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  We reached the hilltop and gave Dad and Johnny their requests then all took a knee or sat on the ground and waited for an explanation

  “It looks like the fires are all but out,” Dad began. “There’s a few smaller ones still burning but it looks like there’s no way for them to jump to more vegetation unless we get some really strong winds. Thankfully there’s more trees and vegetation close to the highway and less our way. I think that really helped us. Also, I hated tearing down the dam as much as y’all did, but Johnny and I had to make a snap decision and I think we made the right one.”

  Johnny nodded and whether consciously or unconsciously we all did the same.

  “I’m real proud of the way y’all handled yourselves last night,” Dad continued. “Y’all’ve done a lot of growing up this past month and you’ve all tackled everything that’s come your way with little to no problem. Which is why I know y’all will be able to handle with Johnny is about to tell you.”

  Dad nodded to Johnny and he took a drink of water and spoke.

  “OK guys y’all know me. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Like Taylor said, y’all’ve handled everything that’s come your way great and I trust you’ll do the same with this.”

  Johnny took another long drink before speaking.

  “Last night, when we got to the highway, I thought I heard voices. I snuck out to the road to investigate and could make out at least five men on horseback. I’m guessing they had taken what they could from the truck before I got there because one of them yelled at the others to ‘Burn it all. Don’t leave nothing for anybody.’ They lit the truck on fire using a rag in the gas tank and rode off in the direction of Balmorhea.”

  Horse hooves on pavement.

  That was the clapping I heard.

  “Most of the men were armed,” Johnny continued. “I could make it out two AR rifles and one shotgun. And if three of them had guns I’m guessing the others did as well.”

  “Who were they?” Carl interrupted. “I mean what were they doing?”

  “I’m just guessing,” Johnny said. “But given the way that they went, I’m guessing they were from the direction of Fort Davis and we’re riding towards Balmorhea for supplies. Their burning the truck and saying not to leave anything for anybody tells me they’re not looking to help anyone.”

  “Or let anybody help themselves,” Dad added.

  Johnny continued, “They’re not caring if the fire spread off the highway to destroy countless acres tells me there reckless. And not giving much thought to anything they do. My guess is that they’re raiding the countryside, taking whatever they can and damn the consequences.”

  “Like the gangs you said were raiding for food in the cities?” I asked.

  “I’d say so,” Johnny agreed. “If they keep on the highway the way they were going they’ll hit ranch house after ranch house before coming into town.”

  “You don’t think they saw you?” Jack asked nervously. “Like saw you or us coming out this way? Toward camp?”

  “Me? Follow me?” Johnny laughed. “I am the night when I’m doing recon brother. No one sees me.”

  Jack smiled and, much like with Johnny and the nodding, we all followed by smiling as well.

  “But seriously guys,” Johnny changed direction. “If there’s one group like that out there then there’s probably more and the gate on the road off of the highway tells everyone that passes by it that there might be a house at the end of it.”

  “That’s why we locked the gate last night?” I said to Johnny.

  “Yep,” Johnny said. “Don’t wanna make it too easy for folks willing to do wrong.”

  “Back to the fire,” Dad said. “I’m sure it killed a lot of game animals but it also will probably drive more into our area so we need to really take advantage of that. Get our jerky supplies up there.”

  “And now more than ever,” Johnny warned. “Whether you’re hunting or checking traps or doing whatever, be aware of your surroundings. Always be on the lookout.”

  “Lookout for what?” Andrew asked genuinely puzzled.

  “For danger like Johnny saw last night,” Dad said very solidly. “That kind of danger.”

  58

  We all went back to camp with the exception of Dad and Johnny who said they were going to keep a watch on the few fires that remained. The air was hazy and smelled of smoke and burnt cedar. On the way back to camp I recalled that I once saw a documentary on TV about wildfires in California or some parks out that way and how they left nothing but the biggest of trees behind and how the fire killed elk and deer and bear. Almost everything. I wondered how many animals this fire took. How many snakes, deer, badgers, even cows got caught up in the flames and what that would do to our food supply. Then I remembered Dad saying that the fires would also end up pushing a lot of game our way.

