Kiamichi Refuge (2 page)

A Few Weeks Later

Erin reached into the back of Uncle Ernie’s dark green Ford Expedition and retrieved the black case that held her laptop. The sun caught the red highlights in her long, wavy hair as she straightened, then arched her back, in an attempt to ease the tightness brought on by the long drive south.

Since the funeral, Erin had immersed herself in the final edit of her uncle’s latest, and last, book. Being able to fulfil Ernie’s deathbed request helped Erin deal with her grief. He had written nine novels and four nonfiction books, all dealing with human survival in catastrophic circumstances.  The last book was almost ready to go to the publisher, and was a detailed guide to living through a societal collapse. Ernie had a doctorate in economics, and had done extensive research on the signs, causes, and effects of global economic disasters. He had often predicted that another, but much worse, Great Depression was coming, and only a small spark would be enough to set off repercussions that would be felt around the world for decades.

As she worked on the edit in her tiny apartment, Erin couldn’t help thinking that editing could be done anywhere there is internet access. That meant that she could spend at least part of her time at the lodge in the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. She loved Tulsa, but she was a country girl at heart. The more she considered her options, the more she liked the idea of packing up and moving permanently.

She had been back to Kanichi Springs twice since Ernie’s death, and each trip had further convinced her that she definitely needed to be out of the city. Her career as a freelance editor was going well, but the noise level at her apartment complex was a distraction she didn’t need. The station for the police precinct was just across Riverside Drive, which made her feel safe, but the sounds from the nearby playground in the River Parks made it difficult to focus on her work. Add the noise from the traffic going to and from the casino and out 71
st
Street to all the shops and restaurants at Tulsa Hills, and it was a wonder that she ever got any work done. The decision to live in the lodge instead of the house in Kanichi Springs had been an easy one. The lodge offered the solitude and silence that Erin craved.

She had left Tulsa as early as she could get away that morning, held up only by having to turn in the keys to her apartment. Her friends had helped her pack the things that she wanted to keep. Everything she was taking fit into the Expedition. The rest, including her furniture, went to a resale shop owned by a friend’s aunt. Another friend bought her little car.

The drive south had been enjoyable and the scenery was beautiful, especially once she got into the hills past Henryetta. She had enjoyed the higher speed limit on the turnpike, although the powerful engine in the Expedition made it hard to stay legal.

Uncle Ernie’s lodge was surprisingly large. It was two-story, L-shaped, and had a deep porch in the front. Wide steps led up to the porch. Inside, there was an enormous great room with a rock fireplace. There were two spacious bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs, along with a combination laundry/mudroom, a large kitchen, and a walk-in pantry.  The upper floor had a gigantic bathroom that looked like it belonged in a college dormitory, which Erin decided was exactly what the whole upstairs resembled. Accessed by way of a spiral staircase, two huge rooms contained bunkbeds and chests, and Erin decided that the previous owner must have invited all his friends to come for the hunting and fishing for which the area was famous. The lodge was built of thick logs, and the floors were a lovely dark laminate that matched the logs, except in the kitchen, mudroom and bathrooms, which had ceramic tile the color of coffee with cream. Solidly built, it looked ageless nestled in a clearing on the side of one of the higher mountains in the range.

For the time being,
she thought,
the bunkbeds can stay. I won’t need the upstairs for the foreseeable future, and there are more pressing matters right now, like finishing Uncle Ernie’s book. Oh, I miss him so much.

Stopping in the middle of the clearing that served as the yard, Erin slowly turned, taking in the beauty that surrounded her. Forests of oak, pine, beech, and hickory covered the slopes of the Kiamichis; as far as she could see, green blanketed the sides of the mountains, with no sign of human presence visible anywhere, except a cell tower in the distance. She could hear birds singing, and noticed the slight sounds that the breeze made when it ruffled the new spring leaves on the trees.

These mountains are not big like the Rockies, but they’re beautiful. Living out here will take some getting used to, but it’s a welcome change. I know that this is what I am supposed to do, where I am supposed to be.
She smiled, feeling contentment and gratitude seep into her heart.

As a kid, Erin had loved camping, and was looking forward to exploring the property. Her uncle had taught her to shoot at an early age, right along with how to clean her weapons and handle them safely. She decided that she would get into the habit of never going outside unarmed. There were bobcats, bears, and mountain lions in the region, and since the area was known for suspected ties to drug smuggling, she planned to carry a gun when she went into Kanichi Springs, too, just to be on the safe side.

After she unpacked her suitcases and put her clothes and shoes away in one of the downstairs bedrooms, Erin sat at the kitchen table and started a list of things to pick up in town. She hadn’t done much cooking in Tulsa, since there were so many places to eat and always friends who wanted to get together. But here, she knew, driving into town to eat every day would be impractical, and she was actually a pretty good cook, so groceries were a priority.

The theme music from
Star Wars
made her jump. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and grinning, answered. “Hi, Jen! I’m here, I’m safe, and I can’t wait to show you the lodge!”

Jennifer Martin, an old high school pal, was coming down for a visit in a few days.  The petite blonde sold cars at a large dealership in Tulsa, and had been Erin’s closest friend for years, ever since they sat together at a pep rally in ninth grade.

“Great. I’m glad you had a good trip. Hey, Valerie is taking a day off on Friday, and there’s no school, so she and Sarah are both coming, too. Do you have room for all of us? It’ll be like the sleepovers we used to have.”

“Sure, there’s plenty of room.  I can’t wait!”

The two friends chatted for a while, making plans for Erin to meet them in town. “This place is hard to find if you’ve never been here before. I’ll have to guide you in. It’s impossible to give good directions with so few landmarks, so I’ll meet you, then you can follow me to the lodge.  Just call me when you see the Kanichi Springs exit off the turnpike. You’ll turn left at the stop sign, then stay on that road for about 25 miles. There’s a grocery store on the highway, just as you come into town. We’ll meet there in the parking lot.”

