Days Of Perdition: Voodoo Plague Book 6 (6 page)

Katie pushed on, the trail climbing successive ridgelines as
she moved north.  It was rough going, deep ruts and large rocks constantly
challenging her driving skills and the truck’s capabilities.  Keeping a wary
eye on the gas gauge she wasn’t happy with how much fuel was being burned to
cover such a short distance.  Cresting another ridge, she stopped and leaving
the engine idling stepped out to relieve herself.  She made sure to move under
a large pine tree with thick boughs so Steve couldn’t watch on the satellite.

Business attended to, Katie called Steve as she stepped to
the back of the truck and looked to the south.  The view was breathtaking,
forested hills with canyons carved between them dropping away to the valley
where Phoenix sat.  By now she was a couple of thousand feet above the valley
floor, and could look down on the thick haze of smoke that hung over the city. 

“Where are the guys in the Jeeps?”  She asked when Steve
picked up.

“Just cresting the ridge to your south,” he answered. 
“They’re moving a little slower than you.  Hard to tell on satellite, but I
think one of the Jeeps isn’t really set up for any serious off-road travel and
the driver is having to take it really easy.”

Finally some good news. 

“How much farther do I have?”  Katie asked, digging a fresh
bottle of water out of the back of the truck.

“The computer shows forty one miles, but it’s just drawing a
line and not taking into account the terrain.  You’ve probably got close to fifty
actual miles to go.  At your pace you won’t be there before dark.”

Katie didn’t like hearing that answer.  Not with two
vehicles only a few miles behind her.  The last thing she wanted to do was stop
for the night and let them catch up.  She also didn’t like the idea of traveling
at night.  The road was difficult enough to navigate with the sun shining
brightly and it would be three times harder with only the truck’s lights. 
Deciding she’d better cover as much ground as she could while it was daylight,
Katie told Steve she’d call him later and resumed her trek.

The north side of the ridge she had stopped on was the
steepest descent she had ever driven, the heavy truck constantly threatening to
start slipping sideways.  She had no idea just how steep it really was, but was
glad for the seatbelt that kept her from sliding forward off the seat.  The angle
had been sharp, but it was only fifteen minutes before the trail bottomed out
into a shallow canyon.

Crossing the level terrain, Katie brought the truck to a
stop when she came to the edge of a small stream.  The water was no more than thirty
feet across, but it was running swiftly and she couldn’t tell how deep it was. 
Living in the desert it was an almost daily occurrence during monsoon season
that someone would try and drive across a flooded wash and wind up stranded and
on the news being winched up from the roof of their flooded vehicle by a
helicopter.

It was so common, in fact, that Arizona had passed what was
called the “stupid motorist” law.  If you drove into a flooded wash and had to
be rescued, you would have to reimburse the cost of your rescue.  Katie knew it
wouldn’t take much depth in the fast moving current to push the truck
downstream and was hesitant to risk the crossing.

Climbing down, she walked to the edge of the water, but
still couldn’t gauge its depth.  She briefly considered wading out to test it,
but dismissed the idea.  The streambed would be full of round, slippery rocks
and it wouldn’t take much for her feet to be washed out from under her.  Katie
stared at the stream for almost a minute, trying to think what John would do. 

With a smile at the thought of her husband she ran to the
back of the truck and dug out a length of sturdy rope.  Securing one end of it
to the truck’s front bumper, she wrapped the other around her waist and
carefully stepped into the stream. 

The water was shockingly cold when it seeped into her
leather boots, but she gritted her teeth and pushed on.  Five feet from the
edge the water was just over the tops of her boots.  The push of the current
was strong and Katie was having a hard time maintaining her footing, but she
pushed on.  At the halfway mark the water was to the bottom of her knees and
every step she took she was forced further downstream.  She started to go back,
but realized the water could still be deeper before the far edge.

