No, the Americans were either heading west through Wyoming, or they were heading south and then west on one of the only other available routes: Highway 14 through Roosevelt National Forest, or Highway 34 through Estes Park. The Wyoming route would be too far out of their way and way too wide open. There had been no indication on any of the maps that was a route they would even consider. He had a feeling they were going one of the two more remote ways through Colorado. He intended to park halfway between their two options and, assuming they hadn’t already passed through, follow them whichever way they went. He and his men were headed for a body of water halfway between highways 14 and 34, called Horsetooth Reservoir.
THIRTY-FOUR: (Ryan) “Great Wall of Colorado”
As we entered Colorado, we couldn’t help but notice the massive wall under construction. It was almost twenty feet thick and only about five feet tall, but there were tower sections built every few hundred yards that were easily twenty feet tall. It appeared as if the enemy was intending to build a wall along the northern state line of Colorado. Could they be doing that around the other sides too? If so, would the southern wall be completed by the time we got there? This wall was a whole new problem we had never imagined. What was going on in this place?
Cameron explained how the giant wall made sense to him. “Colorado would be the logical headquarters for this army, right in the middle of the country. Plus, the North American Aerospace Defense Command Center (NORAD) is in Colorado Springs. Our three primary defense centers are…or were…in DC, here and Hawaii. NORAD has a bunker here people can live in for years. That would have been where they were probably trying to move the president or vice president when this whole thing went down. Supposedly it’s impenetrable. If the enemy has control of it, we’re all screwed. They could wipe out whatever they want with nukes from the command center in there. I’d think getting into CM would have been priority #1 for anyone who knows our defense system. Fortunately, Colorado Springs is south of Denver. That place is probably crawling with enemy troops, whether or not they’ve taken over NORAD. That could be why there’s almost no one up here.”
I took in everything he was saying and started to think about the President. He probably was dead, wasn’t he? Did we have any government officials left? Cameron was also right about another thing—there didn’t seem to be any troop presence up here at all.
Cameron had no trouble finding the mine on an overgrown road behind the reservoir. Fortunately it was empty and provided sufficient cover from the rain—shelter from both storms. Danny had the truck with the radar, so we had taken no chances driving to the lake. Since crossing into Colorado, we had painstakingly traveled dirt roads and avoided all contact, as directed. We saw a few lights on in some farmhouses, presumably lanterns, but knew we couldn’t trust them to be friendly. Every town we’d seen around here, small or big, had already been burnt to the ground.
We arrived around 2 a.m., and Cameron said he’d take the first watch. The others found sleeping bags and manageable space in the trucks and crashed. I was wired. I pulled on my winter jacket and took a sleeping bag over by the entrance to the mine. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the rock wall, listening to the rain.
A quiet voice startled me. “Hot chocolate?” I jumped and looked up. Tara had followed me. I thought everyone else was going to sleep. She looked stunning as usual. Grey stocking cap tilted just perfectly, black scarf looped stylishly around her neck, hanging down across her thick winter jacket, the outfit completed with tight denim jeans and black boots. Damn.
“Uh… sure,” I stammered, taking the mug she was offering. “Didn’t you want to try to sleep?”
“No.” She smiled. “Not if you aren’t.”
I felt my face flush, thankful again for the darkness. “Where’s Em?” I asked, glancing behind her.
“With Hayley,” Tara replied, taking a seat next to me.
“Ah. Of course.” My heart was pounding in my ears as she lifted my sleeping bag around her shoulders, scooting next to me. And actually touching me. I took a drink of the “hot chocolate” and spit it out. Tara laughed. “It’s not hot,” I said.
“Sorry. The microwave wasn’t working.” She couldn’t hide her smile. She’d done a masterful job of easing the tension.
“Guess I should’ve known.” I stole another glance at her and caught her eyes locked on mine. I looked away. Everything I thought of saying sounded stupid in my head, so I kept my mouth shut.
We stared into the darkness for while. “Nice night, eh?” she said quietly.
I had to look at her to make sure she was kidding. Her beautiful smile gave that away. “Uh… yeah.”
“So what should we talk about? How about you?” She elbowed me. “Tell me about yourself. Hayley’s told me a little, but I’d love to know more.” Boy, she cuts straight to the chase. “If you don’t mind, of course,” she added when I didn’t answer right away.
“Uh…” Enough with the uhs. You’re making thirteen-year-old boys on their first date seem composed! “Okay.” Where the heck do I begin? “If you’re asking my astrological sign, I don’t even know what I am.”
“I’m not.” She smiled.
You should just not talk ever. “Okay, then,” I continued. “I guess I’m an architect.” Hello! You haven’t been one in years. “At least I was.” There you go. “I always wanted to be a writer, but my parents convinced me that wasn’t a real job and urged me to consider something that could actually make a difference…like working at Mickey D’s or selling Christmas trees.”
“Funny guy.” She tapped my foot with hers.
Okay, that’s better. “Yeah. I know.” This is going to bore her to death. “I always loved interior design, but it turned out I was better at coming up with the structural bones and letting other people dress it up. So I went with architecture. And landscape design. There were so many things I wanted to do to my own house someday that I could probably never afford, so I started designing homes for others, using my own dreams to build people theirs. I loved it.” I paused, remembering the day I packed up my office, locked it, and walked away from architecture. The day after Sophie died. A lump was forming in my throat. “How about you?”
“No. You’re not getting away that easy.” She nudged me again. “Tell me something more personal. Tell me about Sophie.”
I nearly choked. “Uh…” Uh again?
“Tell me about your wife.”
“She’s dead.” Brilliant statement, Einstein.
“I know,” Tara replied quietly, accommodating the terse edge in my voice. She had turned a little and was trying to look me in the eye.