Fellow Travelers (Max, Jack, Sarah, Skye and the dogs!)

"Good to meet you, Sir." Skye nodded to him, then smiled. "Yes, I know Graves County. We would go to Mayfield now and then. My dad really loved Catfish Corner. He was jealous that he couldn't make catfish that way." Her fond smile quickly faded. "There was nothing left in Kuttawa," she explained, "and Jack was my best bet to get out of there."


"Been down that way a time or two myself, when I brought a load through there. Great food at Catfish Corner. Always stopped there when I could.” Jack replied. “Offered the girl here a ride out of Kuttawa, had hoped to find my family and get them out, but that didn’t work out. So, we’re trying to outrun whatever’s behind us and stay away from the metro areas. Not that I think the rural areas are any safer, but I think we’d stand a better chance the farther out we get.”

"Yeah...Catfish Corner...out on highway 80....good eating." Max said almost absent mindedly, before continuing, "Everything is gone to hell...I came up here to get my daughter.....shoulda gotten here earlier....but I was too busy burying kin folk....Shoulda thought about the living a little more...I reckon."

Max turned away from the window and reached up and adjusted the black leather patch over his right eye.

"No need in ya'll sleeping out in the cold. There is plenty of room here. Got heat and the electric is still on most of the time, so we got hot water for a shower. I'm just using the candles to keep a low profile. Ya'll are more than welcome to stay here tonight."

"No need in ya'll sleeping out in the cold. There is plenty of room here. Got heat and the electric is still on most of the time, so we got hot water for a shower. I'm just using the candles to keep a low profile. Ya'll are more than welcome to stay here tonight."

"Thank you, that would be nice." Skye smiled, then glanced toward Jack to see what he thought, although he seemed to trust the man. While they really hadn't been traveling long, a shower sounded nice...and a real bed. "Do you want to bring the truck over?" she asked, hoping that they could stay, but trusting Jack's judgment.

“Ya'll are more than welcome to stay here tonight."

"Thank you, that would be nice." Skye smiled, then glanced toward Jack to see what he thought, although he seemed to trust the man. While they really hadn't been traveling long, a shower sounded nice...and a real bed. "Do you want to bring the truck over?" she asked, hoping that they could stay, but trusting Jack's judgment.

Jack nodded. “Like to get my truck off the road. She’s sitting in the high weeds. Not the best place to have it parked, but at the time, it was the best option available.” A shower sounded good. A place off the highway to sleep sounded even better. He realized then how tired he really was. “If you don’t mind I’ll go down and get it. Someplace you’d like it?”

“If you don’t mind I’ll go down and get it. Someplace you’d like it?”

"Park it around back, next to mine....Don't block either one in, just in case we had to skidaddle outta here...The dogs will tell us if anything...or anybody comes around bothering things....Even these little guys..." Max said as he bent down and picked up Nikita and she settled in comfortably across his arm, next to his chest. Jake remained sitting by his feet, with an occassional glimpse of his white teeth showing from his coal black fur.

“If you don’t mind I’ll go down and get it. Someplace you’d like it?”

"Park it around back, next to mine....Don't block either one in, just in case we had to skidaddle outta here...The dogs will tell us if anything...or anybody comes around bothering things....Even these little guys..." Max said as he bent down and picked up Nikita and she settled in comfortably across his arm, next to his chest. Jake remained sitting by his feet, with an occassional glimpse of his white teeth showing from his coal black fur.

“Great, I’ll be back in a couple minutes.” Jack replied looking at Azura then to Max. “Hopefully we won’t have to run for it, but I guess at this point, you never know. Be right back.”

With that Jack left the house and jogged toward where they had left his truck. It was easy enough to find, the weeds pushed down where they had walked. He reached the vehicle and looked around cautiously before getting in and starting the engine. He watched the road behind and in front of him, but there was no movement, no lights, no other sounds. So he moved forward and back onto the road.

