JOURNAL ENTRY: May 4
The bright morning sun coming through the lacey curtains woke me early. Jim was still sleeping, breathing steady and deep, with his back to me. At least he didn’t snore. I slipped quietly out of the big bed and went into the attached bathroom. We would be doing a lot of traveling today.
~~~
“Good morning,” he said when I came back into the room, showered and fully dressed.
“Good morning. Sleep well?” I asked. When he gave me a look that said I shouldn’t ask, I turned away.
“I slept, thinking about those points B and C that we’ve missed,” he replied with a slow smile.
Yeah, me too, I thought.
*
I helped Kora clear away and wash the breakfast dishes. Lee and the children were playing catch out in the dusty yard, and Jim was packing the Hummer.
“You know you’re always welcome to stay as long as you want, Allex,” Kora said.
“I know, and I appreciate that. It’s been four weeks we’ve been on the road, though, and I’m anxious to see my family again. And we still have a stop to make at Sawyer. Jim hasn’t said how long that will take us.” I put the last dish away in the cupboard. “I’ve been meaning to thank you for those steaks you put in our cooler. I fixed them with morels,” I said, smiling to hide my discomfort at remembering what else happened at that time.
She smiled back brightly at me. “Then you won’t mind if I give you two more?”
“That’s very generous, Kora. Beef is a very rare treat for us. Ever since that first quake eighteen months ago, nothing has been the same. My family has had more fresh venison than anything else. My boys don’t mind though, they enjoy the hunt.”
Jim came in right then and said we were ready to leave.
*
“I promise to bring Allex back another time for a longer visit. For now, though, we really do have to go,” Jim said. He turned to the children. “I know you two will be safe here. We wouldn’t leave you if we had any doubts. And Jared, you take care of your little sister, okay?”
“Yes, sir, I will,” the little redhead stated. Hugs and handshakes went all around and we left them behind, one more time.
*
As we once more approached the dirt road that followed along the river, Jim said, “Which way, Allex?”
I looked at him in question.
“This may be our last time for adventure,” he stated. “I vote for us going south and taking the lower bridge across. It’s only a different route.”
“That’s a really good idea. It will give us a new view,” I agreed. “And quite honestly, Jim, I’ve had enough adventure these past three weeks to last me awhile.”
Jim scowled. “I had hoped this trip would bring you happier, more pleasant experiences, Allex. I never should have let my guard down before. I honestly thought we were beyond the danger zone. It never occurred to me we would walk right into it. I’m sorry, Allex, I really am.”
I reached over and put my hand on his arm. “Jim, we can’t anticipate everything. And let’s face it, my capture could have turned out worse, a lot worse. Instead of being brutalized by an impotent sadist, he could have given me to his men. As it was, I was only beaten and not raped.” I sat in silence for a minute. “Which also brings up something else. When we get back home, I don’t want this discussed. Eric and Jason are never to know about this incident. No one is to know. Promise me.”
Jim stopped the vehicle and turned to me. “I promise, Allex.”
He brushed a lock of hair away from my face and gently kissed me, then put the Hummer back in gear and followed the road.
*
“I can see the bridge ahead, Jim, it’s maybe a half mile,” I said excitedly. Crossing back to the other side put us that much closer to home.
The Hummer skittered in the mud and Jim slowed to keep control. We were almost at the bridge when it became obvious we were having another earthquake! I know that aftershocks can continue for quite some time when there is a major quake such as the one that opened this rift, or was this a new one?
Jim swerved hard and put us onto the now swaying structure. “Hang on, Allex!”
This bridge wasn’t built as strongly as the one further north. I guess that would make sense, since this was for local traffic only and not heavy equipment. The massive wooden boards that extended from side to side were rippling as Jim sped up. The Hummer bounced over the unevenness with ease and Jim delivered us safely to the other side just as the tremor stopped. I gasped for breath.
“I never thought I would have to cross another bridge during another earthquake,” Jim said, emerging from the Hummer. “I really am getting too old for this shit.” He was breathing hard and seemed a bit shaky. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. That was scary…” I said. “I never doubted that you wouldn’t get us across though.”
“I couldn’t let us get stranded on the wrong side, Allex. I’m sure in time we would have gotten across, though, even if we had to get a chopper! I didn’t want to wait for a ride,” he laughed. “Hopefully, there’s no damage to the roads on this side.”
We drove north on the uneven gravel service road for almost an hour. Another time that hour would have put us all the way to the dam construction, however, we were only about halfway there. The recent rain had washed away some of the gravel, leaving patches of slick mud. Even though it wasn’t anything the Hummer couldn’t traverse, it did slow us down.
“What in the world?” Jim hit the brakes and brought us to a stop. There, at the beginning of what appeared to be a long driveway, was a “yard sale” sign with colorful balloons dancing beside it in the breeze.
