Dark Titan Journey: Finally Home (13 page)

“So I guess it’s a good thing we stopped here then,” Nathan said, smiling. “You guys want to get a few more hours’ sleep?” he asked the group. They all shook their heads.

“If I sleep all night I won’t be able to sleep today before we leave at night,” Amanda whined.

Nathan held up his hands to stop the whining. “We’re leaving around noon.”

“You mean in daylight?” Casey asked in shock.

Nathan nodded. “Yes, we have a long ways still to go.”

Spinning around with flare, Amanda dove in her pack and pulled out her map books. She sat down and opened them. John and Tom walked to the front door and closed it as Nathan lit a lantern. Jasmine stared in total awe, Amanda never once said anything.

As Nathan sat down he caught the flabbergasted look on Jasmine’s face. “What’s go you so awed?”

“She never said one thing,” Jasmine mumbled. Amanda looked to see the light and the door closed.

“Thank you,” she beamed at the boys and Nathan. With helpless shock on their faces Nathan, John and Tom understood what Jasmine meant and groaned. John and Tom just collapsed on their butts, feeling totally disadvantaged. Nathan unfolded his maps and was looking for his tablet when Amanda spoke up. “I have it.”

She passed it to Nathan. “It’s charged I hope.”

“Yeah,” Amanda replied, waving her hand at him. Unsure of what emotion he was feeling, Nathan kept his mouth shut. Amanda looked up at everyone with a serious face. “Okay, we’ve traveled eleven hundred miles,” she said, holding up the map of the US with the line starting at the Georgia border. “Now since we traveled three hundred of those on foot and eight hundred on horseback, that comes to just under twenty-three miles a day,” she informed them.

Several wanted to bring up points but couldn’t because the serious look on Amanda’s face contrasted with her bedhead hair, making them want to laugh. Nathan cleared his throat. “I trust you are making a point.”

“Yes, if you let me finish,” she said, rolling her eyes. “When we walked we were averaging twelve to fifteen miles a day. On horseback we are averaging thirty-nine point two miles. If we stay on our current route and travel time we will be home in less than thirty days. Natalie, Casey, and I took an inventory of our supplies. We have thirty-four days’ worth left. We have almost six thousand rounds of 5.56 and two thousand rounds of pistol ammo. For the twenty-twos we have over three thousand rounds. We were getting low on horse grain but Mr. Greg gave us some more, so if we find areas to graze the horses we should be fine. Now, I’ve studied the area we are going through in Nebraska and Wyoming and it looks dry. So when we get there we are going to have to carry some water for the animals,” she said, looking up proud of her report.

Shaking his head, Nathan turned around and searched in his pack. “All right, come over here. I can’t take the bedhead anymore,” he said. Letting out a huff, Amanda stood up and plopped down in front of Nathan. Grabbing a bottle of water and his brush, Nathan went to work.

Amanda smiled as Nathan brushed her hair. “What do you think?” she asked.

“You need to quit going to sleep with your hair wet,” Nathan said, fighting a tangle. Jasmine watched in awe as Nathan fought the tangle and didn’t pull Amanda’s hair.

“Nathan,” Amanda whined, “about my report.”

“It was very good and I’m proud of all of you for thinking about supplies and our route,” he said. “But don’t think if you make a plan it will always work. Always think about problems that can come up and how to work through them.”

“Isn’t that overthinking?” Amanda asked.

“No, overthinking is making a complicated plan. Planning ahead to avoid problems is constructive thinking,” he clarified. “What will we do if a horse gets hurt?”

“Use the pack horse,” Amanda replied.

“What about the stuff it’s carrying? If a horse is hurt you can’t put the pack on it,” Nathan said.

Amanda thought about that. “Okay so what do we do?”

“The two lightest will ride double, you and Casey. If another goes down, the second two will double up, Natalie and Tom,” Nathan said, finally getting all the knots out of her hair.

Amanda tilted her head back till she could see Nathan. “What else have you thought about?”

Pushing her head till Amanda was looking straight ahead again, Nathan continued brushing. “It would take days for me to explain,” he said.

“How in the hell am I supposed to know this crap and be totally badass if you don’t tell me?” she complained, crossing her arms.

