Roads North and Trails South Read online

  “I feel the same.”

  Robbie got out of his seat.

  “Need something?” she asked.

  He knelt in front of her, and took her hand. “Morgan, will you be my wife?”

  She teared up immediately. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. I love you so much. You can tell, can’t you?”

  “Yes,” she said softly, “and yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He stood, pulling her up into his arms and kissing her tenderly.

  She broke the kiss and snickered. “Wow. Morning mouth and coffee.”

  “I don’t care,” he said, coming in for another kiss.

  She kissed him back tenderly. “Oh, what the hell. If we keep this up, we’ll end up back there again.”

  He picked her up. She squealed.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, eyes dancing.

  “Taking my woman,” he said, carrying her into the bedroom. They went at each other with passion.

  “Whoa,” she said when they were done, laying on her back next to him. “That was intense.”

  “It was,” Robbie said, pulling her hand to his face, kissing the back of it. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  “Likewise,” she said. “You could’ve had me earlier, you know.”

  “It wasn’t time yet,” Robbie said.

  She looked over at him. “Actually, I think you’re right about that. We probably would’ve developed into a couple, but it would’ve been different.”

  There was a knock on the door. “You guys up?”

  “Justin,” Robbie whispered. “Hope they haven’t been there long.”

  “Oh, crap,” Morgan said, an embarrassed smile on her face.

  “Be out in a minute,” Robbie shouted. He and Morgan got dressed, and bolted out into the salon, Robbie going to the door. Katie and Justin were standing outside. “Come on in.”

  “Hey, guys,” Katie said. “Sorry if you weren’t up yet.”

  “They took our rig in for the retrofit,” Justin said. “They took Gil’s in too, so I suspect they’ll be here in a minute or two.”

  “Here they come,” Robbie said, looking past Justin as he came in. “Come on in, folks.”

  “Good morning,” Gil said, holding hands with Tisha. She smiled as they came up the steps.

  “Have a seat,” Morgan said. “Coffee?”

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Gil said.

  “Sure,” Katie said.

  “Uh oh, what happened?” Tisha asked, eyeing Morgan. “You look like the cat that swallowed the canary.”

  Morgan and Robbie shot each other a glance. Robbie shrugged.

  “We’re engaged,” Morgan said, face turning red.

  Tisha chuckled. “Knocked you up, did he?”

  “Tisha!” Gil said.

  “No, it’s okay,” Morgan said. “I might be pregnant. Not sure yet.”

  “We would’ve done it anyway,” Robbie said.

  “Yeah, I could see it coming,” Justin said.

  “What about you guys?” Morgan asked.

  Justin snickered. “I knew you’d go there.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want to marry me?” Katie asked. She shot a grin over at Morgan and Tisha, both of whom cracked up.

  “See what you started, man?” Gil asked.

  “Seriously, dude,” Justin said.

  “Answer the question,” Katie said with false outrage.

  “We’ll discuss it in private,” Justin said, a twinkle in his eye. Katie stopped, staring at him.

  “What?” Justin asked.

  “You would, wouldn’t you?” Katie looked him in the eye.

  “Like I said, we’ll talk later.”

  Tisha cracked up.

  Gil laughed. “Hey, what if I asked you?”

  Tisha stopped laughing for a second, looking at him, and then started laughing again. “Honey, you’d have a harder time getting away from me than you would getting me to marry you. Trust me.”

  “Yeah, I could see that,” Robbie said.

  “This conversation is getting too dangerous, man,” Gil said.

  Katie felt a buzz, getting a scared look on her face. “Shit, that’s my phone.” She pulled it out of her jeans pocket.

  “Who is it?” Justin asked.

  “I don’t recognize the number. She answered it, her eyes getting wide. She hit the speaker button.

  “Sis?”

  “Steve? Oh, my God, you’re still alive?”

  “Yes, Colleen and I are still alive. How about our group? Everybody survive?”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling through tears. “What are you calling from. Not a cellphone, I hope.”

