Unthinkable (Berger Series) (15 page)

Reaching out, he
gently shook Yoshi’s shoulder. His eyes flew open, clouded for a moment by panic. “What?” he asked slowly.

“You were dreaming again,” said Evan as he handed Yoshi the bottle
of alcohol.

Yoshi took a small sip and handed it back. He closed his eyes again. “Just promise me you won’t drink it all tonight, okay?”

“Sure, Yosh. Get some sleep.” Evan spun the lid back on, laid back and looked at the sky. The Milky Way splashed across the sky. Weariness seeped into his bones. He knew he should sleep. But every time his eyes closed death closed in. Evan wondered what Yoshi dreamed about, then shook his head. That was a stupid question. Besides, he doubted he’d want to know the details. He pulled the pistol out of his waistband and set it on the ground next to him. One hand slipped into his pocket and he felt the dog tag, ID and note. He wrapped his hand around them as he started counting stars in the clear sky to distract his mind. A shooting star fell at the corner of vision. Evan made a silent wish, knowing that it would not come true. He closed his eyes and finally found sleep.

“Evan.” Yoshi’s voice was soft as he woke to the sound of his name. He opened his eyes and felt strangely rested. Yoshi handed him a bowl of oatmeal as he sat up. He ate his portion in silence as Yoshi found something to look at in the cornfield. The sun was up already and it promised to be another hot day. As soon as he finished eating Yoshi took the bowl and stuffed it back into the bag. Evan put the bottle back in the bag and tucked the gun into his waistband.

Evan picked up the bag and they started walking. Yoshi seemed better. He walked a step behind Evan, still limping. Evan forced himself to walk a
little slower. A short way along stood a farmhouse. They crossed to the other side of road and slipped into a field. Evan pulled out the pistol and watched the house as they crept along. A dog slept on the porch, but never raised its head. There was a truck in the driveway. They got past it without incident and Evan returned the gun to his waistband.

They reached a crossroads. Evan looked up at the morning sky and turned north. The road started to rise. Less than a mile further
along was a sign pointing to a highway ahead. Evan glanced at the sign and kept walking. “Evan?” Yoshi broke the silence. “Do we really want to risk a highway?”

Evan glanced back, shrugged and kept walking. Yoshi hesitated before falling back into step behind him. Evan patted the pistol reassuringly. The heat and humidity
closed in with a vengeance as they walked. They stayed in the grass as heat waves slowly rose from the blacktop. A group of ruined buildings appeared at the top of the hill. Evan drew the pistol as they got nearer to the buildings. He was fully aware of Yoshi’s breathing behind him.

The buildings had been torched. Only smashed signs at the street hinted at what they had been. There was no sign of life, only a putrid smell. Even the cars in the parking lots had been smashed and burned. Evan picked his way past the debris toward the overpass. He stopped and Yoshi stepped up beside him. They looked down at the highway below.

A semi-truck, its rear end smashed, blocked two and a half of the four lanes. A small sedan, parked crookedly next to it, blocked the rest of the highway. Behind them were perhaps a dozen cars, some off the road, but most neatly waiting for a traffic jam that would never clear. Bullet holes riddled many of the windshields. Bodies lay in and out of the cars, rotting in the heat. Trunks and doors were thrown open and baggage lay scattered all over. As they stared at the wreckage there was a small but unmistakable cry for help.

Yoshi turned and bolted down the ramp.
“Yoshi!” Evan called after him. He cursed and followed, adjusting his grip on the pistol. Yoshi disappeared behind a van. Evan cautiously came around the corner just in time to see Yoshi sweep a crying little girl into his arms.

Chapter 13

The girl screamed and pushed herself away from Yoshi. Yoshi almost dropped her as she slipped out of his arms. The girl scampered underneath the nearest car. Yoshi knelt on the
hot pavement and tried to coax her out. Evan cautiously looked around, but there was nothing but heat, metal and death. And apparently one live little girl. He put the pistol back in his waistband, dropped the bag and unzipped it.

