"I hope they didn't hurt you guys," Nathan said with concern.

The old woman and the three men fell out laughing. "Oh you funny, I like ya," she said, slapping her thigh.

Seeing that reaction, Nathan liked these people. "We'll take ten BLTs," he told the old woman and she quit laughing.

"I ain't told you how much," she said. Nathan pulled out a hundred and handed it to her.

"Will that cover it?" he asked.

"s.h.i.t, I hopes so. If not, hog prices are stupid," she said. "I gots to finds some change and a pencil so I can be subtracting," she said, turning around.

"Ma'am, keep the change. It's nice to see some friendly people for a change," Nathan said and she smiled at him.

"Very kind of ya, young man," she said, walking into the store.

Nathan turned to the three who were just rocking in their chairs. He fought to keep the sound of banjos out of his head. "Why are the people in town so hostile?" he asked.

"Them city folk always hostile at somethin,'" the old man said and the two beside him nodded.

"No, they seemed mad at us in particular," Nathan said. "Has something happened lately?"

"Besides the power goin' out?" one of the younger men spoke up. The two started laughing and the old man stopped rocking his chair and swiveled his head to look at them and they froze mid-laugh.

"Be disrespectin' again, Billy, and I'll get the plow line after ya," the old man threatened.

Billy looked down. "Yes sir," he said, and the other man nodded.

The old man started rocking again and looked back at Nathan. "Word came down on the CB last night that troops shot a bunch of people trying to get inta Chattanooga."

Nathan blinked. "Shot?" he asked.

"Yeah, they said there was a bunch dead. One man said the people didn't even try to run when the troops opened up, just stood there to be shot," the old man said.

"s.h.i.t," Nathan said to himself.

"I sayed more than that when I heard it. That's why me and the grandkids sittin' outside today. Just to let the G-men know we ain't afraid of em," he said, smiling grimly.

"Well I've had some trouble, but none with them yet," Nathan said. "I hope those men in the jumping car didn't cause any damage or hurt anything."

"They can't shoot fer s.h.i.t," the old man said. "Two gots away but they left seven behind. We planted em an' said some prayers over em." He smiled again.

"Cool," Nathan said.

"Where you headed if ya don't mind my askin'?" the old man asked.

"Not at all. We're headed to Idaho," Nathan said.

The old man stopped rocking and looked at Nathan. "Young man, that's on the other side of the world, close to Laska," he said.

"Yes sir, it is, but I'm a cop and have family that needs me," Nathan said.

"I can see bout the family, but the government has taken over all the police stations. h.e.l.l, ever our constable round here threw his badge in when they said he reported only to them," the old man said.

"That makes a lot of sense now," Nathan said. "Well sir, between me, you and your kin, I'm using the power of the badge to get home. Then I'm goin' on my farm and any son of b.i.t.c.h that tries to get me off I'll plant under next year's corn," Nathan said. The three started laughing, slapping their legs and holding their sides.

"h.e.l.l, I really like ya now," the old man said as the woman came out holding a paper bag.

"Here ya go, and I put some fruit in there for tha little girl. She's lookin' a little peaked," the old woman said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Nathan said, handing the bag to Jasmine.

"You need anything else?" she asked.

"A ride would be great. Two thousand miles is a long way to get home," Nathan said, putting his hat on.

"We can't take ya that fur, but how fur down the road?" she asked.

Nathan froze. "As far as you can take us," he said finally, and the old woman looked at the man.

"They's good people," she said.

"I knowed that, woman," he snapped. "I've been talkin' to em, haven't I," he added. Then he looked at Nathan. "Where you headin' local?" he asked, and Nathan pulled out his map and walked over to the man, showing him their trail.

The old woman came over and joined them. "h.e.l.l, the young'uns can take em to the lake," she said.

"Ah ma'am, that's over sixty miles away and past another Interstate. It puts the men at too much risk," Nathan said, shaking his head.

The old woman just looked at him and smiled. "That's what I like about ya. You thinkin' of others even when they tryin' to help ya. Come here," she said, walking to the corner of the store and pointing behind it. Nathan could see about a dozen small houses with several kids playing and adults sitting around.

