The Variables

The man didn’t budge. He cleared his throat, “I won’t lie. I wished you did know something. But you have to understand...I got a good community growing and a lot of people to look out for. My intentions in asking you what you know are only because I want to protect the people who have asked me for protection,” he said. “If you say you don’t know anything, then I believe you. Either way, we’ll take you where you want to go. Or leave you be. The choice is yours.”

Darla didn’t answer. She sca

“The Hales, well, they found us you see,” the man continued. “Before the radios cut out. It’s not important, but you should know that they’ve been helpful to us. No doubt they’re paranoid. Lou’s not right in the head. He still thinks of his kids like they are twelve and not thirty, but they didn’t see us as a threat and they’ve been kind and generous. Even if they won’t leave their house and join us. He says it’s too risky to congregate.”

“They might be right,” Darla said. She turned her attention to Ainsley, who was still huddled against the bed of the pick-up. The girl looked pale and sickly under the moonlight. She wondered how long it had been since she had eaten anything substantial. “So…why come to rescue us? If you don’t care about the information I possess and it could potentially risk your relationship with those people, then why?”

“Look, that’s a pretty cynical world view…if you think that just because we’ve had a good relationship in the past we’re not able to overlook a wrong. It’s not right what they were doing. Not right to keep people like prisoners. I don’t care what the world has come to…right is right and wrong is wrong. We thought...”

“You just do all that for strangers? I don’t buy it,” Darla replied. He already thought she was cynical, there was no use trying to prove him wrong. “You’re Ray and Jillian?”

“I’m Ray. My wife Jillian,” he nodded to the woman in the cap. “That there is Liam. Survivor from Texas. And my daughters Alexus and Alia.” He paused. “Our intentions are good, Ma’am. We’re just doing what’s right. Not what’s easy or maybe even what’s sane. Just what’s right.”

“Texas?” Darla looked at Liam. Liam nodded to her; he acknowledged her wayward glance.

“People from all over. Canada, too,” Ray continued. “And we bet there are others. Maybe some like the Hales, paranoid and holed up. Maybe some like us, eager to rebuild.”

“How many people you got in Montana?” Dean asked.

“Fifty.”

“That’s not many,” Darla said with a sigh. She had hoped for hundreds. Thousands. Fifty. That’s all that was left across the Western United States?

Ray bowed his head. “Each of us thought we were the only ones left at some point. Fifty seems like plenty to us.” He paused. “Look...if you don’t know anything, that’s fine. But we’re fighting for our lives out there. Sweepers, sure. But also everything else. Little flu bug went through our place…little baby got really ill.”

“You have babies up there in Montana?” Darla asked, her voice catching.

“Two babies. And one was super sick for a long time. We don’t have a doctor, but we’ve been doing okay so far.”

“I was going to be a nurse,” Ainsley added from the sidelines.

Ray acknowledged her with a smile. “Well, we’d be happy to have you join us.” He turned back to Darla. “Look…if you do know something, I can’t tell you how glad we’d be to finally have some knowledge of what we’re up against here. We’d be happy to give you a place to stay, a meal, a place to clean up...”

“No,” Darla said quickly. “No, thank you. I can’t even begin to tell you how fortunate we are that you were there to give us a lift and get us out of that house without incident. Whatever your intentions...” she trailed off. “We don’t want to seem ungrateful. But we have earned the right to be a bit suspicious.”

“A meal. And a shower,” Ray said with a nod. “Then you’re on your way…no strings attached.”

“I’m sorry,” Darla said again. “We don’t have time for that.”

“There’s something more pressing you have to do?” His question was honest, genuine. He rapped his hand against the side of the truck and waited.

“Can you give me and my friends a ride to Nebraska?”

The request caused Ray to pause, and he looked back at his kids and then his wife. Jillian nodded. Liam leaned over and whispered in her ear, and she nodded again.

“We’ll drop the kids and Liam back off at our community and then we’ll take you where you need to go. But...”

Darla put up her hand. She knew where this was heading. His offer of no-strings had been too good to be true. “You want to know what’s in Nebraska. And what we know.”

Ray nodded.

With a look to Dean and then to Ainsley, Darla rubbed her eyes. “I just spent God knows how long in someone’s basement because I didn’t know if I could trust them. Why on earth should I trust you?”

“That’s valid,” Ray replied. “Very valid. It’s been a rough time for you. Well, you have a drive to Montana to think about it. And your ride to Nebraska is free of charge. What I mean is, if you don’t feel like you can trust us after meeting everyone, then you don’t lose that extension of our hospitality. And if you think you can trust us, we’d be happy to keep your stories safe.”

“Who are you?” Darla asked. “Why not demand I tell you...why not force me? Why any of this?” She motioned to the trucks, the silent spectators with guns.

Ray nodded again. “Because we believe.”

“Believe what?” Dean asked.

“In goodness. In the capacity of the human heart to be kind. We believe that we’re here, alive, for a reason. In helping those who’ve lived through the biggest terror of our time...we’re not each other’s enemy, I believe that.”

“Are you some kind of modern day Jesus, Ray? Prophet of Montana? Your little group some sort of cult?” Darla winced as a sudden pain from her hand shot up her arm. The adrenaline was wearing off; the damage might have been worse than she had originally suspected.

Ainsley sighed from the truck bed. “Cult,” she repeated with authority. “Too nice. Like the Mormons.”

The comment made Ray smile. “We’re not necessarily nice. And we’re definitely not a cult. We’re just people who are trying to make this work. Come on. You can ponder as we get going.” He tapped Jillian’s truck and waved her forward; she started to drive again, and pulled out in front and led the caravan down the dark and winding roads. Behind them, Ray got back into his car with Dean. They followed behind.

Darla leaned back against the plastic truck bed and stared up at the stars. The trees passed by overhead in a steady rush. Ainsley nestled in against her. Normally, Darla would push Ainsley away, but it was nice to have some warmth and comfort tonight. Their sides touched and Ainsley turned her head.

“Everything that happened back there…it just feels like a dream.”

“Because of the drugs,” Darla answered.

A moment later, Ainsley turned her head away. She stared above. “Are we really free?” she asked Darla.

“I think so,” Darla answered.

“Then why am I still scared?”

“Because it’s dark outside,” Darla said. “And because a scary thing just happened to us. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Promise?”

“No.”

Still staring at the stars and the moon, Darla put her good hand straight up into the air and felt the rush of wind around her fingers. She thought she saw the North Star, or maybe a planet, burning brighter than the others right above her. Then it slipped away out of sight. She closed her eyes and felt comforted by the engine’s constant hum and the steady sway of the truck.

“Teddy,” she whispered to the sky. For the first time since they had left Portland, Darla felt like she was close to him. It wouldn’t be long. She imagined her words floating to him. “Teddy....Teddy...Mama’s coming. Stay strong little bug. Mama’s coming.”