Max’s driveway was easy enough to see and he maneuvered into it and up behind the house after taking the time to turn it around facing the way he had come. He put the Lady Smith in the glove box, shooting lessons would be on the agenda soon enough and went back inside. “All's quiet out there, no movement, nothing.”

While Jack had been moving the truck, Skye had taken the opportunity to hop into the shower. While the hot water felt good, she knew that resources were limited, so she didn't linger, as much as she'd wanted to. All too soon, she was out, dried and back into her clothes. Her damp hair hung around her shoulders as she stepped into the room with the men.

"Thank you," she commented, smiling at Max. "That was...nice. We have some food stores, if you'd like, I can make us some dinner."

“All's quiet out there, no movement, nothing.”

Max nodded, as he leaned against the kitchen counter smoking a Camel.

"Lets hope it stays that way."

Just then Skye entered from taking her shower...

"Thank you," she commented, smiling at Max. "That was...nice. We have some food stores, if you'd like, I can make us some dinner."

"Well, I already ate a while ago, but you all feel free to eat...I've got some deer steak in the cooler at the truck if you all want some."

"Lets hope it stays that way."

Just then Skye entered from taking her shower...

"Thank you," she commented, smiling at Max. "That was...nice. We have some food stores, if you'd like, I can make us some dinner."

"Well, I already ate a while ago, but you all feel free to eat...I've got some deer steak in the cooler at the truck if you all want some."

“I could stand to eat something. Venison sounds good. Way things look, we’ll be eating a lot of it in the very near future.” Jack responded. “So you have any plans, or are you planning to stay here?”

“I could stand to eat something. Venison sounds good. Way things look, we’ll be eating a lot of it in the very near future.” Jack responded. “So you have any plans, or are you planning to stay here?”

"I'll go grab a couple steaks then." Max replied as he picked up his rifle from the counter and slung it on his shoulder, before continuing....

"I came up here to get my daughter, but she and my cousin and his family were gone when I got here." He paused as he was going out the back door...."I ain't going home without her....so I reckon I'll be in this area until I find her.....The looks of the house when I got here were kind of fishy." He finished as he headed on out the door to the cooler in the trailer.

In just a few minutes, he was back inside with a couple vacuum wrapped packages of deer steaks.

"I brought enough for breakfast too." Then he continued on with what he had been talking about as he went out the door....

"I kind of figure by the looks of things, my daughter and my cousins didn't leave on their own accord....or if they did, someone was hurt pretty bad, judging by the amount of blood that was in the living room."

"I'll go grab a couple steaks then." Max replied as he picked up his rifle from the counter and slung it on his shoulder, before continuing....

"I came up here to get my daughter, but she and my cousin and his family were gone when I got here." He paused as he was going out the back door...."I ain't going home without her....so I reckon I'll be in this area until I find her.....The looks of the house when I got here were kind of fishy." He finished as he headed on out the door to the cooler in the trailer.

Jack looked at Skye. “Maybe things out here aren’t as benign as I had thought.” He paused, “We’ll be alright. Don’t worry. We’re well armed ad expecting trouble.” He referred to the guns and ammunition still in his truck.

In just a few minutes, he was back inside with a couple vacuum wrapped packages of deer steaks.

"I brought enough for breakfast too." Then he continued on with what he had been talking about as he went out the door....

"I kind of figure by the looks of things, my daughter and my cousins didn't leave on their own accord....or if they did, someone was hurt pretty bad, judging by the amount of blood that was in the living room."

“Have you seen an sign as to which way they may have gone?” Jack asked, comforted a bit by the automatic in his waistband. “Maybe we could track them, unless they took a vehicle out on the highway. I was hoping out here things would be more normal than the cities, but apparently, at least here, there aren’t.” Then he heard himself say, “be glad to help you look for them.”