“Here
, try this.” Evan pulled out the package of apricots and handed them to Yoshi. Yoshi took them and offered them to the girl if she would stop hiding. The girl cautiously climbed out and snatched the bag from Yoshi’s hand. She sat next to the car, eyeing the two wild looking men as she stuffed her face. She was young, no older than five or six, with bedraggled brown hair and skin just a bit lighter than Evan’s. The head of a purple elephant stuck out of her pocket. She must be starving; there was no telling how long she’s been out here.

Yoshi looked into her eyes. “I’m Yoshi and this is Evan. What’s your name?”

The girl looked at Yoshi with frightened eyes. “Grace Perkins,” she said slowly.

“Let me have those back before you make yourself sick,” said Yoshi as he gently pulled away the remainder of the apricots.

Grace stared at Evan and the gun. “Are you the bad men? Mommy told me to hide before the bad men caught me.”

“No,” said Yoshi with a trembling voice. “We aren’t the bad men.” He turned and looked meaningfully at Evan.

Evan cleared his throat and looked away. “We need to get moving,” he said gruffly.

“Grace, will you come with us?” asked Yoshi.

“But mister, Mommy said to wait for her…but I can’t find her.” Evan looked around and for the first time noticed that most of the bodies were male.

Yoshi took one of Grace’s hands and looked into her eyes. “I’m sure your Mommy wants you to be safe. We can take care of you. And we can look for your Mommy.”

“You’ll find Mommy?” There was a note of hope in her voice.

“We can try,” promised Yoshi.

Grace impulsively threw her arms around Yoshi’s neck. Evan rolled his eyes and looked away. Lying on the passenger seat of the van behind him was an open atlas. Evan reached in the door and grabbed it. There was blood splatter across it, but it was still readable. Evan wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. He spread the atlas out on the hood of the car Yoshi and Grace were next to. He found the highway. With a finger he traced it back to Kansas City, then back to the exit they stood at. He flipped back to the big map of the US. “We should probably stay off the highways,” he said, “I think we can keep going north the way we were going before turning west again. Yoshi stood up behind him and peered at the map. Evan quickly closed it and shoved it into the bag.

“Sounds good,” said Yoshi, turning his attention back to Grace.

Evan looked around at the disaster surrounding them. There was no point in looking for anything else useful, he figured whoever had done this had obviously already picked the place clean. He shouldered the bag again and made his way up the opposite ramp. Evan looked back when he realized there was no one behind him.

Yoshi knel
t next to Grace as she cried, looking back at the cars and people. Yoshi whispered something to her that Evan couldn’t hear and picked her up. Yoshi carried her up the ramp as she twisted around to look back at the tragedy.

Evan waited until they were close behind him before turning and walking down the road. The buildings on this side of the highway had
been destroyed too. The whole area smelled of death and decay and Evan couldn’t wait to get away from it. He forced himself to set a slower pace, knowing that Yoshi couldn’t move fast, and now he was carrying the kid. Evan adjusted the bag and realized that he probably needed to slow down anyway. Every muscle ached, but then again it had become such a common state of being that he hardly noticed anymore.

The road dropped down until the broad flat plains were restored.
There was a sign for a town a few miles further ahead and Evan stopped. He stared at the sign, torn, aware that Yoshi had stopped just behind him, waiting for his decision. “We can’t risk it,” he said at last, shaking his head. There was no argument as Evan started off again, looking for a road going a different direction. They came to a crossroad and Evan stopped. “Let’s get some water,” he said, “but I don’t want to stop for lunch until we can get further from the highway.

“Okay,” said Yoshi as he set Grace down. “I’m tired, you’re going to have to walk for a while,” he said.

“Okay,” said Grace. “We can walk, right Harry?” She pulled the small purple elephant out of her pocket. It was clearly well loved and once a lot darker shade of purple.

