Found (Lost Town Book Six), page 4
“Will they let us?”
“Why not?”
“They must have boys.”
“I sure hope so,” Summer sighed
“What about Adam?” Carly fixed her hair.
“We’re just friends. He’s super distracted lately.”
“You really think there will be any guys?” Summer was glad to hear Carly finally open up since Jimmy had been killed in a gunfight with aliens a year earlier.
Summer laughed at her friend. “That’s all you needed to say yes?”
“Maybe. We have been pretty bored in Lost Town. No one will give us a job, and we can’t even watch anything on my tablet.”
The longer she thought about it, the better the idea sounded. Freedom in a new town. Wayward wasn’t as big as Lost Town, but it had a lot more people, and she liked Birch and Dixie. “Let’s do it.”
“Yeah?” Carly asked.
Summer stuck out her finger. “Yeah.” They twisted pinkies and wiggled their thumbs, sealing the commitment.
Anders poked his head into the room. “Everything okay?”
“Sure.” Carly didn’t sound convincing.
Mr. Lawerence stood in the doorframe. “It’s temporary. And I’ll visit too. We have a supply exchange every two weeks, so we can send letters. Then you’ll come home for Christmas.”
Summer imagined returning to this house that already felt wrong, and realized she’d be a complete stranger in it.
“It’s almost dinnertime.” Anders left the door open and started away, but paused. “I’m proud of you two.”
They sat with their parents, avoiding discussing the next steps. She only finished half her food, while Carly scarfed down her plate and the rest of Summer’s. When it was done, they were dismissed.
Summer offered to clean up, but they declined. “We’re going for a walk.”
“Okay, but be careful,” Steve said.
The sun had set, with a hint of orange glowing in the west. Before they reached the sidewalk, it was gone. Insects chirped and stars glittered in the sky, occasionally being blotted out by narrow clouds.
Carly wore a sweatshirt, and she jammed her hands into her pants pockets as they strolled toward downtown. “Will you miss Lost Town?”
Summer hadn’t ever expected to leave her house, not until she went to college. Since the Shift, she’d lost that home, had lived in a tent near Harrison and Wanda, and had moved to Bend, Oregon prior to returning to Arcadia. Maybe Wayward was what she needed to calm her restless energy. “Kind of.”
“But we’ll come back.”
Summer interlocked her arm with Carly’s. “We’d better.”
They strolled, talking excitedly about escaping their parents. When they got downtown, the diner was closing up and Adam Iverson held the door for his father.
“Evening, ladies,” Buck said.
Maya waved at them from inside. “Pie?”
Carly seemed ready to accept, but Summer shook her head. “We ate, but thanks.”
“Next time.” Maya flipped the sign to CLOSED and retreated into the diner.
Adam lingered while his father got into his old truck. “Hey, Sum.”
“Uhm, I think I see Haley in the park.” Carly jogged off.
Buck seemed to sense something, and spoke with his window down. “Adam, can you get yourself home?”
“Sure thing.”
Adam’s father drove off, and Summer was alone with the only boy she’d ever kissed.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she replied.
“I haven’t seen you around.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Doing what?” he asked.
“Living.”
“Are the rumors true?”
“What rumors?” she asked.
“That you’re dropping out of school.”
They sat on a bench facing the park, where Haley and Trent had been trying to have a private picnic. Carly was on the blanket with them.
“We’re going to Wayward.”
“To visit?” he asked.
“To stay. Our parents decided for us.”
“I see.”
“Are you upset? It’s not like you’ve been…”
“I’ll miss you.” Adam rose abruptly and took off in a hurry.
Summer didn’t know what to do, so she just sat there, dumbfounded by his reaction.
Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to leave.
5
“You’ve outdone yourself.” Amelia set the fork aside.
“It’s all in the meat, not my skills.”
Amelia doubted that, and told him so. “I take it the cattle we leased from Wayward are paying off?”
“Freddy’s already hired two hands to help care for the herd. They expect the number of cattle to double by next season. That bull of his is having a blast,” Caesar said.
Sustainability was imperative to Lost Town’s long-term success, and the fact they were raising their own meat source greatly increased their chances. The Wickenhouses had expanded their farm from a few pigs and some chickens, and everyone was grateful for the beef.
“We should build a chicken coop,” Amelia said.
“That’s a great idea,” Caesar said.
“Really?” Amelia was surprised by how quickly he’d agreed.
“Why not? I’m always up early. How hard can it be?”
She didn’t mention that he already had countless tasks around the house neither of them had finished.
Amelia turned the kettle on. “I’ll get up with you.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“But then we can talk. By the time we’re together in the evenings, we’re both exhausted.” She boiled water and poured it over a filter holding ground coffee. It slowly dripped through, creating a dark brown liquid in the clear carafe.
“I hope that’s decaf.”
“Of course.” Amelia suspected they’d run out of the regular stuff within a year if they didn’t get the crops to take. They’d cleared a hectare beyond the forest to the north of Lost Town and planted Arabica plants with Duke’s instructions. They were usually grown in the bean belt and thrived in humid and tropical climates, which they weren’t in.