“Have you seen an sign as to which way they may have gone?” Jack asked, comforted a bit by the automatic in his waistband. “Maybe we could track them, unless they took a vehicle out on the highway. I was hoping out here things would be more normal than the cities, but apparently, at least here, there aren’t.” Then he heard himself say, “be glad to help you look for them.”

"Well, I was just getting here about dark, today, best I could tell was they went that way." Max said jerking his thumb to indicate the direction down the road. "I figure in the morning, I'll be able to follow the tracks in the snow, easier than in the dark."


Max paused as he lighted up another Camel....

"Far as things being more normal out in the country, there may be fewer out here, but they are still here and more will come as supplies run out in the cities.....Hard times bring out the best in some folks and the worst in others." Max paused and blew a cloud of blue smoke towards the ceiling, debating whether to make his next comment....."I've already had a run in with some fellers down in Illinois who were intent on taking my stuff....I left them laying in the snow..."

Max put his smoke out in an ashtray during the longer pause after his last comment, then said...

"I wouldn't want to keep you from what you gotta do, but ya'll are welcome to stick around if you want.....though I don't know if this place is the safest place to be staying or not."

"No..." Skye took the steaks and headed for the kitchen, but paused to shake her head. "We don't have anything....my family is...gone, and Jack's..." She glanced toward her friend. "We're not sure where they are. We were just headed...somewhere...we want to help..." She couldn't bear the thought that a child might be hurt, and she hoped that Jack didn't mind her speaking up. But then, if she knew him at all, she knew he would want to help.

"No..." Skye took the steaks and headed for the kitchen, but paused to shake her head. "We don't have anything....my family is...gone, and Jack's..." She glanced toward her friend. "We're not sure where they are. We were just headed...somewhere...we want to help..." She couldn't bear the thought that a child might be hurt, and she hoped that Jack didn't mind her speaking up. But then, if she knew him at all, she knew he would want to help.

Max laid his rifle on the counter and leaned back against it.

"My daughter was up here in Iowa going to college when all this started. When things started getting bad, I told her to come down here to my cousins place...where she would be....safer."

He paused and pulled out another Camel, but left it dangling, unlit from his lip as he talked....

"I waited too long to come after her, or maybe I shoulda had her come on home instead of coming here...."

Max finally lit the Camel and inhaled deeply..........

"If you all want to help me look for my daughter, I reckon we can look for Jacks family at the same time....but we need to look for a more secure place to hunker down and operate out of."

Max finally lit the Camel and inhaled deeply..........

"If you all want to help me look for my daughter, I reckon we can look for Jacks family at the same time....but we need to look for a more secure place to hunker down and operate out of."

“Not like we need to be anywhere anytime soon.” Jack responded. “I figured out here would be clear of trouble a bit longer, guess that was a bad assumption. Figured the trouble would start in the cities first, but there’s no accounting for human nature. Evil’s evil, that’s for sure.” For a fleeting moment he felt the hollowness of despair. “Skye’s right tho, we do want to help. And I agree, we should find a more secure location to operate out of. It’s possible whoever was here could come back. Any ideas?”

“Not like we need to be anywhere anytime soon.” Jack responded. “I figured out here would be clear of trouble a bit longer, guess that was a bad assumption. Figured the trouble would start in the cities first, but there’s no accounting for human nature. Evil’s evil, that’s for sure.” For a fleeting moment he felt the hollowness of despair. “Skye’s right tho, we do want to help. And I agree, we should find a more secure location to operate out of. It’s possible whoever was here could come back. Any ideas?”

"Well, I reckon we need to find a place a little futher off the road, and futher from the main roads. Good visibility all around, but cover for the vehicles.....May not want to get to far out of town just yet as we are going to have to forage for supplies before too long.....Winter is going to hit hard this far up North I reckon and there ain't going to be anyone to plow the roads shortly, so travel will get more difficult....which will be a hinderance to searching for our folks, but a help to our security."


