The Days After (Big River) Page 7
Early morning and there was just a very slight hint of light, the Annie Belle moved cautiously up river, around the long bend that eventually straightened towards Memphis. Because the engine compartment was metal clad, the children were put in the storage room that ran directly behind the compartment, the small toilet area was at one end. The storage room opened to the cabin, they were ordered not to come out of the room or climb up to the small porthole window at the opposite end. The two were squeezed next to shelves of blankets, bedding and towels, there were still several cots at one end. Their games and art supplies surrounded them and the sock monkey leaned up against the wall, the batteries allowed a dim overhead light. Jacob and Allie could hear the paddles dipping into the water over the noise of the diesel engine.
Clay manned the wheel, because he was still the most skilled person for that job. Louis, Penny and Angel each took a position on the port side, the aft and the starboard side. They had their rifles, a pistol, extra ammunition and their trash can shields. They had been anchored farther down river than Clay thought, it was about two hours after dawn when the river front of Memphis came into view. The closer they came to the city, the more boats littered the river, but fortunately nothing had blocked their forward path.
The popular tourist attraction, Mud Island was coming up on their starboard side. A relief map of the whole Mississippi River in a long concrete walk was the big attraction of the island. Clay saw no one on the island. Rows of huge four level cruise ships, paddle wheelers lined the shore, one seemed to be halfway out into the river. He did see that several people moved around on those ships. A large freighter was to the port side, someone yelled at them in a language that he did not recognize. One smaller boat eased by them, so far no one had approached or attacked. The paddle wheeler slid under the first tall bridge. Beneath the graceful double arches, dead and abandoned vehicles clogged the bridge. A hazy figure or two moved among the cars and trucks.
The next set of bridges was in sight, the captain could see figures lined up along the first bridge. They looked like toy soldiers but he had a feeling, this was not going to be play time. He blew the big horn, hated that it announced their arrival, wanted to alert the crew. He could now see rifles aimed down at the boat, a tug type boat pulled out from one shore, moved quickly and an older speed boat dashed out from the opposite shore. Louis, on the starboard walkway, shouted out, “Heads up! Shooters on bridge....boats in water.”
A volley of shots rang out from the bridge, but the Annie Belle was still out of range. The boats approached them at a high speed. Penny crouched on the port side, behind the rails with the shield in front of her, tried to wait for the tug boat to come in closer. She took a big breath, leveled her rifle and shot at the tug that was nearly even with them now. She quickly grabbed the shield and moved her position. Bullets rained down from the bridges as they rolled under, one whizzed by and went through the back of the tight control room. Clay heard Angel, as she fired from the aft, near the rotating paddles and his heart seemed to jump to his throat. As the boat cleared the second bridge, snipers had moved to the other side. Angel crouched down and held her shield above her, she heard one bullet twang and glance off the metal top and one hit the metal door of the engine compartment.
The speedboat on Louis side flashed by, he stood and fired on it, it passed and circled around, a man reached for the aft ladder. Louis shouted and Angel took her pistol and fired. The man wasn't hit but dropped back into the boat. A scream from Penny, sent Louis running to the port side. As he rounded the corner, a man held her around the neck and growled out, “My friends will board now, stay back.” A man on the tug tied off to the paddle wheeler and the speed boat came around with two men on board. “Tell the captain to stop the engine,” said the man as he still choked Penny.
Louis shouted up to Clay, “They have Penny, stop the engines!” The paddles spun to a stop, the boat had made it beyond the range of the bridges. Angel huddled down at the aft, she barely peered around the corner. Louis had laid down his rifle, two more men awkwardly climbed over the rail and boarded. One stayed on the tug and the speedboat was tied off. The man spat out orders and slung Penny about, Angel just was not a good enough shot to try to get him. He ordered one of the men to go get the captain. Clay was already on his way down and walked straight into the barrel of a gun, had to give over his. The men picked up all of the guns and the man ahold of Penny herded all of them into the cabin. Angel stayed as low possible, moved around to the starboard side and tried to see in a cabin window.