  I skipped the living room and went straight to my tent and fell onto my cot. It felt good to lie there but my head was going a million miles an hour with thoughts of the fire, what the riders looked like, and what Dad and Johnny told us. I pulled my T-shirt off and put it over my face to block the light that was building up both outside and inside the tent. I take it Liam walked in because I heard him say, “That’s a good look for you.”

  I pulled the shirt from my face and watched as he fell onto his cot. I covered my eyes once more with the T-shirt and lie there.

  “So, what’cha thinking?” Liam asked in a silly voice.

  “Thinking ‘bout what?”

  “Anything,” Liam offered. “Anything and everything.”

  “I think we’re in as good a place as anybody could be at a time like this,” I pondered.

  “Yeah hearing about the riders…raiders…whatever they were makes you think of how bad it must be back in civilization,” Liam said. “What’cha think they would’ve done to us if they found us?”

  “I’m trying not to think about that,” I honestly replied.

  “I bet they would’ve taken our food and guns and either killed us or left us with nothing which I guess is kind of like killing us. Just killing us slowly.”

  “That’s why am trying not to think about it,” I admitted.

  “I bet they would’ve just killed us,” Liam argued. “Not leave us to die. Anybody that would burn down everything around them has got to be that kind of evil.”

  “Liam.”

  “What?”

  “Your bedtime stories suck.”

  Liam and I both laughed then I’m guessing fell asleep because I don’t remember anything after that.

  59

  I woke up in one big sweaty mess. I sat up to see Liam sprawled out on his cot snoring like a chainsaw. I looked outside the tent then up at the still smoky sky. It might’ve been noon. It might’ve been one. I couldn’t tell by the sun.

  To be honest I’m not sure why I bothered looking up.

  I left my shirt on the bed, ran my fingers through my sweaty hair then headed over to the living room. Luke was the only one there.

  “Everybody asleep?” I asked.

  “I’m not,’ Luke giggled. “No, your Dad and Johnny are still up watching the fire. Carl, Jack, and Andrew are down at the dam or where the dam used to be I guess. I don’t know where everybody else is.”

  “Why are they down at the creek?” I asked. “Carl said he wanted to check out the damage to the dam and try to cool off in the water.”

  “Good idea,” I said. “I think I’ll do the same.”

  Luke looked like I might have hurt his feelings by saying I was leaving but then he always kind of looked like that.

  “Do you want to go down there with me?” I asked.

  “No, I’m going to wait here. It’s too hot out there.”

  I walked down to the creek to find the trio sitting in the water before the dam.

  Or what was left of the dam.

  I walked out into the shallow water and sat with them. The water barely covered my legs but it felt great. I cupped my hands and bathed my head and c
hest with handful after handful of water.

  “Looks like it could be fixed pretty easily,” I said staring at the big break in the center of the dam.

  “Probably so,” Carl agreed. “Most of the dam’s still there. Just that cut in the middle and most of what’s behind it is gone.”

  “We need like a big board, like a sheet of plywood,” Andrew theorized. “That would cover the hole easy enough.”

  “I don’t think it’d be strong enough,” Jack said.

  “We ought to plug the gap with the tailgate from Johnny’s truck and Dad’s Jeep,” I offered. “They’d be strong enough. And it’s not like they're using them.”

  “That’d for sure work,” Carl said. “We’d just have to put some posts behind them and back up all the rest of it with rock and dirt like we had before.”

  “How’d you think of that?” Andrew asked in my direction. “Using the tailgates?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered. “It just came to me.”

  60

  The next morning saw two hunting parties go out before sunrise. Dad took Liam and me out to the high road while Johnny took Jack and Matt out to the creek high above the dam.