“Your elephant’s name is Harry?” asked Yoshi as Evan unzipped the bag. “Is that for a wizard?”

Grace looked at Yoshi as if he were stupid. “No, his real name is Harold, he just doesn’t like it as much. Mommy told me a story about Harold and a purple crayon and Harry is purple so we named him Harold.”

“Oh, I see,” said Yoshi as he took the water bottle from Evan. He took a gulp and handed it to Grace. “Just drink a little,” he told her.

Grace did as she was told and handed it back to Yoshi, who handed it to Evan. He put it away and started walking west. Grace started humming to herself. Evan looked back to see Grace holding Yoshi’s hand. He sighed, shook his head and looking forward again. The land was flat and boring; endless reaches of the same fields that they had been passing all along.

Evan stopped as the day reached its hottest point. He led the way into the meager shade of t
he fields. They ate a small meal together. Evan got up and sat a short distance away from Yoshi and Grace, watching them. Yoshi said something and Grace giggled. A sudden pang of jealousy struck Evan and he turned away, wondering at his own feelings. That was stupid, he reasoned, what was there to get jealous about? He looked up at the sky through the stalks. Funny how he’d never really noticed the sky before the world ended. Right now it was a washed out blue as if the heat had sucked the color from it. Only a few small strands of high clouds marred the perfect expanse. Evan leaned back and yawned. Slowly the heat caused his eyes to close and he slipped into sleep.

In what seemed like moments, he
jerked awake. The violent dream vanished, but left him feeling shaken. The smell of food cooking carried in the air and the sky was turning purple in the west. He made his way over to where Yoshi was cooking two cans in a small fire. Evan pulled open the bag and dug out the bottle of liquor. Only a quarter bottle left now. Still, Evan spun off the top and took a swig as Yoshi silently watched him, not hiding his disproving look. Evan noticed Grace talking quietly to the elephant as she watched him too. He shoved the bottle back into the bag and pulled out 3 bowls.

“We could have gone farther today,” said Evan as handed the bowls to Yoshi. Yoshi shrugged and carefully
pulled the cans out of the fire. He poured a whole can into one bowl, then split the other can between the last two.

“No,” said Evan, taking the bowls and splitting the food up evenly.

Yoshi shrugged again and took a bowl over to Grace. She wolfed her food as Yoshi sat next to her. Evan stayed near the fire to eat his. Grace looked from her empty bowl up at Yoshi.

“Mister Yoshi, I’m still hungry.”

“I know, but that’s all there is right now,” said Yoshi. Grace suddenly burst into tears. Yoshi looked startled and pulled her into his lap. “I know Grace, I know,” he said consolingly, “but if we eat it all today there won’t be any for tomorrow.”

“I want my mommy,” she sobbed. Yoshi wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked as she continued to cry.

Evan picked up the bowls and turned away, a lump in his throat. What the hell were they even doing with this kid anyway? He put the bowls away, grabbed the bottle and walked to the road. He stood along the center line and looked one way, then the other. There was no sign of human life aside from Grace’s weeping. Only the setting sun served as a reminder of time. The sobs came to a stop as crickets chirped their evening song. Evan stood very still and watched the sun slip behind the horizon. It could almost be considered beautiful, if there was any hope left in the world. He sighed and took a drink. They were bringing along a little girl. Well, what else could they have done? Leave her there to starve? Footsteps stirred Evan from his reverie.

“She’s asleep,” said Yoshi. He stood next to Evan as they watched the last of the light disappear.

“We didn’t have a choice, I guess,” sighed Evan.

“What?” asked
Yoshi.

“Grace. We had to bring her. We couldn’t just leave her behind.”

“That’s right Evan,” Yoshi sounded relieved. “We are still the good guys.” He put his hand on Evan’s shoulder. Evan felt something threaten to give inside, but quickly pushed it away.