  “Nope, a land line at the laundromat.”

  “Steve, dude, so glad to hear from you,” Gil said.

  “Seriously, man,” Justin said.

  “You still where you said you were going?” Robbie asked.

  “Yeah. It’s safe here. Never had the UN or the Islamists around, and there’s a bad-ass sheriff here who watches the place like a hawk. I’m doing deputy work for him part time now.”

  “Wow, excellent,” Katie said.

  “What are you guys doing?” Steve asked.

  “We’re fighting with Ivan,” Justin said.

  “Who? You don’t mean the guy on the video?”

  “Yeah, that’s who we mean,” Robbie said.

  Gil chuckled. “It’s pretty crazy, dude.”

  “Robbie just got engaged to Morgan,” Katie said.

  “No way. Colleen and I are married. We have a baby on the way, too.”

  “You’re kidding,” Katie said. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. Wish I was there with you guys.”

  “Stay where you are, if you’re safe,” Robbie said. “We’re in danger all the time. You don’t want that.”

  “Maybe you guys should come up here.”

  “Eventually we might,” Justin said. “When the work is done.”

  “You and Katie are still together?” Steve asked.

  “Yes, we are,” Katie said. “Gil’s got a girlfriend too.”

  “Tisha,” Gil said.

  “Hi,” Tisha said.

  “Good for you, man.”

  “I’m a happy camper,” Gil said.

  “Where are you now?” Steve asked.

  “We’d better not say over the phone,” Robbie said.

  “Yeah, better not to go there,” Katie said. “We’ll have lots of crazy stories for you when we get through this.”

  “We all know how to fight now,” Morgan said. “Things are different. If you’ve avoided that, you’re lucky.”

  “How come you haven’t called before now?” Katie asked.

  “Our cabin has no cell coverage,” Steve said. “I was sitting in here doing laundry when I saw the phone.”

  “You’re doing the laundry, huh?” Gil asked.

  “Colleen is at work,” Steve said. “She has a full-time job now. I’m only working part time, so I’ve been doing things like laundry and housework.”

  Gil and Justin glanced at each other, grinning, ready to pounce.

  “No, guys,” Robbie said. “This is cool.”

  “Oh, they were gonna mess with me, eh?” Steve asked. “Some things never change. Sorry, guys, but I don’t care. I love her so much. We have a nice life.”

  “I know the feeling,” Robbie said.

  “So does Gil,” Tisha said.

  Gil put his hand on her shoulder. “Okay, okay, so do I.”

  “Me too,” Justin said. “I hope we can all get together again.”

  “We will. Uh oh, got to go. The Sheriff is calling me.”

  “Take care, brother,” Katie said. “I love you.”

  “Love you too, sis.”

  The call ended.

  Katie set her phone down on the counter. “Wow, didn’t expect that.”

  “I figured he didn’t make it,” Robbie said. “Glad I was wrong.”

  “I knew he was alive,” Katie said. “In my heart. I was afraid he was captive or something, though.”

  “They don’t tend to keep men alive,” Justin said. “You gonna tell him everything?”

  Katie was silent for a moment, sadness creeping onto her face. “I don’t know. Do you guys think we’ll survive?”

  Everybody was silent for a moment.

  “Geez, are we in worse trouble than I thought?”

  “Oh, I think we’ll make it,” Robbie said, “but there’s a lot we’re gonna go through to get there.”

  Morgan leaned into him, on the verge of tears. The others sat silently.

  {2}

  Hovercraft Ride

  S am and Erica were approaching a meadow between two small ridges, with a sandy surface that was almost flat. The shadows were getting long, the sun close to the horizon.

  “I think we’re stopping for the night,” Sam said, his feet and back aching.

  “Looks like you’re right,” Erica said. “We’ve stopped here before. Not sheltered enough for a long stay, but there is a spring nearby.”

  “Oh, and a pool for skinny dipping?”

  She chuckled. “No such luck there. Don’t think you’d be up for it anyway.”

  “Where are we sleeping?”