The men began to tear apart the cabin, went into the supply shelves area and the bunk area. One of them jerked open the gun closet and yelled, “Jackpot!” he pulled guns out and threw them on the bunk. In the cabin, the man kept his choke hold on Penny and a pistol at her head.
The man waiting on the tug, whistled and shouted, “Hurry up in there! One of the other men moved towards the storage area and Penny struggled and squirmed.
Louis said loudly, “There's nothing in the storage area, just blankets and towels.”
Penny's eyes were wide with panic. The man moved to storage door and he slid it open. He cussed and grabbed his face, “G---dammit! Put my eye out.” Another marble bounced off his head and the door slammed. His pistol slid to the floor as he grabbed at his eye and Clay lunged for it. The man came from the bunk area, Angel stepped through the door and the rifle exploded, the man fell. The choker spun around with Penny still captured. From the floor Clay shot at the man's lower leg, Penny collapsed to the floor and the man wailed and rolled.
Louis went to his wife. Angel moved over to them, “Are you okay?”
Her friend looked up and said, “The kids...” Louis took the rifle from Angel's trembling hands. The women hugged for a moment and moved to the storage area, their arms around each other. Penny kicked the man that rubbed his eyes and face as she passed him. The sound of the tug boat as it raced away, drifted up to them. Clay and Louis took the hobbling man, the half blind man and the body out to the walkway. The tug was long gone, but the speedboat was still there. Louis looked down at the good size boat that was tied off, he said to Clay, “Just hold them here a minute.” He climbed over the rail, hopped into the boat, the engine came to life and the boat disappeared around the aft of the paddle wheeler.
Shortly, he returned in the dinghy, the small motor putting along. He climbed back up, he and Clay lifted the body and tossed it in the dinghy. The man shot in the leg, moaned, “I can't climb down there.”
Clay looked at the man he had shot, “We can throw you over if you want.” The man grimaced and groaned and mostly fell over the rail into the dinghy. The half blind man crawled over the rail. The small boat rocked and dipped, they cut it loose and it weaved away from the big boat. He looked back at his friend, “Got us a big boat, huh?”
“Yep. Let's check on the women and kids and get out of here,” he said.
When Penny slid the door back on the storage area, Jacob sat on the floor, his knees bent in front of him, the sling shot pulled back ready to fire again. He jumped up and grabbed his mother, she patted him and said, “I'm fine son, I'm fine. You are a real brave boy.”
In the very end of the storage room, a blanket trembled and a stuffed sock arm poked out from the edge. Angel gently pulled the blanket away and took her little girl in her arms. Allie laid her head on her mother and her little body shook with sobs. She looked up at her mother, “Jacob was real brave, Mommy.”
“I know, baby. You were both so brave, we are real proud of you.” They moved over to Penny and Jacob, the four of them still sat on the floor of the storage area with their arms around each other, when the men found them.
“Everybody good?” said Louis, and put his hand on his son's shoulder, “You did very good, boy.”
“Sure did, Jacob,” said Clay. He squatted down and kissed Allie's forehead. He looked at Angeline and realized how he would like to do the same to her. Instead, he pushed the auburn hair back from her face and his hand lingered on her cheek
for just a moment. “If everybody is okay, we need to get on the move and away from this place,”
They all agreed and moved out into the cabin, to clean up themselves and the cabin. A large pool of blood was at the end of the bar and another in the center of the cabin. Penny rubbed her neck a little and said, “Okay, let's get this house cleaned up.” They went to work and the paddles once again rolled.