“I don’t think there are any good guys left,” said Evan as he pulled away and took another swig. He left Yoshi standing in the middle of the road. As he walked away he spun the lid back on the bottle and stuck it in his pocket. The hard metal of the dog tag was there, along with the plastic ID. He put his
hand in his other pocket and felt the crumpled note and a few lose bullets.

With a sighed he
sat down at the edge of the field. Yoshi stayed looking down the road. Evan pulled the gun out of his waistband and checked it. Strange noises to his left made him turn, pointing the gun as he moved. Grace; sucking her thumb and staring at him. Evan quickly pointed the gun away, then stuck it in his waistband. He stared at her staring at him.  She turned away and lay down again near the remains of the fire.

Evan watched as Yoshi walked back over to her. She asked for a drink of water and he gave it to her. When she finished she curled up again to sleep. Yoshi lay down nearby without looking at Evan. Evan continued to watch them sleep. After a while Grace thrashed a bit before sitting bolt upright. She sucked her thumb and looked around. She saw Evan watching her, hesitated, and then lay down again next to Yoshi, cradling the elephant. Harry,
He reminded himself.

Evan just started nodding off when Yoshi whimpered loudly. Grace’s eyes flew open and she
backed away from him. Evan sighed and went to shake Yoshi awake. He sat up slowly shaking his head. Evan offered him the bottle, but Yoshi shook his head and turned away. He saw the way Grace was looking at him and gave her a small smile. She slowly slid next to him again. Yoshi lay down with her. “It’ll be okay Grace, I just had a nightmare. Grown-ups have nightmares too.”

Evan took a drink for Yoshi as he sat back down again.
He forced himself to stay awake until he was certain they were both fast asleep.

Evan woke up the next day to the smell of oatmeal. His stomach turned a little at the thought. Well, oatmeal was food, no matter how sick of it they might be.
Not like they could go wander the cereal aisle anymore. After breakfast they started walking, Evan set a slow pace, glancing back to see Grace walking next to Yoshi. As they walked she hummed or chatted quietly with Harry.

Near mid-morning there was the sound of raised voices ahead. Evan looked back at Yoshi, handed him the bag and pointed at the field. Yoshi nodded and led Grace off the road. Evan took the gun out of his waistband and crept forward.

The road turned and there was another crossroads. A man and a woman stood in the middle of the intersection, arguing loudly. A bored looking pre-teen boy sat on the edge of the road looking away from Evan. Evan pointed his gun down and walked towards the couple. “Excuse me?” he said loudly.

“What?”
asked the man, turning. He saw Evan, then the gun and froze.

They’re afraid of me
, thought Evan.

“I couldn’t help, but hear an argument,” said Evan, stopping a few feet away. He put the gun back in his waistband and they relaxed.

“This idiot just doesn’t know which way he’s going,” huffed the woman.

“I have a map,” offered Evan. The couple looked at him suspiciously. “Look, I’ll get it, okay?” said Evan.

Evan turned and walked back to where he’d left Yoshi and Grace. “Everything okay?” asked Yoshi as he stepped out of the field.

“Yeah, just some couple that’s lost. I told ‘
em I had a map.”

Yoshi nodded and handed Evan the bag. Evan walked back to the crossroad with Yoshi and Grace trailing
behind. The couple looked from Evan to Yoshi to Grace.

“I’m Evan Berger, this is Yoshi McCarthy and Grace Perkins,” Evan made introductions.

“Fred Heinrich. This is my wife Ruth and that’s Scott over there.” Fred jerked a thumb at the boy.

“So,” said Evan, putting down the bag, “you guys are lost?”

“Yeah,” said Fred, “we’re trying to get to her brother’s house in Kansas City.”

Evan and Yoshi shared a look. “That might not be the best idea,” said Evan.

“Oh yeah?” challenged Fred.

“Look,” sighed Evan, “where are you from?”

“Wichita, and-“

“Wichita?” squeaked Grace. “Nana lives in Wichita!”

Ruth looked troubled. Yoshi knelt next to Grace. “Hey Grace, um, why don’t you go pick some corn?”