  Liam shot a good-sized deer with Dad’s AR and Jack took a buck about the same size with his bow. Matt got a squirrel with this .22 and we pulled five quail from the traps. We put the quail in the aviary while Andrew and Liam got a fire going and started cooking the squirrel and the deer ribs. We’d cut the rest of the deer up for jerky after breakfast.

  “Good hunting this morning,” Dad said.

  “Yeah,” Johnny agreed. “We saw maybe five deer before Jack got this one.”

  “There were probably 15 on the road when Liam shot this one,” I offered.

  “Then let’s try again tonight,” Dad said. “We need all the jerky we can get because you never know.”

  “You never know,” Johnny repeated with a laugh. “Ya’ really never know.”

  We took a break from jerky prep to dine on deer ribs and tree rat then finished laying all the meat on the smoking racks. It was still pretty early in the day with the sun just then starting to shine on the valley floor.

  “Looks like we’ve got time before it gets too hot to work on the dam,” I offered.

  “The dam that sees you take apart my truck to build it,” Johnny chuckled.

  “Dude, you don’t even have any seats in that thing,” Liam snarked.

  Johnny looked to Dad in puzzled bewilderment and said, “Did my name change to dude and no one told me?”

  “It sure did,” Dad chuckled. “You didn’t get the memo, dude?”

  “I guess not,” Johnny said before turning to Liam. “Y’all can take apart my truck to build your dam.”

  “And Dad’s Jeep?” I asked.

  “If that’s what you want to do,” Dad said. “Then have at it.”

  And have at it we did.

  Everyone but Dad and Johnny participated. We took the tailgate from both vehicles and carried him down to the partially destroyed dam. Since it wasn’t nearly as long, we put the Jeep tailgate on the bottom. We put the truck tailgate on top of that. We then drove posts behind them and filled the area behind the entire dam with rock and earth. It wasn’t the prettiest looking structure, but we were all pretty proud of it.

  Dad and Johnny came down to check on our work just as we all sat in the water before the dam to cool off.

  “Looks pretty good,” Dad offered.

  “Maybe it can stay up for good this time,” Liam joked.

  “Note to self,” Johnny began. “Next time leave dam intact so Liam can burn to death.”

  “Duly noted,” Dad mocked. “All in favor of letting Liam get burned to death next time say ‘aye.’”

  Everyone but Liam cheered, “Aye.”

  Liam rolled his eyes and said, “Ha. Ha.”

  “Speaking of the fires,” Dad said. “It looks like they’re all out for good. But Johnny and I are going back up to the hilltop for the day to keep a watch on them. Who wants to go with us to help set up a tarp for shade?”

  We all sat there quietly in the creek. No one said anything. Dad finally broke the silence. “OK Jack and Taylor it is.”

  “What?” Jack said. “I didn’t volunteer.”

  “You just did,” Johnny smiled. “Come on. Let’s get going.”

  Jack and I gradually exited the water and followed Dad and Johnny up to camp to grab a tarp, rope stakes, and two poles.

  Setting up the tarp didn’t take very long and Jack and I were ready to head back down toward the dam in no time. Before we left though Jack and I each took turns with the binoculars.

  The landscape before us was a wasteland. The desert was pockmarked with chard trees, piles of ash, and burned earth. The sky was still hazy, and it shimmered with boils of heat. Buzzards circled above as far as the eye could see and every now and again the air was filled with the stench of rot and decay. Dad pointed to a dead cow some 300 yards away. The carcass was bloated and covered with buzzards and crows and even at that distance I could make out the swarms of blackflies that clouded around it. Taking in all that death and distraction left me feeling cold inside and I was suddenly extremely grateful for how we’d all gotten ahead of the fire and to safety.

  “Johnny and I are going to spend the day up here,” Dad explained. “We’re going to make sure nothing flames back up. You two are in charge of today and the hunting parties tonight.”

  “You’re not going with us,” Jack asked his father.