Pushing on, Katie moved slowly and deliberately, careful to
stay balanced and not let her weight suddenly shift and send her plunging into
the stream.  She walked until she was five feet from the far shore, the depth
of the water having receded back to the tops of her boots.  Satisfied with her
exploration, she slowly turned and began making her way back to the truck.

Wading out of the stream she quickly untied the rope and
threw it back into the truck without taking the time to coil it.  Shivering
from the time she’d had her feet and lower legs in the icy water she stood next
to the Ford and compared its clearance to where the deepest water had reached
to the bottom of her knees.  The lowest part of the truck’s body was level with
the middle of her knees.  Nothing other than the tires would be in the stream
for the water to push on.

Feeling more confident, Katie climbed back into the cab and
shifted into drive.  Switching to four wheel low, she let the truck idle
forward into the water.  It moved easily, the current pushing against the
wheels and splashing water into the air where it created a small rainbow. 
Approaching the middle of the crossing, the truck began slipping sideways from
the force of the water against the tires, but Katie steered against the current
and gave the engine more gas.

The tires slipped some, the truck shifting sideways more,
but Katie kept the momentum on and moments later drove onto dry land.  Stopping
long enough to shift back into four wheel high, she continued on and was soon
climbing the next ridge.  She reached the top, crossed the crest and descended
into the next canyon without any further drama. 

The trail was just starting to rise for the next climb when
the sat phone rang on the seat next to her.  Stopping before leaving the canyon
floor, Katie answered the phone; afraid Steve was calling with another warning.

“One of the Jeeps didn’t make it across the stream,” he
said.  “Current took it a hundred yards down the canyon and it’s wedged against
a boulder.  Don’t think you need to worry about them anymore.  They can’t all
fit in one Jeep.”

“That is good news,” Katie breathed a sigh of relief.  “Is
the Jeep that made it across still following?”

“No, he’s stopped.  Looks like families in each Jeep.  Right
now there’s adults and a couple of kids on foot.”

This caught Katie by surprise.  She hadn’t even considered
any possibility other than the Jeeps were loaded down with men who were best
avoided. 

“What are they doing now?”  She asked after a moment.

“Just standing there looking at the wrecked Jeep.”

“Will they be able to get it out?”  She asked.

“Wouldn’t do them any good.  It’s nose down and the whole
engine is under water.  No way with today’s electronics that thing will ever
run again without a long visit to a repair shop.”  Steve answered.

Katie thanked him for the update and ended the call. 
Stepping on the gas she started up the incline for the next ridge, the tallest
so far, but only went a few feet before stopping.  She sat thinking for a
moment, then with a sigh put the truck in reverse and backed up until she came
to a wide enough spot in the trail to turn around.  A minute later the phone rang
again.

“What are you doing?”  Steve asked, sounding irritated that
she had reversed course.

“I can’t leave them out here.”  Katie answered.  “Not if
they’ve got kids with them.  They’re stranded and there will probably be more
people along that might not have the best of intentions.”

“Are you crazy?  Just because they have kids with them
doesn’t mean they won’t shoot you and take your truck.  Turn around and keep
going and let them worry about themselves.”

Katie knew that Steve was most likely right.  She also knew
that John would probably give her the same advice.  But she had to live with
herself and if she drove away and didn’t at least try to help these people, the
idea of leaving children stranded in the wilderness would haunt her.  Telling
Steve her mind was made up she ended the call.

The Jeeps had been carrying two families, one with parents
and three children, the other parents and two children.  Katie had experienced
some tense moments as she approached them.  The people had heard her coming
well before she got there and the two fathers had hidden their wives and kids
behind a jumble of large boulders.  One of them had stayed nearby while the
other stood waiting for her, blocking the trail.

He was armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle, and as she
approached him Katie scrutinized how he was handling the weapon.  The muzzle
was in front of him, pointed at the ground as she came to a stop fifty yards
from where he stood.  Taking a deep breath, Katie shifted into park and opened
her door, careful to stay behind it as she stepped down from the cab.  When the
man made no threatening move she moved out into the open, seeing him visibly
relax and let the muzzle drop a few inches when he realized she was a woman.

