The Journal: Raging Tide: (The Journal Book 4) (3 page)

“When do you need it by?”

“We plan on leaving in a couple of days. Is
there a pool on that too?” I asked.

“Not that I know of. Your departure is going
to be common knowledge. I’ll get your trade items ready by
tomorrow.”

With that taken care of, I went back to get
my hair cut.

April 4

“I see you waited for
me to put the tent up,” Jim joked as he helped me stretch out the
dull green four man nylon tent.

“One person can do this easily, and I think
we both should be able to do it without the other person,” I said
to him.

We pounded the stakes in and attached the
lines to the corner loops. The poles were next, and with a bit of
tightening on the lines, the tent was up. I unzipped the outer
door, then the screen.

“Do we really need that much room, Allex?”
Jim asked. “This is a four man tent and it’s just us.”

“The roominess is deceptive. Once we get the
air mattresses and sleeping bags in, there will only be a small
aisle down the center. Four people can fit, sure, elbow to elbow!
Plus we should also keep our duffels, weapons and ammo cans with us
at all times, don’t you think? There may be times we will be forced
to cook inside the tent. It’s going to feel cramped if that
happens.”

“Now that you’ve brought up weapons, what
are you planning on taking?” Jim asked.

“I’m used to my 9mm Kel Tec, and thought I’d
bring the M14 too. Plus I’ve got that knife. You remember, the one
that Virginia soldier stabbed me with?”

“I’d rather forget that whole debacle. I
should have seen through Marlow sooner than I did. I’m sorry,
Allex,” Jim said, sounding truly saddened. “Anyway, I have no
problem with your Kel Tec, though I do think we should upgrade you
to an M4 Carbine. It’s lighter, has a collapsible stock, and is
usually a more reliable magazine feed than the M14. Don’t worry,
I’ve got extra.”

*

We spent the better part of the afternoon
packing and rearranging the gear in the back of the Humvee. We
agreed on only one cooler since once the ice melted it would only
be a storage chest. Using an empty cooler allowed us to get a good
feel for how everything would fit.

“I have to be honest, Allex, I didn’t think
we would get everything in. Hummers aren’t noted for their storage
capacity.”

“Most everything can be nested, as you can
see. That makes a big difference. The only thing I see I want to
change is to add another bucket. The buckets are functional, though
while we’re traveling they’re protection for the more delicate
necessities.”

“Like what? I thought nothing was
glass.”

“I know it seems redundant to have two
coffee pots, the French press,
and
the small percolator. The
percolator will mainly be for boiling water, and we can’t heat
water if it’s full of coffee. Then there’s the Berkey; it has three
fragile ceramic filters we need to protect. This will be our source
of potable drinking water. The Berkey and the press can sit
together in one bucket, and the kerosene lantern with its glass
globe will stay in one by itself. That one we shouldn’t use for
water anyway since there might be some fuel leakage.”

“Makes sense.” He looked into the back
again. “I see there’s still room for the duffels and sleeping bags.
Are you sure we need the air mattresses?”

“They take up next to no room. You can leave
yours behind if you want, but I don’t want to sleep on the cold
ground. I really think that cheap piece of plastic is going to make
a world of difference in our comfort.”

“We can always sleep in the Hummer,” Jim
suggested. I looked in the back again and raised my eyebrows. “You
win,” he laughed. “Okay, it looks like we’re ready.”

“Yeah, it does.” I took a deep breath. “How
about we leave in two days? I need to bake tomorrow.”

April 5

“Mom, you
have
to go with us to the
Inn tonight,” Eric pleaded.

“Why?” I asked. I know my sons all too well,
and I’m sure they have something planned.

“I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, but
there’s a ‘going away’ party for you and the colonel. Everyone
wants to say goodbye and wish you a safe journey.”

“That sounds like we’re not coming back! It
will only be for a couple of weeks, two months at the longest and
we
will
be back,” I assured him. The look in his eyes said I
hit a sore spot. My son was worried. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

“Good! We’ll pick you up at five.”

