Hidden Flames (28 page)

Owen stepped away from Prue and let her have some time with Rosa. That’s one thing that had gone well since they’d arrived and he didn’t want to come between them. He let Prue know that he’d meet her by the truck and then made his way past the passage leading to the maintenance staff billeting area and the old motor room that used to power the old fresh air system the mine used nearly a century ago.

Ernie replaced the draw system where fresh air was pulled through the vent shafts drilled from the surface down into different areas of the mine. The exhaust ran through the main elevator shaft and out the top of the mountain with massive blowers. The huge louvers above the gigantic blower fans had been welded shut and weatherproofed to keep the rain water out of the mine years ago. Ernie developed an overpressure system to replace the old fresh air system because he wanted to keep the polluted air outside of the mine.

Tank’s system allowed the incoming air to be filtered of contaminants and pushed throughout the mine and out of the very same vent shafts they had drilled for fresh air a century ago. The chambers on the upper level all had steel grate security doors controlling access to the maintenance shops, the radio room, the topside access hatch, and a fortified machine gun nest overlooking the main entrance into the main level below.

Owen exited the maintenance security door and passed through the old blower chamber back toward the elevator, turning right and going down the stairs. He took them down a level and across the main shaft to the tunnel leading back toward his barracks and the security armory. He unlocked the armory vault door and entered, ignoring the slight dry chill in the air that had been accumulating inside where the dehumidifiers kept the moisture out of the air for the weapons’ sake.

The cage in front of Owen housed equipment racks that held various firearms and equipment that Tank had spent years obtaining and collecting; however, the truly impressive weapons were stored on the lowest level in the main armory. Owen half wondered how many federal firearms laws Tank had broken even though he’d obtained his class three license before Christ was a private. All Owen needed right now were personal weapons for himself and Prue. M4 AR-Style Carbines with an over-the-shoulder pouch containing six extra magazines for each of the rifles and a little something extra would do. He wasn’t about to head into town without being properly armed or without a radio to call in the cavalry if needed.

Grabbing the rifles, their magazine pouches, a special surprise for Prue, and the encrypted Motorola radio, Owen secured the cage and the armory vault door before making his way to the front entrance of the bunker. Prue was there, her gasmask in hand and a coffee stain on her long-sleeved grey shirt.

“Where’s your jacket?” Owen asked, handing her a Marine Raider’s Stiletto. “I know your preference of edged weapons, so I figure another one in your possession can’t hurt. Ernie got all of us one from a 1967 Camillus Cutlery production run. It was designed after the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife used during World War II. These post-war knives had Parkerizing on the blade. The hilt used pewter instead of the original zinc alloy and the steel keeps a fine edge. A finer fighting knife you would be hard pressed to find.”

“This is a very elusive and quite expensive legendary blade. Tank sure knows his stuff.” Prue nodded her head in appreciation, leaning down and securing it in its proper place.

“Try not to use that on me, will you?”

Prue stood, a full smile on her face that made him return one. Owen thought she appeared a little too excited about carrying a Marine Raider’s Stiletto, but if it was little presents like this that kept her happy…he’d make sure he gave her something special as often as he could. They both put on their masks, preparing for the ash outside.

“Who’s coming with us?” Prue asked, walking out into the residue that still wasn’t even close to being as heavy as what they had driven through. It was amazing the amount of protection this valley had given them. “Mav and Ann?”

“No, Ann is up at the lake springs again and Mav is having a meeting with the sheriff and mayor regarding how we’ll start reconstructing the town once the ash fall lets up.” Owen made sure the entrance was secure behind them before they walked down the lane to where Henley’s truck was parked in front of her cabin. He motioned over his shoulder to where Dean Sealey was sitting in Tank’s truck with Jason Wicks in the passenger seat. It was a rule that no one left the camp alone, not even in pairs—four at a minimum and six to eight preferably. Unfortunately, they were limited without Berke, Van, or Mason. The lodge couldn’t go unprotected and it made it hard to pull those that were guarding the gaps in the perimeter. “Those two will follow us down into town and protect our six.”

“Jason is a little young, don’t you think?”

Prue climbed up into the truck when Owen held the passenger door open for her. He could see she was looking at him a little odd at the gesture, especially considering they usually rode their bikes and there wasn’t a time where he’d needed to do it, but he liked taking care of her. He was glad when she didn’t ruin it by making a wry comment about his manners. He whistled in his mask as he walked around the truck…they were definitely making progress. He opened the driver’s side door and then started up the engine, sharing as much of a look of triumph with her as he could, considering that the mask covered most of his face.

“Jason grew up on his dad’s farm and knows how to use a weapon better than most civilians. He might be young, but he’s smart and he’s a quick learner.” Owen turned on the windshield wipers to sweep away the residue that had built on the vehicle. Gage was the one who kept up the use of the vehicles, using tarps to cover the ones that weren’t in storage in the mine. Henley and Ernie’s trucks had been uncovered for Prue to work on them this morning. “I hear Missy has been teaching Rosa to shoot. Are you okay with that?”

“I have to be,” Prue replied with a shrug after she’d removed her mask. She looked past him with a hint of sadness toward the lodge as they pulled out of camp. “We don’t live in the same society as we did a couple of weeks ago. Rosa needs to learn how to protect herself.”