“Not a fighter,” she said to herself, knowing anyone with
any degree of combat experience would never relax just because it was a woman
that stepped out of the truck.

“I came back to help you,” Katie shouted, still staying
close enough to dive into the truck if need be.  She had her own rifle ready to
go if she had to defend herself.  After a few moments he glanced over his
shoulder then began walking towards her. 

She knew there wasn’t anyone else in the area.  Steve had
been keeping an eye on them while she drove, and it was just the two men with
their wives and children.  The man approached slowly, eyes focused on Katie. 
He wasn’t expecting problems and never bothered to check the surrounding area. 
She was mildly surprised he’d made it this far.

“How did you know we had a problem?”  He had stopped ten
yards in front of the truck.

“I was watching from the top of the next ridge,” Katie
lied.  She wasn’t ready to advertise the advantage she had with Steve keeping
an eye on her from above.  “Was anyone hurt?”

“No, they made it out OK.  But the Jeep’s a total loss.  I’m
Brian Childress, by the way.” 

Katie stood staring at him for a long moment, getting the
measure of the man.  Finally satisfied that he was what he appeared to be, a
man trying to protect his family and get them to safety, she stepped around the
open door and held her hand out.

“Katie Chase.”  She introduced herself.

Brian waved the rest of his group forward and made the
introductions.  His wife Cathy was a small woman, and it was immediately
obvious that she made the decisions for the family.  They were the ones driving
the Jeep that had made it across the stream.  Their vehicle had been lifted and
outfitted properly for the rugged terrain.  The second Jeep, when she got a
better look at it, was a cheaper model that wasn’t good for much other than
driving on slippery pavement.  She refrained from asking them how they thought
it would cross the stream.

The group was also heading for Payson where Cathy’s sister
lived on a small ranch just outside of town.  They didn’t know if she was OK or
not, but they all thought the small town was far enough away from Phoenix that
it had to be preferable to the chaos sweeping through the large city’s streets. 
From what Steve had told her about the conditions in Payson, Katie was worried
about being able to stay there and wait for John to find her.  She had no idea
where else she could go, other than away from Phoenix. 

They spent a few minutes talking, then Katie shuffled
supplies around in the Ford to make room for the family that had lost the
Jeep.  Everyone had lots of questions for her, all of them amazed that she was
out here on her own, but she put them off as they busied themselves moving
supplies from the disabled Jeep into her truck.  The sun was heading for the
horizon and she wanted to get to the top of the next ridge before dark. 

The parents were Ken and Patty, their kids John and
Samantha.  Once everyone was loaded, Katie got the truck turned around and
rolling, concentrating on her driving.  Brian followed with his family in their
Jeep, staying close enough to keep her in sight but far enough back to leave
room for maneuvering if anything unexpected happened.

“Do you know Cathy’s sister?”  Katie asked as the truck
lurched over a large rock.

“We do.  We’re all school teachers.”  Patty answered from
the back seat.  “We used to all work together in Gilbert but Trish, Cathy’s sister,
got divorced and wanted to get away from the city so she took a job with the
school district up in Payson.”

Katie nodded her head, happy with the answer.  Other than
her it wouldn’t be a bunch of strangers showing up asking for a place to stay.

The sun was almost touching the horizon when they crested
the ridge.  Katie drove a couple of hundred yards until she found a mostly
level area where they could spend the night.  There was still plenty of light
up where they were, but the canyons on either side of them were already in
shadow and quickly getting darker.

As soon as they parked, the two men set about gathering wood
for a campfire while the women kept a close eye on the children who were
energetic after a long day cooped up in vehicles.  Katie almost told them to
not light the fire, but decided to check with Steve first.  If there was no one
around to see it, the night would be passed much more comfortably with a fire
to heat their food and keep them warm.

