It was still drizzling when they started home. And every time Trev looked up at the peak he saw that blanket of white, spreading slowly down the slope like mold. It wasn’t just evaporating away the way hail did.
Even if it was a fluke, even if they still had time, it was an unpleasant reminder of just how far they were from being prepared. Assuming it was even possible to fully prepare for a nuclear winter that could last twice as long as normal.
On the plus side, at least his family had a proper stove now.
Chapter One
New Arrivals
Matt couldn’t help but notice the woman sitting crosslegged where the road leading through the valley turned off onto the newly laid gravel path that led to new Aspen Hill. He could’ve sworn Trev had told him he might be gone overnight, and if his friend told him he definitely would’ve told her, but there she was anyway.
In her mid 20s, nearly a head shorter than Matt with shoulder length brown hair and dark green eyes flecked with brown, Debra Rutledge had stuck pretty close by Trev’s side in the eight days since the volunteers had returned from the fighting down at Highway 31’s canyon, after they’d helped the military send the Gold Bloc forces packing. Hopefully for good.
Matt supposed a bit of clinginess was understandable, since his friend was one of the few people she knew and trusted in town. She’d told Matt a bit about herself the few times they’d talked, but most of what he knew of her story came from Trev.
It wasn’t a happy tale. She and his friend had originally met in Newtown last spring, when Trev had stopped at the trading post to buy supplies on his way to Michigan to find his family.
Trev had met her again on the way back to Utah with his family, although that hadn’t been quite as enjoyable a meeting; Newtown’s sheriff, Fred Vernon, had stolen Trev’s family’s truck, along with a lot of the town’s weapons and supplies, and he and a bunch of Newtown’s defenders had driven off and abandoned the town.
According to Deb, after that the citizens of Newtown had been forced to flee south to escape the blockhead invasion coming from the north. Only they’d jumped from the frying pan into the fire, running smack dab into another enemy invasion front coming up from Mexico. They’d found themselves trapped in the middle of nowhere, with enemies ahead and behind.
The Newtown citizens had split up into smaller groups to try to avoid detection, but Deb had been captured along with the rest of her group. In typical fashion the blockheads had only taken the young, healthy men and women and left the elderly and children to fend for themselves. That was a small mercy, since reports indicated the enemy was just as likely to execute anyone they didn’t take prisoner.
Deb had been brutally mistreated in the blockhead camp, to the point that when Trev found her about a month ago she’d been gaunt and nearly too weak to run for freedom with the other prisoners.
Physically she’d almost completely recovered since then, regaining her health and youthful appearance. But she still wasn’t quite the carefree, friendly woman Trev had talked about meeting in Newtown. After her ordeal, perhaps she never would be. That was reflected in her decision to join the volunteers after gaining her freedom, learning how to shoot and work with fellow soldiers so she could be part of the fight against the blockheads.
After hearing a report on the work she’d put in Trev had invited her to join his squad. Then, after the Gold Bloc’s final attack along all fronts surrounding the southern Utah Rockies had been pushed back, and the enemy had left for good, Trev invited her and the other freed prisoners who’d fought beside the Aspen Hill volunteers to come home with them.
And here she was. Matt could tell that whatever she’d suffered, and however her experiences had changed her, she still tried her best to return to the the woman she’d been before her capture. He wished her the best in it.
Still, it was a bit concerning to see her waiting around for Trev to get back when he could be gone for hours or even longer. And just how long had she been sitting there in the first place? She looked damp enough that she’d probably been out in the brief drizzle of rain that had passed over the valley earlier, and the fact that she hadn’t sought shelter from it was also concerning.
He abandoned his plans to talk to Chauncey about getting in contact with the nearby towns to share information, at least for a few minutes, and made his way down the path towards her, calling a greeting.
At his approach Deb pushed to her feet and waved. “Hey Matt. You here to wait for the cousins and Jane to get back from their secret adventure, too?”
The words were playful, but Matt caught the slightest edge to her tone. He’d been there when his friends left, and seen how desperate Deb was to go with them. But the hideout was Lewis’s secret to share, and his friend was very careful about keeping it that way. It wasn’t an issue of trust, just caution about not letting too many people know its location, and she’d been gently but firmly turned back.
“Nah, they’ll get back when they get back,” he replied, coming to stand beside her looking west, although the slope of the valley they were in blocked his view of the peaks their friends had traveled to. “Actually I was wondering if you could do me a favor. Sam’s been doing her best to help Terry, but she’s nearly seven months along and getting to the point where the work takes a lot out of her. I’d really appreciate it if you could give her a hand.”
Deb smiled wryly. “Why do I get the feeling you’re worried about the fact that I’m just sitting out here in the rain like a lost puppy, so you’re trying to give me something to do?” Matt opened his mouth, working for some sort of response, and her smile widened slightly. “I appreciate it. Give me a bit longer and I’ll go make myself useful.”
“Sure.” Matt turned to leave.
Deb called him back. “Hey, what was the deal with that guy who went into town?”
This was the first he was hearing of anything like that. He turned around. “Huh?”
The brown-haired woman pointed vaguely. “Some middle aged man headed into town just a few minutes ago.” She patted the pistol holstered at her hip. “Seemed pretty tense, maybe even a bit suspicious, so I stared him down and he gave me a wide berth as he passed. If Trev was here he’d probably want to keep an eye on him, see what his deal was.”
Matt fought down his irritation. She thought there was at least some cause for concern but she was still just sitting here? “Okay I’ll go check it out,” he said, starting down the path at a trot.
Now that he was aware to be looking, it didn’t take long for Matt to spot the newcomer heading down new Aspen Hill’s “Main Street”. Right now that was just a continuation of the gravel path leading south into town from the road, running between the thickest cluster of stick-and-mud houses and log cabins. Matt didn’t know how he’d missed the man, unless the guy had stopped for a rest while he was on his way out to talk to Deb.
Like she’d claimed the newcomer was older, in his late 40s or early 50s. Maybe even 60s… he had the look of someone who’d spent his life taking good care of his health.
Although if his physical health was good, his emotional health was a bit frayed at the moment. Deb had also been right that he looked incredibly nervous, eyes darting from person to person on the street and hand clutching the revolver holstered at his waist as he walked farther into town. For their part the townspeople were looking a bit skittish too about an armed stranger giving them the stink eye. Their relief when they saw Matt coming to sort out the situation was palpable.