The Geostorm Series (Book 6): Geostorm [The Pioneers] Page 13

  “Do you think there are others in those mountains?” asked Isabella, pointing across the water toward the other side of the valley. The hills were much smaller than the ridgeline they’d traversed that morning, and there was evidence of cleared land in spots.

  Chapman looked up and down the new river. It stretched northward until it took a sweeping turn toward the east. He furrowed his brow as he responded, “I have to believe so. It’s impossible to tell without risking our lives. We’re in an odd situation. It’s almost as if we’re cut off from everyone else. This river runs toward Middlesboro, where it connects to the water in the Cumberland Gap. The mountains we’re in are surrounded.”

  “Do you consider this a bad thing?” she asked.

  “No, not really. At least not for the time being. I truly believe, as a group, we can make it on our own without anyone’s help.”

  They walked back up the driveway toward the burned-down house. It had been reduced to a pile of rubble, but located near the tree line was an open-air carport that Chapman wanted to check out.

  Isabella cautiously raised her rifle as they approached the carport and movement caught her eye. She tapped Chapman’s arm and pointed to the back side of the enclosure. He quickly moved in front of her and motioned for her to cross behind him to take up a position at the right side of the carport. There wasn’t a car in it, but their view was partially obscured by three plastic storage cabinets that stood six feet tall and twelve feet wide along the back of the carport.

  Chapman eased up to the carport in a low crouch. He was now able to get a look at the back side. The owner of the home had constructed a small railed platform to hold his plastic trash cans. A family of raccoons was foraging through the garbage when Chapman surprised them. When he was certain there wasn’t any other threat, he shouted to Isabella, “We’re clear!”

  He stood to the side of the carport as Isabella emerged on the other side.

  “They are very cute!”

  “Stay back!”

  Isabella abruptly stopped. “They do not fear us.”

  “I know, but look at them.”

  “They appear to be very tired,” observed Isabella. “One is perhaps paralyzed in the back legs.”

  “Lethargic,” added Chapman. “It’s a sign of rabies.”

  Growing up at Riverfront Farms, Chapman had learned to tell the difference between a healthy raccoon that was foraging in the daytime and one that was rabid. Although nocturnal animals, just because they looked for food in the daylight hours didn’t necessarily mean they had rabies. Squire had taught him to look for other signs, like difficulty walking, foaming at the mouth, sickly appearance, and lack of alert behavior. Isabella’s observation that the raccoon family was unafraid was actually a sign they were oblivious to her presence.

  She backed away and entered the carport, keeping the storage cabinets between her and the animals. Chapman joined her just as she carefully opened the first container.

  “This is good, oui?” she asked rhetorically with a big grin on her face. The cabinet contained two different-sized chainsaws together with oil and gasoline.

  “Oui! Oui!” responded Chapman excitedly. He quickly opened the other cabinets, keeping a watchful eye for a curious raccoon coming around the corner. He stood back and shouldered his rifle. The smile on his face grew larger.

  The cabinets were filled with the types of things you’d expect to find in a rural home’s garage. Everything from tools to fasteners like nails, screws, nuts and bolts filled the shelves. Gardening tools, fertilizers, and pest control measures like Raid Wasp Spray, Amdro ant killer, and jugs of Ortho Home Defense were neatly stacked as well. He laughed to himself as he considered the fact that pesky bugs didn’t disappear just because they were in the midst of the apocalypse.

  Isabella looked at the filled cabinets and sighed. “Chapman, there are a lot of things here. Very useful things. How do we get them back to our camp?”

  He walked back around the side of the carport to check on the foraging raccoons while he considered her question. He returned and closed each of the cabinet doors. The carport roof and the solid plastic construction had shielded the contents from the rains as well as curiosity-seekers like animals.

  “We’ll leave it here for now. I don’t think it’s going anywhere. When the time comes, we’ll widen the trail and lead some horses down here. We’ll take this to our new home when we find it.”