When their brief winter struck, they planned on using heating cables to keep the bases of the plants warm, melting the snow to water the crops. After six months, only the mature saplings they’d brought with Duke’s shipment appeared like they might bear fruit anytime soon. Amelia figured coffee might not be an option, though no one was looking forward to that challenge.
They moved to the porch and kept the lights off, using a homemade candle instead. Evangeline and Becky had started making them in their basement and were trading them at the weekly Farmer’s Market put on in the park across from Amelia’s office.
It had a very quaint and rustic feeling to it, but Amelia knew they were always on the cusp of disaster, no matter how well the population tried to hide their fears. It was her and Caesar’s job to keep them safe and the town running smoothly.
Caesar sat on the swinging bench he’d installed with Evan Tucker’s help a couple months earlier, and she cupped her mug, sitting with him. Stars twinkled when she gazed up, and a soft breeze blew in the scent of budding cornstalks. Amelia couldn’t imagine her previous life in that moment, without Caesar or her new friends.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“How lucky I am.”
Caesar kissed her temple and sipped his decaf. “We’re on an alien planet. Who would have guessed this?”
“Not me.”
A car’s headlights shone down their driveway and veered toward the Rutherfords’ residence. The passenger side opened and Logan got out, carrying his laptop. He waved at Justin, who backed up and left.
They were far enough away, and mostly shrouded in darkness, so Amelia didn’t think Logan could see them. He stood looking at his house for a moment, a silhouette against the lights in his living room.
“Trouble in paradise?” Caesar whispered.
“They were fighting this morning. She convinced him to go to the office,” Amelia answered.
“It’s about time.”
Logan eventually relented and trod up his steps then into his house.
“They mentioned visiting Greenbriar again,” Amelia said.
“I think you should too.”
“Me?”
“It’s your father’s town. He’s sent a few letters on the routes asking you to come see his house and children. Your siblings.”
Amelia sighed. She’d learned that Logan was her half-brother, and now she had a niece, a sister-in-law, and two more half-siblings, Milly and Logie, who were essentially thirty years younger than her. She’d gone from being single to having a full-fledged family, including a husband.
“There’s so much to do.”
“Go for a couple of days,” Caesar said.
“What about you?”
“I have training next week.”
Amelia’s deputies were still part of Caesar’s organization, as well as the soldiers who’d come with the LTC crew. Will and Zack were proving to be capable members of their society, and had integrated well with the townspeople.
“I could put it off until you can join us,” she said.
“Nah. Bring the JLTV. There’s plenty of fuel.”
“We should take the supply carriage. Otherwise, we’re setting a bad example. I won’t use fuel for a trip that long when we’re telling others they can’t.”
“Fine. Go on horseback, but stick to the route marked on your map,” he cautioned. “There have been sightings of Howlers near Matthieu and Winny’s swamp.”
“I won’t go near it,” she promised.
“Then it’s settled?”
“I’ll bring it up to Ruby and Logan in the morning.”
Caesar stood up. “Why not now?”
“He just got home.”
“What’s the point in living next door if we can’t be annoying neighbors? Besides, I could use something stronger than this coffee. It’s Friday night.”
She took the cups inside and opened the drawer in the kitchen, pulling out the sweater she’d finished knitting for Daphne while Caesar grabbed an unopened bottle of whiskey. Her knitting wasn’t perfect, and the arms weren’t quite identical in length, but Amelia didn’t care. She pocketed the gift and followed Caesar to their house.
Her husband knocked, and a red-cheeked Ruby appeared in the doorway. “What a pleasant surprise. I was thinking of asking you over.”
“Then we saved you the trouble.” Caesar passed Ruby the bottle.
Ruby leaned in when Caesar entered their home. “Don’t worry, I have something less… potent.”
“Thanks,” Amelia whispered, closing the door.
Logan was admiring Daphne as she tried to pick up a yellow building block. She stuck it straight into her mouth before tossing it to the floor. “That settles it, she’s a genius.”
“Just like her father.” Ruby beamed.
“Speaking of fathers…” Amelia took the segue. “I’ve given some thought to your idea.”
“Greenbriar?” Logan offered the block when it tumbled under the sofa.
“How about the four of us go next week?”
Logan looked at Ruby, who gave them a nod. “It’ll be good for Daphne to spend time with her…aunt and uncle.”
Caesar laughed. “Grover’s an interesting character.”
Ruby picked Daphne up. “That’s being kind.”
“I have something for her.” Amelia removed the sweater and held it up to the baby.
“You made this?” Ruby asked.
“Believe it or not, that’s my third attempt.”
“It’s perfect.” She turned to Logan, but he was already on his way to the kitchen with Caesar. “Men don’t appreciate the finer things. Seriously, thank you. You’re an amazing auntie.”
Amelia watched the baby, wondering if she’d ever have the desire for her own.
“How about a game of cards?” Logan called.
“We’ll be right there!” Ruby answered. “We’ll go to Greenbriar and back so fast, you won’t have time to miss home.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
Amelia took a seat at the table while Logan shuffled a deck. This was how they’d started to spend a lot of weekends, dealing cards and talking under candlelight.