“Before you go, there’s something I need you
to do for me,” I said hesitantly. “Even if it’s only for two weeks,
I’d like you to move in here. You’re the best one to tend the green
house and start the garden if we’re delayed getting back. And to
watch over Tufts. Plus it will give you and Rayn some privacy.”

Eric looked relieved.

“That will give us a good break,” he said.
“I love my brother, and I really like Amanda. She and Rayn get
along well, but…” he paused, “there’s such a thing as too much
closeness!”

“So you’ll do it?”

“Of course, Mom, we’d be happy to.”

*

“It looks like most of the town turned out
for this farewell party!” Tom said, handing me a cup of punch. It
was a fruity drink, and too much sweetness for my taste. It would
be a good drink to nurse all evening.

“I hope this shindig doesn’t last very
long,” I said. “There are still things to do and since we plan on
an early start, I need some sleep.”

“Suck it up, princess. Your fans want to see
you before you leave,” Tom joked. “Ah, there you are,” Colonel Jim
said. “Ready for the big day tomorrow?”

He rubbed his hands together in obvious
glee.

“Oh, yes,” I said. “What time do you want to
get going?”

“Best time is always daybreak.”

JOURNAL ENTRY: APRIL 6

I didn’t sleep well
last night; I think it was the
anxiety of today’s events. We’ve been planning thi
s trip for
a month and now it’s finally here.

~~~

“Did you remember the ice, Jim? I forgot to
ask you about that last night,” I said when the colonel arrived
shortly after six o’clock in the morning. With the city-sized power
plant running the town for ten hours every day, it was much easier
for him to freeze a gallon jug of water than me.

“Yes, ma’am, it’s right here,” he replied,
setting the old plastic milk bottle next to the cooler. “I also had
Earl Tyler go over the Hummer front to back with a tune up and oil
change. He’s been an unbelievable help. Auto mechanic, diesel
mechanic, and when he said he could make anything he wasn’t
kidding. Wait until you see the racks he made and attached to the
sides for carrying the jerry cans! Oh, and he’s assured me he will
keep the generators in top working order while we’re gone.”

“Do you have a car kit for the Hummer?”

“Like what?”

“Basic tools, air compressor, towing straps,
things like that.”

“Standard issue, all in the built-in
panels,” Jim replied. “Stop worrying, Allex. We’ve got it
covered.”

I sighed, knowing that I
do
tend to
worry too much. “Then let’s get packing!”

I looked around the kitchen at the piles of
stuff to pack, wondering if it was too much or not enough, and then
decided we would make do, no matter what.

While we were loading the back of the
vehicle, Jim noticed the second cooler I had set by the parking
spot.

“I thought we were only taking one
cooler?”

“We were, then I realized I only had a
cardboard box for all the canned and dried foods. Cardboard is
rather flimsy. Not only will the cooler be more stable, in the
event we need it, it’s also water tight,” I explained.

I loaded the fresh foods into the cooler
with the ice: eggs, bread, butter, cheese, a couple of potatoes,
tomatoes and lettuce from the greenhouse, and more water. The
second cooler with canned meats, jars of bouillon, pasta, flour,
sugar, salt, yeast, oatmeal, peanut butter, and jam was heavy so
went in first. The heavy ammo cans were next. The rifles were right
behind the seats and accessible, our personal weapons already on
us.

“Last in, first out,” Jim said as our
duffels, sleeping bags, and the tent went on top of everything
else. The chainsaw was the very last item to go in since it might
be the first thing needed.

I slipped back into the house to find Tufts.
With all the activity making him nervous, I found him under the
bed. I pulled him out and cuddled him for a few minutes, stroking
his silky black fur, knowing it would be weeks before I saw him
again.

I looked around the kitchen one last time,
not finding anything we might have forgotten. While Jim waited
outside, I noticed him open each door and spray the hinges. Must be
a bit of auto maintenance he does.

My family came across the yard, one by one
giving me a hug and shaking the colonel’s hand. There were a few
tears, though I do think we all felt this was a good and joyous
occasion.

Emilee, now almost as tall as I and
approaching thirteen years old, gave Jim a brief hug, very sternly
