Scorched Read online

  Boyd climbs the rest of the way up the slight incline to the main tracks and faces east. What’s out there besides the desert wastes? Where could they be going and what are they traveling in? He reaches up and rubs at the oil burn on the side of his face, causing the bullet wound in his arm to flare up. A scowl crosses his face. The old woman who burned him might be dead but the girl shot him and his brother betrayed him. That was two offenses he couldn’t overlook. Boyd spins back to the building where his men are waiting and barks down to them, “I need a map!”

  Chapter Ten

  “I swear, I don’t know where they went!” Silvia sobs before her head slams to the side from another blow.

  Boyd Baker stares at the scene taking place in the trashed kitchen with increasing anger. He finally has enough and steps forward with a wave of his hand to back his man off before he can hit the sobbing woman again.

  “Clearly this isn’t working so let’s try a different line of questions. Where do you think she would go? Who does she know that she could run to?”

  Silvia raises a hand to her throbbing cheek and cups it before answering.

  “Her Mom, Monica maybe? I don’t even know where she is. Bonita never said. Just that she had gone north to try and find her father’s people.”

  Boyd shakes his head. “No, they didn’t go north so who else is there? What about her father? Where’s he at?”

  Silvia shakes her head in panic that she doesn’t have the answers this cruel man wants. “He’s just some guy Monica hooked up with. He’s never been in their lives.”

  Boyd throws up his hands. “Fine! What about her grandmother’s people?”

  Silvia heaves in a shaky breath and shakes her head. “Bonita’s family were all from Mexico. They disowned her when she married Lucas. They didn’t approve of her marrying a white man.”

  Boyd kicks a table chair across the room to crash into the wall.

  “East! They went east! What reason would she have to go east?” He bellows, just inches from Silvia’s face. When she just shakes her head frantically that she doesn’t know, he shoves away from the table and turns to one of his men. “Go get one of the kids!”

  Silvia screams out, “No. No, please! Wait, just wait! I’m trying to think. Please don’t hurt my kids!”

  Boyd stares down at her in annoyance. “If you don’t want me to have a little chat with one of your brats, I suggest you think real hard about what I want to know!”

  She holds up her hands and takes a few deep breaths. “Mr. Lucas worked in the east when he was still alive. I don’t know where exactly but I’m pretty sure it was out of state.”

  Boyd stares down at her in thought before pulling a chair around and straddling it backward.

  “I’m listening. Tell me about this grandfather. What did he do for work?”

  Silvia tries to calm her breathing as she wracks her brain for memories long forgotten then nods at Boyd.

  “Ok, he was a prospector. He had some claims in Arizona, I think. He must have done well because they were a wealthy family when I was a child. My mother worked for Bonita as a maid and baby nurse when Monica and I were little. He would be around for a few weeks at a time and then leave again for his claims. I remember one time we all stood by the tracks waving goodbye when he left in his little train car. He always went east until he died out there. That’s all I know!”

  Boyd leans forward when she mentions the tracks and train. “A train? He had a train? No, we would have heard a train leaving last night!”

  At his angry look, she shakes her head. “No! No, it wasn’t a train like in the books. It was just a little car that sat on the tracks. There was no engine to make it go. Miss Bonita told me Mr. Lucas would pump a handle to make it move. I remember I was disappointed there was no train whistle.”

  Boyd leans back and rubs his mouth in thought before glancing over at one of his men with raised eyebrows.

  Marco shrugs and says, “I don’t know. Maybe a handcart?”

  As soon as he said the word handcart, an image of two men see-sawing a handle to move a small platform with wheels down a track fills Boyd’s head. He nods at Marco and looks back at Silvia.

  “Alright, but where were they going?” When she just shook her head, he stands up and pushes the chair away. “One last question. What did the grandfather prospect for?”

  Silvia hesitates for a beat, praying for forgiveness. She knew this man would go after the children and hunt them if she said the one thing he wouldn’t be able to resist. The sounds of her kids crying in the next room firmed her resolve and pushed away the guilt before answering.

  “Gold.”

  As the light of greed fills Boyd’s eyes and a grin spreads across his face, Silvia looks away in shame. She tries to console herself that he has no way to go after them and he would never be able to survive the desert on foot. A commotion at the front door has those thoughts proved wrong. With much shoving and swearing, Silvia’s husband Juan is pushed into the kitchen and onto his knees.

  Boyd looks him over with contempt and nods to Peter, the man who brought him in.

  “What’s this all about?”

  Peter gives Juan’s head a shove. “It’s the husband. He says he came to take his family back to the ranch he’s been working at.” An ugly laugh rolls out of him. “Says it’s not safe here anymore!”

  Boyd waves his hand dismissively and starts to turn away but Peter’s next words have him turning back in interest.

  “This guy’s got wheels! He drove right up in a weird looking car.”

  Boyd looks Juan over with a frown. “How’d you get a car to work? There hasn’t been any gas around here for years.”

  Juan glares up at Boyd and stays stubbornly silent until Boyd walks over and wrenches Silvia’s head back with a handful of her hair.

  “I can add a few more colors to her face if you’d like or we can bring one of your kids in.”

