The Search (14 page)

     “For the reals, Mommy?”

     “Yes, sir. For the reals.”

     Markie’s dejected look changed to an ear-to-ear grin and he shoved what was left of the stems into the empty glass flower vase on Hannah’s bedside table.

     “Should I put some water in it, Mommy?”

     Hannah almost said not to. That water would do nothing to help the pathetic stems in their current state.

     But Markie was so enthused about the flowers she didn’t have the heart.

     “I think that would be a great idea, honey. You can take the vase into the bathroom and fill it halfway. Can you handle it? It’s an awfully big vase.”

     “I can do it, Mom. I’m a big guy now, remember?”

     He picked up the glass vase and carried it with both hands toward the lavatory.

     Hannah gave Mark a concerned look, and he read her thoughts perfectly. He walked behind his son, leaning over his shoulder and ready to grab the vase if Markie appeared to be losing his grip.

     Hannah reached out her arms to Sami, who went to her and hugged her tenderly.

     “How are you feeling, honey?”

     “Well, let’s just say I’ve had better days. And you?”

     “I alter between sleepless nights and days when I’m just happy to be alive.”

     “Yeah. I can relate. That pretty much sums up my whole existence.”

     “I’m so sorry. You know that I loved John almost as much as you did.”

     “I know. He told me several times that if he ever gave me a sister, that he wanted her to be just like you. I told him, ‘Dad, I think your days of having children has passed long ago.’ He said, ‘Not true, honey… in fact, I’ve had my eye on Jessika for a long time, and I think she’s still single.’

     “I said, ‘Dad, you’re twenty years older than her.’ And he said, ‘Honey, age is just a number, nothing else.’”

     Hannah laughed and said, “That sounds like your silly father. Did you ever tell Jessika what he said?”

     “Yeah, the very same day. It was too good to keep from her.”

     “And what did she say?”

     “At first she turned up her nose and said, ‘Ewww.’ But then she thought about it for a minute and said, ‘You know, he
is
a handsome man. I wonder if he’s a good lover…’”

     Hannah said, “Oh, my God!”

     “I know, right? I put my hands over my ears and ran out of the room. But you can bet I was watching both of them for the next few days. Just in case.”

     “How come I never heard about this before?”

     “I don’t know. You were caught up in raising Markie and running the mine and all that, I suppose. Anyway, they got the last laugh on me.”

     “Really? How so?”

     “They got together and compared notes. Jessika told him what she’d said and that it freaked me out a bit and they decided to turn the tables on me. So later that day they made sure that I saw them strolling through the mine holding hands.

     “And they knew I always went back to my RV just before the ten o’clock lights out. So they laid in wait just outside my RV at ten, and when I came by they started kissing.”

     “Seriously?”

     “Yeah. That was before Jessika got really involved with Brent so she was a single chick at that time. Otherwise I don’t think Brent would have gone for their little charade.”

     “So, what happened?”

     “They kissed for a few seconds and then couldn’t stand it any longer. They both busted up laughing and couldn’t stop for several minutes.

     “Then, when he could breathe again, Dad told me, ‘Hey! At least I didn’t slip her the tongue.’

     “Then Jessika, with a straight face, looked at me and said, ‘But he slipped me something else last night.’”

     Hannah’s jaw dropped.

     “Oh, my God! What did you say?”

     “I told him I disowned both of them. Him as my father and her as my friend. But then the lunacy of it all sunk in and I started laughing too.

     “But I told them that if they ever told a single soul about their stunt I would strangle them both with my bare hands. I guess that’s why you never heard of it. I guess they were afraid that I really would.”

     Mark and Markie returned from the lavatory. This time Mark was carrying the vase, since it was now considerably heavier. Despite Hannah’s instructions, they had filled the vase to the very top, and water was dripping over the sides.

     Sami asked Hannah, “Why can’t men just follow instructions?”

     “I don’t know. Because they’re men, I suppose. Why do men do anything?”

     Mark had his own questions.

     “Never heard of what? Who were you going to strangle? Who were you talking about?”

     Hannah said, “Never you mind.”

     Then she turned to Markie and said, “Honey, why don’t you have your daddy take you to the cafeteria and feed you some dinner? And make sure he brings back something for Sami, okay?”

     “Mommy, you’re not gonna come with us?”

     “No, honey. They brought me my dinner just before you guys got here. Go along now. Sami and I have some more visiting to do.”

     Mark reached down and took his young son’s hand and said, “Come on, little sailor. I know when we’re not wanted.”

     As soon as they were out of sight, Hannah turned back to Sami.

     “So, what else have you been keeping from me?”

Chapter 28

     Martel had a bit of a dilemma. He’d been able to convince the woman he’d brought back from the forest that they were husband and wife.

     That the reason she didn’t remember him was because she’d hit her head and had amnesia.