The notion of leaving Lost Town gave her a sudden bout of dread. What if something happened on the road? Or to Lost Town in her absence?
As the night wore on, her fears subsided, and by the time she lay her head on her pillow, the worry was a distant memory.
____________
“Didn’t you buy a hammer last week?” John asked Kong.
The big man shrugged. “I swear, it’s the last one. Bo has been acting up, and I think he hid it on me because I was spending too much time on renovations. I’ll return this when I find it.”
“No sweat. I’m sitting on…” John checked his tablet, grateful for the inventory system left with Duke’s shipment. “Seven more.”
“Then what?”
John switched to the Lost Town network and showed Kong. “We have twenty-six used hammers listed in the central storage facility.”
“You have access to that?” Kong reached for the tablet.
“Only partially.” The old sanctuary doubled as the operatives’ office, and a warehouse for valuable items found during their months-long endeavor. John recalled being paired with Gemma randomly in one of the early weeks, and they’d combed ten houses, stripping the damaged homes of wire, switches, televisions, and housewares. It was an arduous task, but they’d done it as a town. Two of Clive’s old barns had been patched up against the elements, and now held an assortment of replacement toilets, kitchen sinks, and lighting fixtures.
“No sweat.” Kong flipped through paint samples. “Got any of these?”
John smiled. “I have white. Off white. Black. Gray. What’s your favorite?”
“Is the off-white more of an eggshell, or…?” Kong laughed. “I’ll ask the boss.”
“Are you going to Freddy’s tonight?”
“Of course. Chun hired babysitters, so we’re leaving the kids at home. First time Athena will be without her mother for more than an hour,” Kong said.
“Is that a big deal?”
“It is when you’re Chun.” Kong moved to the exit. “Thanks, John. Catch you later.”
“You bet.”
John sat in the stool behind the counter, removing the hammer from his inventory. With that done, he finished his coffee and strolled to the back room, where an assortment of wood remained. A year out, and he was running precariously low. Duke had shipped a decent amount, but he hadn’t taken into account all the maintenance needed over time. There were enough 2x10s, but the most common, 2x4s, used for framing walls, were at a critical level.
He stared at the larger pieces, wondering if he could somehow split them. Jamal had once mentioned finding an old lumber mill between Lost Town and the Den. Maybe he could drive out there with Mr. Tucker to investigate. Suddenly, John envisioned a lumber yard on the outskirts of town. He wasn’t sure how the local trees would hold up once processed, but if there was one thing Arcadia didn’t lack, it was forests. He assumed some of the townspeople would protest felling trees on their new planet, so he’d have to tread lightly.
John returned to the front and, having no customers, flipped a BE BACK IN… and slid the hands to the thirty-minute marker. He locked up and wandered to the sidewalk. The library might have something to help his new business idea. He was never much of a reader, not like Haley, who’d spent endless hours in her room, binging whatever new fantasy fad the girls online were raving about.
The diner was quiet in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. Most people were preparing for the party at Freddy’s. He stopped, finding Maya inside wearing a stained apron, serving Zack a burger. She talked with the soldier, nodding at whatever he said. Maya glanced at John, and he waved. They’d been through so much. Freddy might have forgiven John for accepting Lillian, but Maya hadn’t. Once, he and Jamal had been close friends, even going as far as infiltrating Milton’s army together. Because of that, Jamal had died when they attacked Lost Town.
Maya turned, storming into the kitchen, and John couldn’t even blame her. He continued past Ben’s forge, which stayed closed on the weekends, and wound his way to the quaint little library. Most of the commercial buildings on Carmichael were boarded up, with faded FOR LEASE signs on the grubby glass for the last decade. It pleased John to find them being used again.
John smiled at one particular memory of Darcy convincing him to climb through a shattered window in that same building when they were fourteen. It had been a hobby shop, started by a man who’d died of a heart attack a year later. They’d found crates of wooden models and spent an entire summer gluing various airplanes together before testing them in the park.
“Can I help you?” a woman asked in the entrance, which was propped open by a pot of flowers.
“I need a book.”
She stepped aside. “Then you’ve come to the right place.”
“Have we met?” he asked.
She offered a hand. “Jessica.”
“I’m John. Are you Australian?”
“Welsh, from Wales. It’s in Great Britain.”
“Of course.” John shook with her. “How long have you been in Lost Town?”
“I got here yesterday. Caesar helped me, and I offered my services to Sharon.” She picked up a title and flipped the pages, inhaling. “I just adore old books.”
John didn’t understand people’s obsession with them, but to each their own. Haley told him he should pick up the habit or his brain would rot, but he always figured it was something he could do when he was older.
Jessica was too thin, probably from life on the road. He gauged her age at around his, but there were life lines on her face, suggesting she’d struggled while on Arcadia.
“How long have you been here?”
“One day.”
“Not here.” He pointed to the floor. “Here.” Then up.
She smiled. “Two years.”
John couldn’t believe he’d nearly been on Arcadia as long. “It’s something else. What did you leave at home?”