  “Nope,” Johnny said. “You and Matt hunt the same place tonight as we did this morning.”

  “Same for you and Liam,” Dad said. “Y’all know what you’re doing. Take down anything you can. Deer or squirrel. Rabbit. Whatever you get a shot at.”

  “I’m not shooting a javelina,” Jack said. “I get a nasty taste in my mouth just thinking about the one that we ate up at the watering hole.”

  “Come on Jack, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the badger was it?” Johnny laughed.

  Jack laughed. “You’re right about that one. He tasted real nasty.”

  61

  Jack and I went back to the dam and together with the rest of the boys spent the day sitting in the water trying to stay cool. By the time we cleared out later that afternoon all of our skin was pruned and the water had come up a few inches. We ate some jerky and drank some water then Jack and Matt and Liam and I went our separate ways to hunt. Liam Took a .22 rifle and I took Dad’s AR and we headed out to the road where we hunted that morning with Dad.

  Liam and I spread two handfuls of ground corn dust on the road then sat behind the brush line to wait. It was three or four hours until sundown and it was still really hot.

  “You think you could shoot a guy?” Liam asked out of nowhere

  “What?!” I asked completely shocked by his question. “What are you talking about?”

  “Here’s the scene. We’re sitting here hunting, hoping to see a deer or a pig just so we can eat when we see the guys on horses from the other night.”

  “We didn’t see those guys,” I reminded Liam.

  “I know that,” Liam said exasperated.

  “Whisper,” I reminded Liam. “We’re hunting.”

  Liam lowered his voice and said, “I know we didn’t see them but pretend they came riding up and we knew it was the them and we also knew they were gonna kill us. Could you shoot them?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What kind of answer is that?” Liam scarfed.

  “An honest one!

  “Sounds like you’re not even thinking about it.”

  “What I think I’d be able to do or not do doesn’t matter,” I explained. “I think that’s one of those situations you don’t know what you could or couldn’t do it until you’re actually in it. Yeah, I’d like to say I’d be able to protect myself and the rest of us, but I just don’t know.”

  “I’d have no problem doing it,” Liam insisted. “Shooting some raider coming after us
would be as easy shooting a rabbit.”

  Liam took his eyes from me then looked out on the road and exclaimed in glee, “Like that one right there!”

  I looked out to see a cottontail easing out onto the road some 35 yards away.

  “What do you think?” Liam whispered. “Take him or wait for a deer?”

  “I say take him. Hopefully something will come out after him.”

  Liam nodded in agreement then steadied his rifle. “I’d do it just like this,” Liam whispered. “Here comes someone to take our stuff and leave us for dead.”

  The rifle snapped and the bunny fell over dead.

  “Just like that,” Liam said in triumph. “Just like that.”

  Liam got three more cottontails after that before we called it quits and headed back to camp. We arrived to find Jack, Matt, and the others cleaning a whitetail doe.

  “You get another one?” I asked Jack.

  “No. Matt got him,” Jack said.

  “My first with a bow,” Matt said proudly. “Dad never would have believed it.”

  I didn’t know what to say to Matt in regard to him mentioning his dead father, so I stayed quiet. I guess the others felt the same way as they didn’t say anything either.

  “And we brought back some prickly pear fruit to put on the ribs,” Matt continued. “We probably have enough to try basting those rabbits as well if you want to try.”

  “Let’s do that,” Andrew agreed. “I liked that stuff on the pig the other day.”

  “Y’all are going to be so jealous of me when I’m through with these rabbits,” Liam said. “I’m going to make a bunny tooth necklace after we cook them up.”

  “Bunny teeth,” Carl laughed.

  “And so the jealousy starts,” Liam laughed. “Haven’t even made a necklace yet and already Carl’s wishing he had one.”

  “Right. Whatever,” Carl countered. “If you want to put the Easter Bunny’s pals’ choppers around your neck, be my guest. I’m not jealous of that.”