  Juan takes in the bruised and swelling face of his wife before he slumps in defeat and shakes his head.

  “It doesn’t run on gas. It’s solar powered and it’s not a car. It’s a dune buggy.”

  Boyd releases Silvia and walks back over to Juan. “See, that wasn’t so hard. Now, where did you get it? Did you steal it?”

  Juan shakes his head. “I don’t steal! El patrón of the ranch I’ve been working at lent it to me to bring my family back. He’s letting all the workers bring their families back. The government won’t be giving rations or water out anymore so to keep his workers he offered them and their families sanctuary.”

  Boyd laughs. “What an idiot! All those extra mouths to feed?”

  Juan’s expression turns to one of contempt. “He’s a good man! It’s smart business too. His operation is the last major ranch left in this state so if all his workers leave to try and help their families find food and water, the ranch will be done for. This way he takes care of both his workers and his ranch.”

  Boyd shrugs indifferently. “Whatever. I guess it’s lucky for you that you have a place to go. I just hope for your kids’ sake it’s not that far to walk!” He waves Peter off. “Let him go. We’re done here.”

  As the gang files out of the house, Boyd turns to Marco with a grin. “How much gold do you think we’d need to buy passage over the wall?”

  Marco stands beside him on the top step looking down on the rest of the men who are checking out the strange looking vehicle in the street. He lowers his voice so only Boyd can hear him.

  “That depends on how many you want to take with you.” He turns to him with a shrewd look. “You’d also want as much as possible left once you’re over the wall to set up for a new life.”

  Boyd studies his man with consideration before turning away with a slow nod then goes down the steps to the yard and calls all the men over. Once they have gathered around him, he speaks.

  “Alright, listen up! Marco, Peter and I will be taking this dune buggy and going after the girl and my coward of a brother for a little p
ayback. The rest of you need to continue stripping this town of all the food and water you can find. Stock pile it up at the house. We’re going to need it. When we get back, we’re leaving this deathtrap and headed north!”

  Most of the men cheer at this but a few of the smarter ones look unconvinced. One of them steps forward and asks, “Why do you need to waste time going after them? They’ll just end up dead out there anyway. If we’re going north, then we should just clear this town and go.”

  Boyd scowls and snarls at him. “I’m the leader of this gang! You don’t get to question me!”

  A few more of his men frown at the non-answer and step forward so Boyd lets out an annoyed sigh.

  “Fine! One, that little brat shot me and my brother betrayed me. They need to answer for that by my hand. Two, they have something that will pave our way to a new life up north. I’m going to get it for all of us. Three, anyone who has an issue with my decision can just stay here and starve to death! Anyone got a problem with that?”

  His explanation seems to appease most of them so he waves his hands to get them moving. Once they’re out of earshot, he turns to Marco.

  “I think three passes over the wall will do.” When Marco smiles and nods his agreement, he continues. “Good, let’s get loaded up. We need to catch up to those kids. They’re the ticket to us finding some gold!”

  Chapter Eleven

  Excerpt from a private letter.

  February 12, 2028

  My dearest Bonita,

  How I miss you and wish I was home in your warm embrace. Things have gone well here and our claim is playing out richly! I believe we will have more than enough to secure a comfortable future for many years to come.

  I wish you had come with me on this trip as I’ve discovered the most amazing place. I decided to take a break after ten hard days of work and went exploring deeper into the mountains. You know from previous trips with me just how barren and dry this area is so you would have been just as shocked as I was to stumble into a lush green valley in the middle of this desolate land. A brilliant blue stream, the color of your eyes, runs down the middle of it with green grasses and wildflowers covering both banks. The stream is fed by a twenty-foot waterfall that pours from an opening in the valley wall with a large pool at its base. I swear, I thought I was sun-touched and delirious so I sat for a good hour just gazing down at the beauty of it before I convinced myself it was real.

  I made my way down and had to laugh as I startled a small herd of mule deer from where they had been drinking at the stream. When I reached the pool at the bottom of the waterfall, I stripped down to my birthday suit and dove right in. The cool water was crystal clear and tasted as sweet as wine. How I wished you were there with me to enjoy that moment.

  I laid down in the soft grass of the meadow beside the stream and let the sun dry my body as I planned how I would build a beautiful home for you right where I was laying. It will be the perfect location for us to escape the troubles that our nation is going through. A safe haven where we can raise and grow our family. I know you will love it as much as I do.

  I can’t wait to be home with you and plan to leave soon. I’m including a few pictures of the valley that I’ve scanned in so you can see why I’m so excited by it. I truly haven’t seen such lush natural vegetation since I left British Columbia. You know how much I love our life in California but seeing this valley gave me a powerful longing for the green landscape of my childhood.

  I hope this data file reaches you today and the mail satellites aren’t backed up again!

  All my love for you.

