Chapter Sixteen Mike

Mike leaves Petersburg and travels to the Army post. Sergeant Jenkins and he travel north on a scouting expedition. Mike returns to Petersburg.

 

Mike had wanted to leave Petersburg quietly, but that was not to be.  As he was explaining his plan to Howard, Gabby's startled face appeared over the edge of the loft.

"You're leaving, Petersburg, Ch... uh, Mike?" she asked.

Howard winced.  "Sorry, Mike.  I forgot she was up there.  She's been feeling a little ill, and Diana didn't want her to give something to the whole village."  He looked up at Gabby.  "You keep this to yourself, young lady.”

"Of course," she replied solemnly, innocently.

By nightfall, the whole village knew of Mike’s plan.  Howard confirmed it at Meeting, which Mike did not attend.

"He’s leaving in the morning.  He's going for a visit to the Army post.  He's going to see Erin.  If he wants to say goodbye to you, he will.  Otherwise, leave him alone."

Mike wanted to make this trip alone, but Howard had no intention of letting Mike do that.  He made his own plans.  He did let Mike sleep in the cabin loft that night, so Mike wasn't pestered all night with questions.  When morning came, Mike went to see Desi.  She was in her room alone with Michael.   Mike was used to the sight of Desi breast feeding, by now.  He hardly noticed it.

"So you're off," she said.

"Yeah."

"Mike, thanks, for everything," she said, which discomforted the young man.

"Everybody helped," he protested. "It took all of us to make Petersburg."

"I don't mean that," she said.  "I mean thanks for John and me.  And for Michael.  You could have kept me for yourself, you know."

Mike couldn’t help himself, he started laughing.  "No, Desi," he said.  "No way, I could have kept you."  She laughed, too, as she threw a pillow at him.

"See you, Chief."

"See you, Desi."

Mike gathered his gear, left the Lodge, and walked out to the graveyard.  Someone had recently changed the flowers on the three graves.  Hector found him there.

"So," Hector said.

"Yes.”

Hector wrapped his arms around the boy and squeezed him tightly, and Mike felt tear drops on the top of his head.

"Vaya con Dios, mi amigo," he heard Hector whisper.

"See ya, Hector.”

Mike went to the dining hall and ate breakfast.  Some of the villagers just waved at him, others said “good-bye, Chief.”  Tyler came in and sat down at the table and waited, while Mike finished eating.  Gabby passed by, and Mike noticed that she was wearing the earrings and pendant Tyler had given her.

"You two behave yourselves," he said.  They laughed.

"We will," Tyler said.

"We know the rules," Gabby added.

"Don't get Gabby pregnant, Tyler," Mike instructed the younger boy.

"Chief!"

"Don't worry, Mike," said Tyler. "Diana found those plastic penises the girls were supposed to use for practicing putting a condom on."

"Tyler!"

Mike chuckled.  He got up, took his bowl and his utensils to the kitchen window, and left the dining hall.  At the bridge, he met Lieutenant Kennedy and Yuie.

"Hey, Ch... Mike," Yuie said, giving him a quick hug.

"Hey, Yuie," Mike replied. “Lieutenant, please, take care of her.”

"Roger that, Mike," said Kennedy.  He and Mike bumped fists.

In the parking lot, Mike found Howard, Jacob, Eric, Ahmad, Rasul, and John.  They were carrying their spears.

"We thought that we would take a walk with you," Howard said, grinning.

“Yeah, the old lady said I could go,” John added.

Mike shook his head in disgust, but secretly he was pleased.

"You don't want to wait for the motorcycle?" Mike asked Ahmad and Rasul, who were scheduled to begin guard duty at the RV guard post.

"Motorcycles are for p*****s," Rasul sneered. "Real men march."

The Spears marched up the rise, and at the top, Mike turned and waved once to Yuie.  Then they marched away and passed out of the sight of Petersburg.  They marched down the road until they came to the Hanging Tree, where Mike stopped.  He looked at the graves.  He looked at the noose still hanging from the branch.  He turned to Howard.

"If I had it to do all over again, I would do the same thing," he said fiercely.

"So would I, Chief," said Howard.  "So would I."

Howard shook hands with Mike, and then he started back to the village.  When he was still within hailing distance, Howard stopped.

"Hey, don't forget, Mike," he called. "You're still a resident of Petersburg.  Behave yourself."

Mike laughed.  "I know the rules,” he called back. “Hell, I wrote most of them."