  “Plenty of tents to go around,” Erica said. “You can even have one to yourself, but I’d advise against that.”

  “Why?”

  “We’ll end up in the same one anyway,” she said, glancing at him.

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really,” she said. “You don’t want me out of your sight.”

  Sam chuckled. “Okay, whatever you say, mam.”

  People were gathering around, picking through tents that were carried on the backs of t
he young men. Ed drove the hovercraft up in a cloud of dust, smiling when he saw Erica and Sam. He shut down the engine, and the craft sank onto the sand.

  “Still together, huh?”

  “So far,” Erica said.

  “How does it look up ahead?” Sam asked.

  “Clear. Some rough terrain coming tomorrow morning, though.”

  “Wonder if the enemy is following us?” Erica asked.

  “I’m going back to wipe out some of our tracks,” Ed said as he walked over. “At least to the second fork. I’d better take off, before it gets too dark. You want to go along, Sam?”

  “Sure,” he said.

  “Good, let’s go, then. I’m sure Erica won’t mind setting up the tent for the two of you.”

  “No problem at all,” she said, smiling.

  “You think we’re spending the night together?” Sam asked as they walked away.

  “Don’t you?” Ed said, shooting him a grin. “Sometimes it’s just best to accept things. Climb aboard. Bring your rifle.”

  Sam sat in the passenger seat, setting his M-16 down in the back. Ed got into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine, lifting the vehicle. Then he put his foot on the clutch and engaged the rear propeller, and they were off.

  “Wow, this thing is great,” Sam said, barely loud enough to be heard.

  Ed grinned. “One of my favorite toys. Small engine, too, so it sips gasoline. Speak loudly, though. I don’t hear so well anymore, and this thing makes a lot of noise.”

  Sam nodded in agreement. “My hearing isn’t so great anymore either. Old age setting in, I guess. Where are you getting the fuel?”

  “The Jeeps left cans along the way.”

  “Ah, Sid, Tyler, and those guys?”

  “Yep,” Ed said. “They wanted to return, but I told them to hold off until we’re a lot closer. I don’t think we’ll need them.”

  They cruised along the path, the bottom rotor blowing the sand below them. Sam looked behind. “That does get rid of the footprints, doesn’t it?”

  “Good enough for an Indian tracker, or even a good paleface tracker? Not really. Good enough for these peasants from the Middle East? Yep.”

  Sam chuckled. “Well, tracking was never my forte.”

  “But you know how,” Ed said. “I’ve seen how you look at the ground.”

  “Okay, you found me out,” Sam said. “Hunting, and Special Forces too.”

  “Yeah, I figured.”

  “Did you bring me along for protection? Do you think we’re being followed?”

  “Maybe,” Ed said. “This is hard country, though. My expectation is that they gave up.”

  “How accurate are your expectations?”

  “They vary.”

  “How widely do they vary?”

  “Widely enough for me to bring you along,” Ed said. “You mind?”

  “Not at all,” Sam said.

  “Tell me about your group,” Ed said. “Honestly.”

  “You mean Ivan’s group, or the group I started with?”

  “Both,” he said. “We’ve got time.”

  “Okay,” Sam said. “I didn’t start with a fighting force. I was running the RV Park in Dulzura. We heard of attacks happening along Highway 94 and started watching. The enemy eventually sent a scouting party to our park, intending to kill us and steal our supplies. We got the drop on them and killed them instead. After that they were trying to attack us constantly.”

  “You blocked up the highway,” Ed said. “That was a military operation, was it not?”

  “Yes, by that time we were in it pretty deep. We’d decided to be partisans at that point, and some of us left the RV Park to help your tribe attack that supply depot.”

  “Yes, where One Eye was killed.”

  “And my wife,” Sam said. “The enemy went to the RV Park and slaughtered everybody there, too.”

  “I heard about all this. It was hard on you. Your wife and your friends.”

  “It was,” Sam said, trying to push the feelings back. “How much further are we going?”