“We’re going to be in Sarah’s SUV. From your description of the lodge, we’ll need a vehicle that has a higher clearance than my car for the dirt roads out there.” Jen chuckled. “When you decide to rough it, you go all out!”

***

Erin spent the next few days getting settled in. She swept the floors and dusted, then put fresh sheets on three of the bunks, making certain that her new home was ready for guests, and each evening, she worked on her uncle’s book.

The four friends met at the grocery store as planned, and as they climbed out of their vehicle at the lodge, the three newcomers stared open-mouthed at the view.  They turned, looking around, astounded by the lodge and the green forest that surrounded them.

Sarah Logan, a tall, slender, red-haired science teacher, was enthralled by the landscape, which looked like a lime-colored quilt draped over the mountains. “Oh, I wish I could bring my botany class here for a nature study,” she sighed. “But we just found out that due to budget cuts, we can’t do any more field trips at all this year.”

“It’s a pretty place, I guess, but what about snakes and mosquitos? The outdoors just has too many things that bite.” Valerie Davis dusted imaginary dirt off her designer jeans, and sniffed. “I can already tell that this is not good on my allergies.”

Jennifer twirled around, arms outspread, and grinned. “I love this! It’s such a relief to get away from the dealership and the pressure to sell more cars. Valerie, you can just keep your little bubble butt inside if you want. I’m going to enjoy all of this that I can. It’s so beautiful, it almost hurts.”

“And the lodge!” Sarah stepped back to take it all in. “It’s way bigger than I imagined. It looks like it almost grew out of the mountain, nestled here on this flat ledge.”

Grabbing their luggage, they followed Erin inside and upstairs. She gave them a quick tour of the house, then they sat around the kitchen table with sodas and some brownies that Erin had made, and planned their activities for the next few days.

“In the morning, I want to take you on a hike. There’s a spring not far from here that feeds a stream, and there’s a little pool where we can take a dip when you come back in the summer. It’s still a little cool for that now,” Erin explained. “I hope you all remembered to bring hiking boots. The terrain can be challenging in places.”

“I saw a couple of shops that looked interesting as we came through town. Will we have time to visit Kanichi Springs? You know how I love to snoop around in antique shops and thrift stores,” Sarah shrugged. “But if not this trip, we’ll do another time.”

“We can certainly do that. I already planned to show you around town. We don’t have to punch a time clock, so we’ll do whatever strikes our fancy,” Erin assured her.

The next morning they ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, biscuits, and bacon, then packed sandwiches for their hike. All of them wore long sleeves, jeans, and boots. Sarah and Jen carried backpacks for the lunches.

Sarah sprayed herself all over, then offered her spray bottle to the others. “This is citronella essential oil mixed with water. It’ll help keep the bugs off. Shake it before you use it. Everyone should tuck her pant legs into her socks. It looks funny, but it will keep ticks from crawling up your legs.”

Erin checked her rifle and clipped a sling on it so she could have her hands free. Her Glock 21 was in a holster on her right side. Jennifer, the only other one who was armed, put her Springfield XD-M in her holster.

“It’s probably too early for snakes to be out, but there are bobcats and mountain lions in the area. The bear population isn’t big, but it’s growing. I read somewhere that bears are migrating from Arkansas. With four of us, we’ll make enough noise that they won’t bother us,” Erin explained. “I hope.”

Valerie saw Jen’s gun and asked, “Why do you have that, Jen?”

“I work in a business that requires me to go on test drives, alone with strangers. I also leave the lot after dark sometimes, and I refuse to be without my trusty 9mm. I have never needed to even show it to discourage trouble, much less use it, but as they say, I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”

Valerie shrugged. “I guess if you live in fear, a gun might make you feel better. I prefer not to think about all the bad stuff that probably won’t happen, anyway. Worrying like that is not helpful.”

Jen grinned at her, one eyebrow raised. “Trust me on this,” she replied as she patted her gun. “I’m not worried about a thing.”

***

The four women hiked around to the spring, enjoying the gurgling sound it make as the water danced over the rocks in the streambed. The water in the pool was sparkling clear, but when Jen stuck her hand in, she discovered that it was still very cold.

They hiked north to the back of the acreage, where they found a clearing and sat down to eat their lunch. After they ate, they headed east, then turned south when they reached the stake that marked the property line. They watched squirrels playing tag in the trees and saw a bobcat, but the only sign of bears was some old scat that Sarah noticed and pointed out. A light breeze rustled through the leaves, and an eagle glided, wings outspread, seeming to float effortlessly through the air.

Returning to the lodge, they approached it from the opposite side, not the way they had left that morning. Sarah stopped suddenly, and stared quizzically at the back of the lodge where it butted right up against the mountain. “Why did they build this that way? There’s plenty of room in the front to have built it out from that rock wall ten or even fifteen feet. It almost looks like they started it in the wrong spot and ran out of room in the back.”

“I wondered about that myself, but who knows? The back of the lodge actually touches the rocks. It isn’t like that on the other side, where the mountain curves away from the lodge. There’s a patio on that end, with a deck above it, off the second floor. The part that touches the mountain is the pantry. My guess is that whoever build it didn’t measure it correctly.” Erin scratched her jaw, then led them all around to the patio. “I want to get a new table and some chairs out here so I can sit outside to work when the weather is pretty. That old table might last a little longer, but the chairs need to be replaced. The cushions are torn and moldy.”

Entering through the mudroom, they hung their jackets on the hall tree, then went through to the living room and practically collapsed on the sofa and chairs.