Apocalypse Cowboy

“When were you going to tell me you were pregnant?”

His words shocked her. How did he figure it out so quickly?

“I might not be. It could just be a tummy virus.”

Brody jumped up from the bed, and he paced the room, his body taut with anger. “Dammit, Hannah. Don’t screw with me. I know you’re pregnant. You know what this means, don’t you?”

“It changes nothing,” she said mulishly.

“Changes nothing?” He stopped pacing and gave her a stunned look. “Are you out of your fucking mind? This changes everything. Hannah, you’re pregnant. You can’t stay here and expect to birth a baby with just me to help you.”

“I don’t see why not. Women used to do it all the time.”

“And the infant mortality rate used to be stupidly high. What, you’d intentionally kill our child because you’re too stubborn to leave this goddamn house?”

Hannah got mad, despite knowing he was right and she was wrong. “If you don’t like it, just leave then. It’s what you do best, isn’t it? I knew you could never stay. First sign that things might be better elsewhere and off you fucking go again. Well, good-bye. I don’t need you. I don’t need anybody.”

“I’m taking your uncle to your sister,” he said his voice quiet, but his eyes blazed. “And when I get back you and I are going to have a long talk. I meant what I said. I won’t leave you. But dammit, I am going to prove to you that staying here is foolhardy. I won’t put you or the baby in jeopardy.”

And with those parting words, he left. Hannah refused to go downstairs and see her uncle and Brody off. She was not in the mood to listen to either of them.

Stupid men, think they know everything. I don’t need them. I’ll do just fine on my own.

A part of Hannah didn’t expect him to return, the angry words they’d exchanged had been ugly, but even as she thought that, she fervently hoped he’d come back. Please let him choose me this time.

One lonely day stretched into two. The pump on the well broke, and she was reduced to hoisting buckets up by herself, a chore that made her back ache. She burned her dinner and ate alone with only a dim candle for light and companionship. She ruefully thought of the Amish village where she’d played cards and conversed for the first time in years with someone other than Fred and Beth. I don’t believe it, but I actually miss it. It was fun.

Needing distraction, she flipped through the photo albums of younger, happier days. She wasn’t really paying attention when she had a sudden revelation. Oh my god, it’s not this house that made me happy, it was my family and friends. Stunned, Hannah put the photo album down and walked through the house she’d called home for over twenty years. For the first time, she wasn’t comforted by its solid presence. She missed the love and laughter that used to echo within its walls, and she finally realized that by staying, she wouldn’t get that happiness back. Her family was gone for good, unafraid to start a new life, a better life, and if she wanted the joy that came from being with them, she needed to join them. And even more, she needed to trust in Brody. He would give her all the love she needed if she’d only let him.

Amazed by this revelation, Hannah waited impatiently for Brody to return, her anxiety of earlier so foolish. Of course he’s coming back. I’m his family, me and the baby. And he loves me no matter how dumb I can be sometimes.

On the third day of Brody’s absence, she packed some special photos of her family to take with her when she heard the sound of bikes.

He’s back, and I’ll bet Beth’s come with him to help convince me. Smiling she went out to the front porch eager to see their faces when she told them of her decision. Shading her eyes, she peered into the distance and counted three bikes approaching. And judging by the flags fluttering from their tails, none of them was Brody’s.

Cursing herself for being stupid, she ducked into the house and slammed the door shut. Grabbing the shotgun, she ran into the kitchen and thumbed the lock there too, glad Brody had repaired the door after she’d blasted it. She prayed the strangers on the bike hadn’t seen her.

With sweaty hands, she checked the shotgun chambers and waited. The sound of the bikes approaching got louder and louder, then faded, as they drove on past the house.

Hannah sagged with relief and remained inside for the next few hours, just in case. Around dinner time, she finally unlocked the kitchen door to make a run to the well. Good thing she’d decided to move, this no running water problem was getting annoying real fast.

When she got back to the house, she locked the door behind her again and started chopping up veggies for her supper. A sound from the living room had her pausing. What the hell was that?

Clutching the knife, she inched out into the hallway quietly. She didn’t hear any more noise. Chiding herself for being jumpy, she strode to the living room and then stopped dead in shock as a scruffy man looked over at her from the photo album he was flipping through.

“Hello there, pretty girl.”

Hannah swallowed her fear and in a voice that trembled just a little said, “Please leave. My boyfriend will be back any time now.”

“Ooh, Look at me I’m shaking in my boots.” The stranger leered at her. “You know how long it’s been since I’ve had a woman?”

Hannah felt panic clawing at her and waved the knife at him in shaking hands. “Don’t come near me. Please just go. Brody will hurt you if he finds you here.”

Moving quickly, the thug knocked the knife out of Hannah’s sweaty grasp. She watched with horrified eyes as it spun off out of reach. “Well, since your boyfriend is coming then we’d better leave quickly. Oh and to make sure he doesn’t follow…” With a nasty smile, the scruffy man flicked a lighter and lit the edge of the photo album. Hannah, in the grips of an intense terror, whirled to run only to smack into another intruder who smelled like he hadn’t bathed since the end of the world.

Brody, help me!

Chapter Eleven

A sense of foreboding had Brody driving fast and hard, weaving through the obstacle course that led home.

The trip with Fred had taken him longer than expected having to go slower with the old man and making more frequent stops. Fred had been welcomed by a tearful Beth. Joel had also promised to watch over him. Brody had wanted to return to Hannah then but had been further delayed in the hunt for a new wheelchair for Fred, unable to leave him until he knew the old man was mobile.

Brody had finally left first thing that morning, anxious to return to his stubborn kitten and unable to shake a feeling of dread.

A dread that turned into horror when he saw the smoke billowing in the sky where Hannah waited.

Accidental fire or intentional? The question plagued him as he had to choose between stealth and speed. Knowing how careful Hannah was about all things flammable, he opted for sneaking in. He stashed the bike and hot footed it into the fields that led right up to the house, the long stalks offering him concealment.

He held his handgun in one hand with the safety off and as he prowled through the forest of corn, the rustle of his movement masked by a breeze, he mentally prepared himself for what he might find.

When he reached the edge of the field, he crouched down and crept forward. The smell of smoke drifted thickly here, and he could see the orange and red flickers of flames as they hungrily devoured the old farmhouse. An icy hand squeezed his heart, and he almost ran out into the open, but common sense prevailed. Hugging the edge of the field, he kept moving and was rewarded with the raucous sound of laughter. His eyes scanned the trio of men as they passed a bottle and pointed at the burning house. A lump on the ground moved, and one of the men reached down. Brody heard a whimpering cry.

Hannah!