     And so far she’d bought it.

     Or, at least, she appeared to.

     But he didn’t want to keep her tied to the bed forever. Sure, it was convenient for… her main purpose. But he wanted more from her than that. He wanted her to cook and clean and wash his clothes for him.

     And she couldn’t do any of that as long as one of her wrists was handcuffed to the bedpost.

     He knew that the longer she lay there, unable to move, the more time she’d have to think about the story he’d fed her.

     And the more time she’d have to try to remember.

     He finally decided to free her.

     Not completely. She’d still be his slave. She’d still be expected to submit to his desires, and to wait on him hand and foot.

     But she’d be free to move about the house.

     Martel knew he was taking a big risk.

     He’d always been very good at manipulating the thoughts and actions of others. And he was a masterful liar. He once talked a used car salesman into buying his car, which was a piece of crap and which needed an overhaul a week after the salesman bought it. But for that whole week the salesman was showing the car off to his friends and bragging about what a good deal he’d made.

     Still, Martel had been out of practice for a while. First, he was in prison, and in administrative segregation most of the time. Separated from the other inmates for fighting and smuggling contraband and other prison no-nos.

     But that wasn’t so bad. He didn’t mind solitary, because he seldom got along with anybody for any appreciable length of time anyway.

     Then, after that idiot warden released the convicts to reign terror on the tiny town of Eden, he didn’t need to manipulate anybody.

     He was big and bad and able to coerce people to do his bidding.

     He wasn’t the biggest kid on the block, but he was certainly one of the meanest. Just a glare from his ugly mug was enough to make even the hardest of men do his bidding without complaint.

     No lying or manipulation was necessary.

     So Martel was out of practice.

     It was possible that instead of playing the woman, that she might be playing him instead.

     It was also possible that she didn’t have amnesia. That maybe she remembered everything. That she knew he was a brutal killer and wasn’t really her husband.

     That maybe, just maybe, she was looking for her chance to get away, and would bolt as soon as she found it.

     So in his mind he was taking a risk, yes. But he’d taken risks his entire life and was still standing.

     And she damn sure wasn’t doing him much good chained to the bed.

     He decided to remove the cuffs and let her roam freely around the house and the grounds.

     But there would be stipulations.

     It took her several minutes to find her land legs.

     She was still weak from the blood loss, and from having gone several days without eating. While she was unconscious, Martel held up her head and slowly poured water into her mouth. She subconsciously swallowed it, but he didn’t give her any food for fear she’d choke on it.

     When she sat up for the first time and put her feet on the floor she felt light-headed. When she walked across the room for the first time she lost her balance and nearly stumbled.

     Twice.

     After a few minutes, though, she was able to make her way to the closet to find some clothes to put on her naked body.

     The closet was barren, save a handful of men’s shirts and two pairs of men’s jeans that were big enough for her to swim in.

     Oh, Martel could live with the woman he called Becky running around the compound.

     But she’d do so naked.

     Because that was the way he preferred his women.

     “Nathan… honey… where are my clothes?”

     In a moment of feigned concern, Martel rushed across the room and took her in his arms.

     He tenderly lifted her chin and looked into her pretty face and said, “Oh, my… you really
have
forgotten everything, haven’t you?”

     “What do you mean?”

     “Becky, you are a nudist. You have been for years. Don’t you remember?”

     “I… no, I don’t. I don’t remember anything. I’m so sorry.”

     “It’s okay, honey. I will nurse you back to health, and when you get better you’ll remember everything. I promise.”

     “Nudist…”

     She slowly repeated the word, as though it were something bitter in her mouth. And while she said it, she pondered all the implications that came with it.

     “So I don’t have any clothes at all?”

     “Nope. You haven’t worn clothes since we met. You said you hated the feel of them against your skin. You couldn’t stand to wear them. I’ll admit, I thought it was weird at first, but I fell so much in love with you it didn’t matter.”

     “Where did we meet?”

     “At the nudist colony where you lived. I was an air conditioner repairman who came to work on one of your units. You talked to me while I worked, and we hit it off instantly. You invited me back to visit and the rest, as they say, is history.”

     Martel felt his mojo returning. He could always create lies faster than most men could tell the truth. He was a pro, and he was on his game. She seemed to buy every bit of crap that flowed from his mouth.

     In reality, everything he’d told her thus far was a lie except one thing.

     He was truthful when he told her she didn’t have a single stitch of clothing to her name.

     But it wasn’t because she was a nudist.

     It was because while she slept the night before he released her from her cuffs he was up, quietly rummaging through the house.

     And gathering every bit of clothing that Sally Huckabee left behind, and taking it to the burn pit a hundred yards from the house.

     He went one step further and burned nearly all of Jason Huckabee’s clothing as well, save for some oversized jeans and a few loose-fitting t-shirts that Martel thought might fit him.