  Isabella turned to survey the burned-down house and the one-acre clearing. “Not here.”

  “Nope. We need to keep looking. Let’s head along the river for another hour or so and then double back.”

  “After you, mon ami.”

  One hour stretched into two as Chapman began to lose track of time. They found a trail that had been used by deer and maybe the locals when they hunted the mountains. The easier footing and lack of need to clear the underbrush allowed them to make great time as they continued to move toward the northwest.

  Chapman was just about to turn them around after a long day of walking when the trail appeared to open up into a clearing.

  Isabella saw it, too, and began walking briskly toward the grassy field. “I see buildings.”

  “Be careful,” cautioned Chapman. “Let’s walk through the woods along the edge of the clearing and watch first.”

  Isabella nodded and followed him through the thinning woods. They took up positions behind a fallen pine tree and looked on in amazement. Neither said a word as they took in their surroundings. Finally, Chapman’s one word described their feelings.

  “Wow.”

  Chapter 27

  Cumberland Mountains

  Southeast Kentucky

  “This has potential,” observed Levi as he led the group of four to a stop near a deep, V-shaped rut in the ground leading off the main trail. They’d walked for several miles along the ridge top, aided by a path apparently used by hikers for years. While the trail wasn’t on the map they’d found during their journey to the Pinnacle Overlook, it was clearly used often because it was both cleared and appeared to be well traveled.

  “It looks like the others to me,” said Kristi, referring to similar ruts created by the rainwater runoff of the past month.

  “Come here, sis, and look closer,” instructed Levi. “Look at the rocks. Do you see how clean they are? That comes from years of erosion. Also, I want you to listen.”

  Kristi knelt down by Levi’s side and focused her attention down the ridge. “Hey, I hear it! That sounds like water.”

  Levi chuckled. “Do you hear the splashing sounds?”

  “I do.”

  Levi then pointed down the slope, directing her attention about twenty yards away. “Do you see that sandy area near those twin boulders?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look closely. See the ground? How it’s disturbed?”

  “Oh, yeah. Part of it is dug up, and then there is a big—”

  “Dent, right?”

  “Hogs! I remember now. Dad used to take me down by Indian Creek and showed me where the hogs would wallow.”

  Levi stood and helped his sister up as well. He turned to Tommy to explain. “I know y’all are animal experts and all, but this is different. I don’t know much about tigers and elephants, but I do know hogs. Down there, somewhere, you’ll probably find caves. Maybe a spring with fresh water. The hogs worked their way up the ridge, rooted around for a while, and wallered in for the night.” Levi used the country boy’s pronunciation of the word wallow.

  “Springs turn into creeks, which turn into lakes or streams,” added Tommy.

  Levi laughed. “There ya go, city boy. You’re catchin’ on now. Y’all, if you can, make your way down this dry creek bed until you find a spring. If you go a ways down and don’t find water, give it up, okay?”

  “Sure, and then what?” asked Kristi.

  Levi looked toward the sky. “We’re not quite through our day, but by the time you’ve finished checking it out, it’ll be time to head b
ack. Just meet us at the overlook.”

  “Deal. Ready, Tommy?”

  “Let’s do this,” he replied.

  They gave Levi and Carly a thumbs-up and began to carefully make their way down the creek bed, using saplings to steady themselves as they found their footing. Just thirty minutes later, they reached a dramatic drop-off in the terrain, but one that enabled them to get a good view of a steady stream of water flowing several hundred yards below them.

  “Well, that’s exciting,” quipped Kristi. “Just how are we supposed to get there from here?”

  Tommy joined her side and leaned forward slightly to view the flat area at the bottom of the rock outcropping on which they stood. He looked to the left and then to the right.

  “Follow me,” he said as he turned and moved back up the mountain.

  “Are we giving up?” Kristi asked.

  “Nope. We’re using our local tour guides for assistance.”

  “What? Have you been eating those mushrooms Levi told us to avoid?”