Owen took off his mask as well, placing it on the seat between them. He reached over and held Prue’s hand in reassurance, but not able to voice them in a way that wouldn’t sound placating. Things
were
different. Society was different and they wouldn’t become whole again for a very long time. Money had ceased to be worth anything, supplies were limited, the sunlight had been blotted out from the sky, and the soil they needed for food was covered in ash. There was no reassurance that things would be okay, but there was comfort in the fact that they were together.

“Do you want that Dr. Pepper first or do you want to hit up the garage?”

Owen passed the time with talking about the things he used to know about Lost Summit, which made the twenty-five minutes go by quick. He slowed and signaled to Dean, motioning for them to follow him down First Street. Their goal was the diner to check and see if anyone had shown up in search of help. They’d told a handful of people about Lost Summit, but not where the residents would be staying. The diner was neutral ground and a way to keep those out that wouldn’t be welcome.

“It’s so depressing,” Prue whispered in despair as he pulled to a stop in front of Sheriff Ramsey’s house. Owen had been here a time or two with Tank, but the once white outer shell was now grey and covered in ash. The yard was no longer vibrant green and the sidewalk up to the porch wasn’t even visible. “Does Mrs. Welsh live far from here? We could just walk to her house and get what we need after making sure the diner is clear.”

“She only lives one street over, but it’s farther down from the hardware store. What she need is in the clinic anyway.” Owen glanced in his rearview mirror to see Dean and Jason securing their masks and he did the same before reaching for their rifles he’d laid on the seat behind them. “Ready?”

“Yes, let’s get this done.”

Prue forced a smile under her mask as she used her shoulder to apply extra force in opening the passenger door. Owen hated that she was concerned that Rosa’s parents would show up and there would be some kind of confrontation, but he would see to it that there wasn’t. Prue had done nothing wrong in bringing Rosa here and he didn’t doubt that they would be grateful if they ever found their way home.

Dean and Jason met them between the vehicles and Owen directed them to go around the backside of the residential properties. It would bring them around back while Owen and Prue entered the diner from the front. He held his M4 at the carry, the hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but something wasn’t right. He brought up a hand to stop Prue from advancing, scanning the area for anything or anyone that was out of place. Mav and Truman had been tracking the rogue group that had sought shelter in Rat’s old silver mine, but that didn’t mean one or two of the men hadn’t broken away to search for additional food or supplies.

Owen was grateful when Prue didn’t speak, potentially giving away their location to anyone who might be listening to them. They were now on Main Street, facing north. He strained to hear any sound other than the occasional knock of the flag that was hoisted on the pole in front of the post office to their left. It was farther down the street, but the faint noise carried throughout the small dead town.

The ash appeared to have built up on the street, untouched since their trek through the village the other day. Their tire tracks had all but vanished. Owen had directed Dean to check the ground he covered, ensuring that they weren’t walking up on someone or something. Bears, coyotes, and other predators were out in full force since the eruption, foraging for food. It was better to know what or who was ahead of them than be caught off guard.

It was then that he thought about the trail their vehicles were leaving in the ash when they finished up here and headed back to the lodge. Owen would have to come back down with one of the tractors and use the plow to clear the road so that no one could follow their trail in the piled up ash. Their time-consuming day had just gotten a little longer.

“In and out,” Owen whispered loud enough for Prue to hear him through their masks. “There’s something off and I can’t put my finger on it.”

Prue nodded that she understood, her eyes canvasing the area as well. Owen searched the windows of the other buildings, from the hardware store to the grocery store and even the clinic across the street. Not even a shadow materialized. He took one step, then two, closing the distance between them and their destination.

The gunshot that cracked through the air was unexpected. Owen had Prue instantly up against the east side of the diner, her breathing particularly loud against her mask as she clutched her rifle to her chest. He caught her attention and gave her a slight shake of his head as he looked her over, needing her to follow his lead and not bring any attention their way. A simple retrieval mission had just turned into something way more treacherous and his sole objective was to get Prue and the boys back to safety.

T
he damp coolness
of the brick building seeped into the back of Prue’s long-sleeved shirt, causing her to wish she’d worn a jacket the way Owen had suggested earlier. With that said, she hadn’t expected to be caught in a fucking war zone where the sound of gunshots were echoing off the surrounding buildings. Owen was maneuvering their positions as if they were in a military operation. She’d had enough life and death exploits with her run-in with Deacon that she didn’t need any more of this kind of shit.

“Echo 5 Quebec, Charlie 1 Whiskey, all clear.” Dean’s voice crackled through Owen’s two-way radio that was attached to his waist, the volume set low. Prue exhaled and rested the back of her head against the cool bricks in relief. “A mama brown bear and her cubs were walking through the neighborhood. Fired a shot into the air as a warning and they are now heading north away from our position.”

Owen stepped back enough so that he could reach for the radio and pulled it off the clip. He was still skimming his gaze across the area, but he held up the device to his mask.

“Copy your traffic, out.”

“You can make the simplest errand into an all out war zone,” Prue said, irritated that fear had spread throughout her body and left her almost paralyzed. She shook her hands to try and remove the tingling that had set in. “Come on, Marine. We have things to do and that Dr. Pepper is sounding better by the minute.”

Prue ignored Owen’s annoyed sideways look; the warning wasn’t needed. She was well aware of how dangerous desperate people could be, but there were no signs that anyone had slipped into town undetected. Mav directed patrols to come through this area every so often, but she and Owen had made some promises to people that they would be there to help them. It had to be handled carefully to ensure that the safety of the lodge wasn’t compromised, but it was the right thing to do. She wasn’t technically a people person, but their humanity should still remain paramount…especially in these desperate times.