saying, “You better take good care of my Nahna!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Jim said jovially. “I will do
that!”

*

“I hate goodbyes,” I sighed as we sped north
on 695 to the 150 road and turned west.

“So do I,” Jim concurred. “That’s a
wonderful family you have there, Allex. There’s so much love and
warmth.” He coughed, embarrassed, and we were quiet until the next
turnoff.

“Make a right turn here,” I instructed.
“This is the new road leading to the mine and we shouldn’t have any
obstructions for the next fifteen miles.”

“You sound pretty confident about that,” Jim
commented as he maneuvered the big vehicle north again. He gazed
over the panorama of the wide asphalt road with wider shoulders.
The forest landscaping was free of trees for a hundred yards on
either side. “Oh, I see what you mean.”

We drove another half hour in companionable
silence, until the next turn.

“Now we make a left onto that dirt road,” I
said, pointing to a break in the trees and we were heading south
again.

“You seem to know your way around way out
here,” he remarked.

“This is where Kathy and I would come
blueberry picking and mushroom hunting,” I replied, gazing out the
window, remembering all the good times we had. “And yes, I miss
her.”

Another turn had us going west and then
south.

“Let’s stop here,” I said when we came to a
clearing that was more like a wide spot in the road. “I want to go
over the map with you again, now that we’re here.”

The light morning breeze ruffled the edges
of the map I spread out over the hood of the vehicle so we could
both look at it. I traced our route with my finger.

“From this point on, I’m not sure what we
will find. The mine started building a new road they could haul the
ore over without disturbing the population of Moose Creek. I’ve
heard they had finished clearing the trees away before being forced
to halt construction. It seems they ran into a wetland area and the
government made them stop.” I looked around and pointed. “Over
there should be the beginning of that road. If it’s as good as I
think, it should take us all the way to US-41 west of
Marquette.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jim said
enthusiastically. “I’m anxious to see how the Shopmore store
survived the earthquakes. We should be able to pick up a few more
supplies before we head to Sawyer.”

“Sawyer?”

“I want to refuel, and get some intel on
what we might find ahead.”

“Makes sense. Are you concerned at all they
may ask you to stay, or even detain us?”

“No, Allex, I’m not. I wouldn’t put either
of us in that kind of danger. I’m still a colonel in the United
States Army. Only a brigadier or major general outrank me and last
time I checked, there was only a major there,” Jim replied.

“Okay. Let’s try this road then and see what
kind of time we can make,” I said, anxious to be on the move.

*

The road turned out to be better than I had
expected. It was cleared of trees and smoothed out, even packed
down, and we made steady progress heading south. It was noon when
we came across the first house.

“I doubt it’s worth checking out. What do
you think, Jim?” I asked, looking at the scorched beams of what was
once a large log cabin set far back from the road.

“Looks to be an old fire. We could take a
closer look if you’re curious,” he answered.

I pulled my binoculars from a side pocket
and searched the area.

“No movement at all. Let’s keep going,” I
said, putting the eyepiece away.

“I didn’t know you brought those. That was a
good idea.”

“I’m not real anxious to get too close to
something I’m not sure of. I’d rather check things out from a
distance. I’ve got a longer range scope in my pack if we need
it.”

An hour later we came upon the first wetland
area and it wasn’t much, only a bit swampy to the east.

Jim snorted. “They stopped the road because
of that?”

“Maybe it’s bigger and wetter at different
times of the year. I don’t know. Stop a minute, Jim, I want to
check something.” I got out of the Hummer and walked to the edge of
the new road. “Look here, there’s some serious erosion. I bet this
section does flood at some point.” I opened the map up, guessed
where we were, and drew blue lines through the road.

We passed a few more houses, none of which
looked occupied. The closer the houses were, the rougher the road
became, and then there was pavement. A mile later we came to US
41.

“Hot damn!” Jim said, slapping the steering
wheel gleefully. “We made it!”