As Max talked he had unconsciously ran his hands over all his pockets checking that there contents was secure and in place as well as checking his .45 and re-securing it in its holster....it was a habit he had developed over the years and he now did it without thinking about it, but instantly knew when he was missing something from his person....

Skye listened to the conversation as she rummaged in the kitchen, finding a skillet and a mallet. Silently, she pounded the steaks out, trying not to brood too much on the hand that fate had dealt them. Everyone was suffering and there was little choice but to deal with it, and at least she knew what fate had befallen her father. It would be pure torture, she thought, not to know.

Sighing, she added a bit of salt and pepper on the steaks, then set them in the hot pan of oil. Soon, the aroma of the cooking meat filled the room and her stomach rumbled.

"Well, I reckon we need to find a place a little futher off the road, and futher from the main roads. Good visibility all around, but cover for the vehicles.....May not want to get to far out of town just yet as we are going to have to forage for supplies before too long.....Winter is going to hit hard this far up North I reckon and there ain't going to be anyone to plow the roads shortly, so travel will get more difficult....which will be a hinderance to searching for our folks, but a help to our security."

"I haven’t been out this far, so I’m not familiar with what is on the landscape that fits the defensive needs. I would leave that to you and if you have someplace in mind, I say we strike out for there as soon as we can.” Jack said as the sound of the steaks sizzling, and their aroma filled the air.

As Max talked he had unconsciously ran his hands over all his pockets checking that there contents was secure and in place as well as checking his .45 and re-securing it in its holster....it was a habit he had developed over the years and he now did it without thinking about it, but instantly knew when he was missing something from his person....

Never thought I’d see anything like this. Afghanistan? Yah, that was the way of it, but here? In the heartland? I may not understand what’s happening, but I sure as hell know how to deal with it.” Jack stated.

"I haven’t been out this far, so I’m not familiar with what is on the landscape that fits the defensive needs. I would leave that to you and if you have someplace in mind, I say we strike out for there as soon as we can.” Jack said as the sound of the steaks sizzling, and their aroma filled the air.

"Well, I ain't from around here, so I really have no idea what is around here....We'll just have to scout things out in the daylight and see what we can come up with. Too risky to move at night, can't see whats around us, but others can sure see and hear us coming."

"Never thought I’d see anything like this. Afghanistan? Yah, that was the way of it, but here? In the heartland? I may not understand what’s happening, but I sure as hell know how to deal with it.” Jack stated.

Max sniffed tha air and nodded his appreciation of the smell of the steaks towards Skye....but was aware that was a security risk as well....the smell could travel on the wind for a long ways....good thing the wind tended to settle down after sunset....

Max looked up at Jack,,,,"Afghanistan?....You were in the service?...That oughta come in handy hereabouts....unfortunately."

Max looked up at Jack,,,,"Afghanistan?....You were in the service?...That oughta come in handy hereabouts....unfortunately."

“Yah, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines. Three tours were enough for me. Family was the deciding factor, but this sort of took all of that away. Should have stayed in.” He said quietly. “Like to know what this is about. Like to know who we’ll be fighting, rumor being our own government did this.” Anger flashed across his face momentarily and was gone. There was no room for that. He needed to keep his head.

“Yah, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines. Three tours were enough for me. Family was the deciding factor, but this sort of took all of that away. Should have stayed in.” He said quietly. “Like to know what this is about. Like to know who we’ll be fighting, rumor being our own government did this.” Anger flashed across his face momentarily and was gone. There was no room for that. He needed to keep his head.

"Good to have another Marine on board! I retired out of the Corps myself, 2/8, 2/6, 1/6, MARDET UNITAS, the list goes on...." Max paused as he pulled out his battered old cigarette case and lighted up another Camel...."I hadn't heard the rumor about it being our our governemnt, not that I would believe it if I had....It just doesn't make sense....this thing is too widespread.....Its more likely a terrorist attack....that is if it didn't happen naturally."