"Those be my young'uns and grand babies. Forty-one in all. Just let someone mess with us. We'll plant em," she said, looking back at him. "You didn't need food, you can't be foolin' me. You wanted to meet and see how we was and liked us. Then tried to help us out, so we gonna do the same," she said.

"Ma'am, those that take us will be alone coming home," Nathan tried to tell her.

"If I ain't worried, then you shouldn't be," she told him.

"Yes ma'am," Nathan said and pulled out two hundred dollars.

"No, we doin' this as a friend," she said, trying to wave the money away.

"Even a friend pays for the gas," Nathan said.

"Where the h.e.l.l you buy yo gas?" she asked.

"Ma'am, it would make me feel better knowing I'm accommodating you in some way," he said, still holding out the money.

She took the money. "You girls come with me so I can give ya an apple pie to take with ya," the old lady said, then walked back into the store. They looked at Nathan and he nodded. As they ran after the old woman she stopped them. "You can't take the packs in cause you'll knock stuff off the shelves," she told them. Jasmine and Amanda looked at Nathan and he nodded again. They dropped their packs and followed the old lady inside.

"John, get the bottles and take them to the pump and fill them," Nathan said. "Ares, you can't go in the store. Go with John," he said and Ares groaned and followed John. Nathan looked at the old man. "Can I help you in any way?" he asked.

"Don't see how. Fore the black fellers came a car of city boys came out, and none of em left," the old man said. "Between just them two we made mo' money than we did in the last ten years. Don't know where they gots it but it's ours now," he told Nathan.

Nathan laughed. "You don't know how much better that makes me feel," he said.

"Don't be worryin' bout us. But I hafta say it's right nice ta see manners from ya. Givin' Ma that bill for those sandwiches' was kind, sir," he said, smiling. He gestured to the two men beside him. "Go get the truck and pull it round here. Getcha another box of cartridges and tell your daddy to go with ya," he said.

"Oh come on, Papaw, let us do it," Billy begged.

The old man looked at them and smiled. "Okay, but don't be actin' a fool, and drive safe. If the G-men say somethin' just head home and tell us on the CB. We'll be ready for em," the old man said firmly and the two men jumped up, grabbing their rifles. They ran off the porch hooting and hollering. "They're the light of my years," he said, looking at Nathan.

"Thank you sir, and I hope this doesn't bring trouble to your family," Nathan said, holding out his hand.

"Trouble's comin' son, only a matter of time fore it finds us all. Me, I'd prefer to face it sooner than later," he said.

"Yes sir, but I'd really like to be home before I start stirring the pot," Nathan said.

"Nothin' wrong with that, but ya may not get the chance," he told Nathan, shaking his hand.

"Then I'll just have to start stirring," Nathan said as the two girls came out carrying an armload of stuff followed by the old woman. Even enc.u.mbered as she was, Amanda was still managing to eat a caramel apple and she was grinning from ear to ear. Nathan just smiled and rubbed her head as the truck pulled around with John and Ares already in the back.

Nathan helped to put the stuff in the truck and the old woman and the old man hugged everyone goodbye. When the old man went back to hug Jasmine a second time it bought him a slap to the head from his wife. After the goodbyes everybody jumped in and the driver took off down the road. The two men knew the area a thousand times better than any map Nathan had. They went down logging trails and down roads on farms that weren't even on the map. The group sat in the back and ate as the two drove.

Jasmine looked over at Nathan. "I guess you're going to give us a ticket for riding in the back of the truck, huh?" she asked.

Eating his sandwich, Nathan shook his head no. "h.e.l.l, I was eleven years old before I knew a truck had a front seat."

"I've never ridden in the back of a truck," Amanda said, smiling and eating her sandwich.

"Me either. This is great," John said, looking out at the world going by.

Nathan looked at Jasmine. "How about you? Have you ridden in the back of a truck before?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I'm a little kid," she popped off. "They pa.s.sed that law before I had the chance to," she said, trying to defend her position.