At nightfall, they arrived at the Logging Road junction guard post.  They spent the night around a campfire, laughing and telling old lies.  In the morning, they waved goodbye to Ahmad and Rasul.  The other four trudged up Logging Camp Road, until they came to the junction of Davis Brown Farm Road.  They ate their supper around Mary's table.  The next morning, John informed Mike that they would ride the bikes when they left the farm.  Mike was surprised and gratified to hear that.  Mike said “good-bye” to the girls and boys living at the farm.  He said “good-bye” to Mary and her kids.  Finally, he turned to Ralph.

"You know, it might be a good idea to figure out some way to paint that barn," he said.

"Yeah," Ralph said as he chuckled. "I'll get right on that."

"And the chicken coop really should be expanded."

"Good idea," Ralph said with a smile.

"And the trout pond needs to be weeded around the edges."

"Alright," Ralph said.

"And the horse stalls could be mucked out a little better."

"Chief.”

"And the solar walls need cleaning."

"Get lost, Chief," Ralph growled.

Mike started laughing.  He climbed on his bike, and the four boys pedaled away, down the road.

"Get a haircut, Chief," Ralph yelled.

Mike laughed and flipped him the finger.

The four boys bicycled past the teenagers at the guard post with a wave, as they began the difficult journey through the towering mountains.  Sometimes, they were forced to get off and push their bikes uphill.  Sometimes, they coasted downhill for a long way.  Two days later, as the autumn sun was going down, they arrived at the old campsite beside the clear blue lake.  White lilies had taken up residence among the fireweed and lady ferns.  They spent the day fishing, relaxing, and giving John a hard time about Desi.

"Big talk from guys that aren't getting any," John replied.

That shut up Mike and Eric.  John noticed that Jacob had not harassed him, and he had a good idea that Lily was the reason why.  A dirt road led north from the lake.  Jacob told them that he was going to ride his bike north for a day and then explore the terrain.  He agreed to meet John and Eric in three days at their camp by the lake.  Mike rode alongside Jacob to where the turnoff of the north road began.  They got off their bikes and looked awkwardly at each other.

"Um... Jacob," Mike said.  "I was wondering why you didn't want to come and get me, so I could help you guys with those people from the Retreat.  Did you really think I had led you guys long enough, and that you guys needed to prove yourselves to me?  Or did you think that all of the time I spent in Chief’s Headquarters meant that I was getting, like, soft or something?  Or did you think there was not enough time to come get me?"  He paused and looked expectantly at Jacob.

Jacob said, "Yes."

Mike waited one moment more, and then he started laughing.  "Bye, Jacob.  Be careful," he said.

"Thanks, Chief," said Jacob.  He got on his bike and rode away.

After watching until Jacob disappeared, Mike mounted his bike and rode back to where Eric and John were packing.  Together, they rode northeast that day, until they came to a steep slope.  The road climbed the slope by way of some switchbacks, and then it disappeared around the north side of the rocky mountain.  At the bottom of the slope, they made their camp.  In the morning, Mike said “good-bye” to John and Eric.  He started the long climb up the slope, pushing his bike.

As Eric watched Mike, he asked John, "Why did you want me to come with you guys?  I would have thought that you would have liked to be alone with Mike for this trip.  You're his best friend."

"Are you kidding, dude?" said John.  "You had to come and see him off.  S**t, man, you’re the guy that started all this."

"Me?" Eric said, surprised at John’s words. "What did I do?"

"You told us that we should be hearing someone on the radio phone, remember?  After that is when Mike got serious," John explained.  "After that is when he started thinking about how we could survive on our own.  A bunch of kids on our own.  Hell, Mike was only thirteen."

"Yeah, that's right," said Eric, remembering. “I always wondered why all of you older kids did whatever he told you to do.”

“We were scared, and he was the only one taking charge,” John answered.  “Someone had to.”

John shaded his eyes from the early morning sun as he watched Mike reach the top of the slope.

"You know," he remarked. "If Pete hadn't gotten himself killed, we'd probably be living in Geek City.  Yeeoowww!"  John yelped when Eric used his spear to goose John between his legs.

"Geeks rule! Jocks drool!" cried Eric, laughing as he jumped on his bike and quickly rode away.

"Come back here, you little s**t," John yelled as he jumped on his own bike.

High above, on the slope where the road bent around the mountain, Mike was laughing as he watched the antics of his friends.  He watched John chase Eric for a few minutes, and then he turned his bike, and he continued his journey around the mountain and down the other side.

That night, Mike made his camp in a green grassy vale, and then he turned in, early.  The sky was clear, the moon was a thin crescent, and the stars were brilliant.  He lay in his sleeping bag with his hands behind his head watching the skies.  Occasionally a shooting star flashed by from the east.  He was truly alone for the first time in years.  There was no one within miles of him.