After they scrubbed and cleaned, Angel walked up to the top level to get some fresh air. They moved away from the clutter of the city, the shore more lush and wild again. Even with that slight dank and fishy smell that the air held, the river felt clean to her, she inhaled. She knew that Clay stood firmly at the wheel and guided them away from the trouble behind them. She touched her cheek and remembered his hand there, earlier. The kids sat on one of the long benches in the center of the deck, already recovering and busy. The giggle of her sweet baby floated up. It sickened her that Allie had to experience things such as this, or maybe she felt sick that she had just taken another person's life. She would do it again, for her daughter, she would give her own life for her. She was so thankful that they were not alone.
Chapter Five
Storm
It would be at least five days, probably longer, until they reached St. Louis. Glad for a little time, after the dangerous situation in Memphis, Clay felt a huge burden of responsibility for the five other occupants of his boat. Louis, never less than totally competent and trustworthy and he had no complaints about Penny. As the land glided by on both distant shores, he rested his hands on the big wheel and smiled, even the kids had been full of fight and courage. A vision of the pretty auburn haired woman swam into his mind...and damn, why was that? Why did she just pop into his head lately? He had to admit his admiration of her. In each of the bad situations they experienced, in spite of the deep fear that she obviously felt, she stood strong and did her part. Louis proved absolutely right, they were quite a crew.
Arkansas remained their western boundary for a while and then Missouri, on the east Tennessee for many miles and then Kentucky. This was a nearly 300 mile stretch where big cities didn't spread on the shore and the populations were not heavy along the water's edge. This part of the river still referred to as the Lower Mississippi, until they reached the point that the Ohio River flowed in. Louis came up to the control hut, “Well, friend, how long until we reach St. Louis?” he asked.
“Probably nearly a week,” said Clay. “You know it is Spring, we could get into bad weather. This is the time of year when weather systems just choo-choo across the country. I have seen some really threatening looking clouds a time or two and we'll certainly get into rain and thunder storms, at the minimum. Remember a couple of years ago, when we got caught in the real frog stranglin' thunder storm?”
Louis chuckled, “Yeah I sure do. The old Annie Belle rode it out pretty stable, though. Are you familiar with this part of the river, boss? What are you expecting the next few days to be like?” The term boss was much more of a nick name than a description.
“I'm sure hoping we will get a break from trouble. I've been all the way to St. Louis on the river, years ago when my dad was the captain on the boat. There are no big cities along this stretch of water and it is more scenic than populated. Of course, the watches and staying alert will still be the order of the day. We're pretty good on fuel, but will have to watch and not miss any chances to get more,” said Clay.
“Sounds good to me,” Louis said, “I think everybody's nerves are a little frazzled. Matter of fact, I came up to tell you to take a breather this afternoon. Get out of this room, go have lunch. I've got it for the rest of the day.”
He didn't realize how really tired he felt until Louis took the wheel. He walked down to the cabin and the kitchen area behind the bar, opened the refrigerator. When the cool hit his face, he thought how thankful he was that they had some refrigeration. At the back, behind some left overs, sat four beers. I think I will, he thought. There had been very little relaxation time over the last two weeks, although he had wished for a good stiff drink a time or two. He sat the beer on the bar and walked into the supply shelves and looked for some crackers and something to put on them.
The women had been so proud of themselves. While they were in the small town, one of the things they had learned was to use canning jars and to “dry can”. That was simply the process of heating jars and lids, and sealing up dry goods such as crackers and cookies. The process kept those items fresher for several months. There wasn't an oven on the boat, but they used boiling water to sterilize and heat the jars and immediately put all the crackers and cookies from the supply shelves into large jars. They had brought about two dozen jars from the town and also one gallon jar of homemade cookies for the children. Clay took down an already opened jar of saltine crackers and a can of vienna sausage and sat on a bar stool with the cold beer.
Penny came in and said, “Well, looks like you made yourself at home, mister.” Clay laughed. She stood and looked at him for a moment, “I'm kidding, you know. I don't think I have told you how much I appreciate that you have let us make a home on the boat.”
He just shrugged it off, took the last swig of beer. “Boy, I forgot how good a cold beer could be. Louis has got the wheel. Think I might even fish for a bit.” He moved towards the cabin door.