  “Another few miles. We want to be back before it gets dark. There’s no lights on this thing. It’s pretty fragile. You have to be careful what you drive over.”

  “I could imagine,” Sam said. “What else do you want to know?”

  “How close are you to Ivan the Butcher?”

  “Not very,” Sam said. “I know him through a mutual friend. Ji-Ho.”

  “I heard about him from Tyler,” Ed said. “He said Ji-Ho is a Korean millionaire with a questionable past, brave to a fault, and loyal to Ivan.”

  “That’s accurate,” Sam said.

  “What kind of questionable past does he have?”

  “He was a weapons dealer,” Sam said. “The US Government didn’t like his dealings very much, but they’ve never been able to nail him.”

  “Why is he involved here?”

  “He has family in North Korea,” Sam said. “He knows what a police state is like. He doesn’t want that here.”

  “How does he know Ivan?”

  “Arms deals,” Sam said, “among other things.”

  “Do you trust this man?”

  “I’ve fought with him before,” Sam said. “I’d trust him with my life, and he’d trust me with his.”

  “Friends like that are good to have.”

  “I think so,” Sam said. “What are your plans after the war?”

  “We’ll go back to our land, and get the Casino running again,” Ed said. “This has been very bad for us. We’ve lost many people. It’ll be hard to recover.”

  “That’s why you welcome the pairing of Kaitlyn and Megan,” Sam said.

  “Well yes, basically,” Ed said, “although I don’t have any illusions about that, and watering down the blood of the tribe isn’t my first choice. It’s just that we’re getting too small to sustain ourselves. We were never a huge tribe to begin with. Now we’re down to about a hundred couples of child-bearing age.”

  “It’s starting to get dark,” Sam said.

  Ed smiled. “Yes, I’m forgetting myself in the conversation.” He made a sweeping turn and headed back.

  “You don’t know that Kaitlyn and Megan will stay with the tribe,” Sam said.

  “You are correct,” Ed said. “I don’t know that you and Erica will either.”

  Sam chuckled and shook his head. “Hey, I like her, and she is downright gorgeous, but I’m not going to rush into anything with her.”

  “Oh, I’m teasing you about that a little bit,” Ed said, “but I’d be proud to have you in the tribe, even if you didn’t live with us.”

  “I’m very impressed with your tribe,” Sam said, “and your culture. I hope you can keep it going.”

  “We will, in some form,” he said. “We’re just barely going to make it back before sunset. How’s your night vision?”

  Sam chuckled. “I’m not a youngster. Maybe it’s a little better than yours.”

  “Okay, if you see anything in the road that sticks up, like tree branches or rocks over about a foot tall, mention it just in case I don’t see it.”

  “Will do,” Sam said. “At least we didn’t see any enemy fighters.”

  “I didn’t really expect any, but you can’t be too careful.”

  “I think you wanted to pick my brain,” Sam said, smiling at him.

  He glanced over and grinned. “Sure, that was part of it. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “You’re moving your people into our group,” Sam said. “Any good leader would ask questions.”

  “Are there any plans beyond what you and Sid mentioned already?”

  “Not for me,” Sam said. “My core group of people would like to get the bad guys out of our area and then settle back into a normal, peaceful life.”

  “Your core group?”

  “Yes, and that’s not many people. Myself, Sid and Yvonne, John and Sarah, and Clem.”

  “The others came along afterwards, I assume?”

  “Yes, we merged with Ji-Ho’s group.”

  “That’s where Kaitlyn and Megan’s men came from, correct?” Ed asked.

  “Yes. I can’t tell you what they’re planning to do after we clean up eastern San Diego County and Imperial County. I said I’d stick with them until that job is done.”

  “You won’t continue on with Ji-Ho after your goals are complete?”

  “Not unless I see a really good reason to do so,” Sam said.

  “And you don’t know about Kaitlyn and Megan’s men?”

  Sam chuckled. “When they got separated from the main group, after that bad battle near Julian, both said they’d be okay with disappearing into the woodwork with Kaitlyn and Megan.”