He thought about his lost family, and he dripped tears for a while.  But inevitably, his thoughts wandered back to Petersburg.  He hoped that his friends were happy.  He hoped that his community was safe.  He hoped that they would all survive and grow, and that one day when the fog was gone, and when someone from outside made contact with them, those who found them would find a thriving vibrant town.

The next day he pedaled hard, only stopping for a few minutes.  At dusk, he was hailed and told to stop.

"Who are you?" a man in a uniform asked.

"I'm Mike," he said. "I'm from Petersburg."

"Hold on."

One of the soldiers was sent to the rear.  He came back, and then Mike was allowed into the post.  He was escorted to another soldier.

"You say your name is ‘Mike?’  And you're from Petersburg?  And you made your way here alone?" she asked skeptically.  Later, he learned that she was Sergeant Annie Jenkins.

"Yes, and I have a letter from the Mayor of Petersburg that’s addressed to Major Collins," Mike replied.

"I'll take that," she said brusquely.

"I'll give it to the Major personally," Mike replied.

She scowled.  "Fine," she said.  They found Mike a billet and even offered him a meal, which he accepted.

Mike had planned to leave the following morning, but when daylight arrived, he was told that he would have to wait until the following day, when Sergeant Jenkins was leaving for the main Army post.  His bike was confiscated for use by the Army.

So he cooled his heels for a day, and then he was allowed to accompany Sergeant Jenkins.  The bike was returned to him and Jenkins rode another, so they made the trip in two days.  When they arrived at the palisade, she led Mike to the building that housed Major Collins’ office, and then Sergeant Jenkins told Mike to take a seat outside the inner office while she went in to see the Major.

"Sir, I have a civilian in custody who says he has a letter for you from the Mayor of Petersburg," Mike heard her say to Major Collins.

"Really?  Well, show him in, Sergeant," the Major replied.

The Sergeant came to the door and motioned Mike into the room.  When he entered, the Major's face lit up with pleasure.

"Mike!" he cried.  "Mike, how are you?  So you came.  Wait a minute."  He looked at Sergeant Jenkins.

"Did you say that you took him into custody, Sergeant Jenkins?" he said.

The Sergeant opened her eyes wide.  "Uh..." she said.

"You took our top civilian leader into custody?" he asked furiously.

"Uh..."

"Sir, I 'm not a leader or anything anymore, remember?" Mike said hastily as he sat down on the sofa.  "I'm just Mike.  Howard is the Mayor now.  He's the one that sent the letter."

The Major winced.  "Sorry, Mike.  Like everyone else, I've got into the habit of thinking of you as the Chief."  Mike did not reply.

"Sorry, Sergeant," said the Major. "That will be all."

"Yes, Sir," the Sergeant replied as she saluted.

As she passed by the boy, she glared at Mike, and he pressed himself into the sofa.

"Annie Jenkins is a good soldier," said Major Collins.  "Even if she is a little too much by the book.”

He sat down behind his desk and read the letter.  When he finished, he looked at Mike.

“Do you know what this says?” he asked.  Mike said nothing.

“Stupid question,” the Major muttered. “You probably wrote it.”  Mike just smiled.

“Alright, then.  Fill me in, Mike.  What has happened in Petersburg since I left?"

Mike and the Major talked for over an hour, and then a young woman popped into the room.

"Hi, Chief," she said, grinning at him.

"Hi, Erin," he said, delighted to see his old friend.

"Ah, here's my orderly now," said the Major.  "Perhaps you could take our famous visitor and find him some quarters, Erin.  Get him something to eat.  Show him around.  Oh, wait, I forgot.  You already know where everything is.  Including the way out."  The Major laughed at his joke.

"Hey, I said that I was sorry about that," Mike complained, but he laughed too.

Erin escorted Mike from the Major's office, and then she gave him a hug.  They talked as they walked to the mess hall.  Erin told Mike that her boyfriend was meeting them at their destination.  Erin's boyfriend was nice, and everyone in the mess hall was friendly until Sergeant Jenkins passed by.  She stopped and gave him an unfriendly eye.

"So, you were the big shot in your little pond, huh," she said. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen," Mike replied. "Almost sixteen."

"Almost sixteen," she repeated with a smirk.  "A real experienced guy."

Erin stood up and faced Annie, anger flushing her face.  "Yes, he is," she said in a loud voice.

The room quieted, as the startled people in the room turned to listen to Erin.  Her eyes flashed as she stared back at the Sergeant.

"His name is Mike, and when he was thirteen, he became the leader of our people.  He began by organizing a bunch of kids into a fighting unit. He used that unit to compel the rest of us kids to face the reality of the Fog.  He started guarding and rationing food.  He made a plan for the winter, so we wouldn't freeze to death.  He made rules that protected us girls from sexual intimidation."