“Later, sugar. Whatever you do, don't get into the kids spot...they'll give you what for,” she said.
He got a fishing rig from the end of the engine compartment, where several stood. When he walked by Jacob, the boy gave him a stay away from this spot look. He went farther down the walkway, where Allie sat, straddled the rails. She leaned against her poofy life vest and held the pole out between the bars. He quietly said, “Mind if I fish beside you?”
She looked up and gave him a sweet smile, “Sure, I ain't...I mean I'm not gettin' any bites.” Her mother always corrected her grammar. Clay tossed a line into the calm river. They just waited patiently for several minutes. Then, Allie's cork dipped, she let out a little “oh-h” and pulled up the line.
A very small fish wiggled around. When she got it to the deck, Clay said, “Think we might ought to let this one grow a little more, don't you?” Her lip stuck out a tad, but she agreed and they tossed the bait sized catch back into the water. She wiped her hands on a wet towel that her mother insisted she keep near. One small hand tugged at his jean's leg.
When he looked down at her, she said, “Captain Clay, would you be my daddy?”
This really took him by surprise, he propped up the pole and sat down cross legged, next to her on the deck. “Uh-h...I don't know if I can just be your daddy, Allie,” he was flustered.
She looked right into his face and said, “Seems like everybody in the world, but me, has a daddy.”
Whew! I am not equipped for this, “Listen, I think you are the most special little girl. You know, daddy is just a word, a name. What is real important is that people love you and take care of you.” He tilted her face up, “I promise you, I would never let anything happen to you, I will take care of you.”
The small arms went around his neck and his heart felt all liquid around the edges. Angel walked up and gave them a funny look, “Everything okay?”
Clay stood and cleared his throat, “Fine...just fine. I'm not catching anything, think I'll give up.” His sunglasses went back over his eyes and he moved to put away his fishing rig. Angel looked down at her daughter, who just gave her a bright smile and pulled up her line to check it.
***
There was a needed break from attacks and trouble. As the next few days passed, Clay was able to observe some of the real destruction that had occurred. He just had taken no time before, to really look and give thought to all the consequences of the disaster that obviously fell across America, perhaps across the world. He was so focused on just keeping his boat going forward and the people on it safe. Today, as they moved at the Annie Belle's leisurely pace up the river, he took in all the scenes that floated by.
Clay said, “I truly don't know. It looks to be the end of the world that we have known.”
Even nearly three weeks after the event, fires burned on the land. Most of the water craft had floated free and finally crashed into other vessels or the shoreline. They piled up against the land's edge, as if a storm had already blown through, on and on, every mile that the paddle wheeler traveled. They glided past a long flat barge that still smoldered with what looked like wreckage of an airplane. “That must have been a hell of a fire,” said Clay.
One night, as he had walked the middle of the night watch, he heard a loud squall of some kind of big cat. It wasn't like anything he had heard on the river before, like a big cat in the zoo. That made him think of the huge zoo in New Orleans and all the zoos around the country. The animals had most certainly either been so captured that they had starved or maybe some had escaped and would be running free. They had spotted many animals, wild and domestic along the shores. Nothing more exotic than the increasingly desperate looking humans, so far.
It was low, nearly to himself, Louis said, “No telling what is out there, man.” Clay agreed.
Over supper one evening, the four discussed their impending arrival at St. Louis. Outside, the thunder rolled and an occasional flash of lightening lit up the cabin. There had been some rainy days and even some blustery thunder storms. The river undulated with frothy peaks, but the paddle wheeler steadily rocked along. The cabin was briefly illuminated and a deep rumble followed. Angel said, “You know, I wonder...if we could go through St. Louis in stormy weather, would that help us sneak by?”
“That could help. Not a bad idea, Angel. Of course, we would have to move as close as we could and hope for one of these evening storms that seem to be regular lately,” said Clay.