  Tommy laughed and turned to his girlfriend. He extended his hand to help her onto a rock. “Did you notice the tracks turned out of the creek bed up there?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, well, they did. The feral hogs know where they’re going. Let’s follow those tracks, and I’ll bet they take us to the bottom.”

  “Well, all righty, Davy Crockett. I’m right behind you.”

  Kristi slapped him on the butt and followed him back up the hill. Shortly thereafter, Tommy turned into the underbrush. They had to duck under tree limbs and small saplings to follow the hogs’ path, but thirty minutes later, they’d found their way around the outcropping and just below where they stood earlier.

  In wide-eyed amazement, they took in what they’d discovered.

  “Fred and Wilma would approve,” said Tommy with a laugh.

  Kristi joined in. “Yeah, so would Barney and, um, what’s her name? I never did like her.”

  “Betty.”

  “Yeah, her. She had a goofy laugh.”

  Tommy shook his head. “I loved those cartoons when I was growing up. Classics, you know?”

  “Better than that stupid purple dinosaur.”

  “Oh, yeah. Or do you remember those Teletubby things?”

  Kristi shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started on those, or the doggone Power Rangers.”

  They stopped reminiscing about the cartoons of their childhood days and moved closer to the opening of a two-hundred-fifty-foot-wide cave hidden away in the side of the mountain. The mouth-shaped cave was perfectly hollowed out from years of wind erosion. The constant wear and tear of the winds blowing from the north had caused the rocks to become smooth and the debris to be pulverized into a fine, albeit dirty sand.

  Kristi couldn’t resist and quickly pulled off her boots.

  “What are you doin’?”

  “Come on, live a little!” she responded as she dropped her weapon and backpack. Kristi kicked at the sand and did a pirouette or two before she got dizzy.

  “You’re nuts!” exclaimed Tommy, who eventually gave in to her taunts and removed his shoes as well. The cool sand felt good on his feet as the two enjoyed the respite from the stress they’d been under.

  Eventually, the excitement wore off and they ventured deeper into the cave, barefoot.

  “Whadya think?” asked Kristi.

  Tommy was unsure about what she was asking. “About what? The cave?”

  “Yeah. Can we make this a shelter? It’s huge.”

  Tommy raised his eyebrows and looked at the tall ceiling. The expansive cave was certainly large enough for all of them.

  As he pondered the question, Kristi continued. “Think about it. The Pueblos built elaborate cliff dwellings into the sandstone out West. There’s water down below us, and think about the safety part. There’s no way to find this place.”

  Tommy walked around and then gave his opinion. “Well, it has possibilities, but I don’t know if we’re cut out for living in a cave. We still need to grow food and have a place for our horses. That’s gonna be down there somewhere.” He pointed toward a spring-fed creek.

  Somewhat dejected, Kristi’s shoulders drooped. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  Tommy gave her a hug. “Listen, I know you’re anxious to get settled. I thought we had a pretty good spot and might even be able to still make it work. I think we need to keep looking.”

  Kristi kissed Tommy and then held him tight. “We could turn it into a vacation condo. You know, for those holiday weekend getaways.”

  Tommy laughed so loud that several birds hanging out in the tops of the trees took flight. “Yeah, um, about those. I think holidays and vacations and getaways have been postponed indefinitely.”

  “Damn. I knew I should’ve used the vacation time I had built up while at the zoo.”

  Tommy laughed as he reached for her shoes. “Yeah, I never got my last paycheck.”

  “Who cares? You got me instead.”

  Tommy feigned a groan. “Oh, please don’t remind me.”

  “Hey!” objected Kristi before using her bare foot to kick sand at Tommy.

  He returned the favor, and within seconds, two grown children were wrestling on the beach of Sand Cave.

  Chapter 28

  Cumberland Mountains

  Southeast Kentucky

  “It’s gettin’ late, hon,” Carly said to Levi as he forged ahead along the ridge top trail. The overgrowth was getting worse, forcing him to use his machete to slash through the overgrown saplings and vines.