“Jeez, Erin,” Mike mumbled, his face red.

Erin looked around the room to make sure that she had everyone's attention.  "When we were attacked by vicious b******s who murdered two of us, he single handedly killed one of the attackers with a homemade spear.  It’s still known as 'Mike’s Throw.'  He and his fighters chased the murderers.  He was too late to stop a girl from being raped and killed, but he arrived in time to stop a man who was in the process of raping and strangling another girl.  His unit killed two of the men, and they captured a third man.  Not a boy like Mike and his guys.  A big evil man.  Mike personally put a noose around that man's head, and with the rest of us helping, he hanged him.  There are a lot of other things he did; though it's true that he had a lot of help.  We were happy to help him, because he was determined to keep us alive.”

Erin stopped there and looked down at the teenager with the pained expression on his face.

In a softer voice, she finished.  “His name is Mike, and he’s not perfect, but I am proud to tell you that he is, and he always will be, the Chief of our Tribe."

Erin stopped talking.   Many of the curious soldiers and civilians crowded around, eager to be introduced to a very embarrassed Mike.  Mike glanced at Annie.  She stared back at him with a blank expression, and then she turned away.  Mike wondered what she was thinking.

For a few days, Mike just relaxed.  He had no responsibilities, and he had no duties.  He slept late.  He tended to find himself out on the edge of the knoll.  He checked for the small nylon line that he and Kevin had used to leave the post.  To his surprise, it was still there.  He was eager to explore the new barracks building.  It was circular and made of timbers, including the roof.  There were no windows.

“It’s not the usual Army configuration,” Major Collins confided.  “But it retains heat better than a rectangular building would.  The central fireplace makes for a more even distribution of the available heat.  I wish we had glass that would retain the heat.  I miss having windows.”

“How about using windshields from abandoned cars?” Mike suggested.  “Would those retain the heat?”

The Major looked interested.  “That might work, Mike,” he replied.

After a few more days, Mike realized that he was bored.  Everybody was busy, except him.  Erin and the Major were working and didn't have time to entertain him.  And the post was much more regimented than Petersburg.  The mess hall closed at a certain time.  Late to breakfast?  Sorry, we don't reopen, even for the Chief of Petersburg.

Then the Major called him to the main office one morning.  "I have a chore for you, if you are willing," the Major told him.

"Sure.  Anything," Mike replied, eager to be of some use.

"I'm sending Sergeant Jenkins, north, on a scouting mission.  I’d like you to go with her.  Three weeks out, three weeks back.  That should put you back here by the middle of November."

Mike's heart sank.  He was definitely not one of Sergeant Annie Jenkins' favorite people.  She had made that clear by ignoring him ever since the incident in the mess hall the first day.  He wondered if he should say something to the Major, but in the end he decided to remain silent.  He figured that the Sergeant would probably find a reason to ease him out of the mission.

"Can I take my spear?" he asked, just in case she didn’t.

"Of course."

Sergeant Annie Jenkins did try to talk Major Collins out of sending Mike with her, but her attempts were unsuccessful.

"Sir, he's not only a civilian, he's a kid," argued Jenkins. "I can't do my job and nursemaid a boy, too."

"He's no ordinary boy, Sergeant, and you well know it," the Major answered sternly. "Now get your a*s out there, and do your duty."  Steaming, Annie made her preparations.

The post had visitors before the expedition left.  Don rode into the post, sitting in the Brown wagon.  It was carrying a load of vegetables and other food.  Nathan, Kevin, and Ahmad were with him.

Ahmad was riding a bicycle.  Mike was delighted to see them.

“Whew,” Ahmad said as he dismounted.  “Getting this wagon here was no piece of cake.  Sometimes, we had to unload it and push the wagon up a steep spot.  Then we had to carry the cargo up and repack the wagon.  I hope these horses are grateful.”

Mike was eager for news of Petersburg.

“I performed three more weddings,” said Don. “Ralph and Mary are married now.  The Mayor issued a provisional death certificate for Davis Brown.  The little girl seems reconciled to their marriage.  And the Mayor and Jean are married, although I’m surprised we didn’t have to drag her, kicking and screaming, to the podium.  She kept muttering about some kind of obedience card, whatever that is.  And Rasul and Imee are married.”

“Makayla is going to stay at the Brown Farm with us this winter,” said Kevin.  “She and Paige are sharing the attic.  Kylie is staying in Star’s room.”

