Sam had a sheepish look on her face, then, in defiance, glared at Tom. Tom only smiled back. Granny B broke the silence. “We’ve covered about seven miles in a little over two hours. That’s better than we’d hoped, but remember, the land is flat here. The hills of Northern California and Southern Oregon will kick our butts, so let’s make time while we can.”
Brenda’s daughter asked, “Can we wait on Jim?”
Tom started to speak, but Granny B waved him off. “Darlin’, your dad chose to go into the city knowing that we’d move on. He knows where we’re going and our route to get there. He said he can walk fast, so he should catch up in a day or so on the Lincoln Highway.
The girl wasn’t convinced but shrugged her shoulders and sat quietly beside her mom. The boy stood up and faced his mom. “You never liked my dad, and you’re not my mom. I don’t have to do what you say. I’m going to find my dad.”
The girl, Greta, said, “Your dad is a jerk and hits my mom. She should have dumped his ass years ago.”
Brenda placed her fingers to her mouth and whistled very loudly. “Kids, that’s enough. Terry, I can’t tell you what to do, but I’ll second what Tom said. Don’t go into the city looking for your dad. It’s not safe.”
“Screw you!” The boy continued cursing as he ran off in the direction of the city.
Greta smiled. “Good riddance to both of those assholes. Jim beat Mom and tried to … well, … have his way with me. I’m glad they’re gone, and I hope thugs take care of both of them.”
Granny B raised her hands skyward. “Stop the murmuring. Brenda and Greta are great additions to our group, and we should pray for the boy and Jim. They’ll need the prayers.”
Brenda stood up. “Well, that’s enough of our dirty laundry. I’m married to an egomaniac who lost his temper over little things, and any time he didn’t get his way. I didn’t know about what Greta said, or I would have killed her stepfather myself. Can you forgive us for dumping our problems on you?”
Jackie gave Brenda a hug, and Tom helped Greta to her feet. “That’s all behind us. We’re burning daylight. Let’s roll. We’ll walk another two hours and make camp for the night.”
Tom had watched the blonde woman as she’d dealt with the obstinate boy and could tell she was strong and should be a good fit for the team. Her daughter Greta was eighteen and looked a lot like her mom. Both were physically fit and looked like they worked out to stay in shape. He hoped they would fit in and contribute during the long walk home. He also wanted to pass on as much survival training as possible during the walk to help them survive.
Brenda was thirty-six and athletic. She played golf and tennis at the country club and had met Jim there a year ago. He’d dazzled her with his massive mansion in the hills above Ashland and bought her expensive gifts. They were only married for a few months before he hit her the first time. The trip to Hawaii was his attempt at stopping her threats to get a divorce. She went on the journey while her lawyers used a forensic accountant to find out where Jim had hidden his money. She’d make him pay for every bruise.
Jackie saw the plants when they walked on top of the overpass. “Granny, I think those are hackberry bushes down there along the gully.”
Granny B looked, and a big smile came over her face. “Yup, that’s hackberries. They’re some good eatin’. Let’s gather some for supper. Betty and Sam, would you two join us picking some berries?”
The ladies scurried down the hillside and began picking the red berries. Granny B filled them in on hackberries. “The berries can be a dull yellow to red. The reddish ones taste the best. Here, eat a couple.”
Both ladies chewed on a few berries and smiled. Granny B said, “Sweet, aren’t they?”
*
Chapter 7
Lincoln Highway north of Dixon, California.
Granny B saw the new subdivision on the east side of the road and marveled at how many people could afford the row after row of huge homes on postage-stamp-sized lots. One of the new homes had been wrapped with Tyvek, but the brick veneer hadn’t been added. The house piqued her interest. “Bill, come with me. I see something in that construction site that we could use.”
Bill saw the elderly woman climb over the fence without difficulty and followed her up to the home. Granny B cautiously walked around the house and found what she needed. “Look, Bill! We now have tents and emergency blankets.”
She pointed at the long roll of white material that had the word Tyvek printed on it. The material was used as a vapor barrier for new homes. “Help me cut a couple of large sections for tents and then some smaller ones for blankets.”
They cut two sections nine-foot by-fifteen foot and a dozen sheets eight feet long by six feet wide. The material was light in weight and made a loud crinkling noise as they folded it into manageable bundles. Granny B poked around the site while Bill folded the small sheets by himself. She saw carpenter tools scattered around as though the carpenters had run for their lives. Several pickups with construction company logos were parked around the empty homes. She found keys in one of the trucks, but it wouldn’t start, which didn’t surprise her.
Granny B looked into the home and was pleased to find that the house was being wired when it’d been abandoned. She