  “I know. Just a little farther. I thought I heard something.”

  “What?” she naturally responded.

  “Hold on.” Levi continued to push ahead, picking up the pace with a new sense of urgency. Tommy and Kristi had peeled off down the ridge hours ago. Levi, intent on finding a new place to make their home, was growing impatient as their continued trek through the woods yielded no new options.

  “Seriously, Levi, we can pick it up in the morning. We’ll be lucky to make it back by dark.”

  “We’ll find our way,” he shot back stubbornly. “Just keep marking the trail, but use the cloth strips in case it’s dark when we head back. The flashlights will spot the white tee shirt material.”

  Carly rolled her eyes but continued behind him, notching marks on the trees and pushing aside the debris left by his slashing of the small trees. Every twenty feet, she’d pause to tie a strip of cloth on a low-hanging limb although she felt the path was sufficiently cleared to be recognizable. She complied nonetheless, as Levi had a survival instinct within him that no other member of their group possessed.

  She continued forward until she suddenly bumped into her husband’s back. “Whoa!”

  “Shhh,” Levi admonished. “Listen.”

  Carly steadied her breathing so she could hear better. She tried to discern what Levi was pointing out, but couldn’t. “I don’t hear anything.”

  Levi removed the AR-10 from his shoulder and handed it to her. He reared back with his right arm and slammed the machete into the soft wood of a mature pine tree. Sap immediately began to ooze out, dripping down the blade in amber-colored droplets.

  “I’m gonna check it out,” he whispered as he left her side without looking back. He started down the ridge, using the trees and saplings to help him keep his balance.

  Carly raised her voice to a loud whisper, completely unsure as to why it was necessary to lower her voice at all. “Am I supposed to wait here? Where are you goin’?”

  She strained to hear any form of sound that might have grabbed Levi’s attention. For a moment, she thought she heard a low hum, a vibration kind of noise associated with an idling engine. Their world had been devoid of ambient noise like car motors and air-conditioning units running for so long, her mind simply couldn’t process and identify what the humming sound was.

  Carly shouldered Levi’s rifle and took a few steps down the slope, tracing his footsteps in the dim
ming daylight. She sighed in frustration and immediately backtracked up the hill. She tied a large strip of cloth around the handle of the machete. Then she removed both rifles off her shoulder and frantically swept a mound of pine needles over the top of them as she buried them on the downward slope from the pine tree.

  Fortunately, Carly Boone was about to disobey her husband. She followed his trail down the hill although she could neither see nor hear him. She tried to study the leaves and dirt as she went, looking for spots where he dug in his heels for stability, or places where he might have slipped on the steep slope.

  She resisted the urge to call out his name. As she descended the ridge, she too began to hear the humming sound. There was some kind of engine running. It was too steady to be an old tractor like the ones they had at Riverfront Farms. It could be a car idling, but how in the world did it get into the mountains?

  Perplexed, and now concerned for her husband’s safety, Carly continue downward until she heard him.

  “Arrrggghhh!”

  Levi had called out in pain. Carly could hear his body tumbling down the slope, crashing through small trees and rustling leaves as it rolled. Then, with a hard thump, his progress was stopped.

  “Levi! Levi!” she shouted his name.

  She frantically followed his footsteps down the hill, moving as quickly as she could without suffering the same fate. She came upon the spot where he’d lost his balance. Water had been seeping out of a seam in the limestone, creating a muddy spot under fallen oak leaves. It was akin to black ice on a bridge overpass. Levi had simply lost his footing and couldn’t arrest his fall. Now he was lying down there somewhere.

  Closer to the hum.

  “Levi!” Carly tried to raise her voice to the equivalent of a loud whisper. She was concerned about where the sound was emanating from. Subconsciously, she patted her sidearm, which was safely tucked in the paddle holster in her jeans. She immediately wished she had their rifles with her. She glanced up the ridge, wondering just how far down they’d traveled.