“Rasul and Imee are moving into the solar apartments,” Nathan added. “The Mayor thought we needed one of the nurses at the farm.  Kevin and I are moving in there, too.  Poor Comet will be all alone with those four girls.”

The villagers stayed almost a week, and Mike enjoyed every minute of their visit but then, except for Don, they climbed back onto the empty wagon and headed back to Petersburg.  The next day, Sergeant Jenkins and Mike left the post and headed north.

At the first opportunity, she said to Mike, "Listen up, kid.  I didn't want you with me, but that's not my decision.  So, you and I are going to accomplish this mission, and we are going to do it successfully.  My role is to do everything.  Your role is to keep your mouth shut, and follow me.  Got it?"

"Yes," Mike responded meekly.

Annie, who had been expecting an argument, glared at him suspiciously and glanced contemptuously at his homemade spear.

They trekked north for a week, skirting the edge of the Sierras.  It was a much drier clime than Petersburg.  From time to time, they came right to the edge of a long slope dropping steeply down into the extreme eastern plain of California which was hidden by the brown soup.  After a week, they moved farther into the mountains.

For the most part, they got along.  Annie led the way, and Mike followed.  Mike did as he was told.  He set up camp, made the meals, and cleaned up afterwards, and he struck camp the next day.  Annie was polite, if not overly friendly.  She was annoyed that he managed to spear several grouse and to catch others with his snares.  But his successes saved their packed food for later.

Her problem was that she was curious.  She couldn't help herself from digging further into the details of the incidents that Erin had described.  It wasn't easy.  She began to appreciate that he was reluctant to overemphasize his importance, and she began to gain an appreciation of what the kids had gone through.

"So you doubled up in your little cave," she mentioned one night as they sat by their campfire.  "Wasn't that taking quite a chance, allowing some of the boys to double up with the girls?  What about your rules?"

“There wasn't a lot of room between one pair and the next," Mike explained.  "And it was so cold that we had to put on all of our clothes.  I managed to wear two pairs of pants, three shirts, and three pairs of socks.  Besides, I think we were all too scared of freezing.  Other than the cold, the biggest problem we had was that a couple of kids peed in their bags.  That was a mess."

His comment reminded Annie of just how young those kids had been two years ago.

"You were thirteen, then," she stated.

''No, by that time, I was fourteen," he replied.

"Have you improved your Lodge since then?” Annie asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's a lot better.  Hector built a loft, so we have a lot more sleeping room.  He covered the walkway to the Porta Pottys.  The fireplace is so cool.  But the best thing is hot showers.  Everyone loves that."

Annie stared at him.  "Bullshit.  There's no way you could take a hot shower in a cave."

Mike shrugged.  "Ask the Major," Mike said.  "He took one."

Annie did not reply, but she resolved that she would definitely ask the Major to confirm or deny Mike's claim.  A hot shower, she thought with a shiver.  She felt weak with pleasure at the very idea.

When they had traveled for three weeks, they stopped.  They had not seen any sign of human life.  They struck gold however, but not the metal kind.  They found them in a small green valley.  Snow runoff from the surrounding mountains had collected in a small rill, and they were drinking.

"Horses," Mike said with delight.

It was a small herd of five mares, three yearlings, and a stallion.  Annie and Mike watched them for a long time, and Mike thought that Annie was truly comfortable with him for the first time.  Annie couldn’t help smiling to herself as she observed Mike’s excitement.  He’s not that bad, she decided.

“They’re so wild.  So free.”

"Yes.”  She was pensive as she watched the horses and the boy.  He was still disturbing, but in a different way.

They found a place to camp, and they did so quietly, so as not to disturb the herd.  Mike and Annie had mummy bags made of synthetic down, so they did not need a tent.  Mike made a small fire, and they roasted a large bird and some of the potatoes that Ahmad had brought to the Post.  Earlier that day, Mike had found some wild onions, and some tubers, and some kind of green leaves that he used to make a salad.  Annie was constantly surprised at the amount of food that Mike could supply from their surroundings.

"Our Forest Ranger taught me," he explained, when she mentioned his ability.  "I think she was in a bad mood one day, because some of the kids were complaining about how she cut their hair.  She insisted that I should come to the classes she was teaching.  Actually, I enjoyed her classes.  I always liked school."

"Not me," Annie replied.  "I couldn't wait to get out of school.  When I turned eighteen, I dropped out and joined the Army.  They took me, but they told me that I had to get my GED, so I did.  Then, when I got out of AIT, I volunteered to join the Rangers.  I got in, but they made me take more classes."

"Where are you from, Annie?" Mike asked.

"That's Sergeant Jenkins to you, kid," Annie replied, giving him a frown that he ignored. "I was born and raised in Carlsbad, New Mexico."