     Prison had broken Martel of many things. One was the need to be fashionable, or to have a large collection of clothing.

     In prison he had only the jumpsuit he wore, and a second to change into.

     But “Becky” wasn’t finished with her questions.

     “So… people saw me naked?”

     “Yes, honey, of course. All of our friends who came over to visit would compliment you on your body. You know how beautiful you are. We used to joke that the reason I had so many male friends was because I had the hottest wife in seven counties. And because they enjoyed watching you move as much as I did.”

     “And you were okay with that?”

     “Sure. Why not? It was the lifestyle you chose. And I have to say, most of the nudists I’ve seen in my life aren’t people you’d want to see naked. But you sure are, honey, and I liked showing you off.”

     “But what about when I went out… in public?”

     “Well, you always told me you loved your privacy more than you loved people. You’ve always been a home body. And since we live on a farm out in the middle of nowhere, this was the perfect place for you. You could hang the laundry and tend to the garden and such without having to worry about anyone driving by and seeing you naked, and of course you could run around the house the same way.”

     “But how did I go shopping? Or to run errands?”

     “Oh, I did all of that. You very seldom went into town. Well, once in a blue moon, if you wanted to get off the farm for a bit. You’d wear one of my t-shirts and just sit in the truck while I did all the errands. But mostly you just stayed home and tended to your cleaning while I did all the running around.”

     He studied her face for any indication that she was starting to doubt the bullshit he was feeding her.

     But she seemed to accept his lies. She appeared to be buying every word he said.

     So he went one step further.

     “It’s just a damn shame they’re all gone now.”

     “Who?”

     “All of our friends. When the meteorite hit the earth almost ten years ago. Please tell me you remember that much, at least.”

     He saw a glint of something in her eye.

     The word “meteorite” had registered.

     She could vaguely remember… something, about something from space crashing to the earth.

     But she couldn’t remember what, specifically.

     The glimmer left her eyes as quickly as it had arrived.

     She turned to him and asked, “What happened? Was it bad?”

     “Oh, hell yeah, it was bad. The world froze over for seven long years, that’s how bad it was. Most of the people on earth died. Nearly all of them, in fact. The only ones who survived were the ones like us, who planned ahead.”

     “So our friends… the ones who came to visit and saw me naked… they’re dead?”

     “Yes, honey. They all froze to death or starved to death or the plague got ‘em. A couple of them were shot because they tried to steal. But they’re all gone now.”

     “But how do we survive if it’s just the two of us?”

     “Oh, we planned well. We stored a lot of food before the meteorite hit. We still have some of the dry stock left. And a lot of corn. We have a boatload of corn. We survive by eating what we put aside, and I take the pickup to the highway a couple of times a month to gather provisions. And I go hunting and fishing for our meat.”

     “What do you mean, ‘go to the highway to gather provisions?’”

     “Well, all the supermarkets were picked clean years ago. The survivors who live in cities, and there aren’t many of them left, grow their crops now. They never leave the cities anymore.

     “That leaves all the big rigs all over the highway miles from any city, which are fair game for the rest of us. I know where there are half a dozen Wal-Mart trucks within twenty miles of here. Some of them have been picked through a bit, but most of the food is still there. And of course all the canned goods and cold foods are worthless now.

     “But there’s still a lot of good stuff to be had. A couple of days ago I brought back four cases of macaroni and cheese, and four cases of beef jerky. It’s stale but still edible. And there’s plenty of dry stock in those trucks. Ramen noodles and pinto beans and rice and instant potatoes. It ain’t gourmet, but it gets us by.”

     “It sounds like you do an awful lot. What do I do?”

     “Well, honey, we’ve had an agreement ever since the meteorite hit. I’m the hunter and the gatherer, and you keep everything clean, and cook all the meals, and lay on that bed every time I have my urges. That’s the deal we’ve had for years now. And it’s worked very well up to this point.”

     Once again, he searched her eyes for any sign of disbelief. But there was nothing. And she nodded her head.

     She’d bought it.

Chapter 29

     Bryan was fit to be tied.

     For days he and Bryan Too had been scouring central Texas for his sweet Sarah.

     They’d visited every hospital, clinic and doctor’s office within two hundred miles in every direction of Salt Mountain.

     They’d slept in abandoned motel rooms when they could find one toward the end of every day.

     On the nights they couldn’t find one, they slept in Army issue sleeping bags beneath the stars.

     Except for one cruel night when a passing line of thunderstorms opened up on them at two in the morning, forcing them to spend the rest of the night soaked and sleeping upright in the Humvee.

     Through their ordeal they’d talked to over a hundred people. Each one promised they’d continue to search for Sarah and would notify Bryan immediately if she were found.

     Finally, although he didn’t want to, Bryan had to face reality.