  Your adoring husband,

  Lucas

  The first thing I notice when I wake up is that Glo has curled up against me. The next thing I notice is that we’re not in bed but on a hard wooden floor. The confusion only lasts for a second when the memories of what happened to Abuela and our home come flooding back. When I remember Beck pumping the handle to get us away from his brother, I shove myself to my feet and frantically look around the cart to find him. The breath and tension whoosh out of me when I see him sleeping at the other end of the cart. I study his peaceful face as he sleeps and I try to see the boy I once knew in the man he’s almost become. The only thing that looks the same to me is his brown wavy hair that has golden highlights running through it.

  I shake my head. It doesn’t matter what he looks like. I need to decide if he’s a threat to my sister and me. I know he’s been in his brother’s gang but everything I’ve seen from him in the last twenty-four hours says he’s not like the rest of them. He let us pass after the ration station when his brother’s men would have robbed us of our supplies. And if he was a threat to us, then why did he not only race to warn us about the attack that was coming but flee from his brother with us too? I don’t know the answers to these questions but I do know that I don’t trust him. As far I can tell, he came to our house empty handed so he could be after our food and water. I pat the messenger bag that’s still over my shoulder. The old gun that’s inside it will be our safety net if he tries anything.

  I’m surprised and take a step back when his eyes suddenly fly open and he launches to his feet. His moves are so sudden that I’m clawing open the bag to get to the gun but pause when he spins away from me and rushes to the windows. He moves from each one scanning the desert in all directions before slumping down on the padded bench with a deep sigh. His eyes lift to mine and I’m surprised to see that they’re full of weariness. His voice is a dry croak when he speaks.

  “I’m sorry I fell asleep. I just couldn’t pump anymore and I was worried there might be something on the tracks I wouldn’t see in the dark.”

  I just stare at him in silence trying to figure him out. He’s sorry he had to rest and he was trying to keep us from having an accident in the dark? I don’t get how he can be robbing people one day and trying to be a hero the next so I just give him a curt nod and turn away. I walk around the center handles and pull two jugs of water from the shelves before returning and handing him one. I watch him as we both drink deeply and try not to wince at the stale plastic taste of the water. It’s better than the taste of smoke and ash that I woke with.

  When he finishes drinking he turns and looks back out of a window with a frown then says over his shoulder, “We should do our business and get going. I don’t know how far we got last night so we might not have much of a lead on him.”

  I take another step back from him but this time it’s in disbelief. “What are you talking about? What lead? You can’t seriously think he’s going to come after us, do you?”

  He turns all the way around to face me with a grim expression. “You don’t know Boyd like I do. He’ll come for us. Even if it’s just to save face with his men.”

  I shake my head. “How? Does he have transportation? He’d die out here on foot!”

  Beck huffs out a breath. “It doesn’t matter. He’ll find a way. We should go...soon.”

  I chew on my bottom lip in worry for a few seconds before a dark thought swims into my head. “Is he coming for me or is he coming for you? Cause if it’s you he’s after then you can get off right now. I’m not going to let you put my sister in danger!” I practically spit at him.

  I expect a reaction from him but all I get is sad eyes that look beyond tired. “It’s both of us. You defied him by running when he wanted you and what supplies you have and I betrayed him by warning you and then leaving with you. He’s going to want revenge, so like I said, we should go and put as many miles between us and him as possible.”

  I want to argue that he wouldn’t care about me, but if he’s that deranged, then me shooting at him probably sealed my fate. Before I can say anything else, Gloria’s voice pipes in.

  “Día, I have to go.”

  I whirl around to see her staring at me with big scared eyes while she shuffles back and forth in need. I can tell she’s ready to burst and also that she’s overheard what Beck’s said about his brother coming after us. I nod to her and turn t
o Beck.

  “You get off first and then wait for us before you get back on.” I don’t want to chance him taking off on us. I see by his expression that he understands my meaning but he only nods slowly and pushes off the bench. I watch him climb down the steps and move around to the other side of the tracks so I hop down and turn to lift Glo down. We don’t go far to do our morning business and then I rush her back to the cart. As soon as Beck hears us open the door, he comes around and stares at me before looking back towards our home.

  “I’m not a threat to you. All I ever wanted was a way to get away from my brother. I didn’t warn you because I wanted something. I did it because it was the right thing to do and we used to be friends. You can leave me here if you think you’d be better off without me but I think it would be a mistake. I can help with the pumping and if Boyd does find us, I’ll fight him. I’m done being his punching bag!”

  I look up at Gloria who’s standing in the doorway. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to protect her. I don’t know what we’ll find down the tracks. Having Beck with us might make all the difference in our survival. I turn from her worried face to his.

  “You don’t even know where we’re going!”

  He shakes his head and I see a small smile start to form on his face.

  “I don’t even care. All that matters to me is that it’s away from Boyd and...I’m not alone anymore.” He blushes and looks away so I glance back at Gloria. She meets my eyes and gives a firm nod so I turn back to Beck and point at the door.

  “Start pumping!”

  He won’t meet my eyes when he nods but I can see the relief in his expression as he moves towards the steps. I go up ahead of him and start rummaging around in the basket that Abuela slid to me last night. It’s filled with prepared food that will see us through the next few days. I pass a wrapped tortilla that’s filled with sprouts and peppers to Glo and take one for myself. I catch Beck’s glance as he starts pumping the handle and then hold the wrap up to him.