"Oh, they have some caves there," Mike stated.  "Did you ever see them?"

"Sure, lots of times," Annie said.  "You have to walk down this long series of switchbacks, at first.  It gets colder, the farther you walk down.  When you get to the bottom, there are lots of different rooms to walk though."

"Is it really mysterious and spooky?" Mike asked eagerly.  "Are there, like, bats and things flying around?  Did you think you ever saw, like, ghosts and other weird stuff?"

Annie laughed.  "Yeah, there's weird stuff down there.  Tourists, I mean.  Lots and lots of tourists.  Really weird tourists.  The place is full of them.  All running around and bumping into people.  And yapping.  Always yapping."

"Oh," Mike said, disappointed.

"But it is interesting, Mike," Annie continued. "There are bats at the entrance, but they don't fly during the day.  They come out at sunset.  Probably too hot for them during the day."

"Is it really hot in Carlsbad?" Mike asked.

"Hell, yes, it's hot," said Annie emphatically. "One time it was one hundred fourteen degrees in the shade.  My boyfriend and I went to the caves that day to get out of the heat.   Afterwards, we rode the elevator up to ground level, but we weren't allowed to go outside the visitor’s center until we had adjusted to the change in the temperature.  It was sixty degrees in the caves, and it was eighty degrees in the visitor’s center."

"Wow," Mike exclaimed.  "I don't think I've ever been anyplace that was over one hundred degrees.  San Francisco usually doesn't get to ninety degrees."

That perked up Annie’s interest.  "Are you from San Francisco, Mike?" she asked.

"Yes," Mike replied.  "My family lived on a small road just off Geary Boulevard.  It's not far from Golden Gate Park.  My Dad was a teller at a bank on Market Street.  Every work morning, he would take the bus to Powell Street, and then he would ride the cable car down to Market Street.  That is, if it had room.  In the mornings, it usually did, but in the afternoon he usually had to walk back up to Geary Street and catch the bus home, because there were too many tourists on the cable car by then.  There’s a turnaround close to the bank, but in the afternoon there’s a line of tourists waiting to ride the cable car."

Mike was silent.  Memories came flooding into his mind.  He remembered walking up to steep Coit Tower, and eating shrimp cocktails at Fisherman's Wharf, and the times he had stood in line to share a chocolate sundae with his brother at Ghirardelli Square.  Tears gathered in his eyes.

Annie was watching him.  She knew that he was remembering.  For a moment, her own thoughts drifted back to her lost home.  She remembered sitting on the bluffs over the caves.  From there, she would imagine that she could see down into Texas.  She remembered passing through oil stinky Artesia, the day her boyfriend stole his father’s car and drove them to Roswell to visit the silly alien museum and the more interesting Goddard Museum.

There were, Annie realized, things that she and this boy had in common.  Enough melancholy.  She searched for a subject guaranteed to take Mike's mind off the past.

"Since you’re from San Francisco, does that mean you’re gay?" she asked nonchalantly.

Mike broke away from his thoughts.  "What?" he asked.

"Are you gay?" Annie repeated.  "Do you like boys?"

Mike laughed.  "Believe it or not, almost all guys from San Francisco like girls."  He gazed at her, and then suddenly she saw the gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, yes, Annie," he said softly.  "I like girls."

For some reason, Annie blushed.  Ignoring the gleam in his eyes, she muttered, "That's Sergeant Jenkins to you, kid."

Shortly after that, they crawled into their sleeping bags.  In a little while, Annie heard Mike's slow breathing.  Annie was restless.  She tried to think about how she would write her report.  She tried to focus on the day ahead.  But her mind kept coming back to that gleam in Mike's eyes.  She had no doubt that Mike liked girls.  And for some reason, her body had chosen that night to remind her that she liked boys.

It was time to make their way back to the post.  They traveled farther to the west going back. It was wetter.  There were several days when it snowed.  They were about a week from the post, one frosty morning.  They were traveling down a deer trail, and there was a light sprinkle of snow on the ground.  As usual, Mike was following Annie.  Mike heard Annie gasp and at the same moment, he heard a loud spine chilling roar.

"Back, Mike, get back!" she yelled.

She was slinging her rifle from her shoulder.  Mike stumbled back on the wet ground and fell to one knee.  He heard another enormous growl.  Annie was trying to back away, when she stumbled over Mike.  She fell over him to the ground, and her rifle slammed into the snow covered mud.

"Get back, Mike!" she yelled again, as she tried frantically to lever a cartridge into the chamber.