“First, watch what I do. It’s second nature to me now,” Nathan said. “Each day when I lay out rally points, look along the route for safe areas, stands of trees, water, and buildings we can hide in. Think about problems. I know none of you have been out in the wilderness for extended periods till now so you don’t have experience. Think about the flood we went through. No one was thinking about the water continuing to rise.” Nathan started braiding Amanda’s hair.

They all thought about what Nathan had said. Amanda rolled her eyes. “This is going to take a long time,” she admitted.

“Humpf,” Nathan snorted. “I’ve been doing this my whole life and I’m still learning.”

Dejected, Amanda lowered her head, only to have Nathan raise it back up as he braided her hair. “Am I at least becoming tough?” she asked. Before Nathan could answer, John fell over laughing and Amanda gave him a cold stare.

Looking over at Amanda, John sat up. “Amanda, I’m sorry to say you were a princess before this. Now you’re like a little terminator. With Nathan and Ares around, you would fight anything. Without them around, you would at least think about attacking something. Hell, just last night you threatened to pop a cap in Jasmine,” John said smiling.

The color drained from Jasmine’s and Amanda’s faces. “What the hell did you threaten Jasmine for?” Nathan demanded with steel in his voice as he finished Amanda’s hair.

Amanda jumped up and spun around, putting one hand on her hip and pointing at Nathan with the other. “It’s none of your damn business,” Amanda said as the smile fell off John’s face.

Nathan narrowed his eyes at Amanda. “You can’t threaten members of our group.”

Amanda bobbed her head as she talked. “She does what I said not to, I’ll pop a cap. I won’t kill her but I’ll sure as shit pop her kneecaps,” Amanda warned. Nathan was at a complete loss for words, just what do you tell a teen girl that said that. Jasmine giggled, watching Amanda square off with Nathan. She could see Amanda loved both of them by not telling Nathan about what was said but Jasmine was under no illusion; Amanda thought the world of Nathan.

Turning his head when he heard Jasmine giggle, Nathan was again at a loss for words. Amanda had just threatened to kneecap her and Jasmine was giggling. “You don’t find this a little concerning?” Nathan asked. Jasmine shook her head. Nathan looked from Amanda to Jasmine. “You do know she’s serious?” Nathan asked, wondering about the stability of Jasmine’s mind.

“Oh, I know she’s serious,” Jasmine said, shocking Nathan to the core.

It must be because they lose the power to control men’s minds and they lose their grip on reality,
Nathan thought.

“Damn right I’m serious,” Amanda huffed and spun around and sat beside Casey. Nathan didn’t take his eyes off Jasmine.

Seeing Nathan really worrying about her, Jasmine said, “I will never do what she is worried about, so I’m not worried.”

“Can I at least know?” Nathan asked.

“No,” Amanda and Jasmine said together. Well, Amanda shouted it.

Nathan gave John a piercing stare. John started sweating. “John, that was private. You say something, I’ll shoot you in the pinky toe,” Amanda warned.

John looked down at his feet and really liked having ten toes. “Sorry, Nathan,” he said looking back up.

Nathan glared at Amanda. “You need to chill, woman,” he barked. “You don’t threaten our group.”

Amanda returned the glare. “You need to mind your business. I can’t kick their asses
yet
, so I have to take other measures.” Everyone noticed Amanda stressed
yet
.

“Keep on and I won’t brush your hair,” Nathan threatened.

“The hell you won’t, keep on and I’ll get you to paint my toes,” Amanda replied. The grumpy expression on Nathan’s face fell off as visions of him painting little toes filled his mind. Amanda stood up and Nathan almost ran away as she walked over and sat down in his lap. Amanda picked up his right arm and put it over her shoulder, then hugged Nathan. “It’s for your own good, so trust me.”

Nathan returned the hug but was having an emotional catastrophe. A thirteen-year-old girl was managing his welfare. He just didn’t know how to respond. “Amanda, I think you are going to give me gray hair,” Nathan finally concluded.

“That’s okay, I will learn how to dye it,” Amanda informed him with her face buried in his chest. Jasmine rolled around on the floor laughing, holding Chip. Chip didn’t know what was funny but he liked the way Jasmine was holding him tightly as she laughed.

“Just to clarify, you are tough,” Nathan said, kissing the top of Amanda’s head. She stood up, kissed his cheek and switched places with Casey. Without asking, Nathan wet her hair and started brushing. During this entire time, Emma sat beside Nathan looking at everyone, bitching in gibberish.