Unable to restrain himself, Nathan started to laugh, which only irritated Jasmine more. "Jasmine, you can now tell everyone you've broken another law with us," he said, smiling. Relieved, she smiled and polished off her sandwich.

An hour and ten minutes later they stopped and Nathan and his crew got out, hugging the men bye. Wishing them well, the two left. Jasmine asked Nathan, "Why did they give us a ride?"

"They said because I was friendly and gave her a large tip," he said. "I really think they wanted to flaunt their nose at the government, letting them know they'll do what they d.a.m.n well want." He looked at the three and smiled, "Man, do I miss cars."

Amanda s.n.a.t.c.hed the map out of his pocket and opened it. After studying it she looked up. "They carried us seventy-three miles," she said with awe.

"Yep, at least five days of travel in little over an hour," Nathan said as Amanda handed the map back.

"Makes me feel bad for taking cars for granted," John said, picking up his pack.

"We have about two hours of light left. Let's camp on the other side of the dam," Nathan said as he strode away.

They made camp, cleaned equipment, then ate pie. Gathering around Nathan, they listened intently as he started teaching them more about how to survive. After a while he pulled out his tablet and showed them pictures of the guys and their families in Idaho. One by one, they drifted off to sleep, leaving Amanda awake for guard. She continued to look at the pictures for a while, with Ares beside her and her head on Nathan's lap.

Chapter 7.

Day 13 John was on guard when the light started creeping back into the sky. He looked over at the three sleeping and felt really good. They actually liked being around him and listened to what he had to say. n.o.body ever said anything bad to him when he asked a question or made fun of him.

Reaching down, John tugged on the pants to see if they had loosened up some, but they were still snug. The only complaint he had was that his belly, his arms, his neck-h.e.l.l, everything itched. He'd told Nathan last night and Nathan had taken a look, then informed him that it was the fat dying off and the skin tightening back up. Hearing that, John wanted to dance, but he didn't know how.

Hearing movement, he turned to see Jasmine lift her head up and his heart stopped. He didn't want to tell her but Jasmine was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. She had a body like he had only seen on some of the websites he wasn't supposed to go to.

When she stood up John felt his heart stop and his face get real warm, as she was clothed only in panties and a bra. He watched her put on some jogging pants and a shirt. Slipping on her sandals, Jasmine started some coffee and walked over to him.

"Morning, John, did you see anything last night?" she asked.

In visual overload, John just stood there with his mouth open and his eyes bulging out of his head. It took a second for his brain to process she was talking to him and what the words meant. Then he just slowly shook his head no. "Want some coffee?" she asked and he shook his head no again.

"Wake everyone up, I'm going to the bathroom," she said, patting his cheek.

When she walked by John realized he was holding his breath. Letting it out slowly, he turned around, watching her step behind the blanket they'd hung up. "Today is the best day ever," he said as he walked over and shook Amanda and Nathan awake.

The group worked out and Nathan noticed John wasn't paying attention like he usually was. When he asked John about it all John could tell him was, "Today is the best day ever." Nathan had no idea what he was talking about and let it go, not sure he wanted the answer.

They packed up and Nathan studied the map, then took off with everyone following. Amanda came up to him and grabbed his hand. "John's acting weird," she said.

"How so?" Nathan asked.

"He just keeps talking about how this is the best day ever," she said.

Nathan smiled. "Yeah, he said the same to me. I bet he's just happy that we're safe," he offered.

"Maybe," Amanda said not convinced. "How far today?" she asked.

"I'm thinking we should get eighteen miles," he said.

"We are walking really well. I think we can get more. Like twenty," she said.

"I think you're right, but I don't want us to drop every night. If we p.i.s.s someone off and have to run, I want reserves," he said. Jasmine moved up closer, seeing the two talking.

"Just kill em," Amanda said, waving her hand.

"What if there are a bunch of them?" he asked.

"You shot seventeen," Amanda pointed out.

"Okay, what if there are a hundred?" Nathan asked.