But the rifle was jammed.  Cursing, she looked up, and then she froze.  It was if she was watching a living image from the distant past.  The California brown bear stood on all fours, growling, his snout was thrust forward.  The boy was standing motionless facing the bear, holding his spear cocked behind his ear.  Annie sucked in a breath and held it.   She could only watch; there was no time to clear her rifle.  Whatever happened would happen.

"Mike," she whispered, fear for his life and wonder at his brave audacity, surging through her.

"Be quiet, Annie," he murmured firmly.

The bear’s growls subsided to huffs.  The huge animal stood there silently watching Mike.  Mike did not move.  Annie held her breath.  For a long moment, the boy and the bear faced each other.  Finally the bear growled one last time, and then it swung around and ambled down the trail, before it turned and disappeared into the trees.

Annie needed to pee.  Her fear began to morph into anger.  Growling, not unlike the bear, she sprang to her feet.  When the boy turned, she grabbed the front of his jacket and lifted him to his toes.

"You better get this straight, Chief," she snarled.  "When we run into danger like that, you get to the rear."

"No."  He said this firmly without any expression in his eyes.

"What did you say?" she asked incredulously.

"No."

She flung him backwards, and he landed on his butt in the mud.  Reacting now to the danger, she began panting.  Momentarily, she stared at him, and then she strode past him.   Her extreme anger was unreasonable; she knew this, but at this moment, she was unable to control it.  She hurried up the trail, putting some distance between them.  Mike followed silently.

They caught a break.  Before nightfall, they found an old miner’s shack.  Inside, they found two ancient beds with plain old fashioned springs and filthy mattresses.  They were too tired to care.  They threw their bags on the mattresses, and they sacked out.

Annie awoke just after midnight.  She lay there in the darkness, thinking about the incident with the bear.  She remembered vividly the sight of Mike fearlessly facing the bear.  No, not fearlessly.  He had been afraid.  He had been very afraid.  Somehow, she knew that.  So, why did he do it?  Why didn't he run like I told him?

You know why he didn't run.  He wouldn't have run in any case, because there was someone he had to protect.  But even more, he would not have run, because she was the one he was protecting.

In the past five weeks, she had sensed the growing attraction he felt for her.  Why?  She hadn’t been exactly friendly towards him, and she had ignored his feelings.  She had ignored the way she was beginning to feel about him.  But she was attracted to him, too, and now in the quiet of the night, she faced that feeling.

D****t, d****t, d****t, it was those damn horses.  It was that day in the green valley, when they had sat there, together, watching the beauty of those animals.  As she had watched the mares running and the yearlings prancing against the backdrop of those majestic snow covered granite peaks, for the first time since the coming of the Fog, she felt real joy, and she was glad that it was Mike who was there with her.

But he's just a kid!  Well, all right, he’s more than a kid.  But he's what?  Sixteen years old, now?

She was a cradle robber.

And you were still eighteen when you realized that you were trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains by this damn mist, Annie.  For the first three months, you were scared shitless.

Mike stirred and turned over.

"Mike," she whispered softly, not sure she wanted him to hear her.

"Yeah?" she heard him say.

"Come here."

Mike crawled out of his bag and came to lie down next to Annie, who was still in her bag.  He rolled onto his back.

Annie tried to speak.  "I... uh... today... uh…"

Mike rolled over and took Annie’s head between his hands, as if it was the most natural thing to do.  He kissed Annie long and tenderly, just as Desi had taught him so long ago.  Annie kissed him back.  She kissed his mouth and his forehead, and she kissed his ears, and she kissed his chin.  Eventually, she let her hand slide down the front of his body.

"Um..." she began in a soft hesitant voice. “I think you're ready."

Mike stiffened.  "I can't," he said.

"Oh, I think you can," she replied, her voice changing to a confident promise.

"No, I mean, it's against the rules.”

She moved back a little.  "What?" she said.  He was sort of killing the mood.

"I'm not sixteen yet," he explained.  "I have to be sixteen, before I can make love with you."

"Who the hell made up that rule?" she exclaimed.

"I did," he said earnestly.

Annie rolled onto her back and laughed.  She laughed long, and she laughed hard.  Finally, through tears of laughter and maybe some of relief, she sat up and wiped her eyes.

"So, when will you be sixteen?" she asked.

"Next week," Mike answered eagerly.

"Ah," Annie replied.

 

Epilogue

Two and a half years later, Mike sat on the lawn below the Lodge.  It was the middle of May, in the late morning.  Desi sat on his right.  She was nursing her daughter.  John sat on his left.  They were watching Michael and Diego.  The little boys were just below them, giggling and laughing as they chased butterflies.

“There’s another contrail,” said John while pointing at the sky.