Katie took the sat phone and moved away from the camp before
dialing.  She had a short conversation with Steve, cutting off his renewed
objections about her having gone back to help the group.  He had assured her in
a sullen voice that there weren’t any other people within twenty miles of her
current location.  She was relieved to get off the phone.

The night passed quietly, Katie sleeping in the truck while
the two families settled in around the fire.  The sun was up early, waking them
and after a lite breakfast they got back on the trail.  It was early afternoon
when they reached pavement, the sudden lack of bouncing over ruts and rocks
disconcerting at first. 

Payson was mobbed with refugees and everyone looked
frightened.  There was a noticeable absence of police or National Guard, but as
they drove closer to town Katie frequently spotted heavily armed men on
horseback.  They sat on their mounts at the side of the road, not moving,
keeping a close eye on everyone that passed.  She suspected they were locals
who had taken it on themselves to maintain order in their small town.

There were thousands of cars crammed into the center of
town, tens of thousands of people on foot.  Some wandered aimlessly, others
strode purposely on some important errand.  It was hard to navigate the crush
of humanity, but Katie managed to remain patient as she worked her way towards
the back of a long line waiting to fuel up at a gas station.

She had passed several stations that were empty, large signs
at the edge of the road letting people know they were out of gas.  The one
station that was still open had two large tanker trucks sitting in its parking
lot.  Katie hoped they weren’t about to run dry as the gauge in the Ford said
she had less than an eighth of a tank left. 

“I hope there’s still some gas when we get there,” Ken said,
craning his neck to try and get a better look at the station in the distance.

Patty nodded, looking worried but not saying anything.  It
was close to five minutes later after they had just moved forward a couple of
car lengths when the sound of a disturbance came from behind them.  Katie
looked in the large outside mirror, checking on Brian and his family.  They
were fine, also looking in their mirrors.

Three vehicles behind Brian’s Jeep, two men were standing in
the road screaming at each other as one of them gestured at the rear of his
pickup.  A woman got out of the vehicle farthest back and tried to calm things
down by grabbing one of the men’s arm to lead him away, but he shrugged her off
and renewed his verbal assault on the other man.

“What’s happening?”  Patty asked from the back seat.

“Looks like someone probably tapped the bumper of the truck
in front of them.  Hardly worth getting worked up about, but people are scared
and emotions are going to spill over.”  Katie said.

As she finished speaking the first punch was thrown.  Then
the men were hitting and kicking each other, the smaller one pushing the larger
one against the side of his truck and raining blows to his stomach.  Katie was
startled when movement caught her eye and a horse and rider flashed past her
window.  It was one of the men she’d seen watching over the refugees.  She
watched in the mirror as the rider kept the horse at a full gallop, ramming the
large animal’s chest and front legs directly into the two men that were fighting.

The men were sent sprawling and the horseman reined in his
mount.  By the time the first man started to climb back to his feet the rider
had swung down to the pavement and taking two big strides he hammered the man’s
head with the butt of his rifle.  The man fell back to the ground, unconscious,
the second man staying on the ground and raising his hands in surrender when
the rider turned in his direction.

Two more horsemen rode up as Katie watched, these staying
mounted and pointing rifles at the men on the ground.  The first rider said
something to the man who was still conscious and he quickly scrambled to his
feet and disappeared into his vehicle.  The woman who had tried to intervene
dashed to the unconscious man and dragged him to their vehicle.  She couldn’t
get him inside and the rider waved her aside, lifted the man by his belt and
shirt collar and tossed him into the back seat of the car.

Commotion over, the man swung back up into the saddle and
nodded to the other two riders who turned their horses around and slowly walked
them away.  The first man stayed right where he had mounted the horse, keeping
watch over the two fighters to make sure things remained calm.  Katie didn’t
know who these guys were, but was glad to see them maintaining a degree of law
and order even if it was frontier justice style.