“Those balloons are new,” I said quietly. “Someone is having a yard sale. I bet they don’t have many takers.” During my online research at the Soo, I found out that out of the three hundred thousand residents of the Upper Peninsula, there were fewer than a hundred thousand left. For being one third the land mass of the state of Michigan, we now had fewer people than a medium sized city. Losing two-thirds of our population to the flu, violence, and the natural disasters sat heavy on my heart.
“That means people, Allex. Do you want to investigate?” Jim asked cautiously.
“Yeah, I do, Jim. I love yard sales. More than that, I’m curious about what they would be selling. We all know money isn’t worth much anymore.” He turned up the long poorly maintained and rutted road.
A half mile up the road we came to a clearing. There was a large, older clapboard house with a wide covered porch, a barn, a chicken coop—which seemed to be ever popular and accepted now—a few smaller buildings of questionable use, and a very large garden with people working in it. The house itself was sided with a yellow-green vinyl, and the porch hadn’t seen a paintbrush in many years. On the porch sat a couple of women and in front of the porch was a long table. A hand drawn sign that read “for sale or trade” was taped to the edge.
All of the women stood as we pulled in. Jim made his usual turn, faced the Hummer outward and we stepped out.
“Welcome!” one of the women called out. “Come on closer!” The work in the garden had come to a halt. I could now see there were three men doing the hard hoeing and the fourth was a woman with a shotgun. The men quickly got back to work.
We stepped cautiously forward.
“What are you looking for?” the same woman asked pleasantly. As she stepped closer to us, I could see she was in her late forties and graying early. The other two kept a few steps behind her; she was the alpha female of a dominantly female household.
“Oh, we’re not looking for anything in particular,” I said. “I will admit we stopped more out of curiosity. Yard sale signs are not exactly common anymore.”
“Got that right!” she giggled. “We haven’t had a sale all day.” She seemed friendly enough, and wasn’t armed. “Say, how about a trade? Anything on the table for some simple labor. Our men aren’t what they used to be and are having a difficult time swinging an axe. Could your man split some wood for us?” she asked, giving Jim a long look.
The request seemed innocuous. I looked at Jim.
“Is there anything on the table you want?” he asked. I stepped over to the table while Jim hung back and let my gaze slide over the meager items. A pair of earrings caught my attention, as did a bayonet. I like pretty things as much as the next woman, but I’m a practical person at heart.
“Those are real diamonds,” the woman said in my ear. “Worth more than a half hour of splitting wood, but we can dicker.”
Jim took off his shirt and picked up the axe.
“Johnny!” the woman called out. “Get your ass over here and stack the bolts!” Out in the garden a middle-aged man stood, stretching his back and rolling his muscular shoulders in a very familiar way, his bald head shining with sweat. When he turned my heart stood still.
John???
Was this why he never came back? Had he been abducted by some amazon wannabees and held in captivity? The man turned fully and I could see it wasn’t him. My heart was still beating hard as I chastised myself. I was actually glad it wasn’t him. John had left me so many times before I couldn’t have him back in my life.
While Jim split wood, a light sheen emphasizing his muscles, this alpha, Lois, invited me to sit. I noticed the others watching him too.
“It’s good to see more dominant women,” Lois said. “We got tired of being pushed around and forced to do all the hard work while our men sat around drinking beer. Even before the big quake we were organizing to revolt.” She sniggered. “Now the men serve us.”
“I see.” I really did. We had stumbled into a female dominated society and the women were taking revenge on the men for all the suffering they had been through. If they wanted to live their lives that way, that was their choice. We would be leaving soon enough.
“Your man… he’s strong and easy on the eyes. How much do you want for him?” Lois asked. “Maybe those diamond earrings?” Her grin wasn’t evil, it was delusional.
I looked out at Jim, admiring the fluid movements of his body. “Oh, he’s not for sale. I’m going to keep him,” I said, playing for time. I stood and stepped off the porch, picking up the bayonet. I would rather have the only weapon on that table in my hands, not theirs. “Jim!” I called out. “That’s enough.” He sunk the axe deep into the block and grabbed his shirt.
“Think about my offer,” Lois said.
“Will do,” I lied.
“While you’re thinking, why not let us keep him for the night and give him a test drive?” she smirked. I noticed how the other women were now closing in.
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“Jim, we’re leaving now!”
The others were getting way too close to him. I drew my Beretta.
“You touch him, you die,” I said calmly. I know they understood I meant it when they all froze.
*
At the end of the drive Jim turned north.
“What the hell was going on back there, Allex?” he asked, maneuvering around a pothole.
“They wanted to buy you and I wouldn’t sell. Now please, don’t stop until we get back into the restricted area!”
I couldn’t believe I wasn’t shaking. Maybe it was knowing that I would indeed have shot to save him that was keeping me so calm. That or the anger I was still feeling.