“Yeah,” Desi responded.  “I wonder where the plane came from.”

“Maybe Denver,” her husband said.  “Eric says that they have that airport up and running.  I suppose that they would have to since that’s where they moved the Capitol.”

"Something's wrong," Mike said, a frown on his face.

"Nothing’s wrong," John answered.

"I'm telling you that something is wrong," Mike insisted. "She threw up this morning and, well, please don't tell her that I said this, but she's gaining weight.  I think she might have some kind of eating sickness."

"She's not sick," Desi said, rolling her eyes and looking behind Mike’s back at her husband.

John mouthed, "Clueless.  Totally clueless."

Mike absently scanned the village.  It was noisy, now that Hector and a very pregnant Kathy had the sawmill running at the lower end of the meadow.  The Army engineers had been a great help with that.  He could see that progress had been made on the hole which was destined to become the trout pond.

Not far from the river on this side, were four A-frame cabins; Mike’s was the most recently completed.  They faced east and west.  Each cabin had a metal fireplace made from the gas tanks and the exhausts systems of recovered vehicles.  On the southern exposure of each cabin roof was a window, made from a pane of glass taken the old school bus.  It allowed the sun to shine in and heat up the cabin.  Around the four cabins, a covered walkway with a high pitched roof had been constructed.  In winter, it would be easy for the residents to move from cabin to cabin.

“The Spears found five more cars yesterday,” John said.

As the Fog receded, a treasure trove of automobiles and buildings had been discovered.  No bodies had been found, but what looked like old blood stains were often noticed.  There was a friendly competition between the Army post and Petersburg to find useful items as the Fog diminished.

“The Mayor said that they found all kinds of stuff at the convenience store,” said Mike. “Hector was glad to get the welding equipment.  He says that he might get the gas pumps working.  We could sure use the fuel.”

“The Fog is down to five thousand feet now,” John replied.  “We’re going to be finding all kinds of stuff in the next couple of years.”

“What did Eric mean, when he said that someone knows what happened?” Mike asked.

“The Mayor thinks it was some kind of ‘Dark Matter’,” Desi replied. “Something was precipitated in the atmosphere, whatever that means.”

“Something like that,” John added. “At least, that’s what some scientist is saying over the radio.  Supposedly the Earth drifted through a cloud of something in space, and that caused something to be triggered in our atmosphere.  Kevin says that he understands.”

“So the twins want to move to the Retreat, huh?” Mike said.

“Yeah, but the Mayor wants them to wait one more year before leaving the farm.  I wonder if Paige and Makayla will go with them,” John replied.  “And Don is talking about moving there, too.  Since Major Collins moved his command to the Retreat, it’s become a popular place to live.”

“Poor Star,” said Mike.  “She’s going to miss Paige.”

"I miss Yuie," Desi said.

"She and Lincoln will be back next year," John said.  "Besides if she was here, Mike would be at East Post."

“I hate this arrangement.  We never get to have them here at the same time.”

Mike noticed Eric step out of the Village Office.  Tyler and Gabby were close by.  Gabby's belly was growing.  Tyler kissed Gabby, and he walked over to Eric.

"Time for Council," John said, observing the gathering.  

Mike saw Eric and Tyler go inside the Office.  He saw Ahmad, Nathan, Kathy, and Lily also making their way there.

“Ahmad is still Admin?” Mike asked.  He had arrived the previous day and was not yet caught up on the various roles people were filling.

“Yeah,” John replied.  “He’s been Admin since Howard’s time.  But Eric’s refusing to run for Mayor again this year, so Ahmad will have to take that job.  Some people are trying to get Erin to come back and run for it, but she likes working for the Major.”

“Howard was a good Mayor,” said Mike.  “He was good about bringing different people on to the Council.  He will be a good manager at East Post.  But Eric’s doing a good job, and Ahmad will be a good Mayor, too.”

"Eric should have asked you to serve on the Council, Mike," Desi complained.

"Nah," said Mike. "He doesn't need me looking over his shoulder."

Mike looked at Gabby again.  Then he looked at Kathy.  

"Oh!" he said.

"Finally," Desi muttered.

“Gotta go,” Mike said.

Mike waved to them and went down to his cabin.  He opened the door and went inside.  Annie was sitting in the rocking chair Hector had made for her.

"Are you pregnant?" Mike asked.

"Yep.”

“Then everything is okay.”

 

The End

 

I hope you have enjoyed this story.  The same story from a girl’s point of view is told in Surviving the Fog-Kathy’s Recollections.  I hope you will enjoy that book, too.  I’m considering another book featuring some of the kids from this camp.  It will involve a girl from Hume Lake, which is farther to the north.