“Like to know what this is about. Like to know who we’ll be fighting, rumor being our own government did this.”

"Good to have another Marine on board! I retired out of the Corps myself, 2/8, 2/6, 1/6, MARDET UNITAS, the list goes on...." Max paused as he pulled out his battered old cigarette case and lighted up another Camel...."I hadn't heard the rumor about it being our our governemnt, not that I would believe it if I had....It just doesn't make sense....this thing is too widespread.....Its more likely a terrorist attack....that is if it didn't happen naturally."

“Well, not matter how this happened, lawlessness will soon override common decency and there’ll be hell to pay. Hard to believe that our own government was, and is suspected of killing it’s own. I thought we were out there taking down dictators that did that very same thing.” Jack replied. “If it was terrorists, man, they figured a way to do us in. I still have trouble that a bunch of rag heads could put something like this together and deliver it. That had to be a real chore.”

"Supper's ready," Skye announced quietly from the kitchen doorway. She had added a few vegetables, trying to be conservative. She would make sure that they replaced what they used.

"This is world-wide, though, isn't it?" she added to their conversation, "certainly, they wouldn't hate us enough to kill their own people?" Honestly, she couldn't imagine how anyone could do this.

“Well, not matter how this happened, lawlessness will soon override common decency and there’ll be hell to pay. Hard to believe that our own government was, and is suspected of killing it’s own. I thought we were out there taking down dictators that did that very same thing.” Jack replied. “If it was terrorists, man, they figured a way to do us in. I still have trouble that a bunch of rag heads could put something like this together and deliver it. That had to be a real chore.”

Well, it doesn't need to be a bunch of terrorists in a cave in the mountains. It could be state sponsored terrorists from Iran or North Korea with the resources of government research facilities at there disposal or just some nut job that worked in a Bioengineering facility....Heck, we may never know the who or the why...." Max finished as he drew on his Camel...

"Supper's ready," Skye announced quietly from the kitchen doorway. She had added a few vegetables, trying to be conservative. She would make sure that they replaced what they used.

"This is world-wide, though, isn't it?" she added to their conversation, "certainly, they wouldn't hate us enough to kill their own people?" Honestly, she couldn't imagine how anyone could do this.

"Well, if it is a Middle Eastern terror attack, they have shown that they have zero qualms about killing their own people if it serves their purposes."

Max turned to Jack, "Better get your chow, so we can bunk down and get some sleep to make an early start in the morning."

“If it was terrorists, man, they figured a way to do us in. I still have trouble that a bunch of rag heads could put something like this together and deliver it. That had to be a real chore.”

Well, it doesn't need to be a bunch of terrorists in a cave in the mountains. It could be state sponsored terrorists from Iran or North Korea with the resources of government research facilities at there disposal or just some nut job that worked in a Bioengineering facility....Heck, we may never know the who or the why...." Max finished as he drew on his Camel...

“That’s the damnable part of it, the not knowing.” Jack said, when Skye called out.

"Supper's ready," Skye announced quietly from the kitchen doorway. She had added a few vegetables, trying to be conservative. She would make sure that they replaced what they used.

"This is world-wide, though, isn't it?" she added to their conversation, "certainly, they wouldn't hate us enough to kill their own people?" Honestly, she couldn't imagine how anyone could do this.

"Well, if it is a Middle Eastern terror attack, they have shown that they have zero qualms about killing their own people if it serves their purposes."

Max turned to Jack, "Better get your chow, so we can bunk down and get some sleep to make an early start in the morning."

“Agreed, early start would be best. Gas will be available so long as the power lasts. After that, siphoning. Generators and pumps. Well, let’s eat smells real good Skye.”

“Agreed, early start would be best. Gas will be available so long as the power lasts. After that, siphoning. Generators and pumps. Well, let’s eat smells real good Skye.”

"Go ahead, as I said earlier I already ate....I'm gonna go get some gear outta my truck."