Jasmine slowly pulled herself up. “This is the best family ever,” she declared.

Nathan scoffed, “Whatever, I’m being controlled by kids.”

Casey looked up tilting her head back looking at Nathan upside down. “But we love you,” she acknowledged.

Seeing her little eyes, Nathan smiled. “I guess I don’t mind then.”

John cleared his throat. “Nathan, could you continue about our route and what we need to do?”

“Thank you for bringing me back to reality,” Nathan said as he started braiding Casey’s hair. “Like I said, watch me and always think. That’s what separates the living from the dead in survival: the ability to think through a problem and come up with a solution. You guys are actually doing great. It took me years to get where you are now.”

They all smiled, except Emma, who threw her sippy cup. John got up and filled it and handing it back to her. Emma took the cup and scowled at John. “Tank ou,” she grunted.

“At least she said thank you,” Nathan said as John sat back down. “When we get home I will teach you more. You will be able to read and your knowledge will expand exponentially.”

“What’s been the biggest surprise to you?” Jasmine asked.

Thinking about it as he finished Casey’s hair, Nathan finally answered. “I didn’t expect to kill the first day.”

They all thought about what he said till John asked, “Anything you didn’t expect?”

Nathan laughed. “Yeah, I never thought dogs would be a problem. I should’ve taken that into account.”

“Dogs haven’t bothered us,” Casey said, standing up when Nathan finished. Natalie came over as Casey left, and Nathan started on her hair.

“I’m sure they will. There is enough cattle, helpless prey, and dead bodies now, but soon their food will run out and they will become a pain in the ass,” Nathan said.

“They’re just dogs,” Natalie objected.

“Descendants of wolves. There were an estimated sixty million in America,” Jasmine pointed out.

“Damn, I didn’t think there were that many,” he admitted.

“If cavemen can beat them, we won’t have a problem,” Amanda stated with certainty.

John laughed. “You are starting to sound just like Nathan.”

“Yeah?” she replied. John just laughed.

They sat there till dawn as Nathan gave more lessons on moving under fire till dawn. Then he made them take their rifles outside and go over what he taught. He didn’t get to participate. Emma informed him she had been denied too long and demanded to be carried around.

The sun was just over the horizon when they stopped, noticing they had an audience. Greg and several members of his family were watching them from the porch. Nathan told the group to get dressed. They were all barefoot with shorts and t-shirts on. Nathan went to the porch and held out his hand.

Greg shook it. “You look much better,” he said with a big grin.

“You have no idea how much better,” Nathan replied.

“On that you may be wrong,” Greg informed him. “I have six boys, but my youngest is my daughter. When she was born, I knew I was done. I love that girl to death but she can make me mad enough to chew a tree down.”

Nathan thought about that. “Yes, you do have an idea.” Emma yelled and started clapping her hand on her sippy cup. “This one is determined to drive me insane,” Nathan admitted as he snuggled his face in Emma’s neck, making her squeal.

“I said the same thing once, and now I have five granddaughters. I’m starting to think being insane can’t be that bad,” Greg said, tickling Emma’s belly.

Nathan had to agree. “What do we owe you for your hospitality?” Nathan asked.

Greg held up his hands. “Nothing.” Nathan just looked at him, shaking his head. “While you were asleep, John came over with your memory stick things for the computers. He uploaded so much useful stuff for us I wanted to ask you what we owed you. Then they told us about what y’all have been through and what you told those people in Mississippi about how to make their farm safe. We are starting on ours today,” Greg said.

“You shoed our horses,” Nathan objected.

“I can shoe a horse in ten minutes. I was national champion six years in a row. My oldest is the current champion,” Greg informed him.

“I’m grateful,” Nathan admitted.

“When you thinkin’ about leaving?” Greg asked.

“This afternoon,” Nathan answered. Greg was visibly disappointed. “I’m sorry but this is moving faster than I thought it would,” Nathan answered the look.

“I understand. But you have knowledge I would really like to have some time to learn,” Greg admitted.

“If you have that information on your computer, you will learn what I know,” Nathan said.

“That’s what we were all doing last night. No one over the age of thirteen slept last night,” Greg informed him. “The missus is putting breakfast out back on the tables. Get your group and come on.” Greg headed to the house.