light. Well, after that. Predators,” John said. “We'll load up tonight,” he said.

“Awesome!” Jamal said, grinning.

“What do you need? We've got some stuff. Not a whole hell of a lot. I picked up some gold. I don't suppose you need that?” John asked.

“Gold?” Jamal asked. “I'm not sure. Honestly I'm not into trade, just flying. I'm a pilot. Everyone's busy building the post,” he said. “Give me a sec,” he said. He got up to rush off then came back and nearly knocked his folding table and chair over in his haste. “Don't go away.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” the tart rejoinder came back. Jamal shot off like a jack rabbit for Axel. Axel snorted and waved him on to Brian. Brian stopped what he was doing with the logs and wiped his brow, then came over with the young man. He took a seat and the negotiations began.

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Paul and Gary's crew recovered Bessy on their return trip. They were fortunate that the wounded Hadrosaur Gary had hit had wandered off to the trees about a hundred meters away. So far it was okay, in the outer edge of the herd, but Paul was pretty sure it's days were numbered and bleak. It was in pain; he was pretty sure about that. He was tempted to put it out of its misery but didn't want to risk his ass to do it. He shook his head.

Gary had to chase out a nesting lizard and cursed at the smells and stains all over the interior of the truck. When they lifted her hood to examine the motor they were startled by more lizards. Since they couldn't get the engine running, they swapped her load with another truck that had been running light, shifted the other loads about to free up Drake's rig, then used it to tow Bessy home.

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Two days later Jamal guided a truck into the mountain pass. Work crews looked up and waved as the truck entered the home stretch and pulled up. “Well, it's been a ride but we're here now,” John said, getting out of the cab. He stretched his legs. Gerald got out on the passenger side, then helped Nel out. “You folks wouldn't have something to cut the road dust?” Gerald asked, dusting himself off with his battered ball cap.

“As a matter of fact we do,” Brian said smoothly as Axel shot him an amused look. Brian went to the back of his cab and pulled out four of his precious beers. He came back with them between his fingers and handed them to the newcomers. “We recycle everything so we keep the caps and bottles,” he said.

Gerald's eyes lit when he saw the brown bottles. “What...”

“Beer,” John said, already cracking his open. He smiled. “To the start of a beautiful friendship,” he said, holding his bottle up.

“I'll drink to that,” Gerald said as he and Nel got theirs open. Brian cracked his and they clinked their bottles together in friendship.

Chapter 38

With each additional village contact and radio towers erected to maintain communication with them, radio chatter increased. Discussion over the radio network allowed for not only the free exchange of information, warning of weather and animal herds, but also treatment for various ailments. Several times Sandra was awoken to deal with a medical crisis over the radio in a distant village. She was tired and grumpy enough dealing with a teething Tucker, the additional reason for a lack of sleep made Mitch concerned enough to get her to take a couple days off and sleep in. Invariably she got bored however and went back to work after a bubble bath and a long nap.

When Mitch protested she grabbed his chin and swung her legs over him to straddle his lap. “You're sweet and all honey, but we've all got to play our part. Now shut up and kiss me,” she said.

“Now how can I resist an order like that?” he asked, eyes twinkling.

“That's right; you can't,” she said huskily, bending over to give him a nice kiss. When it broke she stroked his hair and then went back to work. He watched her go. He took on Tucker and some of the other kids for brief periods to give the daycare a break, but he realized when he got frazzled that he really wasn't cut out to watch babies. Babies couldn't be reasoned with like an older child or bribed for that matter. Janet was a bit amused by his stubbornly holding on and staying the course.

One benefit of the radio network was the renewed call for a community leadership gathering to iron out various things people had on their minds. The idea was bandied back and forth throughout the spring but it picked up steam in the last month just before the summer heat hit.

“Let's just get this over with. We need to get together, hash this shit out and come up with a game plan,” Jack said testily.

“A face to face?” Evan asked, unsure.

“I'm a bit busy here,” Mike replied.